A little explanation

I thought I would take this sleepless night before our March MOPS meeting to explain the title of my blog.
This name came to me several weeks ago which of course followed a night that my kids had cookies for dinner. It just shows how far we've let ourselves go, how far we've come and the grace that covers us all.
Which I know what you're thinking, "I get it shows how far you've let yourself go, but the rest?" Well let me explain...

Since what I think of as "The Big Change" we've had the luxury of eating healthier. We lost a picky eater (among other things I could call him) so our grocery shopping has revolved more around fresh fruits, health drinks & healthier snacks. The deep fryer has been banished to the garage, replaced by my new friend Coffeemaker, and for the most part we've done well in our healthier lifestyle changes. Though we have some indulgences, mainly in the form of little circular bits of happiness- the cookie.

For the most part I've been able to count my blessings and getting through day by day, prayer by prayer, but one particular day I felt so bad- in a nameless "It's just a nasty do nothing day" way that I completely spaced on food. The kids probably wish for more of these kinds of days even if I'd be happy to never see one again.
They had cereal for breakfast, string cheese (that's somewhat healthy, right?) yogurt tubes, and whatever else they could scavenge off the counters & top of the fridge. Around bedtime I realized they had all gotten into the Oreos and that was about the same time I realized they were just going to bed with that as their supper.


And the part about grace? Though it wasn't the best option for dinner that night God knows I needed that day to recharge. I think of this verse from Lamentations 3:22-23. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Boys Stand Up to Pee

    When I found out I was pregnant with Leah, I prayed and prayed that I would have a girl. I just didn't feel capable to raise a boy on my own. One of the happiest days  in my life was seeing that ultrasound and knowing I was having a little girl and that she didn't have a cleft palate. Fast forward almost 16 years and here I am a single mom, not only to my precious Leah, but also to Trinity & of course the two boys- Jon & Jonah.
    The other day I was sitting at the computer desk in our front room and hear what was obviously more than one child in the bathroom around the corner. I was about to yell my usual, "One in the bathroom at a time!", when Jon's voice says, "You know you can stand up to pee, right, Jojo?" Knowing this was going to be good, I just listened. Jon continued to tell Jonah how to pull his pants down, where to stand, where to aim (which scares me a little), how to shake & flush. I was impressed, especially since Jon typically isn't the most helpful child in the universe. Jonah has now mastered the peeing standing up process, within 2 months of potty training. I've had to clean the bathroom much more frequently these past few days, but as a mom knowing how the mess came to be, I don't mind. I'm proud of my boys this week and thank God that He gave Jonah a "man" to teach him this ultimate passage into boyhood, even if it was his 7 year old brother. 

Surviving as a Single Mom

To say the least we are on a new adventure, one that has us from tops of mountains to the bottoms of some serious valleys. In the 2 short months we've been on this adventure we've been able to see God work in some miraculous ways. I've lost count of all of them. I really want to write as much as I can so I can look back on this, one of the most difficult times in my life and remember the blessings, and for the kids to one day be able to see the incredible journey we traveled together. One reason I've chosen to do this as a blog, versus a private journal is I've been lucky enough to SEE how God equipped me to handle this, the people He placed in our lives to walk beside us, and if I can come along side one other mom either now or in the future to God be the glory.
Let's get started...