Tales of #MOMLIFE

The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst

The Reveal

I want to start by saying that this is not a political rant, however, this is a bit of a rant. And it is very loosely connected to the election.

I was enraged to read several posts and comments on social media about "dumb rednecks" voting in Trump as our next president. Let me repeat that: "dumb rednecks." Bare with me, cause here comes the rant...

I was born and raised on southern ground. Small town, bible belt, fully southern raised. My parents grew up in that town. My grandparents built their lives in that town. I am not, and never will be ashamed of where I come from: a town full of "rednecks."

But let me tell you something, I have never met a "dumb redneck" who could start in his early twenties mowing grass on a golf course and work his way up to being a knowledgeable mechanic and assistant superintendent of that same course. Who is a single dad who raised two girls and put them through private school. Who works day in and day out to provide a better life for his children.

I've never met a "dumb redneck" who spent every day of his adult life watching weather patterns and planting and raising crops. Day in and day out with his back to the sun. A man with business savvy with no college degree, but who could grow and sell his crops to support a wife and three children. To build a better life for the generations to come.

I've never met a "dumb redneck" who could spend long days pulling tobacco only to spend evenings cooking meals for her three children. Who worked her hands to the bone to support her husband and their business. Who had the rough hands of a farmer but the gentle touch of a grandmother and mom.

The south is built on these "rednecks" and these are the kinds of people you call "dumb" because they voted for someone they believed would fight for the working class. For the farmers.

This is my family. This is my heritage. And I would be proud to be called a redneck, although I have not earned the name. My family and so many families from the south have spent their lives working with their necks to the sun to provide a good life for their families. To see their children get the opportunities that they themselves did not have. See, redneck isn't derogatory to me. It shows hard work and perseverance. It's a legacy. It's the people that make up the small American towns where American pride is prevalent and being a neighbor means something.

So  think twice before you judge us "dumb rednecks." Our country was built on the backs of those farmers and hard workers that foresaw a greater future for the generations to come.

God Bless this country and God Bless the South!

52 Weeks of Gratitude-Week 4

Since moving back to the mainland we have been close enough to visit family frequently. Many of you who know me personally, know that I am a small town girl at heart. I love my hometown and the people in it. I love where I come from and I am very close to my family. There is just something about going home.

52 Weeks of Gratitude: Week 2

To say I am grateful for my husband is a huge understatement. I think that most married couples would say that they go through periods where they forget to truly be grateful for their spouse. Life gets hectic and kids come along and your focus gets pulled. But it's always a great feeling to sit back and really reflect on how much we depend on and love our spouse and all that they do. So here I am on week 2 of the gratitude challenge, very grateful for Ethan.

If you don't know the story of Ethan and Kristin, I'll give you a quick run down.

The Story of Us

My Best Friend

I am so grateful to everyone who has taken the time to stop and read this post. I hope that you will consider partnering with me to make a difference in the lives of my students.

As some of you know, I currently have two fundraising projects open for my kindergarten class. One is through Donor's Choose to purchase a class library for my classroom and the other is through GoFundMe to purchase supplies for alternative seating and Daily 5. Let me give you a little background into my classroom and the research that I have done.

Kindergarten is the foundation for students' academic career. A lot of students come to us at the beginning of the year with no idea how to hold a pencil, use scissors, sit in a desk or play well with others. For some, this is their first social experience.With common core and the push for more rigor in Kindergarten, play is no longer a large part of our students' day. I try hard to implement play as much as I can, but the demand is so high that it proves to be very difficult.

Last year was my first year in kindergarten, and I learned a lot about those little minds and bodies. A handful of my students had already been diagnosed with ADHD and were on medication. Their little minds and bodies must be actively engaged all of the time, and this becomes trying when there is work that must be done that is less than exciting. I also saw that some of my students were not independent in many areas and were not willing to venture to try things on their own.

Alternative Seating

I try to instill in my students a sense of confidence and exploration. I strive to make them independent learners (yes, in Kindergarten) and to have them experience things for themselves. With alternative seating, my students will have a choice of where they sit to work each time they are sent from the carpet. I am hoping to have seating options such as yoga balls and cushions, crate seats and yoga mats, as well as lap desks and clipboards. Students will be able to stand or lie down. However best they learn and work is what I will teach them to choose. Students who are constantly squirming won't be required to sit rigidly in a seat and students who like to curl up with their books will have the opportunity to do so. There has been research that says alternative seating can help to keep students focused for longer as well as combat restlessness.

Daily 5

Hi all! As many of you who follow along on my journey know, I have recently made it a point in my life to start finding the joy in every day. Joy in the big things and joy in the little things.

To couple with my journey of joy I have decided to do a 52 weeks of gratitude challenge. I'm so excited about this! It's a chance to purposefully take time to reflect on the important people and things in my life. I believe this will really be a great way to help me find joy!

Oh my goodness I look crazy in this video. Haha Please excuse my crazy eyes!




Check out the list of 52 weeks of gratitude at Local Adventurer's blog.

Finding My Joy Again

Earlier this week a couple that is very near and dear to my heart tragically lost their son. Mr. And Mrs. Davis were my band directors/color guard instructors for eight years. They were certainly an extension of my family. 

This post is for all of my teacher friends. Summer has always been a time for me to regroup, reflect, and take my time preparing for the year ahead. Most summers I read a lot and throw in at least one professional development book. This summer I was eagerly searching for a book that would help me get my motivation for teaching back and one that would give me some ideas of how to be my best self each day in the classroom. I definitely found that and more with Unshakeable.

I would certainly recommend this book to every educator, but especially those like me who may have had a trying year and who are seriously questioning why we got into this education thing in the first place. In this book, Angela Watson gives "20 ways to enjoy teaching every day...no matter what." This byline had me hooked from the start. Who doesn't want to enjoy every day in the classroom?

I am only about half way through the book currently, but I have picked up so much good and practical  advice that I will be taking into this next year of teaching. What I love about Angela is that she understands the demands that teachers have and that schools and districts place on teachers. She is very open and honest about what teachers face and doesn't "side with the bad guys." haha You can also clearly see her faith within the book and I've found that, in itself, to be inspiring.

I have enjoyed so much of this book so far, but to give you a little idea of what's in store I'll share a couple of things that I have really taken to heart and will be carrying with me into next school year.

• I struggle deeply with my to-do lists. They are always super long and I have a very hard time prioritizing. In Unshakeable, Angela gives tips on how to allocate your time and how to prioritize in order to get what matters most finished while letting go of the rest. 

• Another great chapter talks about taking the time to decompress after work days and setting  healthy habits for bringing work home. Let's face it, we all do it, And sometimes it feels like we work from dawn til dusk. Angela gives some great ways to set habits and goals for working at home while still giving time to decompress and do what matters most to you. 

There are many more great tips to take away from this book and if you are looking for a book to boost your teaching this summer, I highly suggest that you pick this up. ( I can't wait to read the next book by her Awakened.)

Be sure to check out Angela's blog here: http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/blog

Well, the first week of our first summer in Georgia has come and gone. When we first moved here and I first started working I definitely could not see the end in sight. I didn't think I would make it here, but I did!! And I am so much stronger for it. Let me tell you!

It has been a great first week, (well, week and a half.) I got to meet my beautiful niece and spend some quality auntie time just me and her. And once back in Georgia I was able to be lazy. Truly, seriously lazy. It was AMAZING! I binge watched so much Netflix and at so much junkfood that I was truly deliriously happy. Not to mention spending quality time just Aria, Ethan, and I. That has been the cherry on top. We normally don't get to spend just uninterrupted time together and it has been awesome just hanging out and being a family. Only focused on us.


So today was the first day of a new week in which productivity must begin. I have so many ideas running through my head for the next school year. That's just the teacher in me. I'm excited to get started on what is going to be a great year. I am determined for it to be a great year.

Today also started my journey on the Whole30 challenge. I will be updating everyone weekly on my progress and on my meals for each week. Today was hard. I wanted a donut so bad I could literally taste it!

Anyway, just wanted to give a little update while I had the chance. Be expecting much more from me this summer!

Motherhood is the single most wonderful, terrifying, hard, rewarding, frustrating, and amazing role there is. There is nothing like it in the world. I guess that's one of the reasons they have a whole day for us Moms.

On Mother's Day most of us want to be pampered or to have some time that is all about us and no one else. Or we want to have some Mommy time that is just a little more special than every other day. I brace myself for tears when I read cards and hear things I normally don't hear on a normal basis and I soak in the fact that I am actually not failing at this mom thing. In fact, I'm doing ok. It's a day where I think about how far my relationship with my own mom has come and the lessons I've learned along the way. And I thank God for making me a mom and pray that He will remind me of these feelings when I've cleaned the 100th pair of poopy panties.

Through this journey of motherhood I've learned so many things about not just parenting, but about myself. I obviously am not the same person that I was three years ago, and that is a good and bad thing. But I am certain that Aria makes me a better person, daily.

So, some things that Motherhood has taught me. Here we go:

1.  I am capable of almost anything.
     I of course believe that through Christ I can do all things, but sometimes it is so daunting everything that must get done and the things that Aria puts us through. It has taken being a mom to truly show me that hey, I can do this. I can work, take care of my family and my home (definition of taking care of my home is very loose here.Depends on what day of the week it is. haha) I can be at the point of exhaustion but still pull together enough strength to play superheros or put Aria to bed 20 times. God has equipped me to do this. I just have to learn to quite doubting it.

2. Nothing is really gross.
    Nope. Nothing. Now sometimes I get a little nauseous if the poop makes it to the floor (don't ask me why it's different than in a diaper) but for the most part nothing grosses me out. I've been projectile vomited on, peed on, and pooped on. I have cleaned up mixtures of food that would make a pig turn up his nose. Yep. This girl who used to heave at the sight of anything unseemly can now pretty much handle most anything.

3. It does not necessarily take a village.
    OMG! I know!! What am I saying?? Well, I can tell you what I'm not saying. I'm not saying that it isn't important to have Aria's other family involved in her upbringing and I'm not saying that I do not appreciate help. I am saying that, for the most part, Ethan and I have done this parenting thing alone since the very beginning. Hey, we lived on an island across the country from any family. We had to. And we pretty much rocked it. Were we scared as hell?? Ummm, yeah! But we did it. We did the no sleep thing every night with no nights off. We made schedules and switched car seats and took off work cause there wasn't really anyone to help out. So if you are alone, I'm telling you, you can do this. Is it hard? Yes. But God made YOU the parent. You've got this.

4. The "I hope she's just like you!" curse that your parents always put on your head is real. Like, really real.
     Aria is bossy. And I mean like really bossy. (Me) And she's also not afraid of anything, including, but not limited to,jumping off of crazy heights, scary cartoons, and doing anything that she sees a bigger kid do. (Ethan) She is just like us. With some added personality and flare. She gives me a heart attack on a daily basis. I think that's what my parents were hoping for.

5. And my last one, for this post at least is; I am blessed beyond measure.
    I've always been very grateful for my life, despite some very hard times as a kid. I've always looked at the things I went through as necessary for who I turned out to be. I've never hated my life or anything like that, but since becoming a mom I've truly come to understand how blessed I am.
    Everyday I get to see Aria's face light up at something because of me. Imagine that! I get to see her grow and hear her laugh. To watch her grasp something for the first time and greatest of all I get to be loved by her! She doesn't fault me for my flaws. She loves me unconditionally. She is the greatest little blessing and I will always try my best to be worthy of being her mother. I can't imagine what life would be like without her.


I'm so grateful to be a mom. Is it hard, heck yes. Do I cry a lot.... Ummmm yes. haha Am I exhausted, you bet. But I'm also loved and looked up to. I'm depended on and needed. I can't imagine a better life than this #MomLife.

Marie. I used to greatly dislike having that for a middle name. It felt so plain. Certainly not as exciting as Jade or as pretty as Rebecca. I remember my parents told me that I shouldn't say I didn't like my name because I was named after my Nana and that that was special. Still, it didn't quite click for me. That is, until we lost my Granny Light suddenly. I think that's the point where I started to really pay attention to who the woman I was named after really was.

When Granny Light died I had all of these emotions that didn't quite sit right. I felt as though I had taken her for granted. That I never really showed her how much she meant to me and that she thought I was embarrassed of her and where I came from. I never told her that when she helped me buy my first guitar that that was a turning point for me. That music became so much more. Or that the night my dad and I had our first knock down, drag out, fight ending with me leaving, that I didn't come to her because I had nowhere to go, but because it was the only place I wanted to be. It's hard to lose someone without getting to say goodbye. Without making sure they knew how much you loved them. That was the point at which I can honestly say that my relationship with my Nana changed. I couldn't bare to lose her without her knowing.

So I started to truly listen to the stories she told me. Stories of growing up and of hard hard times. Stories of fixing this or building that. Stories about working at Dan River and of Papa Charlie. I started helping her with all her crazy DIY projects, not because I wanted something out of it but because it was actually amazing fun to do things with her. And when I got married I suffered through all of the wildly inappropriate banter and stories, all the while blushing and giggling and wondering how many other grandmas were this cool. I listened to the wive's tales when I got pregnant and called her when Aria was sick and had no clue what to do.

It wasn't all hearts and roses. She could infuriate me and I did the same to her on occasion. I think that's how every important relationship goes. But she didn't hold a grudge against me and no matter how hard it might have been at times to go back after a fight, I did. And you never would have known it happened.

I have great memories of my Nana. Way too many to talk about, but so many have come flooding back to me over the past couple of weeks. Scary movie nights where we would watch and eat and make fun of the ridiculous plots and not-so-scary characters. She could crack me up and they never seemed scary with her around. Or the week we spent painting the outside of my mom's trailer. We worked and talked for hours about anything and everything. You could never hold my Nana down. She was always working and doing something. I've never known someone more independent than her or honestly a woman as strong. Anything she wanted to do, she went for it. If she saw it on HGTV and liked it, you better believe it'd be in her yard within a month. Go getters like her are few and far between.

So when she got sick and I was in Hawaii, it hurt to not be there. We came home summer of 2014 to be with her because I was scared it would be my last chance. God had far greater plans in store. She got to hold Aria, and spend time with her and love her. She got to see her grow. She got to enjoy her and spoil her. To me, that's been the greatest gift and greatest comfort. She got to know that Ariana was going to have a beautiful baby girl and that she was in good hands. I got to sit with her, and talk with her in the months leading up. I got to let her know I love her and she got to give me advice on mothering and cooking and setting up a new house. I got closure.

I don't think I could ever express in words what having her name means to me now or how stupid I feel for ever hating it. There's a part of her that will always be present with me. She's at peace. That is the greatest gift. Though I couldn't be there to hold her hand, I hope she felt me across the miles.

Nana, you will forever be a part of me. Thank you for teaching me what it means to be strong and independent. For trying to teach me to speak my mind and for always taking care of me. Aria will grow up hearing your name often and I know she has two Guardian Angels always watching over her.

I love you. Until we meet again.