Mother's Love and How to Be A Super Mom!

What is a mother?  Limitless Love

I can honestly say, that becoming a mother was the best thing that ever happened to me.  Growing up, I anticipated a pilot license and traveling the world.  I loved diverse people and learning about different cultures! Then hormones kicked in and I felt the calling to bear children.  I'm not sure if it was hormones alone, or the void of family that I was trying to fill.  I got married at 18 and then for 2 years after marriage I prayed for a child.  Daily taking my prenatal vitamins and temperature with the basal thermometer and documenting on the calender my most fertile days, only to get the report - 'His sperm count was too low to be fertile'.  I was devastated.  Everywhere I turned, someone was having or had a baby.  I caught myself judging others for what I thought was 'bad parenting'.  I knew this was wrong, and had to give it to God frequently to take this anger out of my heart.  I had to fast and pray my way through that trench!

Then we chose to adopt through foster care.  I was excited thinking I could have the opportunity to nourish a much needed, possibly broken heart depending on age and circumstance.  As a child that went through the system, I know the silence pain.  Though I was excited, I couldn't get over thinking it wasn't fair.  I had my life all planned out.  I registered to go to the Navy to become a pilot, then get married, have 2 kids - 1 boy, 1 girl.  And my life would be complete.  What was the problem with my plan?  It wasn't my plan.

After completing all the training, house inspection, etc...the month we were finally put on the list to receive our first placement - another CURVE BALL!  At the time, I was a nurse at a retirement home.  Doing wound care never phased me prior..so I had no clue why the sight and smell of a bedsore made me hurl across the room, up the hallway - and sitting on the bathroom floor leaning against the cold tile wall.  Worst stomach bug ever?  Nope!  As you can guess by now, my prayer's were answered.  Even my doctor and nurse cried with me after taking my pregnancy test with with.  They were with me the whole way for those two long years.  I cried tears of joy for 2 weeks straight!  Ahhh, that joy - the glow - the movement of pure happiness that was in my heart.  I don't even know if it's possible to describe the way I felt.  Thus began my new career, my calling...Motherhood.    

These are the 3 most precious books that I would rotate in our nightly readings with other books.

Love You Forever

Guess How Much I Love You

Grandfather Twilight


















How To Be A Super Mom?
1.  STOP TRYING!  There is no such thing as a Super Mom.  Of course, my son bought me a pair that said I was.  The self expectations of motherhood can be set so high, it's unattainable.  Even knowing this, I still struggle with being a perfectionist mother.  I found this article on WebMD, {finally found something that don't = cancer!} Relax, Your Being A Good Mom
2.  Breathe
3.  Find ways to take Mental Health Breaks {even several times through the day if need be!}
4.  Listen & play with your children.  That old saying of - they grow like weeds, is true!  I'm soon to be the mother of a teenager!!!
Here is a great short clip you fellow mothers' must watch!  Even the Little Things Matter

Ways to Thank Your Mother
1.  Call her.  FREQUENTLY.  Listen to her and what she has to say.  Thank her for all she's done for you.
2.  Find ways to stay connected.  Lunch, dinner, movies, museums, hikes, bingo.  Whatever she is into, show some interest.
3.  Write to her.  Poems, cards, letters, post cards, anything!  Mom's don't care if it's made of construction paper or Hallmark - as long as it came from you, that's all that matters!
4.  If you have a techy mom ~ create a YouTube video, she will love it!

There are so many ways to tell your mother you cherish her Limitless Love.

Not everyone can or has a mother they can spend time with, but we always have Mother Nature.  This year, I'm requesting for my Mother's Day outings to be filled with Earth Day actives with my loved ones.  Plant a tree, grab some gloves and pick up trash along a roadside as a family and find a single mother to anomalously bless.  Every mother deserves to be told her Limitless Love is appreciated.      

Cucumber Tips & Tricks That you Don't Want To Miss!

1.  Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day.  Just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Bitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2.  For a pick me up in the afternoon...Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber!  They are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.  Slice some and put in your water bottle too!

3.  If you rub a slice along your bathroom mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4.  Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long!  The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee from the area.

5.  Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool?  Try rubbing a slice or two along your problem area for a few minutes.  The phytochemical in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite.  Works great on wrinkles too!! 

6.  Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache?  Eat a few slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free!    Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both hangovers AND headaches!

7.  Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge?  Cucumbers have been used for centuries by European trappers, trader and explorers for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8.  Have an important meeting or job interview and realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes?  Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.  (But seriously, if you've got enough time to go out and buy a cucumber, slice it and rub all over your shoes for the perfect sheen on leather, you've got to have time to just polish your shoes lol).

9.  Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge?  Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10.  Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa?  Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11.  Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints?  Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath.  The photochemical will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12.  Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel?  Take a slice and rub it on the surface you want to clean.  Not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won't leave streaks and won't harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.

*Remember, if purchasing store bought cucumbers - they are covered with wax & chemicals!  This can easily be removed by soaking them in vinegar.  Rinse, slice then enjoy!

Do you have a favorite use for cucumbers?  Mine is eating them sliced by themself or dipped in ranch dressing...mmm

Easter Resurrection Garden...{Our $2.47 Tutorial}

Easter is a time of Renewal and New Beginnings 

This is our Easter Resurrection Garden.  We spent a Total of $2.47 to make it.  A VERY Frugal and simple craft, yet full of meaning.

Kingston showing our finished little garden =}

You can find the story of Jesus' Resurrection here ~ Luke 24 He Has Risen NIV
"He Has Risen!" Mathew 28:6

As part of our Easter Activities, this year the boys and I got to have some fun on the back porch reflecting on the meaning of Jesus' Resurrection and what it means to us.  This is the closest my boys have been to making a mud pie ~ without getting into trouble!  Kingston wanted to decorate it with flowers from the yard, which I thought was a sweet touch too.

To put our little garden together, the boys and I collected these things:

From Store
Grass Seed {smallest bag meant for patch repair} Only $2.47 at my local Wal-Mart!

From Our Yard
Twigs
Small Rocks
Dandelions

I already had on hand an extra planter pot, potting soil, and scotch tape.  We used a small silver ramekin from my kitchen for the inside of the tomb.

Close up of our garden before putting the crosses on.  Kingston took the smaller stones and made a walking path to the top of the 'hill'.  Then Vaughn & Kingston took the twigs & tape to make an 'X' shape to construct the 3 wooden crosses.  Now comes the fun part...waiting in faith for the grass to grow!  

                          

And don't forget to share the Jelly Bean Prayer!  =}

I hope that this week is a time of reflection and renewal for you.  When I think about my life, I am humbled by God's Grace and Mercy.