Im a Dirty Girl

 I have always wanted to be able to run (for a sport) yeah, I know..... that's a shocker.

I'm not big on exercises. I want to be, but its hard for me. 

My husband did the Tough Mudder mud run with my son and few other guys.

After that, I saw this. A mud run for girls and it raises money for Breast Cancer!!

So, I decided I was going to do it. It was a stretch for me to do anything like this. Its not a race, but a run. Its about finishing, not finishing first. It includes about 12 obstacles and that was going to be challenge for me as well. My girls wanted to do this with me and I was never so happy to have them around me. We did this last March in honor of a friend who is a survivor.

 It was very cold that day. (look at our lovely team below) 

At one point it started to sleet! Due to the weather, they didn't add water to a lot of the obstacles.

We still got wet and muddy but not as much as we will this year!

 Honestly, I walked most of the run. I stayed back with a fellow team mate who I was so very proud of for doing this!!! My daughter, (below) stayed with me when she could have gone on! 

I was concerned also over the uneven ground as I have a tendency to twist my ankle and fall.

 I finished this dirty mud run. I was wet and freezing but I did all of the obstacles (only one was difficult for me and that was due to my being afraid of heights!)

 My wonderful husband was my cheerleader. He wore his tough mudder shirt and afterwards he took me to McDonalds where I drank two HOT mochas!

This year even my baby girl can do the run with me! 

We all signed up and will start training. It gives me more of a reason to work on losing weight and gaining endurance. In May 2014 we will race in memory of my Granny, Irene Hill.

Please check it out and see if the Dirty Girl Mud Run is near you! 

It gives you a sense of accomplishment, its so much fun (we laughed the whole time) and it raised money and awareness. Many wear costumes, and my team is discussing if we want to do that this year. No matter what, Ill be getting down and dirty, completing the obstacles and hopefully running more of the run this time. Please join me!

 If I can do this, YOU CAN! (above you can see me climbing at the top left)

Below, is part of our team at the top of this "blow up" obstacle. They look a little "sissified" but they are a little bit harder than they look!

I get lost in the descriptive and brightly illustrated treasures

I love children's books. They are descriptive, simple, brightly illustrated and most often appeal to something in our childhood. As a child, in elementary school my favorite part of school was going to the Media Center. I attended a school in an old building with creaky floors and hot radiators in various places. My teachers would line us up and we walked quietly to the Media Center and sat on a carpet and waited impatiently for our story. I cherished the few moments where I escaped into the book as I looked at brightly colored illustrations and soaked in the descriptive words. Afterwards, we were released to find THE book we wanted to read that week and it was always such a hard choice. The card catalog was an amazing thing to flip through and physically see each book and their special code. How fun it was to write down those codes and follow the map to where I would find my treasure for the week! 

As an adult, I love books but honestly Id rather read a child's book. It has been a long time goal of mine to write children's books and have them published. It is a goal that Ive placed somewhere on the back burner and forgotten about. Recently an artist (someone very close to me) asked me if I would like to partner with her and write a book that she could illustrate for me. That has gotten my creative juices flowing! I have so many ideas if I could just find the time to organize it all in my mind! 

While thinking about this project I started reading blogs about children's books. I spent last weekend watching adults read children's books and I felt like I was eight years old again in the Media Center at Bethesda Elementary School! I loved these books and each one I listened to were very different.
I have worked with children for so long, I know many many books that are available but I found one I had not heard of and was curious. Listening to it on YouTube was so fun (for me) but sadly my children think I'm weird for being so excited for finding this children's book. 

First off, I'm a fan of Edgar Allen Poe and have visited the EA Poe Museum in Richmond Virginia several times. My girls really enjoyed that trip also. When I saw a children's book about three boys named Edgar, Allen & Poe I was so curious. I'm glad I was curious enough to listen to this book as it has inspired me! I purchased my own copy and now I hope you will listen to the book and tell me what you think of it! 

I would also love for you to comment and tell me the title of your favorite children's book and why its your favorite.


Please take seven small minutes and watch this.

Scotch Eggs

I recently read about Scotch Eggs HERE

It seemed like such a different way to cook eggs, I had to try it! 

Here are the pictures of the way mine turned out.

 Boil the eggs, remove the shell and roll in flour. Take sausage and wrap around the egg fully.

Dip that in a beaten egg and roll in Panko Bread Crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

 I read that you serve them as appetizers or as a breakfast food. Serve with vinegar based sauces like mustard. Its pretty good! Pinterest has many ways to make Scotch eggs.

My Butterfly Theory

Butterflies are beautiful insects created by God. There are various types of butterflies but each go through four stages to have a complete metamorphosis. The four stages are as follows: The egg, Larva, Chrysalis and finally the adult butterfly.  Each state is critical to the final development of a beautiful butterfly.

As a teacher, I have enjoyed sharing with children the metamorphosis of the butterfly. We read books (my favorite is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle but of course there are more detailed and more educational books as well) We view charts but most importantly we watch them develop from Larva to butterfly. 

I purchased my caterpillars online and they were shipped  with food included. We added the caterpillar to a box covered in netting and we observe them eating, spinning their cocoon and finally we watch them emerge. They hang upside down and move their wings while they dry and then they are ready to be released. 

Here is the most important thing Ive learned from that experience. No matter how much they seem to struggle, never help them escape their cocoon. You see, every part of the process is helping them develop. Once, a friend of mine was teaching her children about the complete metamorphosis of the butterfly and one of them seemed to struggle more than the others. She helped the little butterfly and this proved disastrous! The little butterfly's wings dried too early which ultimately left it deformed and unable to live on its on outside of its protective netting home. 

This was such a revelation to me! The more I thought about this poor butterfly the more I realized that we, as humans are much like the butterfly. We often dont understand why we must endure pain and hardships. We often shake our fists at God and ask why? We dont understand why he wont just help us get through these struggles we face on Earth with ease or why he allows this pain in the first place. The answer is simple. The struggles we face prepare us for the life ahead. If he did it for us  then we would not be equipped  face this life  just as the butterfly my friend assisted, was not able to live out its future unassisted. 

The struggles we face prepare us for the future. The struggles we face are also a witness to those around us. People who face similar things will look at us and know that if we were able to get through it, then surely they can too. We can and should use what we have learned through our struggles to educate and support those around us. Surely we are not alone, God is with us all the way but he cannot shelter us from these struggles and hardships.

No matter what, always remember my Butterfly Theory. God cannot reach down and remove our struggles and hardships because we will not be strong enough to face our future if he did. These hardships and pain we face are all for a greater purpose, and many times we may never see that purpose but its always there.

Mamas and Marines

When you see stories about our military we usually think of how their wives and children are dealing with deployment. The mothers of these same Marines/soldiers suffer in their own way.

We raised these Marines. We cared for them while they were sick, when they had injuries and when they splashed in the bath. We have loved them unconditionally and now we cannot protect them as they enter into dangerous territory.

No matter their job, its difficult for us to handle. Even if their job keeps them far away from enemy lines. Mothers of Marine infantry men know what their sons face and we only wish that our sons were far behind the danger zone. Sometimes I think about my sons job and I want to tell other Marine moms that they are lucky their son isnt an infantry man. The truth is we are all mothers and love our boys - we all worry and it hurts us all (no matter their job) when they are deployed and when we cannot hear from them.

Deployment is difficult for all involved.

Please continue to pray for our family during this difficult deployment.

Church

 It was just a few days after we sent our son over seas. (Well, we didnt send him, in fact had it been up to us he would still be here. The Marines sent him and we said our goodbyes) 

We tried relaxing, and dealing with his deployment but we were drained. 

We went to church. Not just any church, the church we grew up in, the church we were married in, the church all of my children have attended at one time. It was nice seeing old friends but best of all it was a blessing to have them pray over our family, pray for our sons safety and pray that we all feel comfort during this time.

Thoughts on deployment

    

Let me begin by saying I hope this post doesn't offend anyone.

Deployment brings many emotions to all involved. It affects each person differently.

Its never easy no matter how many times you endure it. 

For some reason, this time its harder on me. It seems harder on my family. Its more emotional.

Its very hard to explain to anyone. I've cried a river of tears for weeks now. 

We feel sad, heartbroken, angry and sometimes it seems we laugh and cry at the same time and for no reason at all.

I understand that many want to help when they say things like, "My cousin is over seas so I know how you feel" I want to scream! It makes me angry!  Why? 

 It makes me angry because he is my son. I carried him for 9 months, I stayed up nights to feed him, I cared for him during sickness and accidents. He isn't a cousin he is my child, my only son.

That may sound selfish to some  and his deployments are not all about me. 

If I were to make an educated guess, I would dare say that deployment is hardest on the soldier/Marine. They must leave behind family, friends, and live without all the daily comforts of home like TV, caffeinated drinks and your own bed.  Next, I think its hardest on the wife/girlfriends, children and the parents and siblings.

Deployment affects everyone in different ways.

I know it affects grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins but I think it affects them in different ways. Unless you have said goodbye to your spouse or child as he travel to a foreign country with a gun on his back you cannot understand.I also think it depends on their job. Just because your child had deployed to Afghanistan doesn't mean he is in the "Danger zone" I guess there are always dangers when being stationed in a place like that but to know that your child is a Marine Infantryman seem way worse than another other. They are the first in when there is trouble.

We are all saddened and scared and will hold our breath for 8 months. I know it affects us all, but sometimes I think people forget about the military moms out there. 

Mother, do not cry for me

Mamas and their babies

 We carry them for 9 months in our bodies. We feel them move, kick and hiccup.

We go through whatever it takes to bring these babies into the world.

We love you from the very beginning.

 We endure feedings every 2 hours day and night. We rock them, take care of them when they are sick, and love them more than they will ever imagine.

 We forgot ourselves and think mostly of them. I know all mothers are not the same. I was one who never wanted my babies out of my sight. I couldn't return to work because I couldn't bare to leave them. I worked from home to be close to them all day everyday. 

As they grew up I was never away from them for more than 2 days. By the time my older ones were in middle school I finally left them in the care of grandparents for weekends away with my husband. Only once did we leave them for a week and I left once for a week long mission trip.

 I was (and am) the kind of mother that takes pictures of every movement. I don't ever want to forget these moments. I made hand prints with them to remember every little crease. I smiled when I saw dirty hand prints on the windows and left them there purposely. 

I saved locks of hair and baby teeth. As they grow up now I still have a hard time letting them go. My son is married and a well trained Marine but when I hear his name or see his face I think of him as a baby or a toddler when he liked playing with my hair or reading books.

It doesn't matter how old they are I love them they way I loved them when they were infants sleeping on my chest. I love them the way I loved them when they were sick and I stayed up all night with worry. I love them the way I loved them when they gave me sloppy kisses and when they did wrong. 

I have seen some mothers who don't bat an eye at going back to work after their child is born or who are relieved when their children finally graduate high school and move out. There are all sorts of mothers but I am one who aches with sadness over not having my family all together. 

I know there is a time when they move on and start their own life but Ive lived for only them for so long. I don't think they will every know how much I love them until they have children of their own.  A mama will do anything to care for a protect her babies. 

I am reminded of  the video of the death of Jesus and how his mother, Mary, saw him as her baby when he walked with the cross on his back. I am not saying my children are Jesus or anything (haha) but it grabbed my heart because I know how I feel and how I see my adult son ... he's my baby. I love my babies more than anything.

More blogging and deployment

We have had a lot going on these days. School is back in session for my girls and I started a new job with the public school system and so much more. 

 

My son deployed to Afghanistan. (yes, they are still sending military there) 

I have had difficulty finding things to write about for awhile now but Im going to try to start back to blogging at least once a week. 

 

Wildlife in your area

 Recently our small town newspaper asked for people to send in photos of the wildlife in their area captured by trail cams or digital cameras. These are a few that were put on the newspaper's facebook page. I must say, Ive heard of what wild animals are around us but seeing the photos is a little scary.

Above is an albino deer. We seem to have a lot of those. We had one in our yard awhile back but someone got it during deer season. Below is a coyote!

 There seem to be more and more bear sitings. A friend posted tonight that she saw a cub in her yard just a few hours ago. Ive seen them near the coast but never seen one in our area. However, others have seen them just miles from our home.

 Below is a bobcat. I haven't seen one in our area but have seen large footprints in the mud near our chicken coop. This photo was taken in our township so its likely that it has been in our yard and made those footprints!

Do you know what wildlife is living around you?

***I did not take the photos above they were posted on a facebook page of the Courier Times

Unbelievable

 I cannot believe that these two are my last two children at home. 

Our Future Doctor will graduate high school this year.

 Our baby girl is growing up so quickly! 

Her big brother was amazed at how she has grown up since hes been

away from home.

I am a mother who always loved every day of my babies' childhood.

Small things like perfect tiny handprints on the windows always made me smile and I would put off cleaning them away because I loved seeing them. 

Even though I enjoyed every day it seems that it went way too fast. 

My baby girl will be in high school next year. 

Unbelievable! 

Prayer, Changes and hot flavored coffee drinks

When someone asks for prayer it doesn't have to be a major catastrophe in their life. Maybe its something minor, maybe its an upcoming decision or change. It could be for a family members salvation or any number of things. When someone asks for prayer we don't need to know why just pray and never tell someone you will be praying if you aren't going to.

*****

Our family is going through many changes right now. I started a new job in the Public School System which means getting paid once a month. Our Firefighter had oral surgery and moved out of our home. Our Future Doctor is wearing a heart monitor to make sure everything is ok. Our Marine will soon deploy and that is always tough on everyone. We face financial issues, health issues, and the worry over safety and salvation of family members. Our family is going through a lot and I greatly appreciate your prayers. 

*****

Its the beginning of a new school year and we have to get back into routines. I love routines but when we get used to lazy summers its tough getting back on track. Our Future Doctor is looking at and applying for colleges. I'm so proud of her, so much so I feel my heart will burst at times. I feel that way about all of my children! I'm proud of Future Doctor but its sad to think about only having one child left at home. I think it will be hard on our Baby Girl also.

*****

Our weather is changing. It feels like Autumn and that's my favorite time of year! 

I love pumpkins, scarecrows, hot cocoa and flavored coffee.

Prayer

Nature in frames

 This little guy loves chickens and lizards!

 These guys love nature!

 They had fun with frames and pods from the Magnolia tree.

Not sure of the proper term..... is pods correct?

Double Trouble

 These guys are so funny

 they make me laugh

 and melt my heart

they are so sweet :)