Guest post

Okay, so I don't really have a guest, but I asked Nickie (yes, the same Nickie I got the sticky buns recipe from) if I could use some of her blog on mine. I was really touched by what she said and I wanted to share it:

Last week we finished dinner when Nick arrived home from work. We all sat down, and discussed our day as we ate. After we were done eating there was another mess to clean up, Lexi and Chloe both needed baths, and the bedtime routine was about to begin again. Didn't we just do this? Oh yeah-yesterday we did! I just looked at Nick and said, "sometimes I feel like I'm living in the ground hog day movie. We get up, get ready, eat breakfast, clean breakfast, go on an outing, come home for lunch, clean up lunch, take naps, get up, have a snack, clean up snack, clean up house, get dinner ready, eat dinner, clean up dinner, give kids bath, get kids ready for bed, read stories to kids, say prayers with kids, sing songs with kids, finish cleaning the house, go on the computer, talk on the phone, or veg, while watching t.v. then go to bed ourselves and wake up and do it all over again. and again. and again." I was having one of those pity party for myself days. Just down in the dumps...

I really worked hard this week to not look at my day as "another ground hog day" and I realized that it's all about my attitude. I can look at it like, there's another mess to clean up, or here we go again, or I can jam up some music and party with my daughter while putting her toys away.

There is something magical about recording the day-to-day mundane things of life. I am reminded to be grateful I have the ability/privilege to do the dishes, to play and read stories with my girls, and enjoy their laughing (and sometimes whining) as I type this. I am also lucky to have my own Prince who loves me despite my rollercoaster personality. That even "groundhog" days are a blessing! I take it all for granted, and really needed this wake up call.

Then this morning I woke up and read Laura's blog and was refreshed yet again to remember to count my blessings:

How do you think of your children? On any given day, would you say your children are a blessing or a burden? Here is a challenge to you…How are you?”…“How is the baby?”…“How are your kids?”… We all hear these questions every day. Do you know a mom who always answers something like this: “Well, I haven’t killed my 2-year-old yet, so I guess that’s good.” Or, “I’m just exhausted,” or, “Things are absolutely crazy – I am so stressed out!”

Maybe that frazzled, haggard, bewildered mommy is someone you know. Maybe it’s you. I know I’ve been there. Here is my question to you today… are we bearing our blessings as burdens? Those babies that we dreamt of and prayed for, that we had so much fun choosing names for, that we counted the days to meet… are they burdens to us now? Those homes that we were ecstatic to move into… are they burdens now? That husband that we couldn’t live without, that we picked out the wedding dress for, that we cried and ached and waited by the phone for… is he a burden now? That job you needed, you wanted and prayed for, that provides food and clothing for your family… is it a burden now?Sometimes it seems to me like a mantle we as moms must carry. We must be tired, we must be stressed out; we must be harried and frazzled, we must be lucky just to make it through the day. Are we bearing our blessings as burdens? Are we tired? Absolutely.

As moms, we know about the 2 a.m. feedings, the nightmares, the wet beds, the midnight curfews. Do things get a little stressful between PTA meetings, dance class, the T-ball game, and dinner on the table at 6? Sure they do. Are husbands always a joy when they get home from work? No way. Is scrubbing the potty, doing the laundry, and cleaning the high chair tray the greatest thrill we’ve ever known? Of course not.

So how do we look past the burdens and see the blessings of our families and our homes? Do you know any women who would give anything to have a baby to nurse at 2 a.m.? Anyone who would love to have those clothes we are sick of washing, or that house we just can’t keep clean. Do you know any women whose husbands aren’t coming home?

I challenge you to joy, to smile, to persevere. I challenge you to bear your burdens as blessings and watch as they multiply. And the next time someone asks you how you are, throw off that identity of stressed out, frazzled mommy, find your smile and answer, “I am blessed!”

Good stuff, huh. I hope to start blogging again soon, but my job application is taking lots of my time right now. I'm hoping to be completely done by tomorrow. Wish me luck! :o)