It's all about the fun drinks

Before you think I'm talking about something I'm not, when I say "fun drink" I'm talking about Zevia.  The Cream Soda and Black cherry, to be specific.  

When the kids were little, we didn't do soda unless we went to eat with Granddad.  The choices were root beer or Sprite (I wasn't about to have 8 kids 11 and under also overly caffeinated).  At home it was water.  Lemonade if it was a birthday.  Fun drinks only happened on special occasions.

I had similar rules about chips.  I bought tortilla chips - you need them for taco nights and other meals.  But I usually didn't find a kid sitting with an open bag of tortilla chips, finishing them off.  If you wanted "fun chips" (potato chips, Cheetos, etc.)?  Those were for special occasions, only.  Sometimes on Saturday hamburger nights, but more often for July 4th or a holiday.  If I brought a bag of fun chips into this house on other occasions it wouldn't have lasted 2 hours... and you can see how frustrating that would be for the person who buys the groceries. 

Our Summer Colorado trips brought even more treats.  I'd get the Sam's size box of blow pops, mini cans of soda, fruit snacks... all kinds of things that we never had in the house.  It was kid heaven - cousins, mountains AND a blow pop.  Doesn't get any better.

We called other things different names, too.  I think I was just tired of explaining things a hundred times.  "Square cereal" made more sense to them then frosted mini-wheats (I still miss that cereal). I didn't buy the actual Frosted Mini Wheats anyway, we ate the generic kind, of course.  Raisin cereal, cinnamon cereal - Grape Nuts were still Grape Nuts - because that doesn't have anything to do with what they actually are, anyway.  Mexican casserole was a creation of ours.  Rice, chili beans, black beans, ground beef, corn, enchilada sauce... with cheese on top.  We ate it almost every week.  So much so that some of the kids refuse to eat it to this day.  It's still a great dinner, though.  "Chicken stuff" was chicken cooked in salsa with black beans and corn - we ate that in tortillas.  And was very similar to BBQ chicken - also cooked in the crock pot and eaten on buns.  But not with fun chips.

One of the best things I did with a house full of littles was to have several nights a week that we always had the same thing.  Spaghetti on Wednesdays (which was also bath night, conveniently), pizza on Friday nights if Dad was coaching - and we watched a movie.  I even put beach towels down and let them eat on the living room floor, sometimes.  Hamburgers on Saturday nights (also bath night) and tacos on Sunday.  Mostly because it didn't take much time to make tacos and Sundays were crazy.  The other nights we changed it up.  But it helped a lot that at least some nights I didn't have to think about what to make.  One less decision - moms are always making so many decisions.  

So here we are, with all adult kids and sometimes... they still ask me to get fun chips for dinner.  Have you tried those Simple Cheetos without artificial colors?  Yum.  Anyway, we've relaxed a bit about the fun drinks - since we only have 5-6 here, now.  Feels so luxurious, doesn't it?  Fun drinks every night! 

Lots of things have changed since our house was full of little ones and noise and chaos.  It's quieter now.  We watch more Netflix, for sure, which is a big change from our trips to M&M for free kids movies.  We don't eat many casseroles these days.  We've traded our Wednesday spaghetti nights for spaghetti squash with tomatoes and feta.  We've transitioned to a fully gluten free household, we adapt a lot of recipes, and our favorite treats are made in the Ninja Creamy.  

But most nights?  You'll still find us sitting down to dinner as the kids call out to each other, "who wants a fun drink?" And they'll grab a Zevia for you, if you want to come join us!

Comfort Cracker

One of our grand babies went through a phase where they carried around a teething cracker.  Not to eat.  Just to hold.  We called it their comfort cracker.  Since then, the kids sometimes need a comfort fruit snack.  Or comfort water cup... you get the idea.  They feel more relaxed holding it.

Maybe my 30 oz Hyrdroflask is my comfort cup - I take it with me almost everywhere I go.  I definitely need my comfort pack of gum and comfort chapstick to make it through the day, don't you?

The other day a friend and I were discussing our favorite movies and I've decided I have comfort movies, too.  They have happy endings, they are sweet, and they make me laugh!  I watch them over and over again.  I even have a comfort show.  I watch all of seven seasons every Fall.

We have a bad habit at our house of stacking books in front of the full bookshelves when there isn't any more room.  Now and then, we have to clean out a few to make the new books fit.  Last week it was two Trader Joe's sacks full - but now all of the books are IN the bookcase.  Whew.  I found myself trying to explain to the Coach why I needed to keep some of them.  They are my comfort books - I read them over and over again.  I go back to them when I'm tired of reading things that are supposed to help me learn or grow -  when I just want to read something predictable and sweet, where I know what's going to happen.  I have a shelf full and I know I'll keep reaching for them.  

I'm currently reading one of my comfort books, "The Beloved Invader."  Pretty sure it really belongs to my mom - don't tell her I have it.  I've read it so many times, I know what's coming next.  Very comforting.  It's also "historical" fiction, so it feels like it has some redeeming value.

One of the greatest comforts we have in this life is the comfort of others.  We experience hard things, suffering, trials, heartache, and God allows us to comfort others with the comfort He's given us.  We often don't see it in the moment - the hard - the heart break.  But later on, when we cross paths with someone else who is in the midst of a similar hard?  God often brings comfort to others through us.  It's a beautiful thing, isn't it?

What comforts you?  Is it a food (mine is Hershey kisses), a favorite movie (Pride and Prejudice), a worn book (The Rosary)?  It is sunshine, a walk, or a nap?  Whatever it is, I hope you have some time for something comforting today.  Those little comforting things make life's harder moments more bearable.

And most of all, I pray we go to the Comforter, Himself.  He's always there - and He has felt it all, been through it all, knows it all, and can comfort us in our weakness.

Take me back...

I love so many things about social media...

but I hate so many more.

I love that I can get meal ideas, training inspiration for the gym, spiritual inspiration for the soul, and see cute pics of all of my people.

I hate that it makes me feel like I have to do more, be more, and add more things to my ever growing list.

I love that it allows me to keep up with friends from the different decades of life.

I hate that so often if makes me feel like a failure.

I love the beautiful homes and designs and styles.

But...

You don't stay up at night so you can listen to your teens talk?  Failure.

You don't go to bed early and get a good solid 8 hours?  Failure.

You don't spend quality time with all of your kids every week?  Failure.

You don't have a budget and an extensive skin care routine?  Failure.

The perfect travel outfit?

The secret to having energy in you 50's?

The most healthy snacks for your kids?

YOU STILL USE BLEACH?

(Just as a side note, never ever tell a former cancer mom who felt responsible to keep her child ALIVE that they can't bleach things.  Just don't.)

We see the best of everyone else.  And feel the worst of ourselves.

We contrast and compare and come up short.

It's added so much noise to my tendency to overthink things.  That noise in my head often ends up winning out over the TRUTH that I know.  I don't spend enough time balancing that outside noise with the inside Holy Spirit.  

 

I often find myself longing for those more simple days when I had to make a phone call to a sister-in-law or friend or write on this little ole blog to process things - instead of scrolling through reels to distract myself from the things in life that need to be talked through.

Yeah yeah, I know.  I'm just OLD.

I hear you.  

Christmas Cards

Getting Christmas Cards is one of my most favorite things in December.  Actually, one of my most favorite things all year!  I love seeing your smiling faces, how much the babies (and kids!) have grown, hearing updates on your people.  It brings me so much JOY.  And if you send me your new address before I mail one to your old address and get it returned?  You've made my day.

We'll be sending a New Year's card this year - since we had a chance to take an updated family pic at Christmas.  I just ordered them and will hopefully get them out to you soon!  Our crew hadn't all been together in almost a year and a half and we've changed a bit.  Added two babies, a new fiance' and there's another baby on the way!  And I feel like the Coach and I have aged even more than 17 months worth.  

As beautiful as you all are and as lovely as your Christmas cards are and as much happiness as they bring me...  I am tempted... I think every year... to write a REAL Christmas letter.  With all of the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I won't do it, of course, but it's always so tempting.

You want to know how our year REALLY went?  No, you don't.  Ha!

But just in case you worry that your life is a wreck and everyone else has it together, let me remind you that I'm your girl.  Always lowering the bar so that you can feel like you do, in fact, have it all together.  If you want to hear details, that will have to happen over a cup of coffee.  Because as much as I'd love to just hang all of our dirty laundry out to dry on the internets, that doesn't seem appropriate.  For today, at least.  

Thankfully, Jesus's sacrifice, God's mercies (new every morning) and the Lord's goodness aren't dependent on me having it all together.  In fact, it's quite the opposite.  The greater my need, the greater His grace.  Wow.  That truly astounds me.  I have a hard time loving people who don't do what I'd like or make me feel better about myself.  But Christ died for us WHEN WE WERE YET SINNERS.  We hated Him and He willingly gave His life for us. 

So I don't have to get it all together this year, or any year.  My card won't be a diatribe on all of the hard things this year held... although I know that would be super entertaining for all of us.  I'll send the pretty picture with the best looking kids and sweetest babies you've ever seen.  And my extra wrinkles, too.  And take another opportunity to be thankful that God promises to bring good from it all.  Every bit of it.  Even the hard.  No... I think especially the hard.  

Happy New Year!

New Year's for the rest of us...

If you're starting this New Year discouraged, I'm here to say you aren't alone.

If last year wasn't your favorite, wasn't your best, or is a year you never want to see again?  I'm with you.

If you can't imagine setting goals for another year after this last one pulled the rug out from under you?  That's OK.  It really is.

I've never faced a New Year with less enthusiasm.  Beginning a new year lends itself to looking back over the past year and it's definitely been a hard thing for me to do. The Coach and I are big goal setters.  We have always wanted to learn and grow and be challenged (hence the 8 kids - ha!). But last year challenged us in new and unusual (and painful) ways, so I'm not about to ask for THAT, again.  How about we all just pray for a year of coasting, maintaining and REST?  How about we try not having any goals at all?  I kid.  Sort of.

I told someone last week that I wasn't super excited about a new year after what last year held for us... not a year I want to see again.  He said, I feel like your family has had more than your share of those years, haven't you?  Hmmmm.  It does seem that way.  

But no matter what this year holds (good or bad - and it will be a combination of the two), we still know some things to be true.  

God is good.  He is always good.  Not everything that happens to us IS good.  For SURE.  But God is.  I can rest on that truth this year.

God has good plans for my life.  He promises to finish the work He has begun in me.  It's a promise.  He won't leave me alone, where I am, or without hope.  Ever.

God has good plans for the people I love.  I may not always see it.  Or believe it.  But it's true.  He LOVES them so much more than I ever could.  He is good, He has good plans for their lives, and He promises to complete His work in their lives and mine.

In the meantime, I may struggle to find my Anchor some days.  Or every day.  I may forget that it's for my good and HIS glory.  But it's still true.

If you've forgotten all of this at the beginning of this New Year, as I seem to have?  There is space for that, too.  I think it's OK to begin this year slowly with a bit of hesitation.  I think it's OK to not set any big goals or feel the need to grow or change this year.  As long as we keep moving forward.  And trust God for the rest of it.