My journey to an organized house

Are you overwhelmed by the clutter in your house?
Are you constantly looking around thinking, "I could be on Clean House or possibly even Hoarding:  Buried Alive?"
Does your counter top look like a hurricane just hit?
Do toys seem to breed and multiply in your playroom?
Does it seem like your laundry pile far exceeds the amount of clothing your family could possibly wear?
Have you ever cleaned your house perfectly and thought to yourself...."This time, I'm going to keep it clean!" only to find that 24 hours later it is NOT CLEAN!

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have something in common with me.
You see, I desperately want to have the "magazine" house that is oh so perfectly and annoyingly (to others) organized!  When my house is clean and everything in its place, I tend to like it/enjoy it a lot more!  However, I struggle weekly, daily, hourly... to keep it clean.  Most nights I hang my head in defeat as I survey the damage, too tired to care or clean anymore that night. 

In an attempt to eliminate my late night walks of shame through my toy littered floor, I've been looking for better ways to conquer my clutter!  So, of course, when a modern girl needs a solution to a problem of this magnitude, where does she turn?  Google of course! 
After I googled "organize my house", I was browing websites and I stumbled across a gem of an organizing site with a very interesting article!  TaDa (hear angels singing)  This glorious website/article offered to diagnose my "clutter personality" and then to help me fix it!  So of course, I was all in.  If you want to read the article and diagnose your clutter personality, click on this link.  It was very enlightening for me.  Diagnosing the problem is half the battle right?! 

Okay, so read the article and come back to me.  Don't worry, it's not that long...




Which one are you?
I am hands down, "The Perfectionist!"  I look around, get overwhelmed, and then start tearing into some huge project.  I want it done perfectly and I'm not happy unless it's totally organized and beautiful and labeled etc...All kidding aside, the only way I can really get my house clean is when Trey is home to "keep me on task."  You would think that I have ADD, but after several hours of psychiatric evaluation courtesy of UAB, alas, no skinny pills adderall for me.  I don't have it.  (Even though everyone in my family has been diagnosed, so I think I should get adderall by default?) JK;) 
Anyway............Now that I've figured out my clutter personality, maybe I can move on to the next step of recovery=)  I'll keep you posted...

Rise and shine!

I hesitated to post this because I don't want it to come across as complaining... It's not, definitely not.  Just a recap of my morning.  All moms will be able to relate to this, we've all been there, more than once!

7am - I am awakened to the sound of whimpering. Sophie's in my room crying.  I put my hand on her chest to see if she's feverish and notice her heart is pounding! (I should preface this by saying her temp was 99.9 last night right before bed, so I knew something was up.)
7:05 am - check her pulse, it's 160 bpm but no fever, she feels clammy however
7:10 am - page trey and request that he give me a call pleeeez! cancel our swimming plans for the day
7:15 am - page trey again...
7:20 am - phone call from Trey, he says "call the doctor"  gee thanks honey!=)
7:25 - give sophie some "immune builder" grape juice
7:30 am - Sophie starts throwing up.... grape juice.... everywhere
7:35am - Sophie in tub, I jump in shower, rinse off and change my clothes
7:40 am - clean up "grape juice" off carpet, strip the slipcover off the sofa (thank God for slipcovers)
7:45 am - Sophie out of tub, clean clothes on, dirty stuff in washer
7:50 am - Sophie throws up again, this time we get to the sink in the bathroom
7:55 am - Sophie lying on the sofa, Selah is awake and crying...
8 am am - Go into Selah's room (almost get knocked over by dirty diaper smell!)  Selah wants to wear "Auburn" so we change her diaper and put on our Auburn cheerleader outfit
8:05 am - Downstairs with both girls.  Sophie wants me to hold her.  So does Selah.  I tell Sophie not to touch Selah and vice versa!  I hold Sophie and listen to Selah scream for attention.
8:15 am - Sophie starts throwing up again.  Selah still screaming for me to hold her.  I call in the reinforcements ie. YaYa after I envision an entire day of this... and then envision Selah getting sick tomorrow
8:45 am - YaYa is here.  Selah leaves with yaya.  Sophie dry heaving now.  Poor baby!
9:15 am - I call the doctor just in case anything is "going around" that I need to know about.  They of course tell me to come in that it could be strep. Sigh.
10:30 am - sitting in dr office listening to some crazy kid screaming bloody murder.  I'm assuming he's getting shots before school starts, but seriously I've never heard a kid scream like that in there!  Sophie is looking at me wide eyed. 
11:30 am  leaving doctors office, no strep.  Sophie says she feels fine now and isn't throwing up anymore. 

$33 later, we're at home - $20 copay and $13 Dora movie that I promised sophie if she went to the doctor.  Did I mention, she hates the doctors office!

Whew! Now I get to get ready for work tonight =)

All in a days work I guess and I wouldn't trade it for anything!  Love my kiddos and so glad Sophie is already feeling better!

Ramblings of an Insomniac

It's 11:39 pm.  I have to get up at 6 am.  I can't sleep...
So I thought I'd talk to you about what's on my mind.
Life is going by way too fast for me.  Some days I want it to speed up, but most days I want it to slow down, slow way down.  I know I'll wake up one day and my kids will be grown, married and have kids of their own.  Their childhoods, the toddler tantrums, bedtime stories, ballet recitals, learning to read, potty training, teaching them to ride a bike or swim... All of it will be over in the blink of an eye.  I think of Sophie as a newborn and want to cry.  Wasn't that yesterday?  Is she about to be 5!?  It just can't be.  Selah is turning into a little girl in front of my eyes.  My baby is not a baby anymore.  It makes me want to re evaluate how I spend my time.  It makes me want to savor every moment of every day with them because I know that I will look back on this time in my life, as hard as it may be sometimes, very fondly and I'll want to travel back here.
I've also been thinking a lot about how we're not promised tomorrow.  What would my life look like if I lived each day like it was my last?  Today is the day that needs to count.  Today is the day that I need to be patient and loving and be a servant to my family, friends and my Heavenly Father.  Not tomorrow.  Today.  It's so easy to get overwhelmed with life as a young(ish) mom with small kids and a busy schedule.  But, it's so important to make every moment count.  I am the queen bee of scheduling/controlling/planning.  But, I am realizing more than ever lately that you can try to schedule/control/plan all you want, but ultimately you're probably wasting a lot of time.  If you'd spend a little more time talking to God, the One who knows how many hairs are on your head and has had the days of your life numbered since the beginning of time, He could save us a lot of heartache and worry.   He wants to do that for you and for me.  He wants our hearts and minds and our lives!

Luke 12:22-34  Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27“Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I want to teach my children to live like this.  I want to live like this. 
Carpe Diem!

Too Tired!

Is anyone else EXHAUSTED from Christmas???  The Holidays with two little ones and a huge family in town is busy to say the least.  No complaints here though!  We are so blessed to have everyone so close.
We had a fabulous month long celebration of Jesus' birth, but now I am ready for a month of low key family time and scaling back. 
I am too tired to post Christmas pictures right now, so I guess I'll go watch Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, for the 6th time this week=) hehe.  Thanks Trey!  I'll probably do a Christmas post in a few days and then take a break from the blog/facebook for the rest of January though!  I'll miss you guys, but sometimes it's good for me to "Back away from the computer!"

Thankful!

I am thankful.  I am realizing lately that when I start to think about all the things I don't like about myself and my life, it helps to force myself to think about what is good in my life.  I heard something great on the radio the other day.  Some woman who wrote a book was talking about jealousy.  She said that whenever she finds herself becoming jealous of people, she tells herself that she is not equipped to deal with everything that comes with being that person and dealing with everything they are dealing with in their life.
Many times, I find myself feeling those icky sinful jealous feelings that are embarrassing to admit to.  But I've noticed it helps if I will stop and think, "Would I really want to trade places with that person that I am feeling jealous of, taking their good and bad?"  The answer is always "No."  The reason being is, I want all the good in their life, but I wouldn't want to deal with the bad.  And many times, as an outsider, I probably don't even know half of the "bad" they are dealing with.  It's crazy how often the people who seem to "have it all" are some of the most miserable people in the world. 
If you can't tell, I am preaching to myself here.  I am sure all of you are going, "Yeah abby, this is like Sunday school 101!"  So, you don't have to continue reading, but if you are in the same boat as me, then maybe you'll want to continue.
As I've said a few times lately on the blog, God is very obviously teaching me lessons of  learning to be content in all circumstances.  I have been fighting it when really I need to submit and learn the lesson.  I really feel that God is telling me that He wants me to learn to be totally content and joyful in my present circumstances.  So much so that, I really don't think that any of my present circumstances will change until I learn this lesson.  And, let me tell you, I am having a hard time learning it.  It's easy to say,"Okay, fine, i'm content.  Hufff.."  But, to be truly, deep down, joyful and content when there are 10 things off the top of my head that I just plain don't like in my life right now is a little more difficult.  And God is no dummy, he knows me through and through.  He also loves me more than to just spoil me, give me my way,  and let me move on without learning this lesson.  He loves me in the same way that I love my children and want to teach them these principles.  Only, His love for me is infinitely greater than the love I am capable of. 
So, I am publicly saying to the Lord, "God, if you never ever ever change my circumstances and make things the way I want them to be, I promise, I will choose every day to be content and to live a life filled with joy.   Because Lord, You have already given me more than I deserve in the form of a perfect Savior, Jesus.  If you never did another thing for me, if I lost everything I have right now, if everything and everyone I care about was taken from me, You would still be worthy and deserving of my absolute love and adoration and trust.  I don't deserve anything but death and eternity in hell, but You have given me so much more, so I am choosing today to be THANKFUL!"
I want all of you who are still reading this to know that I do not say any of this to make anyone think I am some wonderful super Christian.  Actually, it's quite the opposite.  I am sinful and dirty and jealous and selfish....  Thank Heaven for Jesus who has made me clean again.  But, I say this to maybe encourage someone who is feeing the way I feel.  Hopefully, this will help brighten your day and remind you how much God has done for you and how much He loves you!  I know when I am going through difficult times, I always want to find someone who has "been there, done that" and has come out of it better off for learning the lesson.  So, I'll leave you with a verse that I want to hang in my kitchen very soon and cling to because it is soooo true!

Proverbs 15: 16,17
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.

Today is the Day

I almost didn't go to church this morning (because Trey was working) but I am so glad I did.  (It's actually kinda nice going and sitting alone sometimes because you don't have any distractions).  We sang this song (playing now) by Lincoln Brewster.  I've heard the lyrics a thousand times, but somehow today they spoke to me in a more powerful way.  If you have time, take a minute and read the lyrics as you listen to the song. 

I`m casting my cares aside
I`m leaving my past behind
I`m setting my heart and mind on You
Jesus

I`m reaching my hand to Yours
Believing there`s so much more
Knowing that all You have in store for me is good
Is good

Chorus:

Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
And I won`t worry about tomorrow
I`m trusting in what You say
Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh

I putting my fears aside
I`m leaving my doubts behind
I`m giving my hopes and dreams to You
Jesus
I`m reaching my hands to Yours
Believing there`s so much more
Knowing that all You have in store for me is good
Is good


It's amazing how I can fail so miserably at remembering and resting in the most simple truths that God has given to me!  Actually living every day in total trust as He would have me is so hard.  Lately, I have been dealing with Satan placing some major fears in my heart and mind.  Sadly, rather than rebuking them immediately, I have been entertaining these fears/thoughts that are not from MY HEAVENLY FATHER to the point that they have been consuming me at times.  But today as I was worshipping, I felt God just hugging me and telling me "Trust in ME Abby, All I have in store for you is good!  Give Me your hopes and dreams, quit holding on so tightly to them." 

My life right now is so conflicting... On the one hand, I have it ALL and am so richly blessed! But on the other hand, there are a few things in my life that make me want to throw a full on, kicking, screaming adult temper tantrum.  This year has been very challenging in many ways thus far - and I am sure that there are many life challenges awaiting me around the corner.  I've never had more responsibility than I do now with my job and the girls, but Trey is busier than ever with work.  It is a DAILY struggle for me to live out the word "contentment."  I long for the day when we have a little more normalcy.  I definitely cherish the days we have together as a family more than ever before!  I'm sure God is getting a kick out of me lately in my prayers and attemtps at "bargaining" with Him to get my way. I'll just be honest though, so far, it's not working.  I have a feeling that God is trying to teach me some life lessons, so hopefully I can learn them sooner rather than later! 
Here's to keeping it real with you people.  I don't have it all together and probably never will, but that is okay, because Jesus does have it together and that is all that matters!