How do I love thee?

January 6, 2010 | Mommakisses

Love is a funny thing… one of those very hard to pin down kind of things – like Jell-O. What really says, “I love you” to you? What do you need to feel like you are taken care of? If you’ve read the books, what is your “Love Language“?

Companionship is big for T. This means several things to us… rock climbing, laughing together and watching B Sci-fi movies or TV shows. When we have not had enough time together (we did just have our 5th child, and the holidays, and so much going on at his office… you know, life) he’ll say things like “I don’t feel married any more.” Ugh… that’s a tough one to swallow.

For my kids, they are still developing and learning their own needs, so they really need some of each. However, I can tell my girls are feeling they are not getting enough of Mommy’s time… also a tough one to swallow. Two year old K has been greeting me each morning with “Mommy, I need you.” Her little heart does not understand that EVERYONE needs Mommy, all she knows is that Mommy has not been as available as she once was.

There is a balance somewhere… there has to be. One of my goals for this year is to find it… not just for me, but for my whole family. I need to speak personally, deeply to each of these God given gifts, of my love for them. Not just as a group, but as the individual they are… T, J, G, S, K and A… That is a deep river I must swim. One I dare not swim alone.

See, they are God given. Without seeking God first, I will NEVER be able to love them in a way that will speak to their hearts… there is not enough of me to go around. But God can multiply in ways we can not understand, and with Him, with Him only, I will be able to truly love all those He has placed in my life.

And this book, The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman, is a good way to begin to understand all they are asking of me.

YIKES

January 5, 2010January 5, 2010 | Mommakisses

November 17th? I last wrote on November 17??? Really??? Wow…

Welcome to 2010. A Space Odyssey… or not. I actually just learned it was 2001 A Space Odyssey, and 2010 was the sequel… this an issue of being 14 and not really liking either movie when the sequel was released. The two movies ran together and freaked me out, and in my head it was always 2010.

And now you know how tired I really am… not sleeping messes with your head and your ability to think clearly… So I will tell you our sweet little A has joined our family, or as K calls her “MY BABY!” I promise I will get myself together and the conversation will continue… soon? For now, I am off to sleep while Baby A sleeps.

Shark Bites?

October 8, 2009 | Mommakisses

As a mom of four kids, I want things to be easy. I was introduced to the Shark Steam Mops by my Mom. They are a great way to be able to clean your floors and not worry about what is on the floor as your kids (or pets) crawl/walk/run over said floor. You fill them with water, it heats it, and then you use it much like a regular mop.

Sometime before we moved, I caught an infomercial for the new Shark Steam Mop. Oh, it was beautiful… and it had a two-sided head to mop with… clean with one side, turn the mop over and keep going with a clean mop. AND they showed it cleaning hardwood floors, which we have several in the new house. The desire began…

Once we were safely in our new place, I ventured out (with gift card and coupon in hand) to Bed Bath & Beyond and purchased the object of my desire. Once home I couldn’t wait to mop my new floors. I didn’t have a lot of time, but I wanted to play with my new toy… and my dinning room floor needed cleaning. Once done, it looked good. I went off to do what ever was the task for the moment and came back through my newly cleaned dinning room… and really didn’t like what I heard…

Yes, heard. My floor sounded like something very sticky was all over it. And it was more hazy then it had been. I was not happy. I began to wonder why. I reread the instructions – wondered if there was an issue with my water and purchased a jug of distilled water. Then mopped the floor again.

Again it dried sticky. I read up on the web. One thing I ran across was where some people were complaining about the finish or damage caused by cleaning products with wax in them, and how to remove the wax build-up. My best guess is the previous owners used one of these cleaners, and as I steamed my floor, it was just enough to soften the wax.

I purchased some ammonia and began cleaning my floor on my hands and knees. It took me two days (I am pregnant, you know… I just can’t do that kind of work for very long). The stickiness was gone. When I use the steam mop now, things are not nearly as bad… it’s going to take me a while to get the floor totally rid of whatever they used. Fun.

But I am excited to know I should be able to use my steam mop soon… easy is so much better!

Man’s rules

July 22, 2009 | Mommakisses

Have you learned yet that people don’t like it when you do things differently then they do? That if you don’t play by man’s rules, they make the game much harder on you?

Where money is concerned, we don’t play by man’s rules. We live debt free… this means we don’t use a credit card… we don’t have any store cards. We no longer have a house payment… though that will change when this house buying process is over. (But we will not keep it the full 15 years…)

Have you ever thought about the control of your life you give someone when you take money from them? Have you ever noticed someones reaction to giving you money? Suddenly they have a say in the things you do with your life. Especially if it’s a family member who loaned you money. Then suddenly they have all kinds of things to say about what you are doing… or at the very least you feel like they are.

Do you know what God says about borrowing money? If you take money from someone, you basically become their slave (Proverbs 22:7). I would much prefer to be a slave to no one. Maybe that’s my independent, WY, maverick spirit, but I really don’t like anyone telling me what I can or can’t do. There are a few people I choose to put myself under, but that is my CHOICE… There is a HUGE difference between having guidance and being a slave.

What choice are you making?

Freedom isn’t Free

July 13, 2009 | Mommakisses

So I saw this video today that actually made me a bit weepy… and that doesn’t happen often (OK… yes, I am a woman, so it happens more then I like to admit, but that’s another topic). Anyway, the video is a tribute to a soldier who had been killed in action. Here’s the information I have on the video:

“The body of SFC John C. Beale was returned to Falcon Field in Peachtree City, GA, on June 11, 2009. The Henry County Police Dept escorted the procession to the funeral home in McDonough, GA. A simple notice in local papers indicated the road route to be taken and the approx time. This is a travelogue of that day’s remarkable and painful journey. 13 min long, but what a tribute!”

Watching this video made me think of how much our freedom cost. SFC Beale is just one in a long of men and women who have paid the ultimate price. Men and women who believed so highly in our country they were willing to give up their lives for this belief. They died so my family and I could live as we feel it is best. There is no king telling us where we need to go or what we need to do. I can do what I want to do with the life I have been given because SFC Beale and those who went before him made it possible.

I would love to see these people given more respect for what they do long before they pay such a high price.

This also made me think about a bigger freedom and a higher price that was paid a long time ago. This man also died for me. And for you. See He chose to die and to fight so I can make my own choices… I can choose to except His gift of freedom, or to reject the freedom He offers. We all make this choice by the way we live, the things we believe.

What choice have you made?

Joshua 24:15 “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Newest Addition

June 19, 2009October 5, 2017 | Mommakisses

So… it’s been a while since I’ve posted much of anything… or really, since I’ve posted anything. Guess it’s time to come clean…

Part of the reason I haven’t posted has been the fact that I am always… ALWAYS tired these days. And I’ve been nauseous… very nauseous… Which is not easy to deal with when you have four under 10… Yes, I am pregnant. The only time I was really nauseous was with my first… and a little with my second… read with both of my boys. The girls were much easier on me. Does this mean another Bradshaw boy???? We’ll know in August.

There ya have it… The newest Bradshaw will be here on November 30… yes, I know what day… we have scheduled c-sections. As I get more energy, I hope to get back to posting more often.

Happy Birthday

March 10, 2009March 11, 2009 | Mommakisses

Today my sweet baby S turns 4! It was just a quick four years ago she came into our lives, our little bundle of active joy. Have I ever told you about the miracle she is? Yep, I mean she’s only here because God chose to move on her behalf…

It was October 2004, we were half way through our third pregnancy. J was 4 and G was 16 months. We took the boys with us to the ultra sound because we wanted them to “see” their new sibling, and be able to share the excitement of the coming baby. Things were going along smoothly, or so I thought… The technician said something to the effect of “It’s a girl, but we have an issue…” in a few quick seconds we went from excitement to shock.

Long story short, she had too much fluid on her brain. We had three doctors in a week who looked her over and all said the same thing… the ventricles in her brain were too big and would NOT get smaller. The best we could hope for was a shunt would be placed in her head to drain the fluid into her stomach. The worst… well, she wouldn’t make it. I had all three dr.s offer me an abortion. The first dr . was so indignant when I told him no, he asked me why I was even there… uh… to find out what’s wrong with my baby… does that mean I need to kill my child???

We prayed. We asked our friends and family to pray. And I can come up with no other answer than God heard our prayers… and I mean our as in every one who prayed on her behalf. God was gracious to us. Within a week, those ventricles that would NOT reduce… did just that. And within the month, they were completely normal. Our sweet baby girl was born completely healthy… no shunt needed.

All I need to see is that sweet smile to know I have been blessed to hold a miracle.

Common or Uncommon?

March 4, 2009March 4, 2009 | Mommakisses

I was asked to bring a devotional to the Women’s Ministry Council I’m on recently. I thought I would share it with you, and challenge you to become uncommon.

A couple of weeks ago, I heard Rush Limbaugh interview former pro football coach Tony Dungey. They talked about a quote from one of Dungey’s coaches when he was playing football in college. The quote struck a cord in me:

“Success is uncommon. Therefore, not to be enjoyed by the common man. I’m looking for uncommon people.” – University of Minnesota Coach Cal Stoll

Rush went on to say “Now, I find it fascinating because we in this country, we want success to be common, and unfortunately the coach here is right. Success is an uncommon thing.”

How do you become uncommon? How do you succeed? What is success? What does it take to be excellent?

As a music junkie, God often speaks to me through songs. Usually they come in two or three songs at a time, songs that I will play over and over and over again until they penetrate my soul. Two songs from a CD my friend KW made for me have jumped out and drilled me. Here’s the lines I find running though my head:

Count it pure joy when the world comes crashin’
Hold your head up and keep on dancin’
– All Right, by MercyMe

Live like there’s no tomorrow
Love extravagantly
Lead a life to be followed
Goodbye Ordinary
Goodbye Ordinary
– Goodbye Ordinary, MercyMe

In Joshua 1:7 the Lord told Joshua “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.”

How do you become uncommon? You do things others will not do. You view things in a manner most do not. You go out of your way for others. You choose to be different. You let the passion God has put in your heart direct your actions.

I believe our call as women is for each of us to be an uncommon woman. Above and beyond what others expect. To be extravagant with the love of Christ. To let His mercy flow. And to count it pure joy when we are called to go beyond our ability or to walk beyond what we see. To be excellent in our task.

We serve an Uncommon God… can we be any less?

Wall Art

February 10, 2009 | Mommakisses

Just before K was born, we had the upstairs finished. This means we took what was our attic, and created a big play/family room, a bedroom for the boys, a bathroom, a hobby/guest room and storage area. We moved the boys into their new room the weekend before I headed into the hospital.

While I was pregnant, I created a mural on the then boys wall, knowing S would be moved into this room. I had no idea what I was doing, but I bought a projector and a LOT of house paint and was determined to make it happen. As an active three year old, she LOVES Dora the Explorer. Each day, as I would get a little more done, all three kids would run to the room to see what was painted now, and the boys would eagerly discuss what I would put on their wall, once that room was done. S would even “hug” Boots, once he was painted. Notice it’s like a coloring book in that there are no blended colors…

The boys had a hard time agreeing on what they wanted… Transformers, Star Wars, Tom and Jerry, Batman… the list could go on, as did the boys! However, we finally got them to agree on Ben 10. I was able to get the outline on the wall, but did not get anything painted before K came.

Now, you need to know I had a c-section. I had told myself I would be able to do the painting after she was born… WHO was I kidding??? Not T who said… call April… Why didn’t I think about that before??? I had a great resource at my finger tips, and I didn’t think about it. Sigh.

April James came to my rescue and pulled off a FABULOUS job. Notice there are even blended colors… it’s amazing what you can pull off if you use the right paint! If you want something fun on your child’s wall… check out her web site. She comes highly recommended!