Spaghetti and A One Year Old.....

Stepping out of my shell... one day at a time!

I want to start my post off by saying thank you to Marla at http://stolenbonbon.blogspot.com/ . I entered a few giveaways during the Blog Carnival Giveaway. Marla was hosting 5 days of giveaways and I had entered her second day giveaway (also the very first day I entered a giveaway!) and I won this great package. I originally won the Fireproof movie and book but Marla also through in the soundtrack. I plan for my husband and I to watch the movie tonight. Thank you, Marla!

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I have been needing to sit down and write a post for a few days, but I have been busy. Of course this is nothing new moms are busy all the time. The busy that I have been has been fun busy. Now I should probably preface this with the fact that I don't like to leave my house and I really need a lot of motivation to do so. I will also state for the record that I am not a creepy recluse that peeks out the window of her darkened house either! It's just I am perfectly content at home or at least that is what I have convinced myself of. You see I don't exactly like this about myself, generally because once I actually do leave the house, I enjoy myself so much. I sometimes wonder if it is the way I grew up. My parents are wonderful, but we didn't do much.. no playgroups, not too many outdoor activities. I have a sister who is 5 1/2 years older, a sister who is 9 years younger and a brother who is 11 years younger. Quite an age gap to be my playmates, so I was always at home left to play by myself. I also didn't have many, if any friends. I was pretty lonely as a child growing up. Lonely is what I became familiar with and how I went through a good portion of my life. Lonely became my comfort zone and I find myself constantly battling this within me because no matter who you are or how you grew up lonely doesn't work. Reading this back to myself I must also state that I am married to a wonderful man, I have 3 beautiful children. The lonely I speak of is that of the companionship of friendship, of motherhood, of wifedom.. the girlfriend bond. I have Jennifer who is my dear friend but we live far enough away that we don't meet up as much as we would like. I sometimes find myself thinking about my childhood and I wonder what was wrong with me to not have had friends or even that special friend. I get saddened by it and it carries over to me even today. I am no longer 9 years old, 15 years old, I am a grown married women who can control certain aspects of her life. I have lived here for 3 1/2 years and my friendships are at a distance. I have friends. I have not nurtured those friendships possibly out of fear, or of insecurities of my childhood, or of insecurities of today. In all honesty I really don't know why, but I know at this point right now something needs to change, I want it to change, I want to change. I know I have digressed here and I am kind of scratching my head over it, but I suppose it was to say I got out of the house, I socialized, I am starting, and I want to continue.. I also want a different childhood for my children. I want them to have those friendships, those moments of joy, those moments they can look back on and say, I was never lonely as a child. I need to do that for my children, for myself......

The month of February has been a good month and here are a few things I have done with my children and by myself..

First up was a playgroup date with my MOPS group. We went to the library where Steve from the Hullabaloo band put on a concert: http://www.hullabalooband.com/ It was the first time I had seen this band and I ended up buying two of their CD's. Abigail couldn't stop dancing, she loved it so much. I stayed and chatted with a few of the moms and then headed home for lunch and naps.

On February 5th I went to our first MOPS book club night. I had a wonderful time discussing the book "The Shack" and getting to know my MOPS moms a little better.

Then on Tuesday February 10th I hosted a Valentine's Day party for my MOPS moms and kids. It was a blast and I realized I love hosting playgroup parties. We did crafts ate some great food and once again enjoyed good conversation. It was my Martha Stewart moment. This wasn't the last party for the week either. Yesterday I offered my house for another Valentine's party (someone else was actually the hostess) so two days in one week my house was filled with mom conversation and a ton of kids playing. I love every moment of it. This is a full month for me with a few more activities on the calendar. I know like anything it requires baby steps. I will get out more and I know I will love it when I do. I just need those reminders that I am someone special, I am someone worth knowing, I am fearfully and wonderfully made and because of that I can......

My Eyes and Heart in the Blogging World...

Not too long ago I had no clue what blogging meant or what a blog was. I would hear on my talk-radio shows about someones political blog post and of course the many postings of Rosie O'Donnell. I just figured it was just another political outlet. My friend Jennifer started her blog a few years back which I have really enjoyed, especially when my family was a part of her post. Late last year I decided to start "Little Moos and Mommy Too" which has truly opened the blogging world to me. I shared with a few people in my playgroups that I had a blog and was encouraged but also warned that it is addicting (and yes it is!!). Tonya, one of the ladies who I have yet to meet and hope to soon, also has blogs and yes I said blogs, plural! Now if you are a bit more savvy in the blog world then to have more then one blog would not surprise you. It did me and I checked out her blogs: http://thestaabfamily.blogspot.com/, http://www.currentlycrafting.com/, http://www.munchkinsandmayhem.com/

I was awed and those blogs peaked my curiosity. I wanted to find out what the whole blog thing really was all about? So I set off to discover this new world and have been touched in many ways. I really had no idea the community behind the blog world was so big, so wide, so vivid, so creative, so loving, warriors for their fellow blogging friends, I could go on with BIG things about it, but in the end the this community as big as it is it is also as equally small. Not small as in simple, unimportant , but small as in you become friends with strangers near, far, and really far. You cry for, hope for, dream for, wish for, laugh with, and I think the biggest is you pray, pray, pray for these new found friends. It has become an endless curiosity for me and each time I come to the pages of different blogs I go away a better person. What I have just read could be a simple thing like learning a new craft, entering a blog giveaway, learning how to make a tasty treat, tips on organizing OR it is something that made me get on my knees and talk to God. I have needed to go to the Lord much this week. I thank God that I can bring to him these sorrows and I am not alone in my prayers for those who desperately need it.
I am writing this blog because of two stories that I have learned about in the past week. They have broken the hearts of many but none more then the parents. One story is of Tuesday Fiona Whitt, who at the age of two lost her battle with cancer, and then the second is about Cynthiaa of Confessions of a Yummy Mummy who just had a c-section giving birth to her son Aiden. He was still-born due to an umbilical cord strangulation. The blog community is strong in there prayers for these families, and that is pretty amazing...

On a lighter note there are many heartaches that I have come across but there are many more that bring a smile to my face. I wanted to share a few of these with you. Enjoy!

*** WOW!! as I was compiling the list below I went to get a few more blog address and just saw this: I am the winner of a blog giveaway worth $800+.00!! I can't believe it! Check it out, I won twice this week whoohoo!! http://shakethesalt.com/2009/02/woot-800-mega-prize-pack-winner/#comment-15464 ***
Okay continuing the rest of my post!!

I entered a giveaway on this blog and I won!! Whoohoo..
http://stolenbonbon.blogspot.com/

This is the cutest Valentines Day countdown idea
http://katiesnestingspot.blogspot.com/2009/02/valentine-countdown.html

This is the site where I got the proverbs 31 buttons. I was so amazed at the the abundant faith, knowledge, and wisdom in this 17 year old girl. It truly makes me want to model a stronger faith to my children.
http://aponderingheart.com/blog/

Printable paper crafts..
http://tangarangblog.blogspot.com/

I think giving shout outs to blogs that have touched me in some way will be a weekly post, plus it keeps a better record of those special blogs!!
So last for tonight is yummy food recipes , I am going to try the baked oatmeal next week!
http://newlywedcooking.blogspot.com/

Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap!!

I am so exited to join in on the Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swam. Just click on the button above to check it out and join! Okay I am off to make a list of my favorite things....