A simple life

At this stage in my life, I feel like a cat chasing my tail some days.  Other days, I feel slightly more directed.  I am admittedly not as organized of a person as I would like to be and am not as hyper of a cleaner as I should be but, these are a few things that make me feel ready to conquer the world.

My chalkboard wall weekly schedule.  (I have had an obsession with chalkboards since childhood.)  It's not fancy but works so well to have a visual so we all know what's happening for the week.

Ahhh an empty laundry basket!  It's only seen around the Parr House on Sundays but it's such a grand feeling of accomplishment and readiness.  The promise of not scrambling for clean undies is liberating! 

My new purchase for the year: a meal calendar on the fridge.  Again, not fancy but functional. 

 (Yes, I schedule for leftovers.) 

A full pantry: a reminder of God's blessings.  Now, I admit we don't keep an overly stocked pantry.  My friend Sara and I joke about seeing just how empty the cupboards can get before we go to the grocery. I'm not sure our families enjoy that little game as much as we do.  Does anybody plan to eat pepperoni and provolone sandwiches grilled on the panini press for supper?  Probably not. But that is one family favorite that has emerged from my bare pantry game!    

As a child I had grand plans of being an advertising executive like Angela Bower on Who's the Boss.  I wanted to wear suits & heels to work every day.  I just knew I would have a housekeeper just like Tony!  Clearly, my childhood plans derailed at some point and I am now selling children's clothes, wearing colorful cotton dresses and cleaning my own toilets.  It's a simple life I lead but God calls me to do it well. The best titles I've ever been given are "wife" and "mother" and for that,  I am thankful. 

2013 Highlights

As we look forward to a brand new year, make plans for changes and improvements all while being wise enough to keep the good things the same, I started reflecting on the last 12 months.  A lot has changed since January 1, 2013 and I want to document some of our notable moments of 2013.




1.  Sebastian turned 4.  I'm still in denial we don't have a baby in the family anymore. He's such a kind soul and loves so deeply.  I'm honored to be on the receiving end of that love.   I often tell people that no one loves me like Sebastian does.

2. Coco was diagnosed with epilepsy; hers manifests in the form of absence seizures. This was a really low moment but we are so thankful for side-effect free medication that is 100% effective!

This is Coco at her Cheer Camp performance.  She was selected as "Loudest Cheerleader." As a former cheerleader, I was as proud of her spirit stick as she was!   Epilepsy is a part of who she is but won't define her life or keep her from doing anything she wants to do.  I praise God for the firecracker of a blessing He bestowed on Donald and me this sweet girl.

3. We experienced ball season for the first time!  Coco played softball and Sebastian played t-ball; they both loved it!

4.  Donald and I had our 10th wedding Anniversary. I love him more today than I did the day we said I Do.

5. We went to the beach with our great friends, The Whites.  The children all had a blast sleeping in the bunk beds.  This was our first vacation since our financial collapse and it felt so good to enjoy some much needed R & R.

6.  Coco changed schools and joined Sebastian at Tipton Christian Academy.  Given her new diagnosis, we wanted her in a small environment where she could be monitored fairly closely.  As always, God is one step ahead of us.  Her teacher this year had the same type of seizures as a child so I worry (almost) never about her while she's at school.

7. Our sweet, loving, loyal, playful, furry Jack turned 13 in April and left us in September.  I still tear up when I think about him not being here.  Sebastian told us he was ready to go to heaven so he could see Jack again.  Coco sometimes still calls his name when she walks in the door.  It's much harder on all of us than I thought it would be. Dogs become such a part of your family when they stay inside.  His hips had disintegrated to the point of chronic pain. He couldn't hear anymore and his vision was almost gone too.  We just couldn't watch him suffer anymore.  There will never be another Jack; he was an amazing dog.

8.  Sebastian played Upwards soccer for the first time this year and enjoyed it!  The fall season and asthma don't mix too well so we missed a couple of games but he loved every part of running up and down the field.  Coco played her 2nd season of soccer and struggled a little more this year than last.  She moved up a league this year so was the youngest, not the oldest, on the team.  We worked on confidence and she pushed through and did a great job too.

9.  Our family just wasn't complete without a fur baby!  We welcomed Leo, an adorable schnorkie, to the family in October.  As fate would have it, he was born on the day we had to put Jack down.  If that isn't a meant-to-be I don't know what is!

10.  Last but certainly not least, Coco lost her first 4 teeth (bottom 2 and top 2) and turned 7 all in about a month's time.  She looks so grown up now and I am so excited to keep watching her grow.  She's such a funny girl...God's bound to have great plans for her life.

S,o that's about it.  A lot happened in-between but those are our 2013 Highlights.  God blessed us beyond measure that's for sure!

New Year, Old Habit

I'm resurrecting an old habit for the new year...BLOGGING!  I'm not going to officially "announce" that our family blog is up and running again because I will say the "pressure" of an audience is overwhelming.  But, when I go back and read all the little things about our family that have forever been documented, I'm sad that I've missed 2 years! And cannot believe I've abandoned this one-time addiction for so long.  So, cheers to a brand new year of writing, remembering and capturing the good, the bad and the real moments of our family!

Hiatus

If you don't see any new posts from me in 2012, please don't think I've fallen off a cliff somewhere! I am taking a very intentional blogging hiatus. Life is moving faster than I can keep up with. (I'm certain most people reading this can give me a big ol' Amen! to that statement.) Strangely enough, it seems that the thought of "I haven't blogged about that" is adding to my stress level. Under normal circumstances blogging is such a fun, creative release but it has felt more like a part time job since we moved back from Florida. Still adjusting to being a working mom of 2, the computer can no longer take up any of my precious free time. So, I bid a fond farewell to my blogging world and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2012.

My Little Diva

This post is dedicated to my precious angel & drama llama, Coco. I was having a mini photo shoot with her taking some pictures for a freckled frog Christmas ad. When I uploaded the pictures to my computer, I noticed something too funny not to include in our family blog book. The nurses in the hospital appropriately nicknamed her at just 2 days old: a little diva. At nearly 5 years old, she continues to make me laugh (and drive me nuts!) with her dramatics. Honest to goodness, the following pictures are chronological and snapped within seconds of one another. I think she may have already mastered the emotions of Acting 101. Move over Susan Lucci, here comes Coco Parr!

#1: Frustration #2: Exasperation
#3: Defeat

#4: Joy

Pity Party

Historically, I love the holidays. The food, the smells, the fellowship - the entire months of November and December are a constant state of "warm & fuzzy." Since the start of the month, I've been waiting on the excitement in me to come. It's deep down somewhere I can feel it, but it just won't surface. Sort of like when you want to cry, I mean really belly-cry-your-eyes-out kind of cry, but you just can't muster up the tears. Your mind and emotions are ready but something is missing to make it happen. Well, I'm afraid our 2011 journey has beaten the spirit right out of me and it's impossible for me to dig deep enough to find my holiday excitement. Last year's Thanksgiving and Christmas were dreadful; tainted by the anticipation and preparation of a 1,000 mile move and a husband who had already relocated. The Christmas before that was spent in transition living with my parents while we remodeled a house. This makes the 3rd Christmas in a row I won't get to unpack my decorations and sprinkle Christmas spirit all around our house. But wait, we don't have a house right now so I suppose that's a moot point. That brings a whole new bag of guilt. My children don't have their own room to sleep in, their own yard to play in or their own fireplace to hang their stockings on. Our life is just messed up right now and I am smack dab in the middle of a pity party. (The post title warned of this.) If you're reading this and rolling your eyes, I totally don't blame you. I know that God is still in control, my children are healthy and my loved ones are safe & near; I acknowledge these are the things that REALLY matter in life. So I promise to put my big girl panties on and wake up on the other side of the bed tomorrow. However, if you're reading this and you have the time to whisper a prayer for me, please do. I really need God to give me an extra dose of contentment and faith right now because I'm running on empty.

Happy Halloween 2011