Big Birthday Weekend and a Giveaway!

A sweet baby girl was born 13 years ago and made me a Mom for the first time. As we held her, (and studied her ten tiny toes) we tried to imagine our lives together as she grew into a young lady. She's exceeding all our expectations and dreams. A beautiful young lady now graces our home with a kind, giving heart, is an eager helper, has a determined mind and is a sister to be looked up to. We often tell her how she hangs the moon for the younger ones.  Happy 13th Birthday Melissa!! We love you!!!

On another note, be sure to check out the blog, Sew Liberated, by the fabulous Meg this weekend. We'll be giving away a Moby Wrap from our Full Circle Baby store to one lucky reader!

Happy Weekend!

~Lisa

Perfectly ready

Having five children in tow with me almost constantly, I am often approached by others wondering if we will have more children. Many ask if we will try for a boy (being we have all girls). My typical, polite response is that "I don't know - maybe" to the first question. About the boy question, "I don't think so...we only make girls it seems".

I realized lately that my typical responses are just apathetic and robot responses. I haven't tried to delve into the whys or hows or ifs as I've just been too busy living and enjoying the children we have been blessed with. I haven't tried to analyze and soul search if I truly was open to having more children. I knew that I would be fine with adding another child to our family, but did I really want more was a question that I have not wanted to answer until now. Waffling on the issue is an understatement. Indecisive - yes, absolutely true.

With the talk in the media about the woman who just had octuplets (making her total 14 children), there has been speculation about her irresponsibility. Not being one to judge her, I am not going to go there but instead I brought it to my own self to ask if it is irresponsible for us to have more children. I read this lovely post today and she put into words all the thoughts I've had on the Octomom and having a large family of our own.

I forced myself to answer that question of "do I want more children?" and I found the answer to be - yes. Before now, my indecision left me feeling uneasy and hollow. Answering that question for myself and not for others who ask me in passing, now leaves me feeling happy and certain.

Will we have more children? There's One who knows for sure, but I do know that I will happily welcome and want any child that may come to us. I love little babies and they bring true joy to my life. Pure joy! Adding to our family in the form of little people couldn't be more wonderful. They are only with us for a little time to nurture into bigger people after all and then the most wonderful thing happens as our family loves and cares for each other. So instead of having babies, maybe we should think of it as having family instead. Could there be anything more wonderful than having a family of your own to love and care for?

I also found through my soul searching that I am more ready now than ever before in my life to welcome a new baby into my life. I am more confident as a mother, wiser and at ease with the care a new baby brings. I have found my way to being the mother I want to be and I truly love motherhood. It's not always easy and at times I lose my patience, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I am perfectly ready. I am ready for whatever the future holds for us and it's a great place to be.

Peace and love,

~Lisa

Want to know a secret?

I get asked every so often how I manage everything - from homeschooling, having five children to keeping my house clean. Let's get one thing straight first, I don't do it all. I have five little helpers and one big one. But, the one thing that I do every single morning is to clean the kitchen sink. If I don't do it, then I'm in big trouble. My day will be a disaster and nothing will run right. So to keep things real, here's the before picture of my kitchen. This was probably after a weekend of cooking (my guy likes to cook which I am so very thankful for, but I'm his designated cleaner upper). On weekday nights, I like to have the kitchen all cleaned up before I head to bed, but sometimes I let it slide too. 

What a mess!!! Almost every square inch of this counter is covered in dirty dishes. I love my dishwasher, it's pretty new and so very quiet. BUT, I need two....seriously.

Here's the after picture. I had it all cleaned up in about 10 minutes - really! When I get to work, it doesn't take long at all.

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite cleaning aids. First is this fantastic scrubber - Bon Ami. This stuff has been around for ages and I can remember as a child seeing my Grandmother use it to clean her kitchen. The great thing about Bon Ami is that it is safe and doesn't contain bleach. Plus, it makes my kitchen sink and stove shine!  Did I mention it's cheap too???

This is my second favorite kitchen cleaner. Mrs. Meyers cleaners smell so good! Especially this one I got right after Christmas when they were all on sale. It's peppermint scented and every time I spray it, a cooling sensation comes over me. Ahh.....

See how shiny my sink is now?! 

So, that's my secret for making my household run smoothly - start with the kitchen sink. Once it's clean, the whole day runs smoothly.

~Lisa