I have gone insane and am no longer able to update my blog…
JUST KIDDING!
My Insanity Check is being relaunched in June 2016
Soon you will be able to once again tune in and be entertained, encouraged and/or challenged by my blundering attempts at finding sanity in my crazy life.
If you would like updates on how things are going or what will be changing you can contact me by email at myinsanitycheck@gmail.com (Subject: Updates) or follow me on Instagram.
I hope you’ll join me in laughter and tears as I learn to balance the six elements of my life; Daughter of the King, Wife of a {former} Marine, Mother of 3, Group Home House Parent of 27+, Friend, & Artist.
In June with the website launch I will also be launching my new series
#LITTLEMOMENTS
#LITTLEMOMENTS will focus on the little moments in our every day lives that encourage us and get us through the insanity of life when we want to give up and bury our heads in the sand. Contact me for more information if you would like to be a contributor to #LITTLEMOMENTS
Local Photographer, Eve Thrasher, will be featured in June’s #LITTLEMOMENTS check out her work at http://www.evethrasher.com
This was originally part of the post “How do you do it”.
I split it into two posts because it was incredibly long.
With the exception of when I am exhausted, sick or coming down from a stressful incident. These are the events I normally think of when asked about the past year.
My husband leading our weekly Bible study.
Celebrating Birthdays at home, at the pizza machine, at the bowling alley, at the park, or at defy gravity.
Coffee in the mornings.
Christmas morning with our girls and kids. Our former girl coming to join us for the day in her “matching” pj’s. Eating and playing games. Laughing and taking awkward Christmas pictures in front of the tree!
Refashioning clothes with and for my family.
A fun (if somewhat drama-filled) new years ski trip in Minnesota with all the homes.
The manager at the dollar tree who helped me load my bags and offered to pray for me after I broke into tears because I broke three jars of grape jelly while shopping for the ski trip.
Hearing my baby say “MAMA” and having some of my girls start to call me mom.
Hugs and slobbery kisses (from the baby).
Coffee in bed.
Holding one of my girls as she cried and realized she had screwed up big.
Swimming in the ocean with my girls. I am still in awe that I got to take them to Texas and to the beach.
Laughing and taking pictures as the girls and I toured the Precious Moments Chapel. Laughing at the looks on their faces when I told them the only reason we stopped was because my parents made me go when I was young and I thought it was lame!
Drinking my husbands coffee.
Watching my oldest bio kid learn to ride his bike by himself. Recite his address and tie his own shoes.
Coffee and the beach!
Back rubs and falling asleep in my husbands arms.
Fishing and catching a catfish “as big as my head!” (oldest boy quote).
Painting nights.
Camping…in a cabin due to a fever and not being able to stay outside.
Line dancing with friends.
Cake decorating classes with one of my girls.
80’s music nights, and blaring the radio while dancing in the car with my girls.
My husbands kisses.
Ladies nights.
Surprising my husband with a night out to see the second Avengers movie.
Mystery dinner including a trip to the salon with both girls homes.
Coffee
Lunches with the “mom’s” from the other homes.
Getting to make table decorations and decorate for Release Ministries annual banquet.
Dinner at a fancy restaurant with my favorite man.
Music blaring during dinner clean up.
Celebrating first day’s at new jobs by going to dairy queen.
Doing shots (of espresso) with my girls.
Pizza and movies.
Coffee with friends.
Blindfolding and “kidnapping” girls and friends to “force” them to go to the movies.
When my husband made a slipper slide down the hill in our back yard.
Date nights.
Seeing pictures of my nieces and nephews accomplishments both athletic and academic.
Dancing and running outside with the kids because its a nice day.
New hair colors and cuts.
Baptisms.
Friends who helped out, baby sat, or paid for Christmas presents, events, or dinners we wanted to do for the girls but did not have the money for.
ROTC awards ceremony.
Photo shoots of the girls.
Jumping in the leaves piled in the truck bed.
My girls getting coffee for me.
Trips (well at least ONE) to my sisters house and swimming in their pool, riding and almost “dying” in her go karts.
Saint Patrick’s day breakfasts!
Ending the day hearing “Good Night I love you” from everyone in the house.
Family push-ups.
Making cakes.
Can’t have cake without coffee!
My husband sitting at the table helping with homework or teaching basic car mechanics.
Community Service.
Friends offering to help if we need it.
Watching/listening to the girls read stories to the kids and sing bed time songs.
Listening to girls talk about how they can say whatever they want about us, but no one else is allowed to say anything negative.
A family weddings (even if I didn’t get to go to them all!!).
Friends randomly bringing me coffee.
A new niece.
A new nephew.
A family baby on the way.
Cousins who live close enough to come visit and visit often.
Good food.
No more visits to the cardiologist!
Getting to watch my cousin fall in love with a great gal who loves the Lord and makes him happier than I’ve ever seen.
My “lil bro” became a daddy.
My husband getting every girl in the house flowers for valentines.
Trips to Colorado.
Talks with my husbands grandfather who is so full of wisdom and encouragement.
CRAFTS!!!!!
Coffee ALONE.
Photography.
Flopping on my friends couch exhausted and watching my kids run crazy with hers.
Zoo trips.
A group of ladies asking if they could get Christmas presents for our girls.
Children’s museum.
Christmas gift from a ladies group we did not know had been praying for us.
Cards from kids in AWANA and learning we were the Missionaries they picked to pray for.
Bible Conference with Larry Taunton.
Woman’s retreat with a group of wonderful ladies.
Movies snuggled on the couch.
“Mommy, can I tell you something? I love you”.
Former girls coming for thanksgiving.
My little girl wanting to dress up like me for the harvest party because I’m pretty cool.
Getting calls, messages, letters and visits from former girls.
Nana & Papa visits!
FINISHED WRITING MY BOOK!!!!!!!!!
Watching my husband compete in his first Brazilian Ju Jisu tournament.
Water fights.
AMAZING discovery of a laundry service that picks up, washes, folds, and delivers your clothes. It may have only happened once but best day ever!
Farm trips.
A surprise visit from the first girl in the home.
1st hunting trips.
Swimming at state parks and picnic’s that followed.
Coffee
Dinners with friends, old and new.
My girls calling me “Mom”.
Learning to shoot the bow my husband made me.
SPOTIFY.
Climbing gym.
New and unexpected friendships.
A night away with my husband.
This is how I do it. I focus on one day at time. I trust God to give me the strength, the patience, the energy, the motivation, the-whatever-I-need-in-the-moment.
I try to focus every day on the Lord. I try to force myself to find the positive. I force myself to ask God to help me find the positive.
He does every time.
You saw my lists.
My lists of pains and my lists of joys. You have your lists too.
How do you do it? How do you do whatever it is that you do? It does not matter if you run a group home, run for office or work at home. Doing what God asks of you is hard. Impossible if you try to do it on your own.
The awesome thing is that God’s grace is available to all who ask. Take Him up on it and accept that even with Gods grace there will be bad days.
His grace is sufficient. His grace is there even in the storms.
my insanity check 