We have been busy here at the Headley home these past 7 weeks. My original intention was to write about our days, but then as they passed, I realized that it was just too much. Our summer has been filled with all sorts of fun. I have enjoyed being with my kiddos. Being a SAHM is _____________. You fill in the blank. Right now, for me, being a SAHM is fun, most days. Here is what we've been up to this summer. There have been some wonderful moments with these kids. I can't believe Bean will be starting Kindergarten in 3 weeks. Our move here to Colorado was met with excitement, briefly filled with resentment, and now full of memories with our friends and family (THEY COME IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS!!!). We know that our time here is limited and we're set on making the most of it.
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Well y'all, I survived day one of our summer vacation. Miss E. joined us for her first day. We started off by going to our (my) favorite place, Mountain Grounds Coffee. Every Monday they have story time. Today the story was focused on Father's Day and each of the kids colored a tie for their dads. It was such a beautiful day for them to play outside. They made some new friends and had a blast.
After lunch I took the kids bowling thanks to Kids Bowl Free. This is such a wonderful program. Every day each child gets 2 free games during the summer. You can purchase the adult pass for $24. There are some coupon codes floating around to get a discount on the pass. If you decide to sign up, please use my email (chufalar@gmail) as a referral so that each of us gets entered into the FREE Disney trip contest. If you can find some bowling shoes for your kids, you'll save even MORE money since the shoes are $2.50 per rental. I was lucky to find a pair of shoes myself at the ARC and I got them half off! The nice thing about bowling is that it's indoors and cool. Plus, it's 2 hours out of 7 hour day. So that's less planning for me to do. The girls, especially, had a great time. They met a little boy named Ryan who just finished Kindergarten. It was so cute. The 3 of them had a great time chatting it up. The kids were pretty tuckered out after bowling. Our craft for Make Something Monday was very simple. I purchased some little clay pots for them to paint and modge podge. Each chose the paint and fabric to personalize their beautiful pots. It was so simple to do. They painted the rim first and I used a hair dryer to dry them quickly so that we could modge podge the fabric. The fabric was cut in strips and stuck on. Then I went over it with one more coat of modge podge. Later tonight I'll seal it with an acrylic sealer. When they're dry, we'll plant a seed in them and watch them grow over the summer. I'm so excited to have these 3 kids with me. I've attached our schedule for the month if you wanted to follow us. A lot of what we're doing is pinned on my board. I hope that all of you are starting your summers out GREAT! And I can't wait to see what FUN you guys are having this summer. Summer has officially started in our home. I have been planning our schedule for the last couple of months. I have nine weeks of 100% kids. NINE WEEKS! I'm a little nervous because I haven't had them the whole day for longer than two weeks. One of Bean's friends will also be joining in the fun. Both of the girls enjoy a little bit of routine so I wanted to make the summer structured, but relaxed. These kids have learned so much over the year with their teacher, Mrs. Fisher and I want this to be just as memorable. I nabbed our schedule from Stephanie at Somewhat Simple. This set up is great because it's structured, but changeable. I had so much fun browsing Pinterest for our summer activities, but probably did stress myself out here and there since I've never planned a summer for my kids. All of our Monday crafts were under $50 for the 3 kids. Bowling will also occupy our time thanks to Kids Bowl Free at our local alley. On Tuesdays we'll either be at the library, the zoo, or the Fine Arts Center. I love that we could spend hours at all of them. Wednesdays will be vegan cooking with kids. This is HUGE for me. Why? I'm not a fan of messes or lack of control in the kitchen. Seriously. I have issues. It could stem from the fact that I wasn't allowed to make messes when I was a child. That's a whole other post. We'll be doing some yummy baking and hopefully eating. (These kids better eat all the sweet treats...) Service Day Thursdays, I think, will be my favorite. It's never too young to instill the concept of others. We'll be writing letters, making homeless bags, doing kind acts, etc. and talk about why we do these services. And Fridays will be spent doing things out of our bucket list. We made a list of fun, either free or cheap, things to do over the summer and wrote them down on popsicle sticks. So on Fridays, we'll pick a stick or two and go and do that activity. I can't wait. I didn't plan the weekends, but I did pin a BUNCH of things for us to do. So Summer...BRING IT! I hope all of you have a great summer.
Look who's 1 year old today!! It's Lola! I was so blessed to be able to watch her grow inside her Mama's belly. But it was something else watching her being born. To sit with her Mama who was waiting <ahem> patiently for her to arrive and then to see her come into this world was absolutely AMAZING! My heart is a little pained, okay -- maybe a lot, that I won't be able to celebrate her first birthday with her and my Friend. I wish I could've held and snuggled her this entire year, but things happened. Any way, I'm so glad there is Facebook, Messenger, and texting so that I get the privilege of watching her grow up from afar. I was so excited to make her presents, but with my serious lack of planning (little did I know how long it would take me), she won't be able to have them today. BUT, she will be able to see them today thanks to social media. I wanted to make her something special for giving me the gift of watching her birth. So little Lola, my love, here are your presents: Lola, You ARE going to MOVE MOUNTAINS. You will be strong just like your Mama. I pray that you will take these words to heart when you are older. Don't let anything get in your way. Don't let the words, "I can't" escape your mouth. Instead say, "I'll try." When you feel alone or afraid, remember that God is with you....ALWAYS. I know it's hard to remember that in the moment, but take a breath and think about who gave you that breath. I wish you a very Happy Birthday, Lola. Enjoy your party and your cake. Have fun twirling in your beautiful tutu. Hugs and kisses, Auntie Kate Missed Part 1? You can read it here.
I invited M to go to church with me around the July/August time frame. We had been dating for about 3-4 months. I had no idea how he was going to take it. We didn't discuss our beliefs. I just kind of assumed. He agreed to go and wouldn't you know, the pastor used him as a demonstration that day! We chatted after the service on our way home. He agreed to go back. Little did I know that the seed had been planted. We kept going back. We kept getting fed. We developed relationships. We grew together. But then what? Life happened. Things that we wanted to control slipped out of our hands. How did we react? When the storm cloud circled over our heads, where or who did we run to? Where is our refuge when our foundations crumble? These are questions that I should ask myself on a daily basis. In all honesty, my refuge is usually myself and then my husband. I don't reach out to friends too often. I have a tendency to do things on my own (who doesn't) and not be a burden or worry other people. However, I do know that if it were something horrible, my "2 AM friend" Bobbie Jo would be on the other end of the line and on a plane if I needed her. That's just who she is. We don't talk as much as we used to since the moves, but when we do, we just pick up right where we left off. Everyone needs to have a Bobbie Jo in their life. (And by the way, she just became a certified life coach! Congrats Friend!) Everyone needs to develop those kinds of relationships. But there's also another relationship we should develop and that's one with God. When that cloud is looming over our heads, we need to step back and think, "Where do I need to trust?" We need to remember His presence in that moment and His actions and His presence in the past. M is a lot better at this than me. I've been so blessed to have him as the leader of our home. His words of encouragement to seek out and to pray have been valued in my heart. I have seen his growth in the area of trust since that first day he stepped into church with me. I have seen him put his trust into practice. So how many times do I worry about the SAME thing due to my lack of trust? --Lord, we need a job. Lord, we need extra money this month. Lord, help me to be more loving with my children. Lord, I can't do this alone.-- The answer is...a lot. These pleas aren't my go-to. These pleas come when I've got nowhere else to go. How crappy is that? I need to find my place in HIS refuge. It doesn't mean that I do nothing. I need to search, trust, and go towards God and not have Him be my last resort. I lose sight of who He is when I rely on MYSELF rather than on HIM. And even though I give Him my crappiness, He brings me gently to my knees and helps me find refuge in Him. With all that He has done, I'm pretty sure He can handle my issues. I'm not saying it's easy by any means. Again, life happens. But where and who you choose to run to when things start to fall apart will make all the difference. When those foundations crumble, know that God is purifying your life for something better. He wants to be your refuge. Let Him. All of us have times and seasons in our lives where things seem utterly hopeless and it makes sense to cut and run. Eight years ago I packed up the U-Haul, gave him a hug, snuck out with my friend, and made the 1,250 mile drive to Washington State.
I couldn't run any faster than I did that day. I didn't say goodbye to my three roommates. Horrible, right? I wanted out of there. I wanted out of the life I was living. From 2005 to the beginning of 2006, emotionally, I was at my lowest. I worked 12-14 hour days, sometimes 6 days a week, just to make sure I met my numbers. I smoked just to get a break, drank more than a fish to numb myself, and played the field like no one's business. I used all these things to fill the emptiness. That's why I ran. That was my season of hopelessness. I never thought I would leave San Diego. Besides the crazy fires that recently happened, it's BEAUTIFUL! You know what the weather will be like pretty much every day. You have the beach within 15 minutes driving distance (Because no matter where you're at in San Diego County, it ALWAYS takes 15 minutes). There are AWESOME views, fun attractions, AMAZING food (We're vegan now, but if you're not...you must go!), and beautiful people....EVERYWHERE! But where I was going emotionally and spiritually, I needed to leave. So I ran, rather drove, and made sure there was plenty of space in between. When I arrived in Seattle, I sat there amongst my boxes and cried. The junk of my past just flowed out. I purged everything through my tears. It felt so good. This was the beginning of my fresh start and running to something even better. When I got settled in at my new office, my desk mate was JXC; sweetest gal to work with. I hadn't gone to church regularly when I started college. In fact, it was pretty much non-existent. She invited me to her church for Easter Sunday. I walked in nervous as hell. Thoughts of "should I even be here" or "what am I doing" were shooting off in my head so fast, I couldn't keep up with them. I felt that since I hadn't been going to church on a regular basis, I wouldn't be welcome (more on this later). I made it through the sermon...alive. A little piece of me was filled. I decided it was worth looking into. I'm so excited for today, but a little sad too. Today is my last day at MOPs for the year. I was so blessed to be able to be a part of this group. MOPs is Mothers of Preschoolers that offers childcare from birth - K. They have been a wonderful support group of the "me too" issues of being a parent. For the year end get-together, it's SPA DAY and FAVORITE THINGS. Each of us will bring one of our favorite things to share with the women at our table. I had a few weeks to plan for this day and I had a terrible time thinking of what I could share and how I could share my favorite thing. I have a lot of "favorite" things like, The Honest Company. I didn't want to give everyone a sponge or cloth, but it is one of my favorite things. All their cleaning and laundry products are wonderful and natural. They also have an awesome baby line. But I think I love their mouthwash the most. It's refreshing and doesn't burn my mouth. Bean loves to use it too. Another one of my favorite things is my planner from Erin Condren. I love all organizing things. I would LOVE to work at the Container Store. But I will have to settle for this and it's worth it. Mine has the months April 2014-December 2014. Starting in June the June 2014-December 2015 will be available, but I won't be ordering mine till December or January since I already have the rest of the year. I got the basic planner with no frills. You can add SOOOO much personalization to your planner like photos to put on people's birthdays, pens, pen holder, etc. Every planner comes with a pocket holder and a sealed pocket. They're so fun and vibrant and again very customizable. I didn't want to give out mini planners since I knew most of us already had one. So while sitting at Mountain Grounds Coffee, it hit me! THIS is my favorite thing! And how I knew it was my perfect "favorite thing" was that I want to sell my things to earn coffee money!!! Crazy right?! But I LOVE IT!! Melinda and Nathan are the new owners of the shop. At the end of August, it will be their one year anniversary. This is my go to place. I love the atmosphere and their coffee. They have a nice area in the back for the kids to play, along with a mini kids area. Melinda has created a comfy atmosphere for everyone. You can reserve the shop for meetings and parties, too. I wish I could've bought everyone at my table a coffee, but instead I'm passing on their information to share one of my favorite things to help support a local business (which is another of my favorite things -- buying local as much as possible). Coffee dates with friends is ALWAYS an option! What are some of your favorite things?
This little guy will be celebrating his GOLDEN birthday in July. Where has the time gone? I remember moving to Wenatchee on Thanksgiving Day 2009, one day before the pass closed due to too much snow. Thank you JESUS! I was 7 1/2 weeks pregnant with Buddy. And now my little Firecracker is going to be 4! His first and second birthdays were quickly thrown together because my job at the time had taken me away for 3 weeks to help the Catastrophe team crank through estimates and settle claims. Buddy's third birthday was simple and intimate with family and a couple of friends. Now that I have a bit more time to plan, as I'm not getting deployed for 3 weeks, I can get this all worked out without feeling rushed. It's definitely not going to be flashy. It might be somewhat Pinterest inspired, but it's going to be simple. Our little guy wants a "bad guy" party; AKA The Avengers.
M and I discussed the location and now I have to verify that My Gym will be available. I found, thanks to Swagbucks Shop & Earn, Birthday in a Box. And right now, what I want is 50% off! Wahoo!! So I'll be able to get masks and paper goods and it won't break the bank. The last remaining planning will be his cake and favors. Bada bing! Bada boom! Simple. **Just chatted with my friend, D., and now the cake planning is done! Thanks D!** Geez, when did planning a child's birthday, or any party for that matter, become so stressful? I'm choosing to do this. He did ask for the Avengers party and I want to give him that, but it doesn't need to be a horse and pony show. <<I'm getting flashbacks of Jada's 4th birthday...Overwhelmed.>> I need to be okay with the fact that "I'm not a Pinterest mom." He's 4. And all he wants is cake, ice cream, and presents. He doesn't care what it all looks like or what the latest fad is; he just wants those three things and family and some friends...if that. I'm not going to stress out about it. We will be celebrating our Buddy boy in just a few weeks and I want to enjoy those upcoming weeks. I want to enjoy watching him grow just a little bit bigger rather than being worried about if my party favors are the coolest or I have some sort of chalk-inspired label. And frankly, it's just NOT me. I'll leave the elaborate functions to the creative party planning people. Our son's party is going to be just fine. I'm still trying to figure that out. I haven't posted since March (with the exclusion of yesterday) and even then, those posts were crap. They had absolutely no meaning to them. Sure, they were about stuff that I like, but they weren't about who I am or the experiences of my family. I took this break in writing because I lost myself. I sunk into a pit. I let the Enemy grab a hold of me and I became negative. I became angry. I allowed words to hurt me. I took offense. I felt that those I let into my life were taunting me. "Nothing hurts more than a wound from a 'friend.'" It is not an enemy who taunts me-- With all the negativity, I made myself a victim. My Man walked with me and felt my hurt and the pain of my heart, but he also didn't side with me. What a brave man! Even though I didn't want to hear his words, because I wanted to be justified in my attitude, I listened. I was mad, for sure, but I took his words to heart. I WAS OVERREACTING! But now there is that awkwardness of not knowing what to do next. This is an area of weakness that I like to skip over and answer with "C" because "when in doubt, choose C." I'm working on it. I'm not quite there. I'm nowhere near there. Where is there? I think there is being able to confront the issue(s). Some people like confrontation. I'm not one of them. Though in my dreams, I confront like a mad woman! I'm crazy confrontational in my dreams, but not in a good way. So have I been in the Word? Have I been praying? These are the questions I ask myself when I've got nothing left. Yes and no. I've been catching myself going through the motions...again for the billionth time. I was having some really intimate moments with God. Some real connection moments, and then I let myself get in the way. My actions have said, "I don't need You. I got this," but my heart and spirit have been saying otherwise. Being intentional has had its moments. I see my reminder every day, screaming at me to BE INTENTIONAL. I'm not always intentional in what I do, but I try. If I mess up, I try again. I mess up every day. Sometimes twice on Tuesday. But what I LOVE about my mistakes, my imperfections is that I receive underserved GRACE. EVERY. DAY. I AM LOVED. "I LOVE YOU." The magnitude of letting those three words sink in is overwhelming. When I feel that others are against me, I need to listen for these words. Those three little words are loaded like a baked potato with all their vegan cheesy goodness smothered with Tofutti sour cream. << YUM! Seriously, you should try it!>> They hold so much power behind them. To hear and feel the words of my Father in the core of my soul brings about a peace, a sense of hope that brings me to my knees. This is what I have been about in the past few months. This has been my struggle. This is what it's all about.
Dear Mama, Today would've been your 48th birthday. I can't believe it has been 22 years since you've been gone. 22 years. All of us kids have made it past 26 years old. It's crazy to look at the numbers and see just how much you've missed. We're all doing great. M is in Texas serving our country. B is a department manager at Home Depot in California. And R is also serving in the military in Massachusetts. He just came back from Afghanistan. You have three grandchildren who are all growing up so fast. Bean will be six in October, Buddy will be four in July, and little C is one. How I wish you could've met them all and those to come. I haven't looked at this picture recently, but the memories of that moment are engraved on my heart. I'm glad you were "there" and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Grandma was unsure about it because of what others may have thought. No disrespect to her, but I didn't care. I wanted you there. I needed you there. I have many of your qualities, but not because you were around since you weren't able to be there due to your military service, but because we were raised by the same parents. Sure they're crazy. Whose parents aren't? My kids think I'm crazy and we haven't even hit the teen years yet. I wouldn't trade those qualities for anything because it connects me to you. Before we moved to Colorado, I found some of your things when you were deployed. It wasn't easy going through them. I touched each page knowing that you once held them in your hands. I breathed them in. To see and hold the letters I sent to you among your personal affects neatly put together with love was heartbreaking, but I also got a little glimpse into who you were. You were strong and you did the best that you could under the circumstances. I get why you did what you did, but it doesn't make it any easier. I miss you, Mama. Happy Birthday! |
About MeHi! I'm Kate. Thanks for joining me here. I'm wife to my Man, Mark and mama to my 4 kids. I'm a foster, soon-to-be adoptive mom to our 2 oldest. I love my family, God and Young Living essential oils.
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