A Barefoot Life

Little Blessings (Pt. 26)

March 6, 2012 by Mel · Leave a Comment

Um…vacation time?! YaHOO!!!!!!!!!

Amazing friends who love our daughter and are willing to take her for us while we’re gone.

Flu shots that work.

Sunshine and sweater weather.

Unconditional doggy-love.

amoxil cheap

My sweet daughter and memorable moments involving door-closing, couch-jumping, and plunger-stealing. I so love her.

Surfing! I. Can’t. Wait.

A quick morning coffee and chat with my dear friend.

Free wi-fi so I can still (somewhat) update the blog while we’re gone.

Adventures with my best friend.

Filed Under: adventures, blessings, friends, just life, Maelie, Tobin, travel

The Caffeine is Flowing…

March 5, 2012 by Mel · 4 Comments

It’s Monday morning, and my humongo mug is full of caffeinated brew.

So. Good.

I am packed…as packed as I can be until tomorrow when I throw the last few bits into my suitcase, zip it up…and that’s that. Maelie is packed, too…though I am sure we’ve forgotten a thing or two. It’ll be ok, though.

I clearly have learned a few things from the multiple trips for which I have packed in five minutes.

Paperwork is done for the girl. While we don’t want to think of anything happening (to her OR us) while we’re gone, we have to be prepared. Just in case. Ugh…kinda makes my stomach twist. Thankfully, we have been blessed, over-and-above-times-a-million, with amazing friends who love our daughter and have our complete trust.

She’s gonna have a good time.

And so are we.

So I haven’t really talked about the trip much ~~’cause I didn’t want to make you all jealous~~ ’cause I haven’t taken much time to actually think about it.

We leave O’Hare tomorrow afternoon and fly into Malaga, Spain, where we’ll take the bus to Marbella, a coastal city about 45 minutes from the airport. I chose it because it’s on the coast and decently near ports to travel to Morocco. When we did a little research, we discovered that Marbella seems to be how we travel.

Beach. Coffee. Surfing. Sun. Making friends. More beach. Definitely more coffee.

And I really can’t wait to surf again. I hope I don’t kill myself. 😉

We’ll check out Marbella on Thursday and then take the ferry to Tangier, Morocco Friday-Saturday. This is my dream. I have always wanted to go to Morocco. I don’t know why…except other cultures fascinate me, and I have a few friends who have been there and loved it. Enough for me. And a big thank you to my hubby for obliging. I know Morocco doesn’t excite him nearly as much.

And we are both definitely looking forward to the food there.

We’ll hop back to Marbella Saturday night and stay til Tuesday morning, when we fly here for a quick 22 hours and 50 minutes. 😉 We hadn’t planned on it originally, but the stopover was free and the opportunity to kiss under the Eiffel Tower was too much to pass up.

Oh, and a random confession…I kinda hope it rains a little while we’re there.

Kissing under the Eiffel Tower in the rain?

Right out of a movie.

2006 case september zyprexa

(Hey, I can hope.) 😉

We’re so thankful for frequent flier miles so we can do this…it seems like a dream.

So, trip aside, it’s been a wonderful Monday for other reasons.

Going to bed early and getting good sleep…even if I woke up at 5:45 a.m. and wanted tea. So I made some and drank it. 😉

Two wonderful chats with friends from Indonesia.

AMAZING news about a former student accepting Christ!

Encouraging words from a friend.

A couple good ideas passed on from a friend about books to read on our trip.

Workout tonight…I’m gonna need it after my calorie binge this weekend!

Today Mae and I are just home…finishing up a few little things, hanging together, and just enjoying being mommy and daughter. She is full of sunshine and love…and she blesses my heart every single day.

I’m going to miss her so much while we’re gone.

But I also believe with everything in me that Maelie needs a mommy and daddy who invest in each other, too…and this trip is giving us time to do just that.

So I’m gonna spend my day enjoying the most precious little girl…cry a little when we say goodbye to her tomorrrow…and enjoy every single moment.

Well, my mongo coffee mug…the one I refilled once already…is just about empty. 😉

And I should get back to my girl…Elmo is almost over.

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, coffee, encouragement, friends, just life, Maelie, marriage, travel, uncategorized, where I am

Life Two Days Before a Trip…

March 4, 2012 by Mel · Leave a Comment

At least I’m not waiting ‘ til the last minute.

Kein rezept Generic Prograf online

Filed Under: just life, travel

Mel’s Rules for Moving to Illinois

March 3, 2012 by Mel · Leave a Comment

I came across this today as I was sorting through old documents.

According to the last time I updated it, it was written two days after we moved here, on July 30, 2010. I suspect I was feeling lonely, Maelie was napping, and I needed something to do since we had no internet.

I smiled as I read through it…felt a little guilty, but mostly happy.

The way God provides is amazing…and reading this made me so very thankful for the blessings He’s given.

Oh, and I added my commentary ’cause I knew you’d want my reflections. 😉

Mel’s Rules for Moving to Illinois

1. Spend money on the bedroom. It is the place Tobin and I connect and share our most intimate moments. It is worth every single penny. Ok, ok so this one took quite awhile. But we did eventually follow through.

2. It is not wrong to have a most amazing kitchen, especially if it was already that way when we moved in…so don’t feel guilty about it. Success…I feel zero guilt and mostly love for my kitchen. Especially since there are no cockroaches hiding in the silverware drawer.

3. Take walks every day and meet my neighbors. (Plus I have that annoying baby weight I need to get rid of anyway…) We did take a lot of walks but that wasn’t really how we met our neighbors…they mostly came to say hi if we were outside. And the baby weight? Well, it took a lot more than walking! 😉

4. Don’t hide behind a closed door and wish for what I can’t have anymore. Thankfully this only happened for a few weeks before I was rescued by an incredible friend. I learned that, having an infant, it was very easy to hide but that I didn’t want to. And once I had a way to not hide, it was pretty easy to open the door.

5. Allow myself a Starbucks or Caribou once a week. Take Maelie and go, looking for someone to talk to. Don’t wait for someone else to initiate the conversation. I’ve definitely made a few friends in coffee shops…and I’ve probably allowed myself more than one coffee a week, too! I maintain that a coffee shop is a great place to find friends.

6. Make finding a good church a priority. Don’t sleep in on Sundays and “wait til next week”. (I laugh because there was no such thing as sleeping in ever with Maelie. I’m thankful that, after trying out a few places, God provided the best place for us. We love our church. :))

7. Post pictures of life for friends back in my other “homes”. I’m not a big picture-poster, but I do a decent job through the blog, I think. I’m still not great at keeping in touch, but if someone writes me, I will almost always respond.

8. Update my status on Facebook more often. Epic. Fail. However, I am not a person who wants the world to know what I ate for breakfast or who I’m currently annoyed with. I update it when there’s something to share.

9. Find a mom’s group, preferably one that meets at parks so the kids can play. Sunshine is good…especially when I haven’t seen it for several weeks.

prograf

LOVE. My mom’s group kinda found me…and I’m forever grateful. Bonus…it’s a mom’s Bible study, which I needed and wanted and was scared to hope for. AND they meet at parks in the summer. I love how God gives us desires we’re scared to admit we have.

10. Crying is ok…for a little while. But part of moving on is accepting that things have changed. I did cry for awhile…and the day I decided to like it here was the day I wasn’t sad anymore. I decided that change can bring some of the biggest blessings God has for us, if we’re willing to accept it.

11. True friends will always be there, whether I live down the block or across the world. Don’t be afraid to make some new ones—the old ones aren’t going anywhere. Enough said.

12. Give myself some grace in this time of transition. Stop expecting perfection from myself and others. I don’t know how I did on this one…but I know I’m thankful for the people who love me despite my imperfections.

God is GOOD.

Filed Under: adventures, blessings, culture shock, encouragement, friends, just life, remembering, what I'm learning, where I am

Love Me Some Dr. Seuss…

March 2, 2012 by Mel · Leave a Comment

So I didn’t splash my love for Theodore Geisel all over creation today…there was plenty of Dr. Seuss love goin’ on in the Facebook realm.

But I do love the guy…or at least the masterful literary works he created for our enjoyment.

A few of my favorites…along with a few memories attached to them…in no particular order. 😉

The Lorax: And I’m not just saying this because the movie came out today…this one is right up there with my faves. In college, I used it in a lesson I taught to my peers…and that lesson came complete with making truffula trees. I smile. Good stuff. And I can still recite the whole book…

At the far end of town where the grickle grass grows,
And the wind smells slow and sour when it blows,
And no birds ever sing excepting old crows
Is the street of the lifted Lorax.
And deep in the grickle grass, some people say,
If you look deep enough you can still see today
Where the Lorax once stood just as long as he could
Before somebody lifted the Lorax away.

And I confess…that was typed by memory.

I. Rock. Oh, I do.

Fox in Socks: Goodness, I just like this one for the silly, tongue-tying sentences…my goal (still) is to get through it completely without messing up. I am close…but I still manage to mess up the Bim and Ben page…oy. Still a fun book.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas: This one? Is right up there, too. How I love this story! All year long, too. In fact, I think I read it to Mae last week.

cheaplipitoronline com cleocin

I was overjoyed at Christmas to find the actual, animated version on DVD for $4. We watched it several times. Aaahhh…

The Foot Book: I have a newer appreciation for this one…Maelie loves it. And it makes my heart happy to see her love Dr. Seuss…so I’ll say that this one is up there, too.

ABC: My Dr. Seuss list would not be complete without this book, another of which I have memorized every word. It thoroughly annoys me that the smaller board book is different (and shorter) from the regular version. So a real copy of this one is on my I-must-buy-for-Maelie list. A classic.

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?: I add this to the list because, again, my daughter adores this book. She makes all the sounds…and, well…I can make them, too. 😀 But that’s not the point. I love the memories that will be etched in my mind forever from her childhood, and this book is definitely one of those.

Along with the awesome books he wrote, Dr. Seuss left a lot of other wisdom.

One of my favorite quotes is one from him:

Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.

In the craziness that has been our life, this quote has been close to my heart. It’s gotten me through goodbyes and changes and heart hurts and times when life isn’t fair. And it reminds me that there’s always a reason to smile.

Thank you, Dr. Seuss, for SO MANY reasons to smile!

Filed Under: just life, Maelie, reading, where I am

Smoothie-Head, Temper Tantrums…and JOY

March 1, 2012 by Mel · Leave a Comment

It’s 10 p.m. and I just brewed a pot of coffee. (Well, half of one.)

True story.

Yeah, it’s been that kind of day.

The title alone should make you wonder.

And I just felt like having a real virtual coffee date with you all…because some stories are worthy of a cup of java to go along with them. This one is with mocha creamer, and I have to admit it’s not my favorite. Should there be another cup tonight, I’m thinking the Bailey’s Irish Cream we have in the fridge. Yeah. (Ok, I just totally realized that I made it sound like I was pouring alcohol into my coffee at 10 pm…it’s actual creamer. I promise. :))

Mae and I have had a crazy up, silly down week. Wonderful moments, frustrating times…and I truly am more in love with my daughter than ever after this week. I often question myself as a parent, but I know without a doubt that my daughter is the most precious gift.

But all of that aside…she still provided some good

a vogel menosan

stories today…and of course I will tell them to you.

This is a coffee date, after all. 😉

So to tell you that Mae has reached the “terrible two’s” is a completely accurate statement. She just can’t understand why something might not go her way. Hence…the temper tantrum. Multiple times a day. Some are worse than others, but each grates on my nerves just a bit more than the previous one.

Thursdays are typically an easy day. She spends her morning in the church nursery with Miss Lisa, who she loves, while I’m at Bible study. She’s free to play, socialize, and eat…a good combo for my people-girl. She sees a lot of people she loves…like Aunt Kris and Miss Alison and Miss Melanie and Miss Sue…all who make her day a little brighter.

Today, though, it seemed that NOTHING and NO ONE could cheer her up. After Bible study, I went in the nursery to chat a bit while she played, and she became completely unhinged. There was no reason to cry…she just threw herself at me and wept. No fever, nothing wrong that we could tell…

She was just grumpy.

(There was a bit of grace…we all have those days.)

I’d try to put on her coat or pack up her things…enter the screaming fit.

I was tired by the time we got in the van to go to the mall.

Lunch at the mall is always interesting…mostly because the McDonald’s closed. But I bought her some pretzel sticks, and for a moment, she was content.

I got myself a protein smoothie…trying to stay somewhat within the range of healthy. Not sure I succeeded…

Anyway.

She saw that cup of raspberry-banana glory, and it was all she wanted.

And please understand me…I’m fine with sharing. But she did not need to drink the whole thing herself, either.

For several minutes we went back and forth. Since she was pretty content with actually sharing, I let her put her hand on the cup.

BIG mistake. Huge.

I went to take it back, and she clenched her little hand around it, jerked it up, the lid popped off, and out poured the smoothie…

Right onto her head and down her nose.

I was mad and I laughed at the same time…not sure how I managed that one.

A few wipes later and all was (mostly) clean.

It did, however, earn her the nickname Smoothie-Head in our house. Hee hee.

After “lunch” it was off to the playground where there was some playing, more grumpy-ness, and the confirmation that it was time to go home for a

NAP.

So I plopped her in the van, took her home, gave her some milk…and put her down for a much-needed-for-both-of-us sleep.

And while she slept…I thought.

About how even though there were more than several frustrating moments in the day, I looked back at them with JOY.

Because not every day is going to be perfect.

But if I can smile after watching my $5 protein smoothie dribble down my daughter’s face…and after countless battles of the will…

I know it’s all going to be good.

My Maelie girl, we had a rough day. But I want you to know how much I love you, how much I value those memories, and how thankful I am…that you are here. Your hugs, your smiles, the memories we make together…are all so treasured.

YOU are a treasure.

And I love you. Sleep well, my baby girl. I can’t wait to see your smile in the morning.

Love,
Mama

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, friends, just life, where I am

We Heart Sunshine!

February 29, 2012 by Mel · Leave a Comment

Mid 50’s in (technically still) February? JOY! What a gorgeous day!

cancer liver xeloda

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, just life, Maelie

Mommy Thoughts

February 28, 2012 by Mel · 1 Comment

Lately I’ve been

and cefixime

fighting distraction.

Though I can be a little scattered, I tend to be focused on the important things in life throughout my day…especially on being a mommy.

The past few weeks, I feel like I’ve let distraction and worry interfere with my relationship with Maelie.

I’ve been tired and less motivated to play with her. I more easily give into her pleas for another “Melmo” episode or graham crackers in the middle of the day.

And while there haven’t been any really serious repercussions from this, there have definitely been more crabby moments (for both of us) and temper tantrums (not for both of us). 😉

I had a conversation last night with a friend and I mentioned that I felt as though I wasn’t being a very good mommy to my girl…and admitting that out loud made me really stop to consider…

How I don’t want to miss those moments I can’t get back. Like this one…goodness, she did her own hair! The only part I had in this was flying down the stairs like a crazy, superhero-ish chica to grab the camera before she took everything out. 😀

How my daughter is watching everything I do. And how, when she watches me, I want her to observe me being the best mommy possible.

That my attitudes and speech are all-too-easily mimicked by her…as evidenced by her repeating the word crap today. Yeah. And my first thought? Did I really say that? Yep, five seconds ago…

That I want to make good memories with my daughter…and not just remember the temper tantrums and less-than-wonderful moments. I want the nights when she snuggles up to me while I sing and the days we chase each other through the house “playing” hide and seek to outweigh those other things a million to one.

We are finishing up the Beth Moore Bible study, Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit in my Thursday morning study. It’s been excellent…and we’re on the very last one, self-control. I am seeing more and more, not just how important it is for me to have self control in my life…but it’s also important that I choose that control when it is so much easier to do or say something else.

Today was good.

Much better than the past weeks have been.

We giggled together and did some spinning. Read books and played with baby dolls. Went on an “adventure”. (aka: anything outside the house ;))

Tonight I had to leave before she went to bed to get a few things done. When I got home she was still awake, and so I went upstairs to see her. She reached out her arms with the biggest smile on her face, and I picked her up, held her close to me, and sang the song we sing every night…All Through the Night. She fell asleep in my arms, I kissed her, and put her back in her crib.

Those are the moments from this precious time that I want to remember.

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, Maelie, where I am