She's got it all together...she's Super Mom! Or is she?

I recently had a few different conversations with some of my friends. While all of them are so amazing to me! They shared a common thought. For some reason they all seem to think that I have it "all together". While I appreciate the sentiment, I can't help but think they might have had too much wine lol OR....really don't know me at all.
I know the areas in my life that I excel, none of them being "perfect".  I am a pretty good cook. I plan awesome weekends with my family.  I volunteer. I am the gatherer of people. I can make you laugh. I'm a great friend. And the list could go on.....but let me tell you something about myself.....I'M A HOT MESS!

What you might not know about me is:

• I do laundry weekly, but it doesn't get put away until I need the laundry basket for the next weeks laundry.
• I don't actually put my clothes away...they sit on my dresser. In a nice flat pile...organization is key right?
• I swear
• I hide snacks for myself
• I put myself together, then when my day is done (that is when I am done running around), I put my "fat pants" on and watch T.V. 
• I workout, but I hate running and will never do a marathon
• The only yoga my pants see is the kind where I look like one of those blow up dancing things you see at car dealerships (it's not cute, it's crazy)
•  I'm not a size 4
•  I don't have a "to die for" wardrobe
• My house isn't always as clean as it looks
• I hate negativity
• My schedule is as crazy as I am
• I have a love hate relationship with Pinterest
• I let my kids eat fast food
• I probably let my kids eat too much pizza and french fries
• I can't sew (I can fix a hole, that's about it)
• I wish I had more alone time with my husband
• I wake up at 730 not "o'dark thirty"

And this list too can go on and on.................

I have friends who worry that they are the only ones who aren't a Super Mom.

No one is a Super Mom!

Not me, not you, not her, not anyone.

I don't believe that Super Moms exists. I believe being a Super Mom is learning to accept that we are imperfect. I make mistakes, and I own them. I want my image of the Super Mom to be that of a Mom who ignores dishes to play with her kids, who accepts her own flaws and still tries to be the best wife and Mom she can be.

Wife Life....and how to deal with the "Marine Wife" title

I hear a lot of uncertainty from people regarding the mysteries of military life, whether fresh in, fresh out, PCSing, or just curious about what it's like. It's different for everyone, but over all, I say there are far more positives than negatives!

My best advice is to meet people, put yourself in positions to have to talk to people you normally wouldn't, ask questions but listen more than you speak, remain respectful, don't ever slander someone or something or  assume you don't know what you're talking about (because you probably don't), and honor everyone in uniform, regardless of rank or status. Be courteous, be gentle, be good, be honest. Don't say "yes sir" to a question if you don't understand it. Communication flies at lightning speed with the language of acronyms, and when you don't know what something is, ask. Better yet, make friends with women who are willing to teach you the ropes instead of asking your husband's command (if your husband isn't around) your questions. They don't have time, and they don't care. Your responsibility is to prove that you can stand strong whether or not you have someone spoon-feeding you. That's what the men and women who serve are expected to do. As a wife, that's now your job, too. Don't be a ditz. Don't mistake a person's kindness for weakness. Be real and be to the point. Books are probably great to read. I commend myself for getting off my butt and learning without being prideful, and saw that I wasn't a wife wanting to sit home and watch talk shows all day and paint my nails. I wanted to get down and dirty and serve with the rest of 'em. Make a routine. Stick to it. Give yourself your own personal goals to meet every time your husband is away training or deployed. When he's home, put him first. When he's away, continue to put him first in whatever ways you can. Distance offers key opportunities (just as close proximity does) to express your adoration toward not only him as a Warrior but as the husband of your dreams and the number one Daddy. Devote your time to making sure he's appreciated by taking care of your duties: Upkeep of wherever you live, physical/mental/spiritual care for yourself and your children if you have any, social functions - so that your friendships don't fall apart while he's "gone", and keeping family and loved ones informed of whatever you can inform them of. Understand I would never dream of violating OPSEC, and it must always be in your mind, as well. The security of our defense system rides quite a bit more on your professionalism as a Corps Wife than you might think. It's a lot to think about, but as much of a responsibility it is (which some women relish in), it is fun. Spend time learning, and use your knowledge wisely. Anchor yourself in truth and relish in the fact that you are part of the most elite branch of the military, supporting those on the front lines: The President's Own. Yes, it's up for debate, but I do believe the Marines as a whole train harder than the other US defense forces combined. I've heard that from Army soldiers and Navy Corpsmen as well. It is totally foolish and time-wasting to dispute "Which branch is the best" though,  regardless of my opinions and some opinions of others....so I'll leave you with this:

“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't.” -Steve Maraboli

Mean Girls!

Recently I ran into my first Mother/Daughter experience of "Mean Girls". 

Uggggg!  This may be my top worry.  I’ve been here.  I think every woman alive can associate with being both a mean girl and having experienced a mean girl.  I have certainly been both.  I don’t know why it happens, but it seems to be happening earlier and earlier.  I thought mean girls started in middle school but I've seen that it actually can happen with six-year-olds. I think it is very immature for "Mommy" disagreements to rub off on the kids. I would never tell my daughter that she couldn't be friends with another little girl just because her Mother and I didn't see eye to eye. And while I tried to "sugar coat" the incident to my precious little angel. I just had to be honest and tell her that this is just how it is sometimes. A best friend suddenly doesn’t like you anymore.  You’re ostracized from the school lunch table with no warning. 

 A group of girls deems you unworthy.  I hate that this is coming.  I just want to wrap my arms around my sweet girl and tell her she will always be loved, she will always be beautiful no matter what anyone else says. No matter the situation my daughter finds herself in, I want her to be comfortable enough in her own skin to stand up for what she believes in.  I want her to feel ok being the odd ball out (that’s a tall order, I know!)  I definitely caved to the pressure on a few occasions and know she will too.  But I want her to know that most of her friends will be just as uncomfortable as she is..no matter the situation.  And sometimes, it just takes one person to say “no thank you” to give the rest of the crowd permission to say the same.  I hope I raise that child.  If not, that’s ok too. She’ll live and learn, but I hope that I can give her that confidence in herself. I wish what I said was all that mattered, but we are quickly coming upon the days when that won’t be true.  I want her to stay sweet, to be friendly to everyone.  I’m being unrealistic I know, but one can hope she becomes.......

Dear.....

Dear Self, remember this blog? Why have you neglected me?  Honestly the answer to that is since the first week of January my husband has been taking my laptop to Career Course with him, and well writing a blog on a tablet or phone just isn't that easy. I have tons of things I want to write about, but the last few weeks have been super busy for me. I promise I won't neglect you this long again.  

Dear Facebook, "you are the root of all evil," as some might say. But this week I have to agree with them. Watching friend's/family - or old friends who have become strangers - lives unfold on a computer screen is odd and unnatural. I'll keep my page, but from now on I'll do less viewing, or scrolling... at least I'll try. You're like a drug. GO AWAY! 

Dear Volunteer Self, you've tested my patience once again this week, and pushed me to crack open a bottle of wine. Which if I am being totally honest, would have happened either way. But you escalated it! I'll just say I'm glad I truly enjoy the women I work with. They make everything worth it in the end. 

Dear Marine Corps, THANK YOU for providing my husband a steady paycheck. But can I have him back now?  This course has been kicking him in the rear. 

Dear Husband, I apologize for being so moody this week. I guess you could say I am a little overzealous at times. I love you. Can't wait for date night! 

Dear Bipolar Virginia Weather, you and I have a love hate relationship. I love that I can style my hair without it looking like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket....but a little consistency would be nice. 

A little art from the heart

For as long as I can remember, I have been profoundly enchanted with tattoos. I always have wanted to get a back tattoo. Not like the little "tramp stamp" of 2 dolphins I already have. But like an entire piece of of carefully thought out and meaningful art on my back. I constantly get inspiration from and for them: case-in-point, during a recent conversation with a friend about the thought process that goes into getting a tattoo, I started thinking about the similarities between getting inked and blogging:

It Takes Commitment

People (should) get a tattoo with the intention of it being a permanent addition in their life. Although there’s no “no going back now” pressure with a blog, it still takes commitment and dedication to make it worth the while for both you and your readers. You shouldn't get a tattoo you won’t still love at age 60, and you really shouldn't blog if you don’t see yourself keeping up with it.

Put Some Thought Into It

It’s just as easy to tell which tattoos were picked out off of a flash wall as it is which bloggers don’t have a passion for what they’re writing about. Your blog and its subsequent posts should mean something to you the way a sentimental tattoo has meaning to the wearer. Otherwise, your blog will become the equivalent of a middle-aged housewife with Winnie the Pooh on her ankle (I’m looking at you, Kate Gosselin).

Expect and Encourage Engagement

Part of the territory that comes with getting any sort of visible tattoo is that you have to expect and I’d say enjoy having people approach you and start conversations with you about them. Think of your blog as a highly-visible, thought-provoking tattoo: it should encourage engagement and interaction from others and spark a two-way conversation.

So, just as carefully as I write my blogs, I have been very careful in my thought process for my tattoo. I have FINALLY come up with an idea and picture of what I want it to look like. All the "artsiness" of it has meaning and it was been thought about over and over. It took me 2 years to get up the courage to start a blog. Well this tattoo has been a lifetime in the making (and 3 years of planning). I can't wait to find an artist who sees my vision and can portray this wonderful life of mine on my back. 

Giving them a choice? Nothing wrong with that!

I have been asked on several occasions when and where my children were baptized. To my surprise the response I get when I say that they are not, is one to get a persons nerves roweled up. "How do you raise your kids that way?", "How do you expect them to have a relationship with the Lord?", "Well don't you pray and go to church?", "That's wrong, they should be baptized!" 

(Disclaimer: Not all responses are negative, but 95% of the time people are a bit confused)

Since when does a child being baptized define their relationship or belief in the Lord?

 Today many churches sprinkle infants on the head and call it baptism. This is not the baptism of the bible! When the bible speaks of baptism, it tells us of adult men and women who make a deliberate choice. They want to obey the Lord Jesus and be baptized.  

Before Matt and I were married and had children, we made a commitment to each other to strengthen our bond with the Lord. With that, came the decision to include our children in our walk. What kind of parents would we be to practice such a life and not share all the wonderfulness the Lord brings to our life with our kids? We made the decision to have our kids dedicated rather than baptized for one simple reason-that reason being that our children's relationship with the Lord  is something sacred and should be for them to decide. In dedicating our children we promised to teach, acknowledge, and honor God in our children's lives. We cannot tell them who to believe in, how to practice that belief, or even whether it is right or wrong. Our job as parents is to guide and teach our children what we feel is right. And what is right in our mind may not be right in theirs (when they are old enough to decide that), and that is fine.  We want our children to make that decision when they feel they are ready. 

We want them to feel excited about their decision to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

I understand what we believe is not the same for everyone.

I do believe that as long as our children grow up in home filled with love for Jesus Christ that the chances are they will follow down the path that was planned for them all along. 

A little change is good...right?

As some of you may know, I have decided to venture into "home based business"-hood. 

I will be a Thirty-One consultant. 

With this decision came another, to change the title of my blog from "I do a lot of things, none of which generate an income" to "2183 life...with a sprinkle of EVERYTHING". The numbers represent Matt and I. Our jersey numbers in high school sports were 21 and 83. And the sprinkles represent everything else, kinda like the icing on the cake. You can't have one without the other and I wouldn't be complete without my other half. 

I wanna say a special thank you to all my family and friends who have supported me in my adulthood journey. I've had some ups and downs, but I have truly found my calling. With a lot of faith, grace, prayer, and undying love...I have truly learned to enjoy the little things in life. 

I am excited for my adventure and the new year. The sky is the limit and I am reaching for the stars!