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!

14 things I'm gonna change in 2014

With the new year rapidly approaching, I have started thinking about things that I would like to change in my personal and professional life. So I have compiled a list of 14 things I want to change about my life in 2014.

• Seeing the good. Since I made my last "resolutions", I have found I need to revisit the idea of "things ALWAYS could be worse". I feel that this outlook on life is working for me, but still a little bit of hurt sinks in every once in a while.  I need to keep an optimistic point of view and trust in God to just let the amazing happen. 
• My extra load (weight). I definitely don't need that! Just because I am married and have kids does not mean that I need to get lazy! I've made a few major changes and my progress is showing, but I need to stay focused. 
• Drama. I can always ditch the people who bring drama into my life. But someone always sneaks in an attack. While I understand that drama brings a little entertainment to some peoples lives. I realize I don't need nor want it in mine, it really is unnecessary. 
• No junk food! maybe less coffee and soda too...
• Clutter!!! I don't like or need it!
• Negativity.  I do not need people who are negative in my life, whatsoever. Negativity is infectious... It is way too easy to spread. It already takes a ton of effort to try and be optimistic! I definitely do not need someone hanging around me that makes that outlook even harder!
• Debt. We don't have much, but I don't want any!
• Over-committing. I have my hands dipped in too much. I need to start saying "NO!".
• More crafting. I guess everyone goes through changes... but I miss crafting. I just need to find the motivation and inspiration. 
• Speaking of inspiration. I need to purge my bookmarks. I HAVE TONS. 
• Procrastination. Let's just say that...I don't do it often, but when I do, my days seem to get all messed up lol
• Praying. I need to spend more time with God. I have the tendency of trying to do things on my time instead of relying on God's time. With lots of prayer and grace, I will soon be on the right track ;)
• Less time on social media!!! No explanation needed.
• Time with my husband. I love that man of mine dearly. I want to spend as much time with him as I quite possibly can.

We can all use a little makeover in our lives. What things would you like to change? How will you go about eliminating or adding them into your life? Remember you're never alone in your walk, you just gotta find the right people to walk with you :)

Dating my husband

I have had several talks with my friends about date nights with their husbands and spending "alone" time together. 

Much to my surprise (or not) there is one theme that seems consistent. It's how busy our lives are. It's no wonder...with jobs, kids, soccer games, girl scouts, volunteering, and other activities that chip away at our time, that it's hard for parents to find time for each other. 

But it is very important! 

Remember when you were dating your husband, before you got married, and you promised each other that kids, life, and work, and being tired would NEVER get in the way of the two of you dating? Remember those conversations? I do. And even though we try really hard to hold true to those promises, life does happen and fitting a date in can be complicated and sometimes so much work, that it doesn't even seem worth it.

My husbands work schedule is inconsistent. We don't know from one day to the next if he'll be home. He can leave for days to weeks at a time. I volunteer quite a bit of my time and stay busy with our kids and thier activities. To some this may not seem like a recipe for success, and there are some nights when I am dealing with bed time and clean up that I wish I had a second pair of hands to help. But what we lack in time, we make up for with love and commitment. 

Marriage is the foundation for all families. Together, you and your husband are partners in writing your family story. Once the honeymoon is over and children become part of our relationship, we need to be much more intentional about making time for our spouses. We are both committed to giving each child our personal attention through various family activities, cuddles, story time, kid dates, and just plain fun.

We are committed to each other and to making the other a priority. This is so important because our children need to see love and respect between their parents. It helps create that model for how their future relationships should be.

Here are some of our tips on dating your spouse: 

• Remember love is an action verb. It is not something that just happens. It is something you actively do. Once you stop doing it, it can go away. Love unconditionally! 
• Have "privacy". When you have jokes, traditions, places, songs, and experiences that are just YOURS together, it makes every day more fun. 
• Don't get hung up on spontaneity. Before we had kids, dating was spontaneous and wild. I think every couple goes through a bit of a mourning process when you realize that you have to schedule and plan in advance for time alone. Don't fight it, embrace it. Don't be afraid to schedule time for a date or even something a bit more sexy.
• Don't let go of spontaneity. Even though we heavily rely on our calenders, it's always nice when we get to sneak off in a corner or closet for a quick make out, or the kitchen for a dance. It kind of reminds me of when we were kids hiding from our parents. Only now we are parents hiding from our kids. We always get caught, but it's fun while it lasts ;)
• Look hot! Fix yourself up. Put on a cute outfit, perfume, and style your hair. You did it before, do it now.
• You don't need to spend money to have fun! Save money by cooking together and having a date night in the backyard. Set up the ambiance at your patio table. Light some candles, and enjoy some quality time.
• Go out! It has been said that couples who spend quality time together have healthier relationships. Go on a walk at sunset. Hold hands, talk about your day, just enjoy each others company.
• Ask questions. In our busy lives with children, work, and a million other tasks. We often forget to ask our spouses how they are doing. Set aside time to chat. Ask about how they're feeling, what their excited about, what is overwhelming them, and how you could help.
• Let him plan the date. Don't make it a chore or pressure him. Just tell him you're excited for a date night and would love for him to plan it. And stay open minded, just the idea of him planning anything should give you butterflies.
• Don't talk about "family things" the whole time. Indulge in each other. Talk about your vacation plans, how you wanna redo your bedroom, your next date, and even "private" plans for later. 

Our dates should be fun, relaxed, and carefree. Not heavy laden with everyday worries and stresses. There should be fun, laughter, and holding hands.

I have heard it said a gazillion times that the best gift you can give your children is a strong marriage, and I could not agree more! Investing in time alone with your husband is an investment in your whole family!

And it starts....again.....

Today marks the 1 month countdown until the day my last baby celebrates another birthday. I still can't believe he will be 4! Then exactly 1 month and 3 days after his birthday comes the birthday of our little Princess, who will be 6. Seriously, where does the time go?

When I look at my life, it’s divided into two clear sections: before kids and after. The day our Princess was born, my life began. I almost can’t remember what my world was like before that day. From that point on, everything had changed; I had a purpose. It was completely and utterly clear that I was put on this planet to be a mother to this child. Then, 23 months later, that feeling intensified as we welcomed our second bundle of joy into the world.

For the past almost 6 years, I've immersed myself into these children. Oh, the things we love to do: we go to the park, do arts and crafts, go digging for bugs, make forts—you know, all that cute little-kid stuff. But now, those things are slowly no longer appealing to them—rightly so. But they still appeal to me. Doesn't that count for anything?

I long for those baby days. I miss those days. Yeah, it was hard and I struggled to keep it all together. But I also loved it with every fiber of my being.

So I find myself at times  crying over toys that my children no longer desire. Every time I get like this—I try to remind myself of the beauty that is my children growing up. I think of all the things that are cool about their not being babies anymore. Truth be told, we do have a lot more fun as a family these days. We can take in a movie that does not include cartoon characters, go out to eat without a fuss, amusement parks, fishing, museums, hiking, and so much more..... oh how I enjoy watching my kids enjoy themselves.

I love who my children are today. I love seeing their little personalities develop and grow—yet I yearn for the past. But I have recently begun to ask myself: If I were go to back in time to hang out with them as toddlers, would I miss the older children they are becoming today? 

Yes… I would probably miss it all very much. The fact is—and what I need to continue to remind myself with each little meltdown—that each age and stage brings something new and exciting. The hard part, however, is saying goodbye to the stage before—to the little pieces of innocence that keep chipping away.

But even given that fact, I still miss the days when they were real little and completely dependent on me. And I wonder what will become of me when they no longer need me.

I miss the adorable little people who used to place me at the center of their world. But I am so proud of the little people they’re becoming. I must force myself to see the beauty in that.

I belong to a group, one people like to write about.....

So I’ve been reading up on the latest books out there regarding being married to the military and how to cope with our lives in this environment. All I can say is WOW! There are a few pretty good books out there! Most, if not all are just very vague, simply stating ‘military’ or 'soldier' and from their point of view being in just their husbands MOS but still vague and sometimes inaccurate pertaining to the masses. If you or someone you know isn't aware please inform them that our guys are Marines and NOT soldiers! Depending on how "moto" your Marine is he may rudely correct the unsuspecting individual of how strongly these men feel about going through the toughest boot camp around and a part of the "Few and the Proud". Marines may be the smallest force, but have been a part of every major war requiring the strongest punch in the face and show of force for the United States or our allies.

One of the lady authors referred to the traditions and abbreviations our husbands use on a daily basis as ‘really stupid acronyms and jargon’.

I get utterly flabbergasted and kind of ticked off to read these books! Thank goodness most are for informational purposes only. 

My hope and prayer is to put out more clearly defined information which helps everyone that has anything to do with the Marine Corps a better understanding of why our lives are the way they are. As the Marine Corps have proved time and time again, this organization is unique and is set apart from all the rest. So our traditions, views, organizations and ways of life are just as different. We are proud, patriotic, close knit and take care of our own at all costs. I’m off to go and do some more research!

Take a LINKS class! You'll get a lot of info that way. If you like the gossip, well just keep that to yourself ;P