Bed Bugs and a Deteriorating Spine

I haven't wrote in a while and there's a reason for that. It's been a bad week.


Let me rephrase that. It's been one of the worst weeks I've ever had. Trust me, I've had a lot of them.


If I were to tell you everything that has happened in my life in the past two years, you would probably try to check me into a mental hospital. On really bad occasions, the thought has even crossed my mind.


But I'm not going to emotionally vomit on you  bore you with the story of my life (that sounds like a good name for a song... yes it's late. Hello my name is Lindsey and I'm corny)


I will however tell you about my week. It started off with me hurting my back. Bear was at a sleepover at Nana and Papa's house and when it came time for Bunkin to go to sleep in their room, he was terrified. He did not want to be by himself. So I layed/sat beside his bed until he fell asleep.


BIG MISTAKE
I could barely walk the next day.


That night we figured out why I had been getting bit ever since we moved into our town house clear back in October.
I thought I was crazy. I kept on waking up with bug bites on me. My husband and I share a bed (I know.. shocker right??) and he wasn't ever getting bitten. If you ask one of my brother-in-laws, he would tell you that I just have bugs. For some horribly odd reason, bugs love my blood. I am AWLAYS the one getting numerous bug bites whenever outside with a group of people. I must have the same blood type as my mom because she has the same problem.


Anyways, we had searched and searched and couldn't find any culprits for all of my annoying bites, until earlier this week when we found bed bugs. We didn't have them before we moved, so I'm assuming the tenant before us left us a lovely present....
So I started sleeping on the couch because I just couldn't fathom sleeping in the bed until the problem got taken care of. Which in turn made my back feel worse.


I finally went to the chiropractor on Thursday. By that point I was in excruciating pain and my entire left leg and foot was numb and tingling constantly. I was told that it was probably a slipped disc and to ice it and keep coming back for treatments.


When I went in Friday, the doctor sat me down to look over my X-Rays. It showed that the disc between my 3rd and 4th lumbar was in fact herniated and it was causing sciatica. The disc space between the two lumbars was only half the space it should be. He said that they would do their best to get it better.
I didn't think the news could get worse. It did. The disc between my 4th and 5th lumbar had completely deteriorated and my lumber's were actually touching. I was told that there was nothing that they could do for me, that the damage was already done.


I am 24 years old. They normally only see this in 50 to 60 year olds. To put it lightly, I was feeling rather devastated. Being healthy is important to me and to have someone say that part of your spine has already deteriorated is just mind blowing.


Why am I telling you all of this??
Two reasons really.

1. I can't just write fluff. I have a desire to write about REAL life. My life. I would be doing you and myself a great disservice if I decided to only write funny, frilly things.
2. I want to tell you what's going on in my life for prayer and to share what I'm clinging to. If there's one thing I've learned in my 24 years, it's that hardships develop character. What kind of character? That all depends on you.

I'm clinging to the fact that God is good and that he loves me. I don't always feel those things, but that's when I have to dig in even deeper and say


I know that God is good.
I know that God loves me.


Some days are hard. I've had days where I don't want to get out of bed. Days where I wonder what in the world God is doing. Days where I feel hopeless and alone. Days where I don't believe that things will ever get better. I've cried until my eyes were swollen shut. I've screamed at the top of my lungs at God. I've had to take antidepressants. I've had to get counseling.


And you know what?? It's okay. If you have ever done/needed those things, it's okay too.


Job went through way more than any of us, and God still found him blameless even though he questioned God and wanted to die. Why?? Because Job loved God and he knew that he knew that he knew that he knew that God loved him too. And he trusted God, no matter what.


So I don't know where you're at in life. Maybe everything is picnics and roses. But someday it may not be. I encourage you to dig deep into God. He is the only one who will never let you down. He never changes. You can trust in him.


Even though always trusting him can be hard, I know that's what I strive to do, and I pray that you will too.

Children Live Here

It's been a while. We've all had some bad colds around here so I've been busy concentrating on breathing, sleeping and surviving. Unfortunately writing has been low on the priority list.

Monday was the day before all of the colds hit full force. I felt like God showed me something that was beautiful.
I had just finished rocking Miss Boo to sleep and laying her in her crib, when I noticed the boys' room on the way out of my room. No other way to put it, it was a mess. We/they had spent a lot of the morning playing in their room and I hadn't enforced the clean up rule when they were done.

The clean up rule is something that I always strive to do, but to be honest, life happens. Someone starts crying, someone needs changed, the phone rings, I realize it's 12:30 and we haven't eaten lunch yet... something along those lines. Sound familiar at all??
I can't neglect the needs of my small children to clean up a room first, and I don't think I should lol.

Anyways, it was a mess. I sighed. I always try to get Bear and Bunkin down for quiet time right after Miss Boo falls asleep, and a room full of toys everywhere is not the best way to get them to stay in their beds. :)

And that's when I heard a whisper. It was one word.

Beautiful

God caught me right in the middle of my complaining spirit and gave me a reality check.
What I saw was yet another mess to clean up.
What he saw was a beautiful reminder of three little children that he loves even more than I can understand. For a moment I felt his love for them, and for me, and it was indescribable.

It was like he was saying, "Quit freaking out over the constant messes. They're kids!! I created them that way!! Enjoy them!! Your kids and their messes will soon be gone and I just want you to embrace it!"

So I took them upstairs to their room and let them play for a few minutes before we cleaned up a little. I wanted to capture the moment. And looking at it, it is quiet beautiful.

After that, I decided to look around my home to see other indications that children live here. I wanted to test myself with what my normal response might be, and what I felt God's response would be. Here are the pictures I took.

                                            Finger prints all over the front door

What I saw: Awe man!! I hate cleaning windows. I think it is literally impossible to keep windows clean while having little kids. Why should I even clean them? They'll be dirty by the end of the day anyways (wink)

What God saw: The reminder that two little boys were standing on a stool waiting for their Daddy to come home. :)

 

Crayola Crayon on the back door

 

 

What I saw: Another window to clean!!! Ahhhh!!! Why did I buy them these for Easter???

 

What God saw: Two little boys who had a blast (their Mommy had fun too)



 

 

 

 

The shelf by the front door

 

 

What I saw: The self is over taken by my kids. An overflowing crate of children's library books and an overstuffed diaper bag.

What God saw: The shelf is over taken by her kids!! (wink) Keep on reading to them, it is SOO important.

 

 

 

Miss Boo asleep in my room

 

 

What I saw: No privacy!!! 9 months of stubbing toes, whispering prayers goodnight, and having to be quiet in general ;)

 

What God saw: Look at that precious baby sleeping. I created her in your womb, and I know every hair (or lack their of) on her head. 



 

 

What I found in my bed

 

 

What I saw: Ok, I honestly laughed at this one. You never know what you'll find.

 

What God saw: Hey, she's laughing. I got her on one!!!

 

 

 

What I found on my bathroom counter

 

 

What I saw: This stuff is amazing!! It actually works and helps me to relax .

 

What God saw: She deserves this. Being a Mommy is one of the toughest jobs I created.

 

 

 

What evidence of children do you see when you look around your home?? What does God see??





How To Get Multiple Kids Down For A Nap :)

Ahhh nap time... so coveted by mothers, and yet so hated by children.

I'm not going to lie, some days I wouldn't survive without it. I love my children dearly, but more than once a week I am counting down the hours until naptime. Ok... some weeks it's everyday ;)

One thing I have learned is that if you try hard enough, the stars may align and you can get multiple children of different ages asleep at the same time.
Is it an easy feat?? Definitely not.
If you're lucky and it happens will you be dancing to "Celebrate" by Pitbull in your head?? Yes, yes you will ;) ( Surprised I know that song?... I Zumba and I love it )

So here are my tried and tested tips and advice on how I do it. Every mother every where deserves a nap time!!

NEVER Call It Nap Time
By the time your child reaches age three, the word nap becomes utterly offensive to them. This is when the term quiet time will be your best friend. Reassuring your child that it is in fact quiet time and they only have to lay there and be quiet gives them a feeling of control. By age three, kids don't always need to nap, but they still need some down time. I've found that at least half of the time, Bear will fall asleep. If he doesn't, he's at least quiet for a while.

Let Your Youngest Determine When Nap Time Is
It's good to try to get your kids asleep around the same time every day, but if you have a baby, they are somewhat running the show :) If your baby is very young and sleeping all the time, get your older ones in quiet time first. Then nurse/give the baby a bottle till they fall asleep. Hopefully by that time your older ones will be asleep and you have your baby's whole next small nap to sleep.
If your baby is older and takes one to two longer naps a day, put him/her to sleep first. I rock Miss Boo while Bear and Bunkin are watching a show. Then after she's fast asleep in her crib I put the boys down. You won't have to worry about the baby taking a quick nap and you missing it like when they're little.

Where To Brush Their Teeth
If you brush your kid's teeth before naptime, make sure you brush them no where near the babies room. You're one melt down away from waking the baby up and having to start all over again. We have tooth brushes in both bathrooms just for this. If you have to, brush their teeth in the kitchen sink. Lol

Know Where All Lovies Are
DO NOT start the process of nap time without knowing where all of your kid's beloved sleeping items are. Bunkin is extremely attached to his monkey stuffed animal, Mr. Grouper (from Bubble Guppies) stuffed animal, and a taggie blanket. He will not go to sleep with out them. Bear likes to have his puppy dog stuffed animal, but it isn't as mandatory as Bunkin's. You don't want to get them all settled and realize that one of them is missing, sparking tears and possible waking up someone. Trust me, it's not fun.

Let Your Older Ones Look At Books
I used to let Bear play quietly in his room for quiet time when Bunkin was a baby. Now, Bear and Bunkin share a room and there is NO WAY that letting them play "quietly" ever works out. It always starts a fight. I make it mandatory that they have to stay in their beds.
Depending on how tired they are, I will let them look at books as long as they are laying down. This gets them laying still and concentrating on books which speeds up making them realize how sleepy they are. I give them the warning that if I hear them, the books will be taken away and they have to lay there or go to sleep. I feel it also promotes a love of reading, which I am very passionate about.
Here are some of their favorites right now.

 

 

 

Make Triple Sure Your Kids Are Asleep

While Bear and Bunkin are quieting down and hopefully falling asleep, I sneak into the room that Miss Boo shares with my husband and I, and read my Bible. I find it's a good time to read, pray and regroup after a busy morning. I never fall asleep until I'm sure that all three kids are asleep... but sometimes they are tricky. There have been a few times where I thought that the boys were asleep.... and they weren't.
One time I fell asleep and woke up sometime later to find the boys downstairs in our kitchen with a bag of grapes, a pan of rice crispy treats, a block of cheese and a bowl of boiled eggs. Let me tell ya, they were feasting!!! There was nothing left in the bag of grapes except a few twigs. Luckily they survived because I always cut the grapes in half for them, and those ones were whole. Thank you Jesus!! So next time you're feeling bad about yourself remember, Lindsey was asleep while her kids were eating everything but the kitchen sink... including whole grapes.... a HUGE choking hazard. lol

Enjoy Yourself
Last but most certainly not least, if you happen to get all of your children to sleep.... enjoy it!!! Do whatever makes you a better mom. For me it depends on the day. Some of my favorites include

• Sleeping!!!! Yay Mommy gets a much needed nap!!!
• Writing. I can't help myself. I love to write whether it be this blog or the next book I'm working on. (The kids are actually asleep for nap right now :) )
• Reading. Right now I've been hoarding most of my library's homeschooling books. They have been both teaching and inspiring me.
• Getting ideas for what I want Bear to learn next in our homeschool preschool.
• Catching up on my shows.... Dancing With the Stars, 19 Kids and Counting, Instant Mom, House Hunters International, Bride by Design... whatever suits my fancy that day.

I hope that this could be helpful for some of you. Being a Mom is TOUGH and time for yourself is a must. I'll leave you with a few funny quotes.

Our Journey Toward Minimalism

 

Something I have recently become passionate about is pursuing a minimalistic lifestyle. Some of you may be thinking.... "What in the world is she taking about?"
Minimalism is the fashion forward way to say living simply.

Some of the parts of living simply has always come naturally to me.
I have never been one to want the new "thing". Whether it be the newest phone, TV, clothing item, or fad.
I also have never been one to enjoy spending my money.
When I got my first job, I started saving and saving for a senior trip that me and some of my friends at the time were going to go on together. After some time, my mom had to literally tell me that I should go and spend some of my money on some nice clothes or something.

So as you can see, living simply with my money is not something that I have a hard time doing. ;)

For some time, my husband and I practiced minimalism without even realizing it. We were living in our own 3 bedroom two bath house on just his income alone. Things were tight, but we went without most of the time, and we were okay with that.

But then something happened that challenged the way I viewed life in general. We ended up loosing our home.

Loosing your home is something that you never plan to do, and you always think that it could happen to someone else, and not to you. But I'm here to tell you, no one's immune to anything. My husband had to step down from one of his working positions causing us a loss of income, and even though we prayed and did everything in our power to stay on top of our mortgage, we ended up falling behind and inevitably losing our home.


We are currently living in a two bedroom two bath town house in a quiet town.

At this point you may be feeling sorry for me.

Don't.

For a while I felt sorry for myself. I felt as though we were failing our three children because we were no longer living the “American Dream.” They no longer had their own yard to play in, their own rooms, and Mommy and Daddy couldn't tell them that yes, this is our forever home.

In our society, the pressure to provide your children that type of lifestlye is HUGE!!

But God is good, and God is ALWAYS teaching me things.

What makes a house a home??
I can tell you first hand that it is not the square footage.
It is not big organized playrooms.
It is not a huge yard.

You can honestly make a home anywhere because what makes a house a home is the people in it. The love, laugher, cuddles, growing, learning, playing, tickle fights, sharing meals, and talking about God that you do and share with those people.

The Bible is very specific about material things. Nothing on this earth lasts forever, including what house we live in. But the memories that you make with your family will. The goldy impact that you have on your children wherever you "set up camp" lasts forever too.

I personally grew up in a church parsonage. Because of that, I probably won't be able to easily go and revisit it anytime that I want to.
But you know what I do have? All of the memories of the good times with my family and friends there. Watching old movies with my parents, playing euchre, sledding down the hill, My dad giving us Bible trivia during dinner, slumber parties with childhood friends, smelling my Mom cooking something AMAMZING in the kitchen... the list goes on and on.

Looking back, I feel incredibly blessed with my childhood, and it happened in a home that my parents didn't technically own either.
One of my favorite memories of me and my Dad happened sitting outside on our porch. I asked him if the fact that he didn't own his own home bothered him. He said, "Sometimes it does. But then I remember that nothing really "belongs" to us. Everything belongs to God anyways."

So as far as I'm concerned, the "American Dream" can take a hike!! While it does, I'll be making memories to cherish with my family in our home.
 

               Stay tuned for upcoming posts about minimalism