Happy Wednesday Y'all

Happy hump day! So, as you know I had surgery on Monday and it went well. The doctor was able to fix everything with 1 surgery verses 2 {praise the ULTIMATE HEALER}

I had a numbing block so I have been feeling pretty good until Tuesday evening, now the grumpy momma bear is coming out:/ Hopefully my pain meds can keep the pain down some!

Thank you all for your prayers, I as that you can continue to pray them. Just thought would check in between naps:)

And, to leave you with a picture of my leg, here ya go..I will be in this for 10 days and then moved to a cast.

home tour pt. 1

hello, all!

With all of the changes going on in my humble home I wanted to break it down and do a home tour series. When we bought our home in 2010 it was move in ready, but, very builder basic and lacked warmth and love. Our home is my favorite place in the world, it is where I feel in my 'element', and where I can enjoy life with my boys.

Our home is mostly thrifted, diy'd and hand-me downs. I am completely ok with pizza night on the couch and toys scattered onto the floor. I want my family {and friends} to feel comfortable and welcome in here. If something ever happened to me {God forbid} I want my boys {and the hubs} to still feel my warmth and love of me surrounding them in the walls of this house.

So, without further a do welcome to the our beautiful home!

We have a super small front porch so not a lot I can do with it but I'm slowly making it more lovely!

When you walk in to the hallway. We do not have a coat closet near the front door so this hook works lovely! I thrifted this giant picture for $10.00 and the leaves were bleck so I gave them new life with some red spray paint {my favorite accessory}. The "S" is from Etsy.

I got this great console table from my parents which was my great-Grandma's. I love that I have my Nanny in my house and am honored my parents gave it to me!

 

To the right of the entryway is our 'formal dinning room' dinning room but I never enjoyed the location being sooo far from the kitchen and having to walk through the family room and eat in just to get to it so we turned it into our library/office

 

 

 

Our living room is cozy, comfy, and relaxed. I love the flexibility of this room and how it is mix of thrifted and hand-me down pieces. My family spends many nights snuggled up on the sofa {and dad in his chair} eating popcorn {okay, ice cream and cookies too--dang diet isn't going too well!} watching cartoons and enjoying each others company.

I got most of the pictures from Kohl's and Bed, Bath and Beyond many years ago. The pillows are from Target and there mantel is DIY'd and thrifted. The rug is from Kohl's too!

 

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I hope you are feeling welcomed into my home and look forward to sharing the rest of my house with you! Look soon for the rest of the down stairs to be toured!


October before and after

Happy Birthday, to me!!

I can remember as a kid being so excited for my birthday, like the entire week before was my "birthday week" and I expected to be a princess {okay, I expected this all the time} for the whole week! I remember my Mom wrapping my presents and setting them all cuties on the "pink" couch and I would shake them daily!

Well, as I have become a mother the personal excitement has subsided but my kids are beyond giddy for Mommy's birthday. I love seeing the excitement and planning my kids take in my birthday, to me this is the best and most exciting part of my birthday. I love seeing them draw me gifts, "wrap" their own toys as presents for mom, I just truly enjoy their heart for giving. These gifts are worth more to me than any amount of money can buy. This year, my hubs is waking up early and making me breakfast and the kids are bringing it to me in bed! Yay, I get to sleep in and not cook! Hip Hip Horray:D

I am looking forward to celebrating my life with them and my 21st birthday, again! I am beyond grateful to get to spend another year with the loves of my life and enjoy being their mom and wife!

So, Happy Birthday to me!

when it rains it pours

So, this past week has been a true test of faith, I tell ya!

Poor Gabriel was so sick this past weekend running a high fever and tonsils as red as blood and the size of golf balls! I went to friends via social media asking for healing prayers for my sweet boy and the knowledge of the doctors to correctly diagnose him Monday.

Then, Monday as I was getting Caleb ready for school he lays over the toilet crying in pain {breaks a Momma's heart to see her boy in pain} so, I thought maybe it's the stomach bug {hubs has it a few weeks ago} but I called the doc just to check if they wanted to see him, sure enough they wanted too.

I had to work so Jake took them to the doctor and they both tested positive for strep throat...then the hubs tested positive! Oh, my lanta! 3 strep boys called for soup {while we are having record breaking heat wave} and popsicles!

This morning the hubs and I decided Zachary and I needed to get tested too since the odds were against us. Sure enough, Zachary was a quick positive for it. Man, stay away from us and our germ infested home for a few days! As we were leaving the office {going down the flight of stairs} I tripped carrying my boy and did some major damage to the ankle!

Tomorrow afternoon I go into the doctors to find out exactly what kind of damage is done {they have determined it isn't broken--PRAISE THE LORD ALMIGHTY!}

I come asking for prayers of healing and speedy recoveries for my entire family!

On the positive side I am getting caught up {and ahead} on my school work which is always a positive!!

the hubs blog! {it is just too funny not to read}

The hubs couldn't sleep{:/} so during his sleepless night he created a blog {how cute!} and it turns out it is HILARIOUS!! A MUST READ!!!

Go check it out now! Share with your friends and your friends, friends!!!
http://morningcoffeereader.blogspot.com/

a portion of his post!

be still my heart.

at times I wish I could just freeze time. It feels like it is going in super speed and I fear I am going to miss something in Zachary's childhood.

like how he butterfly kisses or grasps my hand, or says "Scooby, Scooby where are youuuuuuuu?" or "me come please" or snuggles up in bed with me every night. I feel like when he was a baby all I wanted was for him to learn to crawl, say "mama", sit up, walk, hold his bottle and now that he is in full toddlerhood all I want is for him to stay little!

My heart is completely filled with love for him and when I look at him I just fall in love all over again! I would give up anything to make Zachary's life better or keep him safe and I never knew that kind of selflessness before him.. I love how God gives us children so we can see how he loves us.

the first time I held my little baby

 be still my heart. embraces the love. enjoy each stage of life.

Commanding Joy

commanding JOY

{Recently copied from my old blog} So, yesterday Zachary and I spent 2 hours in line trying to get the ole' car re-tagged. We got to the DMV and they looked for a good half hour trying to find our personal property tax records and came up that we were not even in the system. So, then, we drove to the County Administrative Office were we waited in line for another 45 minutes. When we got up there I explained the situation and was informed I never confirmed our moving to the county 2 years ago! Opps! So, getting that all straightened out {45 minutes and 800 dollars later} we drive back to the DMV and wait another 30 minutes then it is OUR turn! 15 minutes later we are walking out with our plates re-tagged for 2 years! Hallelujah!

One can look at this 2 ways: Way 1: 2 hours in line with a 2 year old dealing with rude receptionists and impatient, ignorant people in front and behind you. Being fined $150 for late taxes when you weren't even in the system.{ugh}And, the cherry on top of the cake $800 dollars outta your checkbook, forever. OR Way 2: 2 hours getting to spend holding hands with your child while people complement him for being so GOOD and CUTE! {as if I didn't already know these things;)} $800 is a lot of money but at least I had it and I have transportation to be taxed on.

God doesn't give us the chose if you want to be a Debbie downer and always look at the negative, that is fine as long as you tithe and do your church thing; NO, he commands us to chose JOY and rejoice in him in every situation! Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again; Rejoice!"

God longs for us to have joy and have it in it's full measure; John 15:11 "...MY joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete" Joy is part of who God is, we are to be like Him and bare his fruits.  John 17:13 "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy with them" Jesus let his disciples see him praying and having fellowship with His Father so that we could see the full extent of his contentment and joy.

Joy is a conscious decision to look at the situation and see the good even when the bad is shining through; hence my car situation yesterday. It is having a grateful outlook and positive perspective.

 Happiness and Joy can often be confused as one thing but are completely different. Happiness comes through positive circumstances {new job, raise, finding money in your coat pocket, having a baby} and, joy is the chose to see the positive {flat tire but thank God we have a spare}. God does want us to experience happiness, which, is why I think he gives us these happy situations. We are his children and he wants nothing more than us to experience he full blessings upon our lives. And, with these blessings comes happiness!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstance; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." <---my favorite!

So, with this I am Cindy Simmons and I am choosing joy.

Pastor Mike {our amazing pastor} gave a sermon Sunday about how God commands us to be joyful and I found it super awesome so this is my reflections on it!