Prayers go up...Blessings come down.

Just having my fill of blessings lately and felt it necessary to share. Even though I do not feel worthy to receive them, I do with gratitude. Im thankful for each day. I wink at God who provides the blanket that lies over my head whether it be clouds or stars, truly count them all as blessings.

I just read this and thought it was a neat way to recognize why we are ALL blessed even if and when you may not feel like it...

If you own a Bible, you are abundantly blessed,
about 1/3 of the world does not have access to one.

If you wake up each morning with more health than illness,
you are blessed to rise and shine,
to live and to serve in a new day.

If you have anyone on the planet, just one person
that loves you and listens to you; count this a blessing.

If you can freely attend a church meeting without fear,
then you are more blessed than over 1/3 of the world.

If you have a yearning in your heart to parent a child,
you are blessed because you still desire what you cannot see.

If you pray today or any day, you are blessed because you
believe in God’s willingness to hear your prayer.

If you pray for someone else,
you are blessed because you want to help others also.

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your
back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep;
all at the same time; you are rich in this world;

If you have a brother or sister in Christ that will pray
with you and for you, then you benefit from a spiritual unity,
bond, and agreement, which the gates of hell cannot stand against.

If you have any earthly family that even halfway loves you and support you,
are blessed beyond measure.

If you attend a church with a church family that offers
you one word of encouragement, you are blessed with some form of fellowship.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet,
or some spare change in a dish someplace,
you are among the world’s wealthy.

If you can go to bed each night, knowing that God loves you,
you are blessed beyond measure.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed
than about 2/3 of the world.

If you have never had to endure the hardship and agony
of battle, imprisonment, or torture, you are blessed in
indescribable measure.

If you have a voice to sing His praises, a voice to witness God’s love,
and a voice to share the gospel, you are blessed.
About 1/3 of the world does not even know who the one true God is.

If you can hold someone’s hand, hug another person,
touch someone on the shoulder, you are blessed because
you can offer God’s healing touch.

If you can share a word of encouragement with someone
else, and do it with His love in your heart,
you are blessed because you have learned how to give.

If you have the conviction to stand fast upon His Word
and His promises, no matter what, you are blessed because
you are learning patience, endurance, and tenacity.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and
are truly thankful, you are blessed because most people can, but won’t.

School picture day!!!

If this is what Kindergarten is about...Im IN!:)

Max working on his "homework" for his first day of school!!!

Kindergarten! Pass the kleenex, please

I wonder what you're doing right now,

And if everyone is treating you kind.

I hope there is a special person

A nice friend that you can find.

I wonder if the teacher knows

Just how special you are to me.

And if the brightness of your heart

Is something she can see.

I wonder if you are thinking about me.

And if you need a hug.

I already miss the sound of your voice

And how you give my leg a tug.

I wonder if you could possibly understand

How hard it is for me to let you grow.

On this day know that my heart breaks,

For this is the first step in letting my baby

go.

~ this was sent home with us from meet the teacher night and I have to say its a combination of all my feelings.

Without being completely melodramatic, I will say my heart breaks with a small amount of saddness and more excitement because I know how fun Max is going to have this year. It's just hard knowing I wont be that person having fun with him on a daily basis.

Tonight we celebrated as a family with a pizza party and a movie, Hunchback of Notre Dame...lol. Yes, that was Max's choice. As we were watching the movie, Max and Maisy snuggled close together and we talked some about school tomorrow. Casey asked Maisy if she was going to miss having Max around to play with and her sweet response was, "yes".

Lately, Maisy has been into folding her hands and praying. She calls them "thank you, prayers". Right after Maisy responded with "yes" she was going to miss Max, she folded her hands, squinted her eyes and said, "thank you for....thank you forrrrr....thank you forrrr... my brother Max." Already a mother with emotions dripping from her eyes about the fact her first baby is off to Kindergarten, I wept.

There is something tender and sweet about children. I know its hard to remember this when they are screaming, not listening, beating each other or you, throwing foreign objects at you in the car, stuffing toilet paper down the sink drain, playing in your favorite eye shaddow, hiding your shoes, digging in your purse for gum and loosing pieces of your "life" before your eyes... but beyond all this noise and chaos, I truly don't take these moments for granted. God's simple and gentle reminders of what this life is all about....the imperfections become perfection.

I admit I can loose my paitence, say words I cannot undo, stumble in being a "perfect" person, but I also can say its moments like sending your child to Kindergarten you are reminded of the kind of job you have done with them. I am proud of Max and how he is turning out with the hot mess of a mother he has...he's not bad:)

SO excited for tomorrow and already looking forward to picking him up:) ha! Wish me luck and pass the kleenex's please...sniff.sniff.

I love you forever...

As the sun began to peek its head this morning, my soul awoke too.


Laying with one size 8 and 13 bare feet in my face and a soft little hand resting on my arm, I laid still listening to my children breathe as they slept; just as I would when they were babies.


I was filled with a feeling like none other. An overwhelming amount of love, joy and saddness. You may be wondering how on earth can you feel love when you are sad or joy even for that matter. I am not talking about grief stricken pain, Im talking about the chords on my heart that were formed when I became a mother for the first time.

Tears have been pooling in my eyes at bedtime as I tuck my lil 5 year old munchkin in at night. One might think I need medication, but I know medication could not touch this feeling that I am feeling. I think its just a part of life. I've been referring to these moments as 'smilestones' they may make me tear up but my heart is smiling.

Packing Max's Batman backpack with all of his school supplies has been fun. I know I have been a mother for 5.5years however, today I truly feel I have stepped "into" a new chapter of motherhood. No longer packing toys, diapers, wet wipes, bottles, snacks or extra outfits. Now packing, lunches and making sure he is clothed out the door. Oh yea, and making sure he is NOT the smelly kid on the playground and spraying him with some Febreeze on his way out. Letting Go, I am finding is a hard concept for me in these moments in life.

To my son, Max, I know you can't read but you know the words to one of our favorite books, "I'll love you forever, like you for always, as long as Im living my baby you'll be."- although, I think its kind of creepy that the son climbed into his mothers window to hold her when she is in her blue hair years, I still like the message. I am excited and anxious to watch you blossom into a Kindergartner this year.



PS- to anyone reading this...please note, my blog site will be changing in the next couple weeks...I will contact you:)

HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!!

Today we celebrate....INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Truly, this house is celebrating some major milestones!

Maxwell James Shelton (5 years old) is officially a biker with NO TRAINING WHEELS and a SWIMMER w/o a life jacket! As of last Tuesday Max has been riding his bike without training wheels! After completing a 3 mile bike ride Max says, "YEE-HAW!" As of a couple days ago he became the next Michael Phelps in swimming too:) Way to GO BIG GUY! We are SO happy for your FREEDOM:)

Maisy Grace has been sleeping in her BIG GIRL BED too...and staying...that deserves some fireworks in itself;)

So in honor of these two BIG KIDDOS I have ordered fireworks for us all to enjoy;) ha! Off to celebrate with some pool time, food and friends! Happy 4th of JULY!!! All our love, The Sheltons

When I grow up...

"I won't grow up, I won't grow up...I don't wanna wear a tie..." Peter Pan sang. In Never-Neverland, you aren't required to grow up is what I hear. After a night of filling our mouths with corn on the cob and cake. Sparklers, bon fires, laughter, bug spray and sitting amongst the stars above (wayyyy past bedtime). If I could speak on behalf of my children, nights like these even I would want to stay a kid forever.

One of my most favorite things to do is to watch my children from afar. Their expressions, their movements and their sweet lil voices are all captivating. The WONDER in their eyes twinkle as they are holding onto a sparkler. Nights like last night, I want my children to stay this age forever.

On our ride home both kids sat quietly and sweetly(more like exhausted) in the backseat. I could not help but smile at the silence:) When we arrived home both kids reluctantly got out of the car because they new what time it was: BEDTIME.

If you are a parent you probably have a child or two that does the WALK OF BEDTIME...you know where Im going with this? "I need a drink, Im hungry, I need a story, Oh man we forgot to pray Mom/Dad, my toe hurts, Im hot, Im cold, I need a blankie(even if this child is not use to having a "blankie" all the sudden he/she does), Im missing a pillow on my bed, I need to brush my teeth, it's too dark, it's too light..."

Last night, Max actually was doing an excellent job of following our directions. He had put his pajamas on and was talking to Casey in the kitchen. Earlier in the day he got to go to Chuck E Cheese, it was there that he recieved a card with a picture of him on it (kind of like a pretend credit card). He was figiting with his "credit card" aka his 'debit card' as he calls it. He looks over at his Dad and says...

Max: "You know what I need? I need a wallet."

Casey: "A wallet? Ok, bud, we will get you a wallet."

Max: "Yea, a wallet so I can put my debit card in it. Then I will take my wife and kids to Chuck E Cheese and we can all have our picture taken together there."

Casey: "Your wife? Kids? Who are they?"

Max: "DAD!, You know....my girlfriend Dad!"

Casey: "Who would that be?"

Max: " MY girlfriend TEA'!"

Casey: " Oh she is still your girlfriend?! Well, that will be nice"

Max: "Yea, When I grow up I am going to have a debit card, a wife named TEA' and kids and I am going to buy them all stuff at Chuck E Cheese, well, Im going to buy them lots of stuff. All I need is a wallet."

A wallet...that is all we need in life to have the following; a wife, kids and stuff from Chuck E Cheese! I think we have some more work to do...haha, but he at least knows the debit card part;) haha

So, I have to say when HE grows up(even though, this is hard for me to swallow)...I want my son to remember how generous and considerate he was at the age of 5 years old.

It is easy to love people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. Bring love into your home because this is where our love for one another must start. ~ Mother Teresa

1Corinithians 13:7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things

I choose L.O.V.E.

Windex and Boogers

Not sure who, what, or why my child thought it would be a great idea to pick his nose and wipe boogers on the sliding door but he did this morning. His accomplice was his sweet "innocent" sister Maisy Grace. They were tag teaming it one would pick and wipe and the other would spray the Windex....what on earth you must be thinking?! Exactly, how do you think I feel?

Gross.

I stood from afar to watch what their next move was...the little paws from an almost 3 year old opens the back sliding door and goes outside with the Windex. Her brother follows. All I have to say is any living insect in our backyard is gone now. They have been exterminated from the premises with Windex.

It dawned on me, that back when we lived at our other house we had an ant problem there in the Springtime and I would go around spraying them with Windex. Little did I know who was watching....now I do. So, please feel free to call if you 'got bugs'...I will send them right over.

Clean Up Aisle 3 year old...

When ya gotta go....ya gotta go.

Should've listened the first 5 times Maisy honked her crotch and danced in placed telling me she needed to go pee. Like I have thought numerous times before she has peed herself "if you act like you don't hear her, then magically she wont have to go." I think this thought derives from the umpteenth number of times she has said this to me, I drop everything, sprint for the nearest restroom and when we arrive at the toilet she toots and dribbles 2 drops.

I had one hour before Max needed to be picked up. "YES!" I thought to myself. "I can get this, this and this marked off of my list." So naturally, I packed Maisy in the car and we hit the first stop, the grocery store.

I have a love/hate relationship with the grocery store. I love that I am able to buy food and never have to worry about going hungry as long as HyVee Chinese is around. I despise grocery stores for these reasons. No daycare,smells like cantaloupe and cardboard boxes, the shopping carts with little cars stuck to the front of them and last but not least no one has ever greeted me with a glass of wine instead I get a piece of cheese or watermelon.

We are in HyVee no more than 2 minutes, I look over at Maisy and she's grabbing at her patootie. I purposely did not ask her if she needed to go to the restroom...because of what I stated above. I continue with my tasks. Look over again seeing her chucking dvd's in the bin with one hand and her other holding her patootie even tighter. OK, I am disturbed at this point, either she really has to go or I needed to have a lil chat with Sigmund Freud on what's appropriate and not.

I pay and turn around to slush my flip flops in a clear puddle. When I look at Maisy she looks relieved and has a sheepish smirk on her face. I said, "Maisy Grace, did you potty?" She grins, "SSSSSSsssYEs!" Oye. I turn around back at the counter and ask for paper towels and disinfectant.

All cleaned up on aisle 3 year old! We head to the bank. In the drive thru at the bank. The teller asks how she can help and I tell her. In the meantime, Maisy has unbuckled and wiggled out of her car seat. She says, "Mom, I need to potty". Now I ignore the teller, I am in potty panic mode...we are in the CAR...YIKES. I look all around my car...Ahhhh HA! A size 3 diaper(aka baby thong for Maisy) in the passenger door. Angels were singing for me. I unbuckle myself, still ignoring the bank teller. Twisting my body around I put Maisy into a diaper before this woman's eyes. My hair in my face, I settle back into my seat. I look over at the bank teller's face and see this perplexed look on her face, clearly not knowing what to say. "Phew, first time for everything....IM SUUUUUUPER MOM!" I said to her in the awkward silence. The teller uncomfortably smiles and hands me my money and a sucker and raises her eyebrows at me. I drive away.

I know I am not the first mother to ever have a public pee incident. But I do think I deserve a SUPER star of putting a small diaper (not the right size for my daughters goozie) just with the twist of my torso. That takes talent. Or let me think so anyways. I simply can conclude, EVERYONE I have ever met has a "story" of meeting me...maybe that teller and I will be friends someday and she can truly tell me what she thought about me:) Until then, pee-pee in the pottttttttayyyyy!

Mile 1...

Run.Run.Run. I live, breathe and eat around people aka my husband Forrest Gump... that all they do is RUN. Although, it does inspire me to want to run and my body tells me that I need to RUN...I simply can't get these hooves to GO.

I am determined that I AM going to RUN past my RUNNING fear. I have made a bucket list of things I want to do before I die...and you are probably thinking she has added a race, marathon or Triathalon to her list, nope. I simply want to learn what this running is all about. I want to understand the sickness that overcomes a runner's body to feel the "need" that they "have" to get a run in for the day. Because, quite honestly, that pains me to think of it.

Steps that I have been told will make me a better runner:

1. Sweet running shoes...look awesome and feel even awesomer(ok, so no one really told me this part, but myself...must look the part to play the part is what I say)

2. MUSIC that makes your feet not want to stop moving...here's the hard part for me...I either was born with ears that are challenged or every pair of head phones need to be tied around my ears three times to get them to stay.

3. Motivation: Challanging to fester up the attitude and determination to dedicate an hour of my life a day to something that I at the moment dread thinking about. I need people in my life like Richard Simmons, Pat McManus, Stuart Small,Spartan Cheerleaders. If you fit any or all of these peoples characteristics please join in cheering me on to take the first step into a RUNNER'S WORLD!

4. A Mind full: Safe to say, I can ACE this part (with as much as I talk...I talk even more to myself)


5. Challenge myself and not give up.

6. Wish me luck...Gotta RUN~ Peace

Entering the BLOGZONE...

I've decided its time. A life filled with crazed people and unstoppable chaos- there is just too much on my mind and so little space to do it. I would keep a diary...but would loose the key. I would continue to write on Facebook, but let's be serious, "facebook" aka "creepbook" doesn't allow this lady to write ALL of her thoughts down in one post. I would talk with my kids more but we have this thing called "quiet time" in our house...where all of us, including me (MOM) have to be quiet for a couple hours in the afternoon...so this is my quiet time without opening my mouth and making noises.

Im easily entertained as are my thoughts. I have numerous random thoughts throughout the day- and know I cannot be alone on some of these thoughts, the difference is I share them and you don't.

So, lets laugh, lets enjoy the bizarre moments together. I invite you into "Just another Manic MOMDAY!" with me!