Lets talk about my phone for just a second. I know I mentioned in a previous blog that I deleted the Facebook App. This has been a great thing for me and my family. I am no longer endlessly just scrolling through to read updates and look at posted pictures when I could instead be living in the moment with my family. This doesn't mean I am ignoring phone calls, text messages, or even Facebook messenger it is just not a priority to me. Over the last week I have had to search for my phone on numerous occasions. Not because one of the children moved it but simply because it isn't this important "object" that I have to keep up with all day anymore. Let's be real a few weeks ago I would have completely freaked out if my phone was MIA for even just a few minutes, but now I know its around the house somewhere. The first time I couldn't find it, I searched high and low. Ended up finding it in a closet with my Bible and notebook that I had been previously reading that morning. The last time I misplaced it, I laughed out loud for just a moment as I thought about how just a few short months ago this would have never happened. I had to go into the bathroom to help Jacoby wash his hands and I guess I sat the phone down on something in there. A few hours later, and after a house of 6 people have been in and out of this said bathroom not one person even noticed the phone just sitting there. I know that there are a lot of my friends that run their businesses on Facebook and therefore can't do this, but for me it has been a very welcoming change.
Today the family and I went to Target in search of bathing suits for myself and David. I was successful after trying on what felt like thirty swimsuits. Let me be real, one of the thirty bathing suits fit. There is nothing I would love to avoid more than trying on swim suits. Not because of my body, or because the kids may drive me crazy pretending they are on TV watching themselves on the security monitors. Simply because bathing suits just aren't made like they used to be. You have a variety of One Pieces, Tankini's, Bikini's, cheeky bottoms, fully coverage bottoms, boy short bottoms, tennis skirt bottoms, and I am sure the list goes on. 8 years ago, tie strings on the bottom and a triangle bikini would have been my go to bathing suit. But now, as a Mom of 4 children that is not functional for me at all. If I attempted to wear this and chase any of my children there would be things showing that no one needs to see. I would hate to have to get a one piece just because it holds everything in just the right places. Or a bathing suit with a skirt bottom just because barely any of the other bottoms cover half of my butt. I am extremely happy with the suit that I did get (see picture below). It covers all of the right areas, I don't feel like I am walking around in an underwear and bra showing things that should be for my Husbands eyes only, and it survived with no adjustments needing to be made at the waterpark yesterday. Score! I am sure some of you can relate, kids or no kids bathing suit shopping can be stressful. So in the meantime please know that in between me going in and out of the dressing room trying on these swimsuits we were passing the kids back and forth so that David could try on swim shorts as well. I would have loved to be able to stand there while he tried them on and give my opinion but I just couldn't. I felt so overwhelmed having to dress and undress multiply times, to keep trying on these things called swim suits that I wouldn't dare step out of that dressing room door to ask for an opinion. I think he tried on one of each size as well, but was unsuccessful at that store.
How many of you are thrifty? I like to believe I am as much as I can be. If I can make something on my own instead of paying for it or if I can fix something to save a few dollars I will make my best attempt. Of course you can't be in Target with 4 children and skip the toy section. We passed Max from "A Secret Life of Pets" on the end cap on clearance. He was supposed to speak a few quotes from the movie but he didn't work. Nico really wanted the toy because this is one of his favorite movies so we got it anyway. I figured it was just the batteries and I could easily replace those when I got home since I keep so many on hand (see picture of my battery storage below). We arrived at the house, I opened my battery storage case and was one battery short for what I needed. So I went back out to the store. I headed to Public since it is right near my house. Yea they didn't carry the size I needed. I then went across the street to Dollar Tree. That didn't have the size I needed either. So I figured I would just double check the electronics section there. I had a great idea while standing on that aisle. If I could pay $1 for something off that aisle that had the battery I needed then I am still saving money...right? So I found a door/window alarm that of course cost $1 and contained 3 of the size battery that I needed (see picture below). So I purchased two of these alarms and headed home. I seriously was so excited I shared with the girl at the register and she thought it was a great idea and said she would need to remember that in case anyone else came in asking for those same batteries. I got home, changed out the batteries in Max and well :( he still didn't work. This one was broken, no batteries were going to fix him. So after all of this David went to a different Target that evening where he purchased a "Max" that did work. He was also able to find swimming trunks that fit. Yay!
Last thing I want to talk about today is friendships. What does the word friendship mean to you? How do you maintain a friendship with someone that you may not speak to that often because of the season of life that they are in or the season you are in? Seven years ago I had a ton of friends, I am not saying this in a bragging tone, I am simply stating that I am a people person and can make friends anywhere I go. I love meeting new people. I had friends from back home in Florida that I kept up with via Facebook or by phone. I had friends here in SC that I saw pretty regularly. We were always calling/texting each other and meeting for lunch/dinner quite often. Seeing my friends was like visiting with family. These friends in SC were my family. We celebrated birthdays together, the arrival of children, loss of family members, and had Holiday meals together. Over time and different seasons of life this group of friends has dispersed a little. I still see some of them and when we see each other we catch up and its like no time has ever come between our friendship. There are bonds that will never be broken because of time or disagreements that may have been had. Then there are those "new" friendships. I have found this summer, after receiving the news of us moving to Italy it has been the hardest for me as far as friendships go. People who I thought were my friends are no longer around. I was told that this is pretty common from another military friend. I guess since I have only been married for 5 years I have yet to experience the ending of friendships due to a move. There are people that I know or just meet that say "we should hang out" but never once have actually made plans or followed through. I am so bothered by this, and I probably shouldn't be (thank you God for convicting me as I type this blog). I should probably just understand and extend grace since they are doing this Mom thing just like I am. David says he doesn't care when this happens and this is okay since we value friendships differently. So to my lady friends that wish they had the energy to meet for coffee, lunch, or a play date but can't make it, I understand. To my Mom friends that do finally meet up and apologize for how they look (no make-up on and or hair done), I understand. To my friends that say they want to hang out but then time with the family replaces it and you have to cancel, I understand. This summer has been one of the busiest seasons of my life. With the possibility of the move to Italy, getting the house ready to sell, helping David prepare for his move to Turkey, planning a birthday for Mateo, and just life in general with 4 kids pulling me in four different directions from morning until night. Nico still Nursing and waking through the night. I am just exhausted and I totally understand if you feel this way too. I will say that when I meet up with my few friends that I still have, we enjoy every second we have together, laughing and sharing stories about life, I treasure each one of these moments. Sometimes it is extremely hard to coordinate meet-ups between naps, work, meals, daily tasks, doctors appointments, and then add a sick child to the mix, or total Mom guilt for meeting up with a friend for dinner and not eating with your own family. I get it. But I know I feel so renewed and energized after talking with my friends and knowing that I am not alone. They too are exhausted. They too are not wanting to put any energy into hair or make-up today. They too eat as healthy as possibly and hope that this helps to maintain our weight until we once again have the time or energy to make it to a gym or workout from home. To my friends near and far I love you. Thank you for helping me become the Mom that I am today. Thank you for any time you put into our friendship. Thank you for that phone call on your car ride to/from work, or maybe on the toilet while you pee (hey don't judge, we Moms have ALL been there), or maybe after you put the kids to bed and you wanted nothing more than to be in a room by yourself and not talk to another person for the rest of the night. Thank you for sharing your time with me.
Let's pray for each other. Pray for our time, that God uses it for great things. I pray that when someone says they want to get together that the time opens up for us to do so. I pray that although we sometimes have great intentions of getting together that when we say it we mean it because that other person may need you as much as you need them. I pray that if you must go bathing suit shopping that it isn't discouraging. I pray that each one of you reading this blog reevaluate your time you spend on social media. This can give you such false hope that you aren't being the best Mom/Dad or Wife/Husband that you could be. Soak up every loud, dirty, busy moment you can with what is going on right in front of you. I pray that you value your time. Spend it wisely. I pray that you tell those around you how much you love them and how much they have influenced your life.
Until next time...
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