Wine and sip

Lets talk artistic ability here for a second. Okay, so as for me I have very little true artistic ability. But once a month I try to support my friend Pauli who teaches a paint class in our community.
After a long week what could be better than girls and wine. Did I mention that it isn’t just a painting class that wouldn’t be fun? This class is coupled with all you can drink sip wine. Basically we drink wine and attempt to paint a picture that is above our artistic abilities.
I have attended this class a few times and let me tell you it’s a blast. This time friend and fellow blogger, Candace, came along to enjoy the fun. Candace is a new mommy to the most beautiful little girl Harper.

As a mom, especially as a stay at home mom it is so important for us to get that time away from the kids and just let down and have a good time. These classes are great for that. The wine loosens you up and the amount of concentration I have to put into my painting makes me forget what’s going on back at home.
It’s kinda like bowling I always seem to do better after a few drinks.
This is what we were attempting to paint.

Pauli is pretty good at this art thing.
Check out my progression:

Well there it is in all its glory! Not perfect but I had a great time doing it!

Friday's letters

This was the 5 am face of my little one.

Dear Husband, I miss you! You have been working way too much lately. Dear Alabama weather, thank you for keeping it warm. I was promised upon our move here that this would be a warm winter. Dear bama friends, cant wait to see you all for our Friday social date. Dear Cooper, I need you for my sanity to learn to sleep past 5 am. Mama is tired and you are almost 2 your time is now. Dear gym buddy, I don’t know what I would do without you. Well, actually I do know what I would do without you and it would be go to the gym. You keep me motivated when I just don’t want to. Dear Gym, be gentle. Dear extra 20 pounds, I can no longer call you baby weight he’s almost 2 so please go. Happy Friday!

Comparison vs joy

Comparison is the thief of joy. – Theodore Roosevelt

I came across this quote some time ago I knew I wanted to blog the subject but I never had a strong reason to until now.

About 3 years ago my husband and I decided we were going to “live like nobody else so we could live like nobody else,” Dave Ramsey, we never looked back. We love who we are as a family and where we are. If you are unfamiliar with the meaning behind the Ramsey quote he is talking about living financially responsible no matter what it takes so that later in your life you can live however you want responsibly.

We never cared when we had less, or that we were eating beans and rice weekly. We could see the greater outcome the purpose. Comparison wasn’t an issue and it still isn’t in that part of our life we still scrimp and save. Heck, we’ve got three kids to send to college.

With all that being said… in my personal life things are a bit different. Since moving on post earlier this year and are now living in close proximity to so many people comparison has begun to appear. I find myself thinking about other moms and kids, how they raise their children, how clean their homes are, how smart the kids are stuff that shouldn’t matter to me. These are the little things that I kept finding myself thinking about throughout the day.

I didn’t think it was really that big of a deal until we were having dinner with some friends. I was showing my friend, a new mom, all the new and fun things we were doing and that the kids were doing. I could see it in her eyes. She was overwhelmed in daily life trying to balance her new role and I was showing her all the great things I could do with three kids.

Comparison is the thief of joy, such a true and eye-opening statement. We are who and where we are for a reason. Who cares what Jane Smith down the street is doing. To my friend- you are an amazing mom. You are doing a great job. Being a mom is the hardest job you will ever do, it’s worth it though. You will get better and things get easier.