White Picket Fence

In bringing a face lift to the Wade House, I came across this new background and knew it was perfect. The White Picket Fence and all. Take your mind back to when you were 6 years old, with Barbie in one hand and Ken in the other, they got married, and went to live happily ever after in their new home fully equipped with that White Picket Fence. From "Leave it to Beaver" to "Desperate Housewives" imagines of that "perfect" family living in the house with that White Picket Fence occupy our minds. From the street all these fences look so perfect. Envy to have a house like that with a fence like that can take over our minds of how life is suppose to be. But the closer you get to the perfect house, with the perfect fence, and the perfect yard, you can see that the White Picket Fence has broken boards, nail holes, and peeling paint...our lives are simply that, a weathered White Picket Fence. We all have our cracks, crooked, bent nails, and could really use a second coat of paint and maybe even some rain guard. All the fences are put together differently and all have different imperfections.


There are so many things going on in our lives right now sometimes I have to remind myself that we are not the only people in this world who are having a hard time, everyone has problems, everyone endures their own kind of suffering at some point in their life, heaven forbid. Everyone has struggles and things their heart desires for that has not come to be.


Our home is not perfect but no one's is and sometimes I think we need to remind ourselves of that. Sometimes I think telling your story and opening your heart can show you a path you may not realize is there. I am not writing for anyone (or talking about anyone) when I say this. I just can't help but step back and look at the women who have written their stories for the world to read. Stories about the White Picket Fence that surrounds their home. The holes that have exposed the raw wood of the board... for the world to read have brought so many mothers, women, men together. Bonds have developed and friendships blossomed because each of these people have common interest....their fences all have similar flaws and imperfections.

Welcome to the Wade House, fully equipped with the White Picket Fence.

"So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another." Romans 14:19

My Monday...

Quote:

I have decided to try and reinforce my positive attitude I am going to start every Monday morning with a cup of coffee and a quote that speaks to me...in hopes someone else might need to hear it too:) On this first Monday the quote comes from the Beth Moore bible study I am currently doing. I heard this and have not been able to get it out of my head, so I think it is perfect.......

Faith that goes unchallenged goes unchanged.

simple pleasures

Now on a positive note, let's get back to the simple pleasures of life:

Claire's Smile and saying Love you, Momma

A long conversation with an old friend

Hearing one of my friends is pregnant...I love to hear about the name

Claire dancing in her squeaky shoes

Checking email and the mail

Hearing a sermon that I needed to hear

Realizing an acquaintance is now a friend

Eating a home cooked meal that I did not prepare

Hearing my favorite song on the radio

Time at our lake house

Christmas Eve

Playing in the snow

Completing a project...at home or at work

A warm sunny perfect temperature day

Pay Day

Claire smiling when she walked into the toddler room this morning and all her friends saying her name and running to greet her

Family being so excited to see you, you aren't even out the car before they greet you

Pictures

Conversations with my grandparents

A clean house...this is so rare these days

Stepping into a hot bath

Days I don't put on make-up or have to iron something to wear

Not setting the alarm clock

A happy ending to a good book

Legal Holidays

Bible Study days

Nick cooking dinner

A full tank of gas

Watching Claire play with her Daddy

Scratching a lottery ticket that wins

Claire's excitement over tractors

Claire's expression of what a snake does

Watching Claire try to hike her leg over the bath tub when she is ready for her bath

Claire running full speed ahead when she see me walk into her classroom

Claire putting her babies to "ni ni" in their baby crib

Cuddling with my baby

I could go on and on and on about the simple pleasures our little Claire brings me, there are too many to count in one day

Lazy day pleasures

Need to Vent...

about our house in NWA!!! We have had our house on the market in NWA for over a year...yes!!! a year! We have switched realtor's, offered incentives, reduced to price no less than 5 times, buried the St. Joseph in the front yard....I have tried just about everything I know to do to lift this financial burden. I am out of ideas!!!!!! I have prayed and prayed to God about finding the perfect family for this house....it is no longer my home it is just some brick and mortar on a couple of acres of land to me now. While banging the keys on the keyboard today on the brink of tears because I just opened the electric bill for this vacant dwelling....$344!!! Really!! This bill was not that much when we occupied this house....so I have come to a point. A real POINT! I will do WHATEVER GOD wants me to do to get this monkey off my back....I will PRAY over and over to Him times ten to show me what I need to do! I know I am not the only person out there struggling with 2 mortgages and have mercy on all those who are...I will be including all them in my prayers too. I am open to any ideas and believe me at the current listing price we are already taking a hit to the pocket book. This is not one of those situations that we are trying to make a dollar...the house in front of ours is also on the market for $166,000 it is the exact same floor plan and on less land than ours and ours is listed for $155, 900, The assessor's value and the appraised value are both quite a bit more than that. Please PRAY for us to find a buyer for this "home" soon, so that we may move forward with our lives in our new home. I am on my knee's, praying to HIM above to get us out of this pit. Please Lord, I turn over to you this problem and I trust that you will help me resolve it. Thank you for listening to me....

My Heart

My heart is just over 15 months old, weighs in at 23 pounds and is 32 inches tall! Words can not describe the joy this little girl brings to me. She is talking more and more each day and new words just flow out. I am in "ah" at all the things she is learning. I just hope I am the best Momma I can be and I never let her down or disappoint her.....even during those teenage years!

Funny note: This past weekend started with a visit from Pop pop and Gramie. Claire has never attempted to say Gramie but that's because she did not want a Gramie. She wanted a Mimi!!! It is very true kids will call you what they want to....Claire already changed Nana to Nene. So my mom is Mimi and Nick's mom is Nene....or at least those are their names for now! :)

Just some recent pictures of my heart.......

One of her favorite things...

Our little Ketchup Girl....she can't get enough!!!

Straight to the bathtub we go!!!

2010

The most perfect gift from above...the ultimate blessing!

Our Claire Carter

This year it has taken me a while to figure what my New Year's Resolution was going to be...there is always the common themes; a new weight lose plan, be a better friend, wife, mother, get organized, blog more, etc. I think all of these are wonderful, great ways to start off the New Year so please don't think I am shunning you if any of these happen to be your New Year's Resolution.

I need 2010 to be a better year than 2009.....and I think there are many of you out there that feel the same way. The state of our economy, the tension of our depressed, stressed and anxious America, the most painful stories to hear...from the lose of a baby (by far the worst), to the struggling marriage, to financial deterioration of educated, hardworking people...we need 2010 to be full of happy days. Please don't get me wrong 2009 brought me many blessings and I am forever grateful for such blessings!!!

So, back to my New Year's Resolution....I was having a conversation with a friend of mine about kids and her child was going through a phase of waking up in the morning with a bad attitude and she told her child " You have the choice to get out of bed and decide if it is going to be a good day or a bad day" in other words it is your decision on how you view the world, it is your decision what your attitude is, it is your decision if you are going to be happy or mad or sad....she probably never knew those words would stick in my head and how often I think about what she said. But it is very true!!! We can try to see all the good in our lives or we can harp on all the imperfections. I am choosing to put the first foot forward to make my life happier everyday. I am choosing to get out of bed with a smile on my face. I am choosing to know that my life in 2010 is going to be better because I am going into it with a different attitude. All of this certainty comes with something bigger and better than just me changing my attitude. It comes with truly leaning on Christ...I have always been a Christian and always believed! But my attitude has changed and my relationship with the Lord has changed...all for the better...faith and trust in the Lord can bring a peace and calmness to our everyday lives.

And let me just add, I started blogging not long before Claire was born in 2008 and while I was home with her I came across Kelly's Korner blog which many of you follow, I fell to my knees the day baby Harper was born, crying and pleading with the Lord for this family that I didn't even know...the emotions of having a baby born not breathing were all to raw to me. (A detail not many people know, Claire was not breathing when she was born, but after several rounds of oxygen she cried out...music to our ears.) After following Harper's story I was amazed by her parents unwavering faith and attitude, along with the rejoicing at Harper's recovery. I have since read many blog about sick babies and babies that have gone to the Lord way to soon in our earthly eyes....but their parents strength and faith in the Lord in beyond amazing...amazing is an understatement. So, I posed the question to myself if I was faced with the same trials and tribulations would my current relationship with the Lord carry me through the pain? And the quick answer would be no...I don't know enough about the Bible to know all the answers to my questions and concerns. I do know that my relationship with Christ is strong enough I would know that would be my only answer and my peace would be to seek the Lord...but I don't want to have a "wake-up" call to make my relationship with Christ grow. As a mother, if I had to walk a mile in these mother's shoes I would want to know what good came from my heartache....I know I am not the only one out there that has read your stories and wanted my relationship with Christ to grow. Godspeed to you if you are reading this, Godspeed!

So, 2010 for me brings is a positive attitude and new growth as my life as a Christian! What better happiness is there?! Maybe this is your resolution too...I sure do hope so....if everyone in the world had a smile on their face and God in their heart oh, what a world it be!!! I hope you have a wonderful day.....and feel free to leave a comment if you have God in your heart:)