Me, in a nutshell, or a coconut LOL

I am clinging to cliche's like I never thought possible. I'm not a big believer in cliches, but for now, I'm clinging to anything I can get my mouth around: "this too shall pass", "what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger", "God doesn't give you more than you can handle", "you got yourself into this.." (oh wait, that wasn't very positive, nix it). You've all heard them. My knee-jerk reactions to cliche's are often, "What, you couldn't think of anything more reassuring than that?" However, I'm beginning to learn that there is some truth in them, they must be a cliche for a reason right?

Having 4 kids has made me grow (very radically I might add) into a different person. Mostly good, although some unfortunate few have caught the wrath of my unchecked patience (something I'm not very proud of). I've learned that I really must purge some of my unused belongings...the truth of the matter is, we just have too much stuff. I've also learned that although Steve would beg to differ, he has WAY more clothing than me. I've surmised that chaotic messes lead to chaotic mindsets. I've learned that I need to lean more on God's grace for the patience that I need, NOT for my kids but for everyone else around me. Life lessons can only be learned while living your life.

It's sometimes hard to remember that I'm only 27. Life has a way of flying around me and making me feel old. I've done a lot of living in these 27 years. There are things that I'm proud of, things I'm ashamed of but truth be told, I wouldn't change it for anything. The lessons and experiences I have under my belt, have led me to the place I am today. The hurt and heartache has given way to a beautiful life. I'm surely not perfect, not by any means (my family says a loud amen to that), but I know that God's working on me. We all see the children's t-shirts out there that read "please be patient, God's not finished with me yet". But I believe that every adult should have one of those t-shirts too! When I get to the place where I feel "finished" I know I'm in the wrong spot. I never want to stop learning and growing as a woman, mother, and wife. If I stop learning, what more will I have to offer?

It's very much been an adjustment, life with 4 kids, and trust me, I know I'm not anywhere near fully adjusted! But truth be told, I'm loving the ride.


(I'm going to post separate blogs about each of the kids since it's been so long)