FlashBack Friday: Paris, France

My friend, Kari and I on our excursion to Paris for a week before summer classes stared in Denmark. Enjoy!

My Favorite Headband/Bow Holder Tutorials {Links}

I have been busy making hairbows and headbands and all this D.I.Y. stuff and I wanted to give credit to where my inspiration comes from. I dislike taking credit for doing things when they aren't my idea. I'll be blogging pages with links in them to share with my friends where these things came from!

Firstly, these are by far my most favorite tutorials for headband and hair bow holders! I altered mine(and I'll blog about those later) to the way I liked them and how they'd work best for me.

Photo from: The Paro Post

 I loved this one because you can put everything on it. And it's pink, so that's a plus. For the tutorial, click here.

Photo from: *lyssa beth*

 These headband holders are perfect for Sehara and I, they suck for Madeline. Preferably, if the headband is open, these are great. If not, you have to pull one over all of them and it just ruins my whole day. Presentation is almost everything and this is maj! For the tutorial, click here!

Photo from: Simply Modern Mom

 This one is for open headbands, as well. I love it because it's simple and cute and that's fine with me. For the tutorial, click here.

Photo from: tinkerwiththis

I can't even talk about this one, because it's simply stunning. Not only is it gorgeous, but it's PERFECT for baby headbands. The clothes pins are the best way to hand up Madeline's headbands. When I go to pick one out, I look at the width of the headband, and what it is made out of (along with the color, and whether it's a bow or flower, blah blah) and the clothes pin allows me to actually see that. I haven't made this one yet, it's definitely on my list though. For this amazing tutorial, click here!

My Box

I have immersed myself completely into my husband, my family, student loans, house searching, the Bible, church, Ladies class, friends and family (not really in order). I've done this slowly for the past two years. I was confused and angry and mean, anxiety was written all over my face when I graduated. I had left a friendship horribly, left a religion, and stepped away to a new scenario.

I mean, I came out pretty well. I have some more tools in my belt. I have a great relationship with my husband and love him and my kids too deeply to describe. I have made new friends, lost some, and made newer ones. I understand the Bible better, even though I get confused with a different doctrine sometimes. I took a step back from "the world" without knowing it and zoned in on me. I let myself feel everything I needed to feel. I have figured out honesty is best, and know how to speak it.

When I realized I didn't know anything that was happening out there, that I wasn't making friends around town, and that I basically didn't have any substantial long term goals, honestly, I was okay with it. I soaked in it. It was freeing. I loved being able to see things from an unbiased view.

There's always something that knocks you off your feet though. We were visiting with a friend and I realized I didn't know anything new. I mean, shoot, what a great way to feel so stupid: when you're conversing with a group of people. Ugh.

It's all great and dandy to know and love yourself and all this great stuff I'd been working on, but sooner or later I have to figure out what's going on around me. The thing is, I think I can do the things I have been doing and figure out how to learn some other things. What would it hurt to read some books every now and again? How about helping out and volunteering, or toting my kids around at the library more, to sports, and school functions. Exposing them to the harmless, and appropriate activities. Gosh, maybe whip my behind in shape like I've been wanting to for a year and a half?!

Maybe, since I have all the important stuff together, I can step out of the nice, tight square box I so willingly like to sit in.

Family, Zoo, Driving, & Church

My little family and I went to Kentucky this past weekend. We picked Sehara up on the way down, from Carrollton and made it to Buckner.

Saturday morning, we went to the Louisville Zoo. We met up with our friend Josh and his daughter, Mira, and his family. Boy, has she grown! I love seeing my friends! My goal is to try to meet up with as many as I can, when I can.

The trip to the zoo confirmed that we do need to go ahead and purchase that double stroller I have been wanting. I'm even willing to put my single strollers in storage! (I love my babytrend jogging stroller) It's officially not just a want, but now it's a need. :D

We spent Saturday evening back at my parent's house. Went grocery shopping and made the best tacos and fajitas for dinner. We ate too many donuts, but had fun. Tim and Daniel took the shutter off the house and cleaned up. Daniel invited Tim to bowl (Daniel's on a bowling league) and they had a blast.

Sunday morning we hosed down the front porch and scrubbed the bricks and pebbled area right in front of the door. It felt great outside and we all just lounged around on the front porch while the kids played on the swingset.

We left a little before 3 and got stuck in stop and go traffic for over an hour and made it back to Fairborn and church 2 minutes before it started. Sehara packed in shoes (and left another pair in KY) in her duffel, Carson had gotten his shoes muddy and and wet his whole outfit. We were a mess when we pulled in the parking lot. But we made it!

Not Such A Good Memory

I've had trouble sleeping lately. My mind is filled with all these memories and I keep replaying them over and over again.
Most definitely, they are brought on by my kids. I observe their growth all day and I bask in the utmost fulfillment of every emotion they give me. They range in obsession, love, anger, joy, hurt, disappointment, pride. All those things, plus. They certainly don't know how to give  me nothing. In Tim, too. Even on our worst days, he's the bees knees. The peanut to my butter. I see all this and wonder many things. I wonder how parents (mother's especially) can abandon their kids.
One of my memories starts with my (bio) dad sitting on his stool at the counter in the kitchen. The part of the counter that doesn't really belong to the kitchen, it's more for the phone and calendar. I remember his startling blue eyes looking worried and staring at the calendar. I think he was smoking. I can't remember that part. I know he and my (bio) mom had court that morning. I had been home from school for a little while when they got back. I got back from school and no one was home, a really eerie feeling. She disappeared somewhere, frantic with the phone. It's all really a blur.
He said that everything was fine. I've always been a worrier, or felt guilty about anything. I can remember knowing how much money my dad brought home on paydays and I always knew how much they spent and around about what they had left, and that stress got bad after a few days. I always waited for it.
Between then and not much longer later, these cars pulled in the driveway, parked there and in the cul de sac, some of them police cars. We lived on RedRock Court. I saw our social worker's face, as I got in the back of her car. I'm pretty sure her name was Linda. All of us were taken to Home of the Innocents. We were checked in on the first day they opened.

Just writing this down has gotten it out of my head. I waited a good week before I remembered, and I have debated whether to post any of this. BUT, I'm just going to go ahead and do it. Besides, I feel so relieved now. It's down and I can look at it when I want.