things that matter most
over the last couple of years of blogging i have met some pretty amazing people who have become very dear friends. Elizabeth is one of those people that i know came into my life for a reason and who i don't know what i'd do without. she is so fun to talk to, has the best advice, and is always there to lend a helping hand or give lots of support. we have talked about everything and anything and i love it all. i truly look up to her as a woman, wife, mother, and friend. i hope you take the time today to get to know Elizabeth a little bit better and find a good friend in her.
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It's no secret that millions of people around the world are struggling in unprecedented numbers and in ways many of us have never predicted before. In the US alone, more than 45 million people are living in poverty and 1 in 4 children is struggling with hunger. As a Mother and someone that has also struggled, these numbers crush me and make me feel helpless and scared, and seeing the dark changes unfolding in our world have made me become cynical.
However, at the same time my own personal struggles and path caused me to awaken in ways I had never imaged before. I have greater understanding of what others are going through. I feel an increased need to lead rather than follow. I question things more than I used to. And I feel determined to help as many people as I can in this lifetime and to teach my children that if we emulate Jesus' teachings we can truly transform this planet.
My ups and downs caused me to become spiritual whereas before I was a sort of atheist in denial. I called myself spiritual but in reality I wasn't at all. But when my heart needed comfort and faith, I found myself connecting with like minded moms ( like Megan!) who were praying and seeking solace in God. Many of my good friends who were once religious followed the same path that I did and eventually lost their faith and became cynical. And yet years later, like me they are contemplating Jesus' message to our world and how he embodied peace and kindness.
Is this not what we need to do? Was He not revolutionary? Did He not see the problems that faced mankind and instead of turning a blind eye, He stayed focused on Heavenly Father and His heart touched the lives of many, even now. He is the perfect example of how we can all stay hopeful and motivated to do good, even when times are hard. He built a community of like minded people devoted to peace. We can do that too both in our local communities as well as online. If we use the internet to unite us despite our differences we can make huge shifts in the world. We can learn from each other and grow.
I cannot express how grateful I am to the bloggers I have connected with and that have helped motivate me to become more prayerful and Christ centered. It has made such a change in how I face my own demons and how I choose to view the world.
today, Elizabeth is being so generous to giveaway two months of free large ad space on her blog.
[enter with Rafflecopter below]
summer staples
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| i think i was in the middle of saying something to Adam. but for some reason i still like this picture :) |
skirt: thrifted / shirt: thrifted / shoes: Old Navy, clearance [straps removed, similar here] / necklace: c/o Sebastian Design
this is basically what i wear every single day.
well, not exactly this outfit but something similar.
bright colored skirt,
fun & easy t-shirt,
statement necklace,
and comfy flats.
it's too dang hot for anything else.
these are some of my favorite outfits where i feel most like myself.
all the best elements:
bright colors, comfortable, fun jewelry, and can still run after a toddler with ease.
i feel like my fun-loving self but still have the whole mom status going on.
beeeeeeeeest of both worlds.
{sung like Hannah Montant, obviously.}
linking up with
June Group Giveaway
it's that wonderful time again!
group giveaway time :)
my sponsors are being so kind in their prizes today and i really appreciate them.
there's also a little something something from me as well.
one winner takes all.
check it out below.
Blue & Gold Bracelet from Sparkles and Shoes
group giveaway time :)
my sponsors are being so kind in their prizes today and i really appreciate them.
there's also a little something something from me as well.
one winner takes all.
check it out below.
Blue & Gold Bracelet from Sparkles and Shoes
Kelly is the cutest girl with great fashion sense! i love reading her blog and seeing her new fashion finds. plus her pictures make me want to go visit New York even more!
today Kelly is giving away this really pretty gold and blue bracelet from a local NYC boutique.
today Kelly is giving away this really pretty gold and blue bracelet from a local NYC boutique.
$15 Target Gift Card from A Beautiful Heart
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i love seeing Ainslee's outfits each day and wish i had everything in her closet. she is definitely one of my favorite fashion inspirations. i feel like we desperately need to have a shopping date :)
Ainslee is giving away a $15 Target gift card.
Ainslee is giving away a $15 Target gift card.
$15 Amazon Gift Card from And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
a Rafflecopter giveaway
i think it's due time that i throw in my own prize :)
{plus i'm feeling generous since my birthday is in 2 weeks!! :)}
so included with the other great prizes is a $15 Amazon gift card
[enter with Rafflecopter below]
GOOD LUCK!!
the gift of attention
"Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention."
-Jim Rohn
appreciation,
-Jim Rohn
this last year, although i sometimes try to convince myself that it wasn't as hard as i thought it was going to be, was honestly probably one of the tougher ones for our relationship.
both of us had many moments where we felt ignored,
unimportant
forgotten,
unappreciated,
and basically unloved.
and since we were both had similar feelings, we each expected the other person to step up and fix it {we're both stubborn, see.}
it.was.hard.
we had many many of the same conversations over & over.
we had many good & bad days going back and forth trying to make amends.
but really what we were both lacking was ATTENTION.
it was a busy time. Adam is in school, i'm managing Elijah & the home, and with all that we had on our plates neither of us took the time to just give each other the attention we both deserved.
the last couple of weeks since Adam has been done with school & boards has really made me see how much we truly missed each other.
it makes me sad that we didn't take time before to focus on the simple things like watching a movie together, giving kisses when we get home, and complimenting each other on the small things that get done around the house.
i can already tell a big difference in how we act and treat one another when we work on giving our full attention to each other.
life obviously gets hard and busy and it's easy to let things fall by the wayside.
and i honestly didn't even realize how much we were sacrificing our relationship until it kind of slapped us in the face.
but now i understand that no matter how much we love each other, if we aren't consciously making each other our #1 priority then it's not going to happen naturally when times get tough.
appreciation,
quality time,
attention attention attention.
{this is my new marriage mantra}
Inspiration
Elijah-isms
some things i'm loving about Elijah lately.
yesterday when i was making dinner, Elijah pulled up the chair to help me and said, "Mom, that's chicken. i LOVE chicken!! it has ice on it? (frozen chicken) oh, it's so beautiful, Mommy!"
where does he come up with these things?
tonight as i was getting Elijah ready for bed i asked him to put his hands up so i could take off his shirt and he started busting out "Party in the USA" and dancing around.
seriously?!?!
coolest kid i know.
{and proof that he is definitely my child}
he also loves listening to FUN. & The Format. which obviously makes my fangirl-mama-heart proud.
i bought him some sunglasses at the dollar store and they are his new favorite things.
he refuses to go outside without them.
he looks really cool and really nerdy at the same time and i love it.
best dollar ever spent.
i guess i cut myself shaving the other day and Elijah, who hates blood, saw it and ran up to me saying, "oh no, Mommy!!! what happened? you need bandaid? ohhhh noo...."
it was so sweet and tender to hear his concern.
the older Elijah gets the more fun he has become!
it's so fun to see the way his little mind works and the new things he comes up with.
he's my favorite :)
magenta + purple
top: Forever 21, thrifted // pants: Nordstrom Rack, clearance // shoes: Target, clearance [old, can you tell?] // bracelet: Groopdealz [this site will make me bankrupt from buying jewelry]
i'm pretty sure this combination probably doesn't go.
i think i'm breaking some kind of color blocking/monochromatic rules or something...
i don't get those rules or know how to follow them at all.
so whatever, i wear this and i wear it often.
easiest and most colorful outfit so why not just wear it right??
that's one thing i want Elijah to remember me by,
that his mom was colorful, confident, & full of life.
not sad and wilty, afraid to let my true self show.
nope.
every day is a conscious effort.
even just the small effort of wearing bright, magenta pants.
but i try to make the effort nonetheless.
i mean, aren't they more fun than regular pants anyways?
linking up with
this man.
this last weekend Adam is taking his dental boards, it's his birthday, and then it's Father's Day.
so this weekend is pretty much all about Adam.
i wanted to take the next few posts to talk about why i love Adam & celebrate his amazingness.
[and since we spent some time partying this weekend, i'm catching up :)]
these last few weeks have been doozies.
emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually....
bad days one after another.
looking back now, especially as we celebrated Adam's birthday, made me even more grateful for this man that i married.
this man who says how he once thought about becoming a psychologist and has since become my personal counselor, listening to me, validating me, and comforting me through all that has hit us.
this man who puts Elijah to sleep at the end of the day because my mind and emotions are totally shot.
this man who has given up his whole summer to earn even a small wage so his family can be taken care of still comes home ready to make the most of the few hours we have together during the day.
this man who compliments my cooking even when it's the most ambitious and disastrous.
this man who has supported me in my callings and work including when i went to Girl's Camp for a week at the start of his new job and in the middle of studying for his board exams {and spent a week alone with his in-laws!}.
this man who continues to love me when i don't feel like i deserve it a lot of times.
this man is the greatest thing in my life.
and i'm so grateful he was born on that June 15th day 27 years ago.
because without him i'm pretty sure i'd be even crazier than i am now ;)
and as Adam says that you are all probably sick of my gushy posts about him, this concludes my blogatory celebration :)
to my baby daddy
this last weekend Adam is taking his dental boards, it's his birthday, and then it's Father's Day.
so this weekend is pretty much all about Adam :)
i wanted to take the next few posts to talk about why i love Adam & celebrate his amazingness.
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| some grainy pictures of the cutest boys :) |
i can't let another day go by without talking about how awesome of a dad Adam is.
the connection Adam and Eli have is one that leaves me full of love, joy, and even some jealousy.
Adam knows how to calm even the worst tantrums.
he knows how to get Elijah to sleep in less than half the time it takes me.
he knows how to make the biggest boo-boo feel better.
he will always be the much better parents than me.
he's Elijah's best friend,
his hero,
and his greatest protector.
i could never compete with the love they share.
on days where i'm about to completely lose my mind, Adam steps in to make everything right again.
seeing them together makes me fall in love with Adam {and Elijah} all over again.
they're my people.
HAPPY {belated} FATHER'S DAY, ADAM!
Father's Day Inspiration
doing hard things
this weekend Adam is taking his dental boards, it's his birthday, and then it's Father's Day.
so this weekend is pretty much all about Adam :)
i wanted to take the next few posts to talk about why i love Adam & celebrate his amazingness.
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| Adam's White Coat Ceremony in October |
right now, Adam is sitting in some cold room taking a 400-question test that at least 4 people told him felt impossible to pass. but even though i'm nervous for how he'll feel afterwards & having to be cooped up in there for 8-hours, i'm not too worried about his scores.
because knowing Adam, he'll pass with flying colors.
Adam is one of the hardest workers i know.
he goes to school early and stays until dinnertime working and studying. and then after dinner he is still going through his notes. all while still taking care of Elijah and helping entertain my parents while they were here for 3 weeks.
oh yeah, and did i mention that he just finished his first year of dental school at the top of his class?? {smarty-pants}
when he took the DAT, Elijah was only a month old and was not sleeping through the night at all. the day of his test, we were both going on hardly any sleep and i was running around trying to put together a bridal shower. it was crazy to say the least.... and then he scored in the 98th percentile.
boom. nailed it.
this is the story of Adam's life. things get hard, Adam works harder.
in school, marriage, parenthood, church callings, and all other aspects of his life. it's amazing seeing him work. he truly rises to the occasion multiple times over and never complains.
i am the kind of person that wears their emotions & stresses on my sleeves. and i'm not afraid to vent it all out to Adam. but Adam is definitely the opposite.
no matter how stressed he gets, he remains calm & collected and pushes through it all.
he's a huge example to me of doing hard things & finding joy in the tough times.
it's really an amazing blessing to have such a guy as my husband.
life is not easy, it's not fair, it's not as simple.
it never goes according to plan no matter how well laid-out you planned it.
and no matter how many pictures you take or sugary coated words you write, there are always struggles that we have to face.
i'm the type of person that easily dwells on the hardships, the pains & the sorrows.
i lean towards the choices of giving up or wallowing in my own self-pity when things get tough.
but Adam has helped me see the light to any situation. he has shown me that with enough motivation and determination anything can be accomplished, no matter how tough or impossible it may seem at the time.
i know i've bragged before about Adam and his accomplishments, but i'm feeling extra proud of him this weekend as he is taking another huge step towards all that hard work paying off.
i'm so grateful for all the sacrifice and hard work he does for his little family.
he's a great guy to have by my side!
and we can get through hard things. together.
update: Adam came home and said he "destroyed that test." so i think he did well :)
humility in marriage
this weekend Adam is taking his dental boards, it's his birthday, and then it's Father's Day.
so this weekend is pretty much all about Adam :)
i wanted to take the next few posts to talk about why i love Adam & celebrate his amazingness.
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| pre-Elijah. we look so young and rested.... |
i always say i didn't truly understand how great a guy Adam is until i married him. while dating, i got glimpses of how incredible Adam is (which is why i wanted to marry him) but i didn't realize at the time what that would mean for our marriage.
i know Adam is my better half. he calms me down, he motivates me, and he helps me rise to my own potential. and {one of the most important} he knows how to fight a good fight.
[or in other words, put up with my immature fighting style.]
whenever i start getting upset and stubborn and mean and petty and just downright immature, Adam is the one that stays calm and keeps pushing me to talk through my frustrations instead of bottling it all up. he talks to me and listens to me. and through it all he stays humble enough to understand and appreciate my feelings, no matter how ridiculous they may seem.
(and i really am working on being better. but you know, when you're one way for so long it's hard to do sometimes....)
on my {long} list of reasons i loved Adam i wrote before we got married [seriously, i did.], i wrote down humble twice. i think it was originally cause i forgot i had already written it but i thought so highly of his compassion and humility that i couldn't help but have it on my mind often.
as we go into our 4th year of marriage, Adam has taught me how important it is to be humble in a relationship. quick to apologize, willing to talk through problems, quick to forgive the other for their shortcomings, and easily shows love amidst it all.
Adam honestly has lots of reasons and opportunities to not be the bigger person, to get frustrated and give up. and i'm sure lots of times he feels like that with all that he has going on in his life (school, work, taking care of a family, budget stresses, etc.). but he never does. he never does.
i'm so grateful for him and his amazing example of kindness and humility. i'm grateful for his willingness to work with me on any and all major & minor issues. and i hope i can eventually be as good to him as he is to me. :)
mix-match smash-up
shirt: c/o Fresh Produce / skirt: DownEast Basics / shoes: c/o Blowfish Shoes {won in a giveaway} / necklace: Rubee Lane
i wore this outfit to an event and Adam wasn't quite so sure about it.
at the time i thought it was pretty awesome...
i liked the mix of patterns & textures & colors.
looking back on these pictures maybe it was a little out there, ha :)
i think with this style, with lots of mixing and matching, you either love it or hate it.
i lean towards loving it but then after a while i start to lose my confidence.
does that ever happen to you?
that happens to me allllll the time.
so anyways, what do you guys think?
yes yes yes?
or heeeeeecccckkkkkkk no?
linking up with
reminiscing.
i had a different post in mind for today but then i got distracted by these ridiculously adorable pictures of chubby baby Elijah and Adam.
and then i watched this video that i somehow forgot about and all hope for writing a different post went out the window.
ABCs from Megan Robinson on Vimeo.
how cute is he?!?!
can he be that sweet & chubby & innocent again??
seriously.
Baby Elijah is so heart melting.
when mommy is away....
the baby will play
{and get totally spoiled!}
while i was at Girls Camp my parents came to watch Elijah since Adam is working this summer.
he got to go swimming, play at the park, ride the carousel at the mall, and eat chocolate every.day.
the day i got home i saw him getting into the chocolate and i told him he couldn't have any until after lunch. of course, grandpa was the one sneaking him the chocolate like he did the whole week i guess....
those grandparents...
i keep hearing things like,
"it's a grandparents' job to spoil their grandkids."
"i'm just doing my duty."
"oh, he's just a kid, it's not going to hurt him."
"i'll just download another iPad game that Eli will be addicted to in a few seconds."
[the last one wasn't actually said but it was done]
and i'm thinking.... where these people when they were raising me?!?!
it's amazing how grandparenthood can change people... ;)
Inspiration
my baby
one of the busy/crazy things that happened this week was Elijah's appointment with the allergist.
he has really bad eczema plus had a weird reaction to cashews once {his cheeks swelled up when he ate just one} so his pediatrician referred us to an allergist to get him checked out.
i honestly didn't think anything of it except that it would prove that he had a cashew allergy.
well, turns out he's not just allergic to cashews....
he's allergic to everything!!
during the skin test he broke out in hives with everything but three of the items they poked him with.
he's allergic to everything outside, pets, peanuts, every kind of nut, corn, and fish.
i was honestly so so shocked.
mainly because he has never ever had a physical reaction [that i could tell] to any of these things.
(including stomach pains or other physical ailments.)
he eats peanut butter and corn alllll the time {not together, separate obviously},
he looooooves being outside and never coughs, sneezes, or has itchy eyes,
and he's obsessed with animals and never gets sick around them.
so it was all just super weird...
this is what his poor back looked like:
seeing him go through that was one of the hardest things as a mom.
he got over 25 pokes in his back plus his blood drawn because he tested positive for nut allergies.
he screamed SO loud when they had to draw him blood. and they couldn't find a vein so they had to move the needle which made him scream louder.
i felt very helpless, knowing that they had to do the tests for his health but at a loss with how to explain it all to a crying, scared 3-year-old boy.
but in the midst of it all, there was this moment that i will never, ever forget.
as i was sitting there, hugging him tightly while they stuck a needle in his arm to draw his blood, and Elijah was screaming and crying as loud as he could, i tried everything to calm him down and help him relax.
suddenly i had the idea to sing him "I Am a Child of God," his favorite primary song that always helps him go to sleep and calm him when he's worked up.
so in the middle of the doctor's office with two medical assistants helping to hold Elijah down, i started softly singing the words to "I Am a Child of God" in his ear.
I am a Child of God
and He has sent me here.
Has given me an earthly home
with parents kind and dear...
almost immediately Elijah stopped crying.
his body relaxed a little more and he didn't cry again until they took the needle out.
it was this moment of overwhelming clarity to me of the power of motherhood.
i was able to make my baby feel safe during a traumatic time.
i was able to calm my baby down in a moment of utmost distress.
i was able to help my baby feel loved not only by me but by his Heavenly Father.
i was able to help my baby {with the help of the Spirit} when no one else could.
in that moment i understood the importance of motherhood
and the wonderful blessing it truly is in my life.
but i absolutely love him with every part of me.
i'm so so so happy i get the opportunity to be his mother.
and even more happy that he lets me be the one to comfort him when he needs it.
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| some Elijah selfies :) |
::: p.s. the winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway is.... Alycia H.!!! and the winner of the This Little Blonde giveaway is... Sabrina A.!! congratulations both of you! i will be in touch :)
floral + stripes
top: Target, clearance / skirt: Forever 21 / shoe: Shoemint {won in a giveaway} / bracelet: Groopdealz
i'm completely obsessed with them.
aren't they amaaazzzzziiiinnngggg????
i was so SO excited when i found out i won a shop credit to Shoemint (plus first time customer discount, what whaaat!!) because i knew i needed these shoes in my life.
too bad they gave me THE WORST blisters on Mother's Day Sunday because they weren't broken in yet. and chasing a toddler around the church with non-broken in shoes that have a super high heel = insanely bad & painful idea.
but i refused to let the blisters hold be back.
i felt fabulous i tell you. fabulous!!
on another note...
i was so good about scheduling posts last week while i was away but have not been a good blogger now that i'm actually home.
i do have a good excuse though i think...
Elijah and i have had appointments every day this week plus my parents are still visiting until the end of next week. and to top off all that craziness, Adam is working full-time PLUS studying like a mad man for his board exams next week and we hardly see him [slash] if-my-parents-weren't-here-i-would-be-a-single-mother.
so we are all feeling all sorts of crazy-pants/insane/want-to-scream-and-cry over here.
which means keeping up this space and answering emails has gone down the drain.
i do have some good stories to share though!
i miss it though. i feel very empty without my writing time each day.
it's weird.
hopefully soon life will get back to normal and Elijah and i will see our daddy again and the summer will be as fun and carefree as it's supposed to be.
but not until next week is over...
BAAAH!!!
{my going crazy sound :)}
i really do appreciate your emails and comments though and i'm so sorry i've been distant.
i promise i read every single one of them and will reply to them soon enough.
thank you for your patience this week!
linking up with
Girls Camp: Mission Possible
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| always need a goofy pose |
i had the incredible opportunity last week to go my church's Girls Camp.
it was the first time i had attended camp since i was a girl myself and it was definitely an interesting, amazing, incredible, life-changing experience.
there were moments of complete clarity & inspiration and others of exhaustion & frustration.
but mostly the feeling i had the whole time was overwhelming love for these girls.
my life is changed from their sweet spirits and example.
i'm in awe {and frankly quite jealous} of their strong faith & testimonies.
they know who they are and they stand strong in their beliefs.
there is no way i was like that when i was their age...
in fact, i'm pretty sure i still am not like that.
but being around them makes me want to be a better person
and to hopefully turn out at least one-quarter of amazing as they are.
if you ever have an opportunity to work with the youth, i HIGHLY recommend it!!
it is one of the best experiences i have ever had.
and they truly have made my life better just by being near them.
[you girls keep me young! oh, i love ya so much!]
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| busting out random dance moves. a common occurrence up at camp :) |
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| 2 Legit 2 Quit!! |
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