Remember me

When I was in high school I was a nobody. And I was happy with that.  I didn't play sports. I wasn't involved with school council. I wasn't a loser and I wasn't  popular, but I had friends that could have been included in either category. I doubt there is anyone from high school that would ever say "I wonder what ever happened to Mandy Forsyth?" And you know what. ..it doesn't even bother me.  I am completely content with that.  I have no regrets with how I played out my high school years.

However, this past month or so has been rough. I've attended two funerals and a memorial, and it's got me thinking. When I check out of this life at 77, or 82 or 94 years old, how will I be remembered? I am no longer satisfied with being a nobody. That was fine and dandy for High School, but that no longer appeals to me. I want to have left a mark on this world. So what is it that I want people to say of me after I have passed from this life to the next?

So here's what I've been thinking(in no particular order...except the first one I want to be first said of me)

1. I want to be known as a woman of faith. I want there to be no doubt that I held dear my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That my faith in Him was my guiding force in all that I said and did. That I knew that I was a daughter of God and that my Savior lived, died and rose again so that I could return to live with him again through my faith in His name.
2. I want to be known as a woman who loved and loved deeply. Not just my own family, but all those that I held dear to my heart. I don't ever want any of them to ever wonder how much I truly loved them and how much they meant to me.
3. I want to be known as a woman who never spoke an unkind word about anyone. A woman who could always find the good in people and focus on that good.
4. I want to be know as a woman who made friends and lots of them, simply because I was pleasant to be around and could be trusted.
5. I want to be remembered for having the coolest house on the block. A place where my children's friends wanted to be. A place where parents knew their kids were safe and having a good time.
6. I want to be known as a woman who treasured the simple things in life and valued time spent with family and friends.
7. I want to be known as a mom who would do anything for her children and as a wife who respected and honoured her husband. 
8. I want to be known as a woman who valued community and was involved in trying to make her community the best it could be.

As I have thought through this list, I have come to the realization that I have some work to do. And I have noticed these past few weeks that my goals and attitudes have changed a bit as I have reflected on these points. I hope that by writing these down they will become more ingrained in my brain and continue to be a guiding light in the way that I conduct myself. 

If you happen to notice me acting contrary to these points, feel free to kick me in the butt and get me going on the right path again :)

What do you want said of you?

Let's do this thang

All 4 of Ella's bottles are currently MIA...that alone is scary, I hate finding a bottle that has been missing for a while with sour milk in it. GROSS! So I am taking this opportunity to end the bottle obsession. It isn't going to be easy. It's already been a rough morning. I don't anticipate it getting better today. But I'm just going for it. The kids will be off of school for the next week so I will have them around to help me distract her. Nights might be hard, but again because kids aren't in school, either Kathryn will be recruited to help out or I'll send her downstairs to sleep with the other kids. The hope is that she will get desperate enough to drink her milk from a sippy cup...hopefully sooner rather than later. And I finally found a sippy cup that she will drink milk from...a little bit, she hasn't yet finished off an entire sippy cup of milk yet, but she will occasionally drink her milk from it. I see this as a good sign. So wish me luck....I think we are going to need it.

Good advice, it's not all bad.

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like you have really failed as a mom?  Yeah,  me too.  Today my cousin posted about such a day on Facebook and in the comments my aunt posted this little tidbit of advice. 

" Now tell us all something you did right too. Please!? Good for you being able to admit a blowout, now can you also admit the opposite? That helps keep us sane - just knowing if we did something, anything at all worth while. And if you can't think of what it is, think of what all these loving family and friends might say it was - we all know you did many good and right things too."

This struck me right in the heart.  These were words that I needed to heart too. And I need them posted in my house. ..everywhere, to remind me that even on the crappiest days, I've done at least one thing right. It is so easy to focus on the negative, on our failures and forget to acknowledge all the things we have done that were good and kind and uplifting. 

So I'm posting this here so I can always find it and hopefully don't forget it.  And I Plan to make an effort to also post something that I have done right in the same post that I write about things I have done wrong. ..balance is key.