My Faucet Extender Review

Right before Christmas I received this product. 

It's called the Faucet Extender. 

My boys are still little and are finding it difficult to reach the faucet to wash hands. This often results in poor hand washing. I've noticed over the past few months they have stayed more sick than previous months. So... I wondered if washing their hands were made easier, would it cut down on the germs? 

I quickly placed it on his bathroom faucet and asked him to wash his hands normally. He struggled as he stood on his tippy toes to reach the water. So I asked him to wash them with the facet extender on. As you can see from the pictures his feet are flat and he looks pretty comfortable washing his hands. 

All in all I am impressed with my new gadget. As a mom, I try to find products that make not only my life easier, but life easier for the kids. This product does that! 

You can find your own life saver, errr, faucet extender by CLICKING HERE!!!  

#faucetextender

Changes and Changes

We recently moved again and it dawned on me that I had never posted the old house. I plan to keep most of the same kind of decor but change things up just a tad here in the new place. I'm excited and ready to get my hands dirty. In the move I found a few pieces of furniture that I hadn't yet put some paint on so that will be happening soon! 

The old house was white. Okay, maybe white isn't the right word. 

It had white dirty trim. 

White dirty walls. 

White doors. 

White white white everywhere. 

After a lot of hard work, we made the place our home. 

Here are some after pictures! 

Our fireplace. I loved this part of the house! I never did get around to
changing out the picture in the middle. 

Boys bathroom. I found this towel hook at Kirklands.
We used it for mostly towels but as you can see it worked
fabulous for drying bathing suits too! 

The living room. The carpet was stained and a nasty brown but we were renting so nothing could
be done about that. Everyone has a treadmill in their living room/dinning room, right? 

Probably my favorite room to paint and put together. Anniston's nursery.
I made the bow holder out of a large picture frame and ribbon. I added hooks on the bottom
so I could hang her headbands. Turned out fabulous! 

Anniston enjoying her tee/ 

Hot pink dresser? Yes please! This dresser is not real wood and I had tried to paint it several times with regular paint and failed miserably. I used chalk paint this go around it turned out AWESOME!!!
I had an old canvas with a terrible print on it that I bought for $2.00 at Goodwill I painted white and spelled out Annistons name on. Used puff paint and glitter to write her name and called it a day. Total cost for dresser and canvas- $15.00.

Here are the before

pictures of the dresser. It belonged to my husband before we got married and aside from the knobs and it being ugly, it was a solid dresser. 

Please keep checking back for more before and afters from the new house! It's already full of so much charm and I can't wait to show you guys where we call home! 

10 years

Today marks 10 years since I married my husband. 

We don't have a love story that would be deemed romantic by facebook. 

We met and married within 4 months and some would say we married because I got pregnant. Truth is, we knew before then that we were going to end up spending our lives together. 

I married him before I knew his quirks. I married him before I knew he snored so loud that I would be awoken from my deep slumber.

 I married him because I just knew he was my one. 

We don't have a part in the 10 years that jolted our marriage so hard that we found each other all over again and came back stronger. We haven't dealt with any infidelity or falling out of love with each other. We are, and have been, just two people who got married because we loved each other and knew we wanted to grow old together. Truth is, everyday life has been kind of stressful. Adding 5 kids to our marriage has added stress that we have figured out together. We have worked through the everyday stresses, the hustle and bustle of marriage and we have figured out the quirks that some marriages dissolve over. And it's made us stronger. And more in love. 

Do I love him more today than I did 10 years ago?

You better believe it. 

He is my better half? 

Yes, he's the best part of me. 

How our marriage has worked for 10 years isn't a big secret or mystery. It's actually VERY simple. 

We love each other. And we work everyday, through the tiniest of things to always show love to each other. We don't take for granted that in the world we live in now it's acceptable to just "fall out of love" and divorce without any judgement. We know that it's easier to just leave when things get tough but we made a promise to each other 10 years ago that we would do this together. We promised to stick it out, fix broken things- not throw it away, and to just be there for each other. 

Happy 10 years my love.... Thanks for sticking it out with me. 

Rain brings out emotions

 It's Wednesday. 

Hump day. 

And it's raining. 

I know I'm not alone that rain brings out those depressing and/or sappy thoughts that you really don't like to feel. 

I'd never survive in Seattle. 

Today I'm thinking about how much has changed in the past couple of years. 

Two years ago I was deep in ppd. 

I was struggling to figure out who I had become and how to pull myself out of it. 

I was angry. 

I was sad. 

I was emotional. 

I was everything but happy.

PPD was really kicking my butt and I felt so alone. 

I was living in SC away from all friends or family that could give the help they so desperately wanted to give. 

But..

My best friend sent me a peace lily. 

Her card was simple. 

The baby peace lily. 

"My sweet friend, I hope every time you look at this plant, you feel peace and overwhelming joy. Read Psalm 18: 32-36. I love you. Love, Spoon" 

"It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. 

He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has 

made me great. You provide a broad path for my feet,

³⁶ 

    so that my ankles do not give way. " 

At that point in my life I didn't think God could fix the mess my life was at that moment. 

But I read the verse almost daily. 

And as my plant grew, so did I. 

Today, my peace lily is so big it desperately needs a new pot. 

And I am reminded that with each day I water and nurse this little buddy to great health, God is doing the same to me. 

When I forget to water it, it wilts. 

When I get to busy trying to keep my life from falling apart and miss my own spiritual watering, 

I too wilt. 

Not a baby peace lily anymore! 

I am thankful today for friendships. New ones and old ones alike. I'm thankful for those friends that are no longer a part of my life other than a memory. And I still pray for them. 

I'm praying for the new friends too. I want to be a good solid Godly influence in their life. 

And I pray for the friends who I haven't met yet. Friends that will be there for a season of my life that hasn't happened yet. I hope I am the friend THEY need as much as they will be the friend I need. 

As I get things finished up for our move this weekend, I find myself becoming overwhelmed with all that needs to be done and I so easily forget that these are blessings and meant to be loved and enjoyed. So today, I probably wont pack near as much as I need too but I will enjoy all the many blessings around me. Each box I do pack will have a little bit of love and thankfulness poured in it before it's tapped shut and labeled. 

Today, I will pass this peace lily, which sits on my kitchen table, well over 500 times.

And today my spoon, I will thank you, well over 500 times, for the reminder that Gods love is great. 

What I learned by volunteering at my kids school

I signed up for PTO when my boys moved to a new school. 

Yesterday I went to the school to help with grandparents lunch. 

All I had to do was sit for an hour and take up money from grandparents who have chosen to eat with their sweet precious grand babies. 

But instead of just seeing grandparents excited about seeing their grandchildren that day, I saw what I always wondered happened during school hours. 

I was hidden behind a wall so 99% of the things that I witnessed left me out of their view. I knew these same things were done daily. With or without visitors there. 

I saw the principal walking the halls and hugging every single child that she met. I don't know how she did it but she knew every one of their names and sometimes even details of their life which she also asked about. 

I saw teachers of younger grades walking their current class to centers, or lunch, or where ever and giving a silent high five to their old students as they passed them in the hall. 

I watched as children after children walked into the nurses office and heard her gently tell each one that she was sorry they felt bad. She did what I always hoped a school nurse would do since I wasn't there. She told them it was alright and tried her best to make each and every child feel better. Some left and went back to class and others waited for their parents to come get them. 

(And now I know why my kids like going to her office so much) 

I saw students helping other students. A tiny little girl who left the nurses office dropped her agenda in the hall way and without hesitation another child, probably no more than 2nd grade, came rushing over to help her pick it back up. 

I think all parents wish they knew what happens at school. I know I do. But what I want you to know about our school, Demorest Elementary, is that our children are shown love. They are shown gentleness, respect, and kindness. 

I wish everyone who had a child at the school could experience what I experienced yesterday. It was the shortest hour of my life and I left feeling so proud that my children will get to go there for the coming years. For the parents who can, JOIN PTO! It's not a burden! It's truly a blessing! 

It's like a tiny sneak peak at what your babies do during the day and it helps us all stay connected. I have met several other PTO members at meetings and working at the school on days like these and I have always left feeling blessed. 

To our principal, Dr. Yearwood, 

I have no idea how you do it. Some days I can't even remember my own 5 kids names and somehow you called at least 10 kids by the correct name in just one walk down the hall. You gave my son a hug. You didn't see me. You asked about his day. And you seemed genuinely excited when he told you he was having a great day. It was a total of one minute from the time you said "Good Morning Brennon" to the time you said "I hope this day gets even better!" but it has stayed with me for well over 24 hours. I smile when I think about what you do for these children. I wont tell you enough this year, or next year or the year after that, but Thank you. Thank you for all you do. 

To our school nurse, 

I talk to you way too much this year but I wanted to acknowledge what you do. I watched and heard you do what most moms want to do when their child starts to feel bad. You are gentle with them. Your voice never raises. (or didn't during my hour there) Sick kids are tough man. Perfectly well children who think they are sick (or sick of sitting in class) are even tougher. But you handled each child with such grace. I don't know how you send kids back to class not in tears but I think it's ubber impressive. I haven't figured out a nice way to say "You're faking it" so I'll be requesting lessons and taking notes this year because you are a total pro. 

I can't possibly address every teacher I saw. To be honest, I think I only knew 1 by name. (I'm horrible with names) but you guys rock too! 

I know everyone thinks their school is awesome but I really think ours is the best! 

And I had some pretty high expectations coming into this school from our previous one. (Which is the best school in SC) 

Dear Anna Duggar. You ARE good enough.

I read an article listing the reasons married women who are cheated on stay with their spouse. 

One of the reasons was that they felt like they weren't good enough for their husband. Even stating that women often feel like they did something wrong or they lack self esteem. 

You can read it here

I have been cheated on. I can't say I know exactly how you feel because it wasn't by my husband. But someone I cared about, and someone of which I loved enough to marry. I know the hurt you are feeling right now. I know the anger you are feeling. I know the reasons of "why" that are passing through your head faster than you can process. I know how alone you feel. I know how embarrassed you feel. I know that your mind is trying to grasp what news you just heard. I know how you want to hate him but can't because as much as it sucks right now, you really do love him. 

But let me tell you this. All your feelings are real and all those feelings are exactly how you are supposed to feel to news like this. Processing it takes time. Sometimes years. You will think you have forgiven him only to realize that you really haven't. He will have to earn that trust back. Trust that HE ripped from your relationship. You will question every move he makes. The thought of him touching you again will make you want to throw up yet your body will ache for him to hold you like he did before he cheated. It's a cycle of emotions that turn your life inside your own head upside down. More than the actual infidelity did. You will question what the words "I love you" really mean because in your mind loving someone means never hurting them as much as he has hurt you. You will question everything. And it's going to suck. A lot. 

I know your faith is a rock for you. My sweet Anna, hold onto that rock with all your might. It's going to be your life line. Josh is a human. And even though this mistake seems so much worse than anything you can imagine right now, God will forgive him just as quickly as if he killed someone (which I know right now feels like he did just that). If asked God will forget his sins and it will never be held against him. I know what you're thinking after reading that... "If only I were more like Christ!" "I can't do that!!" And it's true. You can't. We strive to be Christlike in our time here on earth but at the end of the day we are human. Hatred and disgust will fill your heart no matter how much you try to feel differently. Pray that God keeps your heart soft. Pray that God gives you a forgiving heart. Pray that God gives you the strength to forgive Josh like He would forgive him. And then pray for the ability to love him the same. Because that may be the hardest part. 

And know that for every tear that falls from your face you have half the world crying with you. Hurting with you. Praying with you. 

It may seem right now that you won't survive this but you will and you'll be stronger when you make it to the other side. Through this entire process please remember that You ARE good enough. Never let that sentence slip from your thought. Keep it up front. Say it everyday until you believe it. Because it's true. You ARE good enough, Anna. 

Happy Fathers Day From Your Baby Girl

This year on Fathers Day I'm only 17 months old so I can't really write you so with mommy's help, I'll do what I can. 

Dear Daddy, 

 Thank you for being such a good daddy. You are showing me early on what kind of man I want to marry. I know being a daddy is hard work. And I know we drive you crazy most days. But you are doing an awesome job! Thank you for rocking me to sleep on the days you are off. Speaking of work, thank you for working so hard for me daddy. I know you don't want to leave me. I can feel your hugs are a little tighter when you leave me. And don't worry, I may be really little but I'll always remember the extra sprints up the staircase just to steal one more slobbery kiss from me. I'll also remember that you tell me you love me at least 5 times as you walk out the door. I probably wont understand completely how much it hurts to leave your baby until I have kids of my own and I wont tell you thank you nearly enough so I'll tell you I'm sorry for that now. I hope I find a husband just like you daddy. I want my husband to love me like you love mommy. And I want him to love his babies like you love us. 

You are the best daddy in the whole wide world and I wouldn't pick any other daddy in this world but you to be my daddy. 

I love you daddy. 

Love, Anniston 

PS. The boys wrote their own letters and put them with your fathers day gifts. Mom said we couldn't put names on the gifts but just between you and I, I picked the best gift. ;)