Mother's Day Post Part One: Influential Women From My Past

Mother's Day is coming up on us pretty quickly. I've decided to do a two-part post dedicated to the women of my past and those mothers in my present life who help guide me and inspire me. Today is dedicated to the women of my past.

Most of the women on this list will not suspect a thing. They had no idea that they have shaped me into who I am. They got me through hard times without even knowing it.
So here we go.

Mom:
Of course she's on here. Good or bad, I am who I am because of her. I've already shared my stories about her on here, so I don't feel like I need to go any farther. I do love her, and I know she did the best she thought she could. She'll be coming to live with us again for two years. I'm hoping that now we can have the relationship I had always wanted.

Miranda (my sister):
She was truly my mother growing up. I didn't realize that though until my adult life. I always thought of her as the nagging sister when I was younger. However, now I see that she had a responsibility that I couldn't understand with having to raise me. She's only 7 years older than me, so she was learning as she went. I am forever grateful that she put her life to the side to take care of me. I owe her so much and I love her more than words can say.

My Gran:
Boy, did we butt heads! She was insanely intelligent and could have been successful in many careers, but she chose to stay home to raise her family. She always had a spotless house, cookies made, and could whip up a meal for a large group like it was nothing. I wasn't as impressed with that as I am now. Now I know how seemingly impossible that was! We lost her in '07 and I wish I had her around now. I have so many questions to ask! I still find myself dialing her number when something exciting happens or when I have a cooking question.

My Grandma:
We lost her in'06. As a child, I didn't appreciate her as much as I could have. I also didn't get to see her as much as I should have. However, when I turned into a teenager, I learned my appreciation for her. We would go to flea markets and garage sales. When Josh was deployed, I would go for long drives in the middle of the night and then stop by her house at one or two in the morning. She had cancer and was awake because of the pain. We would sit and pray together, watch tv and she would just hold me while I cried. She always prayed like she was talking to a friend, which taught me that God indeed was a friend who you could reach out to when you couldn't hold it together. I miss her more and more the older I get. I am so grateful that we were able to mend thing before she passed away. Remind me to write a post about the tornado and my grandma. It was insane.

My Aunt Darlene:
I can't say that I ever truly knew her. However, she was one of the women that I watched and quietly learned from. She is a God-Fearing woman who went to church any chance she got. Her home was perfect and she loved to craft. She was a true Southern woman. I remember wanting to be like her when I grew up. She seemed flawless.

Mrs. Harness (my high school oral comm teacher):
I. Just. Love. Her.
She is one of the women who will have no idea what she did for me. She is so creative, positive, and a coffee junkie.
When I was in High School, I was in an incredibly abusive relationship with a boy, physically but mostly mentally. No one knew. No one. Most of you still don't know until now. I put on a ton of weight and my grades dropped. I quit caring about anything. The kids at school would make up rumors and talk about me, but no one bothered to ask what was wrong.
I had two teachers that got me through it. My choir teacher, Mr. Street (you'll hear more about him in my father's day posts) and Mo (Mrs. Harness)
She had no idea, but her positivity was a bright spot in my day. She made me believe that I was worth something. She complimented me and made me feel safe. I could be creative without being told I I was stupid. I felt like I could be anyone I wanted in her class without judgement. She is truly one of the best teachers and people I have ever met. I'm lucky that she has Facebook so we're able to connect now. Thank you, Mo, for saving me.

My Aunt Missy:
She has raised three well-rounded children, has an amazing career, and has loved my uncle for many years. She kind of has it all. But that's not why I love her. She accomplished all of those things while maintaining an unnatural grace and calmness about her. She's hilarious, blunt, and has such a welcoming air about her. She helped Josh and me buy our first home a few years ago. She guided us through everything. That was so nice, because that's a huge step and neither of our parents were involved in the process. I felt at ease because of her. Thank you, Missy, for making me want to strive to have it all, for making me feel wanted and safe as a child. I can never repay you.

My Aunt Beth:
Oh goodness, where to start. As a child, my mom told me constantly that we were white trash and no one liked us because of it. So of course, anytime I went to any gathering on my dad's side, I just assumed no one could love white trash, so no one there would love me. Beth welcomed me into her home and always treated me the same as her kids. She was the person who made me realize that my mom was wrong; That I could be loved no matter what situation I came from. I was equal, not beneath. Beth is another hilarious aunt (especially when you get her and Missy together). She also is very blunt. Her home was immaculate and she has such good taste. To this day, she I one of the classiest women I know. I miss getting to see her as much now. Thank you, Beth, for making me realize that I was more than a stereotype.

My Aunt Stephenie:
I have always wanted to have the marriage that she and my uncle have. It's forgiving, fun, and loving. They both know each other so well and my memories of her always have her with a smile on her face. That's pretty incredible, right? 26 years of memories an only one or two don't include her laughing or smiling. She loves God and her family. She's got so many positive things going on for her, yet she's so incredibly humble. Thank you, Stephenie for teaching me to laugh more than anything and for setting a good example of marriage for Josh and I to follow.

And finally,
Michell (my childhood best friend's mom):
Randi was my partner in crime as a child. Oh, the adventures that we had! Her mama was Michell. She was the mom that I wished I had. Randi had chores, a set dinner time, and rules. Those are things that you would think a child wouldn't want, but I wanted it so much! It was a schedule. Randi always knew what was going to happen next. I never had that. She always dressed Randi in the cutest clothes and would fix her hair. Michell was so kind to me when she could have just written me off as a trouble child. She would invite me to dinner and sleepovers. There was one in particular where one of the girls said something that hurt my feelings and Michelle just sat me in her lap, stroked my hair, and rocked me. I didn't get that at home. Thank you, Michell for making me feel "normal". You'll never know how much those moments where you held me like your own child meant for me.

Alright, now that I'm in tears, I'm going to wrap this post up.

Thank you to all the women who loved me even when I didn't always deserve it, and Happy Mother's Day.

Things I'm Obsessed With: Spring/Summer Edition

Technically it's Spring here in Arkansas although it feels like Winter at night and Summer during the day. Therefore, I have meshed my Spring and Summer Obsessed with post together. The transition in our neck of the woods is a quick one, so I'm killing two birds with one stone today.

First up, music of course!

Cher Lloyd's With Ur Love-
It's peppy and addictive; You can't help but get into it!

 Imagine Dragons- Radioactive
I'll admit, I've only listened to Radioactive on this album. It's lyrics caught my ear the other day when I was cleaning out the Jeep. I actually stopped what I was doing to pay attention. It's not happy, but it moved me, so there ya go!

 Fall Out Boy's- Light 'Em Up
Yet another addictive song. Josh and I are Fall Out Boy fans from long ago. In fact, we have both agreed that "our song" is Sugar We're Goin' Down Swingin'. Not for any particular reason other than hearing it takes us right back to those warm and fuzzies when we first met. This song is particularly good driving music.

Zac Brown Band-
ANY of their albums are a must in the summer! The beachy, southern feel to all of their albums just makes me want to roll the windows down and open the sunroof!

Which leads me to my next obsession:
My sunroof! I have ALWAYS wanted a vehicle that had a sunroof. I had always envied seeing those people driving their SUVs with the sun shining on them and light pouring in from everywhere. I was thrilled last year when we purchased my dream car. It's a white Jeep commander with tan interior, a sunroof, and two moon roofs in the back. I was in heaven until the first rain came. The sunroof leaked and would leave inches of water in my floorboard. I was so sad until a few days ago when Josh was like, "I was researching and I think the drains are clogged." One google search later and a ten minute fix, we have no more leaks! Now, I can open it up and giggle knowing that everything is good and well with my baby.

Next up, anything coconut scented.
I can't stand the taste of coconuts... like, at all. However, the smells of coconut lotions, shampoos, body washes, body sprays gets me geared up to head out in the sun. I picture myself as a 5'8, bronze goddess when I smell like coconuts. Obviously, I'm a 4'11, kind of tan lady. I don't know why it makes me feel that way, but if it makes me feel that good, then more power to it!

Sweet Tea!
Don't tell me you didn't see this coming! It's a Southern staple, y'all! It can be served at any gathering, in any kind of container. What a versatile drink, right? I personally only put 1 cup of sugar in mine but Josh's mom (who's from Georgia) puts 2 or more in there.

Front Porches-
There's something about drinking a glass of wine in the evenings on your front porch in the summer. Listening to the katydids, feeling the breeze, watching nature, and just chatting the night away. It's Heaven on Earth. I wish our front porch could accommodate a porch swing, but it's not built for that. We do, however, have a porch swing hanging off our apple tree, so that's where I do my relaxing.

Creeks-
Okay, I know most people prefer swimming pools although I'm not sure why. To our family, nothing beats a good swimming hole at a creek. There's so much nature to investigate for the kids, there's currents to raft down, there's fishing, bluffs to jump off of, and rope swings. Can you really do all that in a pool? Nope, didn't think so. Just do me a favor and give a shot at least once in your lifetime.

And finally, hiking.
We're so lucky that where we live is 20 minutes away from some of the best trails in the States. We have some that lead to amazing waterfalls, high bluffs, swimming holes, etc... You never know what you'll find on your path. This is one Josh and my favorite dates to go on. It's so peaceful and it's a great time to connect with one another. I just love it!

So there you have my current obsessions. I will be doing another obsessions post about why obsessed with the South, so be on the lookout!

Have a great day!
-Heather

DIY: Good Deed of the Day Dry Erase Board

The other day Sawyer and I had a challenge to see who could do the most good deeds and make the most people happy. We of course both won because who loses when you're helping other people?

Well, that inspired me to come up with a homemade dry erase award to hang in the kids' room to remind them of the great things they did that day.

It was a Dollar Store project and set me back $3 per project.

I started out with a picture frame. Nothing fancy and both glass or plastic are perfectly fine.
Next, I got decorative printer paper that had a cute border.
I printed " Good Deed of the Day" on the paper using the landscape option.
Then, I simply replaced the store picture with my new personalized paper.

At the end of the day, sit with your kiddos and have them remember some good deeds they did that day. Write them on the glass with a dry erase marker.

I have to tell you that as I was making the list for Sawyer, he started wanting more deeds to put on the list, so he picked up the living room, put away his shoes, and picked the throw pillows up off the floor.
It seems that the encouragement is already starting to work. Good luck!

Happy crafting!
-Heather

I swear I could NOT get an un-blurry picture of this thing!