Even If You Didn't Give Birth

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

Some days I'm a crystal ball; 'Where's my other sock?, Where's my phone?, What's for dinner?'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: 1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. 2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. 3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. 4) The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was Almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.

No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, he'd say, 'You're gonna love it there...'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.-Author unknown

 Even if you've never given "birth"

Even if you aren't married

No matter your age

If you have made a difference in the life of a child, a teen, a young man or young woman

I say

Happy Mother's Day to YOU!!

Because it takes a LOT more than giving birth to be a MOTHER

TO ALL THE AUNTIES, GRAMMIES, MIMAWS, SISTERS, AND MOMS OUT THERE!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO YOU

  (Mother, my brother and me-Mexican passport photo) 

xoxo

Patty 

 

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Do It Yourself {DIY Subway Dresser}

I've been putting this project off for a looooong time.

I've had the stencils cut out, the paint all mixed up and the dresser ready to go. 

I just didn't feel like doing it.

You ever have one of those....years?

A little background on this dresser. This was a Goodwill find. 10 years ago. 

It started out as a little girl's dresser. The type one would find at Sears. It had a laminate top and seashells on the front drawers. 

My hubby went to work on it and removed the seashells and stripped the top of the laminate. 

I painted it in a distressed pattern and used it as a changing table. 

Then, when we moved into this house, I painted it again with a horrible brown paint. 

I've hated it ever since but have been too lazy to do anything with it.

  

 {you can barely see it here^^}

My little guy has a thing for planes. WWII planes to be exact. 

I thought of doing a subway type design on the front of the dresser to go along with a plane theme.

And here it is!

 I love it!

My little guy loves it!

And it only took a year. HA!

Well, not exactly. I polished it off in one Saturday. I cut out the stencils with my Cricut and mixed my own chalk paint.

I then stenciled on the names of the major world airports with Old Ochre chalk paint by Annie Sloan.

The drawer pulls were already bought. Except I couldn't find two! Aggh.

I am planning on painting a huge WWII bomber plane on a giant canvas I bought and hanging it over the dresser.

I hope you enjoyed reading this update.

Won't you consider sharing it with your friends?

Also, don't forget to enter my current giveaway featured on the top right hand side for the Hello! Cupcake cookbook.

Have a great week!

xoxo 

Patty

linking up to:
Skip to my Lou 
home storiez a to z 
between naps on the porch 
under the table and dreaming 

                    

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Get Your Jog On!

 This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Graco.

Hello, hello!

My sweet peeps, it's the end of another weekend. And are you just as sad as I am that we're almost at the end of April?

I'm sad because of the hot weather that's upon us in the South.

Granted, it's been preettty cool here the last few days, thank goodness!

But you know with nicer weather comes the chance to go out and get some exercise. I am planning on getting out more and taking walks to lose some of this weight. And what better way to incorporate weight loss and quality time with the kiddos than by bringing them along!

If you have little ones, you know how important it is to bring them along in a good quality stroller. A stroller that is comfortable enough for you to jog or walk, but comfy for baby or toddler too. 

I have the good fortune to review the brand new, GracoBaby FastAction Jogger. Let me tell you this is a beaut!

So easy to put together right out of the box we were ready to go. Everything just snaps and clicks on.

Here's what mine looks like just a few minutes after I took it out of its box.

      Here's a little more info about this awesome jogger straight from Graco:

 

FastAction™ Fold Jogger Click Connect™ Stroller
Graco’s NEW jogger is the ultimate crossover stroller, combining all the comfort and convenience features of a traditional stroller with performance and maneuverability of an all-terrain jogger.

Air-filled, rubber tires provide a smooth ride for baby and a lockable front swivel wheel offers parents an easy transition from strolling to jogging. Locking the front wheel provides added stability while jogging while unlocking the swivel wheel allows for extra maneuverability on daily strolls. In addition, this jogger features the one-second FastAction fold for easy storage and transport – perfect for parents on-the-go! -

Some of its features:

·  Accepts all Graco® Click Connect™ infant car seats with a secure one-step attachment

·  One-second, one-hand fold has an automatic storage lock and is self-standing when folded

·  Air-filled rubber tires offer suspension

·  Locking front swivel wheel provides an easy transition from daily strolling to jogging

·  Multi-position reclining seat for baby's comfort

·  Deluxe parent's tray features a unique smartphone cradle for your phone or MP3 player, 2 deep cup   holders and a covered storage compartment

·  Extra-large, expandable canopy with peek-a-boo window keeps your child shaded

·  Extra-large storage basket to hold all your essentials

·  Reflectors for added low-light visibility

·  Child’s tray with cup holder pivots or removes for no-fuss stroller entry

·  Convertible 3 or 5-point harness grows with your child 

If you would like to see a video on how easy it is to fold this jogger go to this link:

Graco Fast Action Video 

Air-filled, rubber tires provide a smooth ride for baby and a lockable front swivel wheel offers parents an easy transition from strolling to jogging. Locking the front wheel provides added stability while jogging while unlocking the swivel wheel allows for extra maneuverability on daily strolls. In addition, this jogger features the one-second FastAction fold for easy storage and transport – perfect for parents on-the-go! - See more at: http://www.gracobaby.com/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1839420#sthash.EaRDPzJq.dpuf

You can find out more here:  http://bit.ly/UJOMAl

Air-filled, rubber tires provide a smooth ride for baby and a lockable front swivel wheel offers parents an easy transition from strolling to jogging. Locking the front wheel provides added stability while jogging while unlocking the swivel wheel allows for extra maneuverability on daily strolls. In addition, this jogger features the one-second FastAction fold for easy storage and transport – perfect for parents on-the-go! - See more at: http://www.gracobaby.com/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1839420#sthash.EaRDPzJq.dpuf

Air-filled, rubber tires provide a smooth ride for baby and a lockable front swivel wheel offers parents an easy transition from strolling to jogging. Locking the front wheel provides added stability while jogging while unlocking the swivel wheel allows for extra maneuverability on daily strolls. In addition, this jogger features the one-second FastAction fold for easy storage and transport – perfect for parents on-the-go! - See more at: http://www.gracobaby.com/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1839420#sthash.EaRDPzJq.dpuf

 What I really like is the ease and maneuverability of this stroller.It also features a cool nook for your smartphone right on the top and plenty of cup holders for you and baby! Another great feature is the one hand pull to close action. So easy and convenient when you've got your hands full! 

 (image: Graco)

The car seat clicks easily in and out of the jogger and its base. I so wish they had this type of jogger when my first baby was born 21 years ago!

I can't wait to go out and jog and get fit together with my little guy. 

You can find this great jogging stroller at major baby stores such as Babies R Us. I'll be  back tomorrow to share a cool new project that I (finally) completed.

In the meantime, what's the one item you would recommend to your friends and family as a must have for new moms?

Leave a comment below.

Have a great week.

xoxo

Patty   

This post is sponsored by Graco. I received a Graco FastAction Jogger from Graco. All opinions are mine.   

  

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