Category: relationships

Tug-o-War

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As a parent we sometimes feel just a little bit uncertain on how to approach certain situations regarding how your kids are going to react to it. That is perfectly spot on for most of us, to be honest for me I really try to do my best at preparing my kiddos but usually fail miserably. This is because I overthink the situation or I overstep. Allowing our kids to grow and learn is important. Hovering over them and constantly dictating how they should react or just act in a situation can be more harmful than helpful. I say this because I am definitely learning this with my ten year old, he is so ambitious, and very particular about many things. I have had to really take a step back and talk more with him about situations so he can make the better choice instead of me making it for him. For instance, like when he upset with his brother, how should he handle it… should he fight back by hitting or coming and talking to mommy and daddy about it so we can help him? This topic has just been really heavy on my heart because I see so many parents trying to overwhelm their children and themselves because they are holding on and fighting for so much control. Just like tug o war you fight for to much control they are going to resist and fight back. Go with the flow, allow your kids to experience, live, have fun…with boundaries of course, just understand you have to be able to let them be kids.

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Understanding Autism

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Being a parent can be very difficult especially if you add autism to the mix. For me that is a challenge, one I am not too fond of. Today I find out if my third son is on the spectrum, which in a Way makes me nervous. If he is diagnosed that will make it three for three. I have five kids, three boys and two girls. None of my boys have escaped the burden of autism so far and the first screening we had with our last was not good at all.

It is so discouraging at times to watch my sons struggle everyday. My nine year old struggles the most and it just breaks my heart. Knowing that he gets bullied at school doesn’t help at all either. It is definitely a hard transition for my babies when it comes to interacting with their peers, strangers, or other social experiences. It’s sad to watch them get overwhelmed when I take them out into the store knowing many are probably viewing him as a bad kid and not one that needs comfort and understanding.

My goal here is to help bring awareness for Autism. So many don’t understand it!!! I hate when people say ‘they don’t look autistic’, well no duh, Autism is so much more involved. Every child, adult, person is different on the spectrum. First ask questions, do research but don’t judge. Until you know the struggle and heartache just pray and be more understanding. Also feel free to check out my website, The Family Way

Can’t Believe it is Almost Fall

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Fall is literally around the corner. Yikes! It seems like just yesterday we were just abandoning winter for Spring and summer. Time is truly flying like it normally does. Kids are back in school, normalcy is starting to arrive once again. Too funny on my part though, I am absolutely not used to the quiet that is going on in my house. Usually I have five and now only two at home because the rest are back in school. It is funny, there are days where I even feel out of place because I am so used to the madness.

Looks like I am going to be getting back into my freelancing and novel writing again. During the summer it seems like my groove just gets thrown off. So looking forward to the holiday season too. This is literally my favorite time of the year. The decorations, emotions, and all together awesomeness of Fall is absolutely epic in my book!

Here are some pics to brighten your day!

Date Night with the Spouse

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The other night I posted a blog relating to spending time with your little ones by having  a movie night!  Well now I am going to touch base on making time for your spouse.  It is important to focus on your spouse even when you have kids.  Trust me I know it can be difficult especially if you aren’t used to multi-tasking and don’t have any time management skills.  What I do is normally send the kids to bed at their normal bedtime which is between 8-8:30.  Once they are in bed me and my husband talk about movie options, we make sure we have snacks available to enjoy as we watch the movie also.  Normally we pick a movie we both like but there are times we also take turns of who gets to pick the movie next.

This is a great way to bond with your spouse.  I call it our date night and it works, at least for us.  Sometimes we will even play board games, write together, even just sit down and talk and eat together.  It is important to make time with your spouse and the evenings are a great chance to do that.  For our schedule it definitely works but I understand that everyone is different and may have unusual work schedules.

It is healthy in a marriage to make sure you are connecting with your spouse.  I am sad to say I have witnessed so many divorces over the last eleven years that me and my husband have been married.  Most of them only lasting between two to four years.  It has been a mission that I have been trying to pursue since I have noticed the drastic incline of divorce rates since we got married.  Another factor I would encourage to help with growing a healthy marriage is communication.   Make sure you and your spouse are talking to each other, it helps build a much stronger bond between the two of you and you start to understand your partner much better than before.  Hope these little tid-bits help.grass-2601662__480

This is Us

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Love at First Sight

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It’s hard to believe it has been eleven years already.  Me and my husband, Billy, got married June 2nd of 2007; Personally it feels like it has been less time than that but nope it has literally been eleven years.  Can’t believe during that time we have become parents of five amazing kids which have stolen our hearts and minds lol. During those years we have gone on many adventures, we have been through a lot personally and I feel like life has just been absolutely amazing.

God knew exactly what He was doing when he placed Billy into my life.  It’s a funny story how we met, one of my favorite ones to talk about.  It all started when I was sixteen, looking for a job to be exact.  I had an interview at Hollywood video across from the mall known as North Park there in Jackson, Mississippi.  When I went in for the interview they needed to reschedule due to the Manager being called away.  At that time I was bummed but what happened next was no coincidence.  Me and my family decided to go to the mall, it was kind of a tradition for me and my siblings to wander the mall on Saturdays.  Well I went into the bookstore called B. Dalton, a smaller version of Barnes and Noble basically.  They weren’t hiring but I decided to humor myself and apply, so I did.  After that I went home and didn’t think anything of it.  The next day I get a phone call asking me to come in Monday with all my credentials for an interview.  When I got that phone call I was stunned, I went in to check it out and was hired on the spot.  A week goes by, Billy was out of the store due to personal leave, he came back and that is when I met my husband for the first time.  It was so weird because I knew there was something about him, I fell for him almost immediately.   Love is such a funny thing and honestly this is only the beginning of how our relationship began.  For the next few weeks I will be blogging about how our relationship bloomed and how love is such a precious gift.

Life is like a Box of Chocolate

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It’s funny as an adult to think of the phrase “Life is like a box of chocolate’s you never know what you are going to get.”  That statement was made by Forrest Gump in the movie “Forrest Gump”.  As a child it went over my head and I never really connected with that statement, now that I am an adult I see how true it is.  Life is full of many twists and turns and you never really know where you are going to end up.  Today I was thnking about all the many different routes my life could have taken due to choices that were laid on my lap when I was younger.  Life is like a path with many different directions or a river with many different currents.  It’s interesting to think about all the many different choices and paths that could have been but weren’t because of the path you chose already.

Life is like a box of chocolates, we don’t know what will happen the next day, moment, or year from now.  There are so many different scenarios that can result from one choice that was made and you don’t know which one is going to when the lottery for that day.  To be honest I enjoy not knowing, living life with laughter and joy without knowing what is going to happen next makes life more exciting in my opinion.  Just like in the featured picture for this post, my youngest son is holding an Easter egg full of candy.  Until he opens it he doesn’t know what kind is in it.   Life is amazing and is like a roller coaster that gives you so much of thrill and excitement.  Live life to the fullest, you never know when your journey is going to end.  Live. Laugh. Make Memories.

Pictures Worth a 1000 Words

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Motherhood in a snapshot!

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Love is a Funny Thing

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Love is a funny thing, it makes you do insane things. Thinking straight is out of the question, logic becomes cloudy, and you lose yourself in all the bliss it brings.  It is something that can’t be tossed aside so easily.  Love takes effort, understanding, patience, endurance, and humbleness to work.

When I met my husband for the first time I knew something was special about him.  it is so fun when you begin dating, exploring the differences and similarities, along with getting to know the person you really like.  Falling in Love is a process one that takes time.

My husband jokes a lot that I am his distraction.  As I stated before love can make you do crazy things.  Love can make you blind lol, you see life in a whole new way than the reality.  Love is such a beautiful emotion, act among two people. Once you find it, hold onto it because it is such a precious gift once found.  Love hard, laugh always, and make  endless memories.

 

The Little Things

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mommy and jewelLast year was full of adventures just like this year is starting to blossom.  We brought in the New Year with our newest addition to our growing family, Jewel Florence Bennett, who was born January 15th.  Having five kids has definitely taught me that patience is a definite necessity to keeping a cool on the craziest of moments.  Personally it is such a joy as a mother to see all my kids be so attentive and active with each other.

Change has never been my strength which has been something I have been having to deal with for the last three years.  I feel like I have grown and matured so much from all the hurdles that we as a family have had to endure.  Losing loved ones, illness, and many other struggles have really pushed us in so many directions but in the end God has brought us through all these tough times.

I have really enjoyed learning and growing from everything I have personally have had to face over the last few years.  Taking one day at a time is a true benefit that most of us don’t take advantage of.  I learned the hard way that stressing over things that are out of my control or are far off will only bring stress and emotionally drain me causing me to be apathetic at times.

Enjoying the time you have with your family, laughing at the funny and crazy moments, embracing the difficult and trying times, and giving your all is what life should be all about.  Watching my kids play, being silly, making and discovering new things, making memories, and just being kids is what reminds me of how blessed I am.  It also reminds me that I should take it all in because time doesn’t stand still, it passes so quickly.  If we worry about the little stuff and stress we are going to miss out on the greatest moments that are right in front of us.