Beach, He-man, Hot Dog on a Stick, B-Boys, and More

Happy Monday, Blessings!!!

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

Here's the weekly recap:

1.  Half of last week was FREAKIN' gloomy and depressing...and RAIN?!?!...all I have to say is BOO ON THE WEATHER'S LIFE.

2. 2/3 of the B-Boys went to visit some of Jaden's friends from school. They live in Marina Del Rey, just walking distance from Mother's Beach...So I had to get a photo opp of the fellas with the BEST Jedi knight poses on our way to the beach...Get it, BOYS!!

3. Mary Kay ALL DAY!!...#thatisall

4. My mom wants her next dog to be a beagle...we both LOVE Snoopy...who wouldn't want Snoopy as a pet?!?...Although he'd probably be more my HOMIE than anything else...we would do ABSOLUTELY everything together...shop, eat...DANCE...but this beagle right here...is AMAZEballs HUGE...didn't know they could get this big...Not too sure I want my Snoopy to get THIS big. =/

5. Landan's first corn dog.  Yes...he ate the WHOLE corn dog.

6. Jaden GROOVIN' while eating...what??...Don't tell me YOU don't groove when your meal is the bomb...#sideeye

7.  SICK...and as of today...still sounding like General Grievous from Star Wars.

8. Sitting back waiting to see which B-Boy is going to get hurt first...I tell them ONE time to stop playing rough before someone get hurts...and after that if they choose to continue...they need only to expect one thing = CASUALTIES. #sideeye

9. Sippin' on some sizzurp!!...Limeaid...yuuuuuuuuummmmmmm.

10. Monday's lunch at the mall with the B-Boys and 1/2 of the parentals (my mom).

11. Handy Landy. You couldn't tell him NUTHIN'...he just knew that HE KNEW what HE was doing.

12. My babe getting his preachin' on...so proud of him. He did so well...well, he always does...and his analogies and applications are ALWAYS the best!...He made a reference of how the Power of the Holy Spirit is like the Power of Grey Skull (He-Man fans out there??...She-Ra??...) in how it can transform you and renew your mind just how it was only by the power of Grey Skull that Prince Adam could change into He-Man...then he had the nerve to show a clip...smh...#comedy

13. My FAVE pic of the week...my KaiBee missing his daddy.

I would love to know how everyone's week panned out...if you posted anything similar like your instagram pics of the week or your week/life in photos...linked them here so I can see and comment back.

Here's to a blessed week...

Linked to:

Monday Meet Up

Miscellany Monday

Photo Fun Monday

I'm Gonna Write a Letter...

Dear Kai,


As much as I love you and want to give you the world and a bag of chips, I CANNOT give you a new Jaden.  I know you've asked twice this week for a new one and I totally understand why.  I can't relate firsthand since I've never been a middle child, but I do know how it feels to be left out of all the fun or not wanting to be played with...Sometimes, since Jaden is older than you, he'e gonna want to play by himself...he's almost 10 years old and he wants some time to himself...and that's not a bad thing...


So as much as I like to give you all your hearts desires, another JADEN is just not physically possible.  I would HATE to go through the trouble of trying to produce one for you and be a complete and total failure in your eyes when Mommy comes home with a newborn baby...not a brand shiny new 10 year old Jaden...and a GIRL at that!


I hope you understand what Mommy is trying to explain to you and pray that you will consider keeping the Jaden we already have and making the best of things.


Love always,


Mommy


P.S. Wait 5 years from now and you see for yourself what Jaden is going through...'Cause you'll be on that side of the fence then with Landan informing me that he's ready for a new Kai.

My Life in Pics

The past two weeks have been CA-RAAAAAZY!  I feel like I've been running non-stop.  Two weeks ago was vacation bible school (VBS) so the B-Boys and I were at the church all week from 7pm to 9pm.  What was totally unexpected for us was that My Babe (Jarrett/JayBee, my hubby) surprised us by showing up there every night. Since he normally works long days it was such a treat for all of us to have him there with us...**BROWNIE POINTS for JayBee**...WHOOT WHOOT!!

This past week was even more hectic...This week was also our youth ministry's Annual Youth Lectureship..the theme was STAND - Stay True and Never Deviate. The lectureship ran from Wednesday to Saturday, with a last minute lock-in thrown together for our in-house youth...

Handbills

Light Of Life Drama Group

Cross Worship Activity - Cast All Your Cares

Youth silhouettes...I'm the one kicking my foot back...no judging,

On top of VBS and the lectureship, I had to fit time and activities in for the B-Boys.

So we went to library and the park on the day I had my very own personal nanny to help me along the day.

We also managed to make it to the HOT zoo...Man, it was HOT like a freakin' mug!!...

But still uber fun for the B-Boys.

Yesterday I realized that I wasn't the only one totally pooped...

When I pulled up into the church parking lot and parked this is what I found to my surprise...

So....
How To Get a TKO (Total Knock Out) Out of Your Kids:

1.  No Naps during the day.
2.  Only since its the summer, let them stay up a little past their normal bed time (not too much cause you still mos-def need your time to yourself).
3. Get lots of outdoor playtime...that sun gets them good!
4.  Allow them to wake up at the crack of dawn.
5. DO NOT...I repeat...I DO NOT play their favorite songs, radio or Pandora station in the car...totally listen to what you want to hear.
6.  Throw them in car for a nice car ride.

And TAAA-DAAA!!!....TKO!!!!

Now just pray you don't have to immediately get out of the car (like I had to for church...LOL!!) and pack some things for you to get into: books, magazines, snacks, water, laptop, work...and park somewhere nice and quiet, with a beautiful scenery...and notice how at peace and accomplished you'll feel.

Linked up to:
Phone Photo Fun Mondays
Meet Up Mondays
Miscellany Monday
Make My Morning Blog Hop

My Personal Nanny

MAN!!!...I really don't know what to do with my life right now...I'm at the park as I'm blogging with ALL THREE B-BOYS...and NOT watching them...(kind of).  The paranoid (Mary's Kids instinct = worried about every little thing) part of me is still looking up every five seconds to secretly keep eye on them.

I have my friend's 12 year old daughter with me for the day and its been HEAVEN...I now know how all the celebs with personal assistants, house keepers, and nannies feel like.  Its a little bit of peace throughout the hectic, chaotic day.


Who knows WHAT I could actually get done in a day with her by my side everyday this summer?!?!?


Well, instead of getting depressed about what my life without Yasmine will look like tomorrow...lemme hurry up and get off this thing to enjoy what I have today.

Mom & Pop Shops vs. Major Businesses

This is what happens when you support small business:

Thank you for your continued and future support in me and my Mary Kay Business!

...Twiddling Thumbs...

Life's Check List:

1. Marriage.............CHECK!

2. College Degree...CHECK!

3. Kids...(THREE of them, matter of fact)...(AND ALL BOYS)...CHECK!!!

...Now what??

Have you ever felt that way?...Oh no wait, you're going through this right NOW, you say?...Yeah, me too.

Remember playing MASH in middle school, and sad to say in high school, too?...MASH?...You remember MASH?!?  The game when you drew the huge never ending spiral in the center of the paper until someone yelled, "STOP," and the number of rings of the spiral indicated how many spaces you would go at a time in order to predict how many kids you'd have, who'd you marry, where'd you live, what car you'd drive, how much money you'd make, what kind of career you'd have...the list could go on depending on your categories...Ahhhh!...Yes, MASH (Mansion/Apartment/Shack/House)...now you remember.

Mine would always seem to come out looking something like this:

Kids: 20

Husband: Steve Urkel (or Micah Cheney, the BIGGEST nerd in the class)

Home: SHACK

Job:  Fast Food Drive-Thru Attendant

Money: Dirt Poor

Car: A Skateboard

City/Country: Africa, Mexico, South Central Los Angeles

All that to say, I'd take my three crazy boys ANY DAY over 20 rugrats, The AMAZING Mr. Jarrett Alan Bryant over Urkel or Micah, my rusty-dusty 2001 Ford Escape over a skateboard, and living with my parents...Oh...you didn't know that?...YES...a party of five living my "Parentals" AND my two siblings, and R.J., can't forget him...the family dog, over living in a shack...I guess.

So, here I am, a college grad and married with children and I hear countless discussions at church, among friends, the kid's school, the park, and the hair shop (when I can make it there, I'm a ponytail 365 days a year-type of girl) about how women can't wait to be married, want to finish school, wish they had kids...but see... I have all that...Now what??

I know that a career shouldn't define who you are...and plenty of moms are just as happy being home with their children...but I feel unaccomplished at times...I feel like I'm not doing anything...being at home isn't enough right now for me, especially knowing that I need to help financially right now.  So what's a girl to do?  Do I start looking for a  j-o-b (just over broke) or do I get on the grind and begin this Mary Kay hustle for real and stop seeing it as just a hobby anymore?

So...I never got back to my goals like I said I would in January...So I think I'll start there...set out my goals (personal and business) and make a plan for action...that will be my next assignment and my next blog entry...now for some accountability...I NEED some...whose got my back? Maybe you need some accountability as well...why don't you tell me your goals and aspirations and we'll hold one another accountable...I'd love to hear from you and what's on your heart to accomplish or get a move on...

...Great!...Now I wanna play MASH...any takers?

It's Hard Out Here For A ...

...4th Grader.
Convo in car on the ride home from school:
Me: So J, how'd it go today at school?...(silence)...J? ?
Jaden: ...

Wonderfully Made

He tells me that I am "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"...but how much of that do I truly believe?...I've been going through a lot of tomfoolery (you'll see that I use this word way too much) this past year and it's led to stress and worrying; not leaning and relying on God to see me through and it's been taking a physical, mental, and emotional toll on me...no bueno. 

But God is a GREAT God and he knows EXACTLY what he's doing in our lives...we just have to trust and believe that he knows what's best...

'Christine, even if that means going through it right now in my marriage?'

...Yes, even if it means troubling times in my marriage, Christine, God still knows this is what I need to go through right now...(whomp whomp =/ )

Through these ever-much-so trying times, I've been reading two particular blogs: The Daily Love (whoot whoot!!) and Proverbs 31 Ministries, along with a few new Twitter Accounts that I'm following now, and I've been noticing a re-occurring theme from the content of each of their postings: Self Love and Acceptance.

I began thinking, 'Do I really care for and love myself the way I thought I did?'

I've been so into my family and my husband and my mess, that I may be neglecting myself and not even knowing it...You know, we as women, invest and sacrifice all that we are and have for our families that we tend to forget ourselves...and any thought of taking care "me" would be just darn right selfish, right?!?...but I'm beginning to realize that I have to take care of me, and know and believe that its not being selfish...but its the self love and acceptance for myself that I've been lacking.

Now, through my trials, I'm learning not to be worrisome and stressed (have I mastered it, GREAT SCOTT, NO!...but I'm learning), and to rely on God, for he knows I need to learn something from these circumstances and he's building me up into the DORK (Daughter Of The Righteous King) he has created me to be (which is one of my requests I've been recently praying for anywhoo...). 

I'm also learning not focus on the problems before me and to focus on the results or the outcome...focus on the lesson to be learned...on the person that I will have grown into due to my endurance, patience, and faith during my tomfoolery...

...and that is what I am CHOOSING to do.

*Pink Hugs & Blessings*