Big Moments Rock but Life is Made of the Small Ones

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Big moments. They rock. Graduations, wedding, births, promotions, trips, you name it, we love it! But life is made of the little moments as well.

 Television, Internet, and smart phones seem to rob us of those moments. We are so busy trying pass the time, we forget to enjoy it. I am going to put down my phone, candy crush level 130 can wait, and enjoy the world around me. 

I am going to wear my fancy shoes.

Eat some something sweet and enjoy every bite.

Smell the roses and be grateful for their beauty.

And most important, build a relationship with my family. 

Small moments, they kinda rock too. 

I Don't Care, Lobe It!

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This is my boy, Bear. His cute little face just makes me smile. No matter how bad my mood, his sweet voice makes the world right. He loves to sing. Thanks to American's Got Talent, he has learned 90 seconds of a few songs. His new favorite is "I don't care, I love it." But Bear doesn't love it, he lobes it. He sings that line over and over all day, "I don't care, I lobe it!" Yesterday, he told me "peoples says I work out." Thank you, LMFAO.

Bear is sunshine in our family. I am blessed to be that sweet boy's mommy.

Candy Crush Good vs Evil

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Ahhh, candy crush. We love it. We hate it. I see a fun past time. My husband sees this.

I read this online, 8 Life Lessons from Candy Crush. So listen up, Blake. I am not wasting time, I am learning. 

8. Life is not always fair. Sometimes you get lucky with a good board, sometimes you don't. Deal with it.

7. Persistence is the key to success. If you persist long enough, one of these days you are bound to get it right somehow, or get lucky, or both.

6. Ask friends for help when you need it. You'll be surprised at how many are able and willing to help.

5. Help friends as much as you can. Life is all about give and take after all.

4. There will not always be friends who can help you out. It happens. Suck it up and wait.

3. You won't always understand what's going on. That's fine, you're not expected to.

2. Chocolate is evil. It will mess you up.

  

1. Life is equal parts fun and frustrating. It is full of challenges every step of the way, yet it can also be sweet and colorful! 

License To Ask the Inappropriate

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When I meet people I don't always start off with, "oh by the way, I have 7 kids." Sometimes I might say I have 12 or 15 kids because then 7 doesn't sound so bad.

Once someone knows I am the old woman who lives in the shoe, the questions start flowing. In fact, I am going to write a sitcom called, "Do you know what causes that?" That seems to be the most common inquiry.

So I figured I would put it out there.

Question 1: Do you know what causes this?

Answer: Yes, we do. Hence, why we have 7. But thank you for asking about what happens in my bedroom. That is not uncomfortable for anyone. And FYI, 1 or 20 children someone "figured it out." 

Question 2: Did you plan on all these kids? Did you want 7 kids?

Answer 2: yes, please, ask more questions to make my kids feel like they were a mistake. Truth is, I really enjoy the circus that is our life and the massive amounts of laundry. Ok, maybe not the laundry.

Question 3: Do you own a TV?

Answer 3: No, I was busy reading a manners book. I have it available. Would you like read it? 

My hands are full but I promise my heart is fuller. 

What's your story?

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This weekend we were able to catch up with our dear friends. Marty and Blake became best friends in 8th grade. When I started dating Blake, Marty and Meredith welcomed me just like I had known them since middle school as well. We double dated all the time. But as life happens, they moved, we moved, and each visit got longer and longer apart. Yet, each time we pick up like no time came between us. When we are a 110 years old,  the Sheehan's better get a room next to us in the nursing home. 

But that is my story. What's yours? What are the moments that you hold dear to? Who are the people whom have changed your heart? Everyone has a story, share yours! 

Behold, the Power of Words

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Words. Such a little thing but they pack a punch. As children, we are taught that sticks and stones will break your bones but words will never hurt us. But why are we able to remember the first time a bully called us a name or the first time someone paid us a compliment. Words have power. 

I believe one of the most powerful things we possess is our thoughts. Every successful person will tell you that your thoughts have the power to transform you into what you are thinking about, good or bad. Words have a power that we rarely discuss.

What do my words say about me? Where are my thoughts leading me? I am heading in a direction but am I in control of the way? 

 

Guard your thoughts, speak with conviction, and move forward with confidence. And follow your heart. 

Dare to Dream

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Dare to Dream. Today my girls and I put together their lockets for the day. I let them pick whatever they wanted but they had to tell me why they picked what they did. I enjoyed hearing their dreams, their hopes, their interests.  I realized I should ask more often. 

Help them find their dreams and hold on to the faith that those dreams come true. What would happen if we taught our kids to dare to dream? 

Best Friends

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When you are young, you think of a best friend as someone who is by your side all the time. As we get older a best friend is someone we can years without seeing and pick up like it was yesterday. Thank you, Sheehan's for being those friends. We started off as 4 people with 4 different last names and grow to 13 people with 2 last names. You guys are family! We love you. 

Free

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To my boy,

You are no longer a baby who needs me to hold you when you cut your knee. You're finding your place in this world. You are kind, loving, courageous, and strong. You make your parents proud.

As you get older, remember you are free to make mistakes. You are free to take the path less traveled. You are free to listen to your heart. You are free to be the man you want to become. You are free to shape your future. You are free to chase your dreams. You are free to succeed. 

Remember I love you. When you feel like the world is against you (and sometimes it is) see yourself through my eyes. Hearing my words with your heart. Know that I see the man God is making out of you. 

I love you,

Mom

Game Changer

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The Wizard of Oz, my first true love. I read the book when I was in second grade. It was the moment my life changed and I became a proud book nerd. 

The words jumped off the page and I was walking on the yellow brick road along with Dorothy. My favorite part of school was getting our reading assignments. Rarely since my second grade year do I not have a book I am reading. I get to travel the world without leaving my home. I get to visit worlds unknown and meet people who inspire me.

When I hear people say, "I don't like to read" or "I don't have time to read" my heart hurts for them. My mind races to all the people and the places they are missing out on.

It is never to late to find your first love. Pick up a book! 

Inner Peace

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This is one of my favorite pictures of my daughter, Belle. She jumped on the BOSU (a half fitness ball) and started to meditate. If you look in the back ground, her little brother Bruce is running away. I almost missed this cute picture.

I heard Belle scream at the top of her lungs, "Bruce!! I am trying to find inner peace and you keep messing me up!" Which was followed by a big shove. Bruce laughed and ran away. Belle instantly went back to what you see in the picture. Still laughing, I started to wonder what inner peace looked like to a 9 year old. Let me tell you what it looks like to a, let's just say more than 9 year old. Really it can be summed up in one word, balance. 

Balance is one of those that constantly needs checking. What might be balance one day can be out of whack the next. As a mom, it honestly feels overwhelming how much has to be placed on the scale to balance each day, my children (all seven of them!) my husband (he wants more of my time than the kids), volunteering at school and church, work, friendships, exercise, and sleep. One gets too much attention and something else gets neglected. 

A friend of mine told me about a vase. She would fill the vase with a bag of sand and then try and put big stones in afterwards. It never fit. No matter how she tried to place the stones, the sand took up all the room and the only option was to leave stones out. But she decided to put the stones in first. Then she poured in the sand. Amazingly, it all fit. 

I have to decide what my stones are in my life. My Father in Heaven, My family,giving back to my community, and my business are my "big stones". Those have to come first. Then when I pour the sand, it will fit. Inner peace to me is knowing I live my day with purpose and make others have a brighter day as well. And if someone tries to mess up my inner peace, a shove in the right direction won't hurt!

Boo

I know! It's not Halloween. If you know me, you're not surprised that I posted this picture. Not because I love Halloween (it is my least favorite holiday as a mom) but because my brain and thought process is all over the place!

Blake and I were chatting about how everyone has their own "hang ups." Blake's is hair. He hates it. A clump of hair will make him freak out. No joke. Which is why God sent him 3 daughters and a wife, so he would get over cleaning out the tub drain. My "hang up" is drinks. I won't share. If Blake or one of my kids drinks out of my cup, I am done. I also blame it on having to share 2 drinks between 4 kids growing up. 

Somehow that led to Halloween growing up. I am the oldest sister out of 3 girls. You remember them from my Viener Viener post, first best friends, perfected the hair pull. Every Halloween, we would empty our bag and dig through our candy. My sister, Alicia would want my mother to take the candy to the local hospital to have the candy X-rayed. She had heard horror stories of evil people putting razor blades and needles in candy to hurt kids. She wanted to make sure no one put anything in her candy.

My sister, Sara would carefully go through her candy and pick out any suspicious piece to throw away.

But me, I had a whole different method. I would quickly scan my candy for anything my mom would find and throw out. I would put it in a pile and eat it as fast as I could before she would find it and take it away. 

 

Even if it's not my favorite holiday, I still love the memories I have from it! 

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I am so excited!! And I just can't hide it!!

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This weekend is Origami Owl conference in Arizona. I have been getting pictures all day. After seeing and hearing some of the things coming your way soon, I have decided that Origami Owl just gets better and better! Like it is killing me not to tell you some of the amazing things coming your way!!!

I have been so blessed by the opportunity of Origami Owl. I love building something with my girls. I love sharing my story with a beautiful locket but mostly I love hearing YOUR story!!

Thank you for allowing me to hear and be  inspired by you!! 

I want to know, who inspires you? Who has been a force for good? 

That's What Makes You Beautiful

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When I am faced with a decision, I often ask myself at the end of my life what would I think of my choice. It is funny how my point of view changes when I look at things from a different point of view. 

As a woman, I feel the pressure to feel beautiful. In high school I was able to stay 90 lbs by not eating. I only ate enough not to pass out. When I started dating my husband, he loved me and found me beautiful regardless of my ability to fit in a size 0 jeans. I had cheese cake for the first time. I wore jeans and a t-shirt. It was a relief not to worry about my weight or what I was wearing. Somewhere I stopped trying. 

But it didn't stop me from wondering how I would look with a tummy tuck (hello, can you say 7 kids, stretched out tummy???) or Botox in that nice 11 forming between my eyebrows. I have cried when I outgrow my fat jeans and cried when I got in the smallest pair since baby #4. I started linking my self worth to my outer appearance. When I was  a younger mother, I somewhat embraced the "my appearance isn't important" attitude. Yet, I hated my body. I had nightmares that I would see people who knew me when I was anorexic in high school and not speak to me because I was fat.

I got in the car with a good friend who was taking us swimming. My oldest daughter was just under 2. I sat down and saw the fat on my thighs. I sighed and said, "I hate my thighs." My friend without missing a beat turned to my daughter and said, " I am sorry your mommy hates your thighs." Horrified, I corrected her, "I hate MY thighs." 

Once again, she turned and repeated, "I am sorry your mommy hates your thighs." We did this 2 more times before I caught on! She was brave enough to ask me if I wanted my daughter to abuse her body by not eating or by ignoring it and stop caring. She told me I better learn to love myself because my daughter was taking my cues on her self worth.

I came to a solution that I am working on. I should just have a shirt made that says work in progress because it seems to be my theme. I learned taking care of myself is important. Exercise, drinking water, and getting good nutrition is a priority. Wearing make up, beautiful clothing, stunning jewelry, and amazing shoes help give me confidence. Could I have it without it? Sure. But I love feeling good. I am learning the balance. I can be beautifully unperfect. And if my husband asks, yes I need those shoes!! Ask Cinderella, a good pair of shoes can change your life!

A Cut Above the Rest

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I am a mother of seven. Fair has to be my middle name. My mom truly had favorites and it wasn't me. I swore all my children would feel like they were my favorite. I am good at dodging the "who's your favorite" question. The answer by the way is ALWAYS you! I love everyone's art work with equal enthusiasm. I make time for each kid during the day that is just for them. And I made a promise to myself, I would post equally about them on this blog. But my darn Elora has to go and do something  blog worthy today. 

 Elora has beautiful blond hair. She hates to brush it. Mostly because it has knots that a good divorce lawyer couldn't get out of. And she pretends they don't exist until she looks like Medusa. This summer she has taken extra care to encourage a relationship with one large, nasty knot. Like 2 months and still a knot in her hair.

We tried everything. Bottles of conditioner, mayo, peanut butter, you name it, we tried it. So Elora came up with a brilliant idea to cut it out. 

We fought for an hour. Finally I told her she could cut it but she would regret it. I thought she would let me help her. Nope. Not Elora. She enlists her younger sister to cut her beautiful blond waist length hair to her scalp! The whole bottom of her head is bald! She cried. She cried all day. My heart hurts for her to learn such a hard lesson. 

Baby girl, listen up! 

1) knots happen. Cutting out a problem isn't always the answer. Sometimes trying a different solution over and over again will save you a lot of tears and 3 years of growing your hair out.

2) Sometimes a fast quick decision is exactly what you need. Just be prepared to get weird looks. 

3) It's just hair. But don't do it again! 

4) By the time you read this, we will laugh. Promise. 

One More Time

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 There is a science to blogging. And Facebook. And Twitter. And all that other stuff that makes me feel like I am 90 years old. I am sure if I did some research I would find that 10:01 pm is NOT the time to post a blog. But my blog has become the way I gather my thoughts from the day. So if you read this, great. But if you are in bed, that is great too.

I love watching a baby learn to walk. They stand, fumble around, and then fall. As a parent, you smile because you know any day that baby will take their first step, then start walking, then start running. How many moms have said, "they will be running any day now." 

Babies, have the cutest little smile when they are learning. Every time they fall down, (and they do, a lot) they get excited about being able to stand longer than last time or taking a few more steps. Somewhere in their make up, they are excited about what they learned, never about how many times they fell down. They never give up just push to do more, learn more.

Where did we lose that? I know I think, I am 33 years old, I shouldn't make mistakes any more. I hate screwing up. Or branching out and falling short. When I fail, I feel like a failure. How sad! 

If I want to grow I have to get comfortable with not being perfect. I want to become a better, wiser, more confident person. So I better get comfortable with falling. And falling a lot. Then getting up and smiling because I am one fall away from running. 

Viener Viener

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I have 2 sisters. I am proud to be the big sister. They were my first best friends. They were my first sparing partners. We perfected the "you let go first" hair pulling technique. Other people didn't know it but we were flipping awesome.

When I was about 10, my mom ran to the grocery store, leaving me in charge. It was all going well until someone knocked on the door.

I ran to the door to make sure it wasn't my mom trying to get in with groceries in her arms. I looked through the peep hole and saw a man standing there. I asked who it was, nervous because I didn't know what I was suppose to do.

He answered in a deep voice,

" I am the Viener Viener."

Holy Crap, the what??? I started to panic. "I'm sorry, you are the who??" 

This time with irritation in his voice,

"I am the Viener Viener."

I ran to the front room and grabbed my sisters. "The Viener Viener is here! What the heck is a Viener Viener!!!"

We ran to the door and my sister asked again, "who is this?"

Clearly upset he yelled, "I am the Viener Viener. I am here to read the Viener." 

Double holy crap!! We screamed, ran to the bathroom with no windows we went to during storms. We locked the door, sang church songs, and prayed that the Viener Viener wouldn't get us. 

After what felt like hours, I am sure it was a few minutes, we heard the front door open. We started to scream. The Viener Viener had come to get us! Then the bathroom door shot open!! My mom stood there looking at us like we had lost our mind. 

We told her what happend, still shaking. Our mother shook her head and walked out. We followed her, confused why she wasn't worried.

"Did the Viener Viener have on an orange shirt?"

Shocked I answered yes! 

"It was the meter reader, here to read the meter."

Sisters. Best Friends. Only people who understand your crazy over active imagination! 

Day Dreams

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Yep, same kid. I get both of those faces multiple times a day. It is one of the things that crack me up about a kid. One minute they are screaming like the world is coming to an end and then something happens, someone gives them something and a smile erupts across their face like it was the best day of their lives. Their mood is dependent on what is going on around them.

As we grow up, or pretend to grow up we start to take responsibility for our happiness and emotions. I tell my children all the time that they decide if they are happy or sad but really it's just an excuse to remind myself. Because this grown up stuff is for the birds! It's a lot tougher than it looked when I was a kid.

This week I should have plastered that reminder on my forehead. It was one of those weeks I questioned everything in my life. I felt fat even though I am at my lightest weight in 9 years. I felt ugly. I felt lonely. I questioned every relationship I treasure. I felt insecure. I felt scared. My life has handed me some choices that might call for major changes. I began to feel helpless and started to contemplate changing the direction I have work so hard for the last few years. But then I thought of my dreams and realized that is how they end. Fear, sadness, pain. Nothing is going to rob me of my dreams. No one ever said following their dreams was the easiest thing they have done. If it was easy, everyone would do it. 

I decide if I am happy. I will follow my heart and achieve my dreams!

America, the beautiful

There is no place like home. As the birthday of our great country approaches, I can not help think of the brave men and women who have fought to make America a place I am proud to belong. 

Early in my marriage I had the honor of living in Fort Hood, Texas as my husband served in the United States Army. I had respect for our service members before moving there. Both my grandfathers and older brother served in our military and I am proud of them. But seeing true heroes up close and in action is something completely different. 

I remember one day waiting for Blake to finish up at the motor pool ( or as us civilians call it, big lot with lots of big vehicles). My husband and his friends started walking to their cars. I couldn't help by watch them and be impressed. Hollywood had nothing on them. No actor alive could portray the qualities these men and women possessed.  It made me realize why we say "our military" "our service members" because just like our favorite sports team, they become our gladiators that are brave enough to battle while we cheer from the sidelines. 

Our service members are humble. It sounds like such a silly thing. But have you ever thanked a service member and they blush? Or say a quiet, "your welcome"? Or maybe even seem a little uncomfortable? Brave people don't see themselves as heroes. They see a job that has to be done and they have the guts to do it. Period. No service member I have ever met would wear a shirt with Hero on it because that is a title they never feel worthy to hold. 

Our service members will be the first to give you a hard time but the first to have your back. Service members tend to think of others first. They might not bring their wife home flowers or remember birthdays (no judgement, Blake!) but they would be the first to jump in front of a bullet for a complete stranger or run into a burning building. They always think of protecting those around them. 

The day that Blake left for Baghdad, Iraq was the worst day of my entire life. A big bus sat there, taunting me, threatening me, daring to take away my love, my life, my husband, my children's father. On our way there Blake kept trying to tell me if something happened to him, he wanted me to remarry because he wanted someone to keep me from getting scared at night. He wanted to be buried in a military grave because he didn't want it to cost us. I felt like my whole world was ending. As they finally called them to get on the bus, I grabbed hold of Blake. The worst thoughts went through my mind. I prayed, I begged, please don't let this be the last time to touch my husband, to feel his arms around me. Blake sobbed so hard, he could barely breath. My son, Tucker grabbed Blake's leg and refused to let go. 

And then Marshall, Blake's room mate, stopped me. He looked me in the eyes. He told me, " Amy, I promise you I will get him home. Whatever it takes, he will come home."  I knew he meant every word. Here Marshall is leaving his own life, his own family but his thoughts are focused on making life better for those back at home. 

Our service members give up a lot to protect us. They walk away with scars, some you can see and some you can't. They struggle sometimes, when they get out to process what they went through. Because they want to help others, make a difference, they sometimes struggle to find their place back in the civilian world. 

This 4th of July, let's show our respect for our heroes. Make the effort to thank them, past, present, and future. Let's show our appreciation in more than just words. Let's follow their example and let our actions doing our talking. 

So you, the one reading this. The one who proudly served but still doesn't believe that you deserve the title hero. Thank you! Thank you for your example. Thank you for making this the Country of the free and the brave.  You are my hero. You are all our heroes. 

Here are a few Heroes. (Please email me if you want to add a picture. shareyourstorywithamy@gmail.com)

Sean Patrick Conner-Navy

November 12, 1970- September 4, 2002

Thank you for your service, Sean. You will never be forgotten.

Tee Hill- Army 

Thank you for your service, Tee.

Leslie Guillermo- Air Force

Thank you for your service, Leslie.

David Pepler- Army

Thank you for your service, David.

Chris Harris- Navy

Thank you for your service, Chris.

James Edmonson-Air Force

Thank you for your service, James. You will never be forgotten. 

Blake Edmonson- Army

Thank you for your service, Blake.

I named my son, John (Bear) after my grandfather, my hero.

John McHann- Marines

Thank you for your service, John. 

Dane Sessions-Army

Thank you for your service, Dane.

Cody Blair-Navy

Thank you for your service, Cody.

Josh Butler-Navy

Thank you for your service, Josh. 

Passion

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What are you building? What is your life going to look like in 5 years? What things are your children learning from you?

I ask those questions a million times a day. And the more I listen to people I respect, the more I read, and the more I ponder, I am convinced it is all about passion. The saying, "Do what you love," is becoming my motto.

I love Origami Owl. To be honest, I tried not to. My husband thought I was crazy for falling in love with a locket. But I did because Origami Owl is so much more than a locket. It is my story. It is your story. It is someone's passion and love close to their heart. How could you not love that???

And where else could I build a business with my daughters? At 14, my daughters will become my business partners. That to me is priceless.

If you want to share your story, if you want to help others find theirs, or if you want to build something with your daughter, contact me and found out how to "do what you love!" 

shareyourstorywithamy@gmail.com

This is my joy

Ah, family! I watch my two youngest boys, my babies, and a few thoughts go through my mind. 

First, they grow up way too fast. People always said that to me when my older ones were little. I believed them, sort of. As they would warn me about blinking and they would be grown, I would think, really?  You mean I can sleep again, take a shower without worrying if everyone will be alive when I get out, and I won't have to wipe anyone else's bottom again? I am blinking, when are they growing up?!?!

And then somewhere I blinked and it worked. They started growing. No matter how hard I try and stop the blinking they still keep growing. 

I only have a few years to enjoy the magic of childhood with them. For the rest of my life, I will enjoy them as adults. This time as a kid is limited. 

So when the boys box each other and smile and then hug each other and cry, I am going to just take it in and enjoy it. When laundry started to overwhelm my home (who am I kidding, it is that way everyday!) I am just going to enjoy the little people who made the mess. 

Because this is my family. This is my privilege to have an army of little people who's mission is to make the biggest mess in the shortest amount of time. This is my joy. 

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