Cana Dream Team

First let me disclose that I have to watch a lot of cartoons.  My two girls, both under 6, control the TV for the most part. I have watched several movies and shows a few dozen times.  Moana is one that I could watch or listen to in the background a few dozen more times. I am inspired by this movie! I am inspired by this movie for several different reasons.  First item up, the little girl is “chosen” by THE OCEAN because she helped a baby sea turtle enter the water safely.  But what she did was help the defenseless. Because she helped for no reason other than to be kind, she was chosen to help save the world!   From that day, Moana feels a tug she cannot explain.  Every path she takes leads her back to the place she longs to be but cannot go.  She wants to leave the island... Moana eventually must follow her path even though others told her no.  She had the courage to go against the crowd and do what was right....

To me, parenting wins are when I know 100% my husband and I are doing the right thing because our child made a good decision.  Report cards come out and grades have improved equals a win! Parenting wins are when you see your child helping someone else for no reason than just to help.   Your kid hits a home run after days and days of practice. When your kid speaks up for the weak. Parenting wins happen when your child overcomes a fear because of your guidance and help!       Your version of a parenting win may be different than mine.  I think whenever you can see your parenting pay off in a positive way, that is a win!    Don’t go nuts and claim your child's achievement as your own, but remind yourself that you helped.  We as parents have thankless jobs -- we can at least thank ourselves quietly from time to time! Rusty and I have high fived more than once and fist bumped to celebrate our parenting wins! ...

Do you want to have more good days than bad?  Do you want to be different? If you want to be different, you should probably change a few things.  If you don’t like how your day is everyday, then change the first thing you do each morning.  Start small. Start with the first thing you think, read, or hear each day... I stumbled upon this truth.  I stumbled upon this when I changed my mornings and realized that almost my whole day was different!  I was happier. Here was my daily morning:  wake up 6:30ish, make coffee, take a bath, and listen to the local news.   Then get myself dressed and get kids dressed all at the same time! Yell and scream and fight all the way out the door... always late and annoyed!   My routine was changed after my husband completed an amazing remodel on our shower!  I mean look at this shower…….. Once ...

I had a friend once tell me that he made all of his parenting decisions based on what his parents would have done when he was a child.  He did the opposite of everything they ever did. For example, his parents never went to his games or events. He went to every event his work schedule allowed.  The reason for this parenting style was because he did not want his children to ever feel like he felt due to his parents’ parenting style, or lack thereof. I took that and thought about it. A Lot. When raising kids, we should all ask ourselves, “how did that particular punishment make us feel?”  We forget we are raising little humans.. They have feelings too.. Did you enjoy being belittled?  Spoken down to? Just because your mom was hard doesn't mean you should be, or even that her behavior was right!   Just because your dad yelled, doesn’t mean you should too! Even if you turned out to be a good person, your parents’ parenting styles ma...

I am thankful for a difficult time in my life.   I had to learn a humbling lesson. The lesson began one morning with me wanting a baby!  All of the sudden I wanted more than anything to have a baby. My ‘clock’ had started ticking…. My husband wanted a baby too.  We were silly with excitement. We should be pregnant in a few months and BAM! insta-family! But then I had fertility trouble…..  At least with my first pregnancy. I never thought about it being difficult to have a child. Never! I knew so many people that just had babies.  Many not even planned! Some pregnancies not wanted, like even dreaded!!  I just could not wrap my mind around that I, ME!, may have a difficult time becoming a mother!  What?!? That is insane! Do you know how many times I feared a pregnancy because I wasn’t ready?  A bunch! I spent money on birth control for years… NOW that was wasted funds! I was so angry! Angry is probably an underst...

I don’t consider myself to be a jealous or envious person, but I do a lot of comparisons!   As I reflect on my past younger comparisons, I have compared my body and hair at least a million times. If I looked like that girl, I would be so much more confident! I have compared my life and decided if I was just a dress size or two smaller, all my problems would be handled.   If my hair would do that, I would feel so much better about myself. If I could pull off a messy bun like that girl, I would feel much more comfortable. Look at this stupid little bun.. I have compared my income... “if I made X amount of money, my life would be great like theirs too.”  I have compared my marriage, my family, my car, my job, my life, my faith, my whatever else, and I am sure I have made a comparison to something or someone. Why? Recently, a bible study I am attending pointed out that we are all insecure.  No matter what, we all have a natural layer of insecu...