Guest Post: GOD CHOSE YOU FOR YOUR KIDS by Amanda Brown

By jamieivey on May 13, 2012

I’m out of town for a few days enjoying life in Arizona with my mom, grandma and Story!  While I’m gone I’ve asked some friends to share with you!  I love all these ladies and am honored to have them on my blog while I’m gone.  Enjoy their words and share them with your friends.  I know you’ll be blessed by all they have to say!  Leave them a comment thanking them for sharing their lives with you!

 

Recently, my dad brought over a box of children’s books that had been collecting dust for…oh, I don’t know…20 years?  As I was sorting through them, I came across two books of poetry that my sister, McKenna, and I had made for Judy, my stepmom, for Mother’s Day 1992.  It contains some pure talent, I assure you.  But I think our limericks were real standouts:

As a follow-up to the concerns that we presented in ’92, I do now have a sufficient supply of underwear.  And to date, Bailey, our oldest sister, has not been sold.

Nevertheless, it got me thinking about Mother’s Day.

This Sunday, I will celebrate my third Mother’s Day.  If I had my dream day, I would wake up around 9 AM to a waft of a home cooked breakfast being delivered to me in bed.  I would enjoy said breakfast, take a shower, get ready for the day.  Maybe grab a massage, a glass of wine, a People magazine, a pedicure, a chicken salad sandwich on sourdough with jalapeno chips, a trip to Anthropologie, a new pair of earrings or a scarf.  And I would end the day with reality television and some combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

Please note I made no mention of my husband or children in my dream Mother’s Day.  Make no mistake.  I am wildly in love with my husband and my kids are the most precious gifts that I have ever been given.  But in my fantasy, I am alone.

I say this because there are days that I wonder if I am the right person for this job.  If my fantasy of Mother’s Day involves none of the little people who I mother, was this whole parenting thing too much for me?  If the best part of my day is when my husband gets home and I can hand a kid or two over, am I the wrong person for these boys?

And the answer to all of those questions and fears is no.  An emphatic NO.  This gift of parenthood was planned for me before the foundation of the world.  And it, along with every other circumstance in my life is meant FOR me.  And I know this may sound extreme, but because I believe God is completely sovereign over everything, I believe that every temper tantrum, every dirty diaper, every middle-of-the-night interruption is planned by God and for my good.  My kids, their best parts and their worst parts, are gifts for me and for my perseverance.

My faith in that truth is being put to the test all the time. At this very moment, my two-year-old is in his room, screaming bloody murder because he doesn’t want to take a nap.  How in the world is this for my good?  I have no idea.  But the Bible says it is.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8.28)

If I really believed that…if you really believed that…wouldn’t it revolutionize our lives?  If every time we got bad news of a layoff or a death, we believed that this was a circumstance designed by God for our good.  When someone cuts us off in traffic, we believed that it was planned by God for our perseverance.  When we get our heart broken, our credit card stolen, a pet dies, cancer, fire…when all these things happen, we believed that they were planned by the Creator and designed specifically for our good.  What if we really lived like that?  If we really believed that all of our circumstances were for our good and we started to use our circumstances for the glory of God?  How would your life look differently?

I can tell you that you wouldn’t recognize me if I lived like I truly believed that because it would change me so deeply.  Parenting, specifically, has been the most challenging circumstance of my life (and to be fair, I have very easy kids).  It is really tempting for me to look at my worst days and wish that they were different – that my children would sleep longer or fuss less or eat better or play by themselves better.  But, I am praying that God would change my heart about that circumstance, and every other circumstance in my life.  That I would start to believe that God is good, and in complete control and wants good things for me and that only this day, this way is going to get me there.  Only these exact circumstances are going to persevere me to the end.  Otherwise, He would have done it differently.

What about you?  Do you believe that your circumstances were designed by God for your good?  In what ways is that challenging for you?  Or do you feel like this is an area of strength for you?

If you are a mom this Mother’s Day, I pray that you rest in knowing that your role to mother your children is for you alone.   No one in the world is better suited to mother your children, or God would have done it differently. He chose you, not just because of your strengths but also because of your weaknesses. He chose you as your kids’ best chance to persevere, your kids’ best chance to know Jesus.  He chose YOU.

Happy Mother’s Day!

 

Amanda Brown lives in Austin, TX with her husband, Doug, and their two sons, Rhett and Abel. She’s a stay-at-home mom, wrangling children and knocking things off her to-do list and bucket list.  Some bucket list items include qualifying for the Boston Marathon, completing a children’s book, and seeing her sons grow in godliness.  In the shorter term, she would like to qualify for a free Papa Murphy’s pizza (one stamp left!), get the laundry from the dryer to the closet, and see at least one son achieve bladder control.  You can keep up with her at their family blog -ON BEING BROWNS.

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Guest Post: SO, YOU WANT TO FOSTER? by Becca Harris

By jamieivey on May 12, 2012

 I’m out of town for a few days enjoying life in Arizona with my mom, grandma and Story!  While I’m gone I’ve asked some friends to share with you!  I love all these ladies and am honored to have them on my blog while I’m gone.  Enjoy their words and share them with your friends.  I know you’ll be blessed by all they have to say!  Leave them a comment thanking them for sharing their lives with you!

 

Before we get into the depths of my ramblings here, I would like to take a moment and give a disclaimer that I have only been fostering for 5 months, but what a 5 months it has been. I have learned lots but I certainly have not learned it all.

A few years back while I was getting my finances in order and getting licensed for foster care, I had the opportunity to personally spend some time with Dr. Karyn Purvis, author of the awesome, must read book, The Connected Child. I was excited to pick her brain and of course I was excited to tell her that I was getting licensed for foster care.  Once those words left my lips, Karyn gently turned and put her hands on my shoulders and looked me directly in the eyes.  She said, “You had better be called!” I was taken aback by her response.  I thought she of all people would be excited that I was headed down this road. She looked at me again and said, “Are you sure? You had better make sure, or you won’t make it.”

I think about this question often when people tell me they want to foster or adopt. Dr. Purvis was certainly right!! I currently have 2 foster boys, one is 11 and the other is 14.  They are half brothers and are certainly handsome! These past 5 months have been the hardest thing that I have ever gone through.  I wish I could tell you that the hard part is over and that I see the light at the end of the tunnel, and that we are a happy family, well adjusted and grateful for what God is doing in our lives, but that is a lie.  There are many days, many more than I care to admit, where I am done. I want to throw in the towel and call it quits. I fantasize about my life before I had the boys.  I want so badly to go back there. But then I am reminded that I love because He first loved me.  He has called me to this.

As excited as I was to do this, this is not how I pictured it all going down. So much yelling, so many objects being thrown, and I can’t tell you the amount of times I have heard, “I hate you, get out of my life.” Every child is different, every family is different – but adopting or fostering a child is hard. It is not for the faint of heart. Please make sure that you are not doing this to fill a void in your own life, because this is not about you. Parenting never is. Not just for your sake, but for the sake of the child.  The last thing they need is to fail or be given up on in another home.  My 11 year screams “Why don’t you just kick me out then?” at me all the time. He is ready for someone to bail on him because that has been the story of his life.  And trust me, there are days I want to, but I can’t because all I can picture is my Savior and how he as never left me.

So if you want to foster or adopt, especially older children (which is a huge need and a great picture of the gospel), take time to prepare and be sure.  Spend lots of time praying and seeking counsel from your community.  If you want to test the waters, babysit for a friend who has foster kids.  Do it for more than a couple of hours – try a weekend. This is super helpful to them and will start giving you an idea of what life could be like.  Also, make sure you have support built in. Get your community involved.  I could not do this without all the support I am getting (people cleaning my house, providing meals, surprising me with Sonic, watching the boys for free, etc). I am not trying to discourage you, this is a HUGE need. I just don’t want you to think that it is going to be all cute and fun – like every adoption montage I have seen.  I think there is a level of pain that not many others can empathize with so you will need help. And if you still feel God calling you and you see Him working it out for you, do it! Because as hard as it is, there is also joy in the trial and you will know and experience our God in so many new ways.

 

Becca is a 30 year old, single foster mom. She currently has 2 foster boys ages 14 and 11. She is a native Texan, but God took her to his second favorite state, Colorado for her high school years. He has since brought her back to Texas where she worked at Pine Cove Camps before coming on staff as a children’s minister at The Austin Stone. Becca is known not only for her love of theology and kiddos, but is also known to cause fun and lots of mischief along the way.

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Guest Post: OUR SON AND SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER

By jamieivey on May 11, 2012

I’m out of town for a few days enjoying life in Arizona with my mom, grandma and Story!  While I’m gone I’ve asked some friends to share with you!  I love all these ladies and am honored to have them on my blog while I’m gone.  Enjoy their words and share them with your friends.  I know you’ll be blessed by all they have to say!  Leave them a comment thanking them for sharing their lives with you!

Living In A loud World: Our son and Sensory Processing Disorder.

 

It kind of all sounded like this in the beginning:

why doesn’t he smile yet?

why isn’t he laughing yet?

why isn’t he crawling like the rest his age?

why isn’t he walking yet?

 

Then as he got older is sounded like:

cash, don’t put that in your mouth!

cash, don’t run away from me when I’m calling you, it’s not safe!

cash, don’t touch strangers!

cash, don’t lick strangers!

sorry sir, my son did not mean to bury his head in your lap…

 

Cash came into this world with a vengeance. It was a tough labor, I was not medicated, had to be transferred to the emergency room where a doctor put a big ole’ suction cup on his head to pull him out (I would find out later that a stressful labor is one cause of SPD). He was a gorgeous, sweet, snuggly baby and I was head over heals in love with this little guy. He was our first so we never thought much of his lack of smiles and giggles, until I had him around other kids his age. Our Dr. was gracious and never dropped the “Autistic” card when my concerns arised as Cash was always on the cusp of the red flags for autism. It wasn’t until he was in a local mothers day out, that I was brought into the directors office and advised to get him some extra help. He just was not on parr with other kids his age and they were concerned. So, we started seeing specialists and got him into speech and occupational therapy. He started thriving and I started seeing how very little I knew about his world. It took months to get an appointment with a Neurologist, but when we did we finally got the diagnosis’ that were the missing pieces to our puzzle.

 

 

Cash was diagnosed with:

- PDD-NOS

-  Sensory Processing Disorder

-  Hypotonia

-  Speech Dysfunction

-  Possible Auditory Dysfunction

 

That all sounds like another language, but basically what it means is, that he is on the Autistic Spectrum, he has low muscle tone and tires easily, sometimes his brain would not tell his ears to listen, his speech was delayed, and his world was too loud and overwhelming.

That is what I really want to touch on: Sensory Processing Disorder and just how confusing and frustrating it can be for us as parents. And for our kids, how loud and overwhelming this world can be.

 

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) can be defined as a practical inability to use information received through the senses so as to function smoothly and normally in everyday life. SPD is not a single specific disorder but rather an umbrella term that covers a variety of neurological disabilities.

 

Some examples of what this might look like in our kids are:

Sensory Modulation Problems: The child reacts with fight or flight to unexpected touch, intense light, getting dirty, or certain textures of food or clothing (over-responsive); the child is unaware of messy face, hands, or clothes (under-responsive); the child wallows in mud or chews on inedible substances (sensory-seeking).

Sensory Discrimination Problems: The child cannot tell where on his body he has been touched; cannot feel himself falling, especially when his eyes are closed; appears clumsy and seems unable to gauge the appropriate amount of force needed to handle pencils or toys; cannot tell the difference between distinct smells such as lemons, vinegar, and soap.

Sensory-Based Motor Problems: The child is either tense or has “loose and floppy” muscle tone; loses balance easily or “trips on air;” has difficulty using both sides of the body when jumping, clapping, swinging, or pouring water into a cup; has difficulty with manual tasks such as drawing, writing, buttoning, doing jigsaw puzzles, or using eating utensils; shows signs of low self-esteem.

 

Cash struggled with most of these things on a daily basis. When not informed on his world, I would get easily frustrated and sometimes embarrassed by his actions. One day his therapist described his disorder as this: “Noelle, pay attention for a moment to all the sounds and movements happening in this room right now. You and I are able to tune them out and focus on this conversation we are having. Cash, is unable to do that. His little brain and body tunes into everything. Every foot step, every pen writing on paper, the wind blowing, the birds chirping, the child crying down the hallway”.  It was in that moment that I began to understand that his world was loud, even screaming at him sometimes.

But, with all this, we are blessed with an abundance of knowledge and information. There is a wonderful website, www.sinetwork.org,  that is dedicated to informing people about SPD. And as parents to adoptive kids, we have Karyn Purvis, who goes into great detail about SPD and kids from hard places. Her video series on it in amazing.

On my blog TO BRING THEM HOME I have a page where I list every resource, sensory toy and therapies we use in our life for Cash and why, including all the iPad apps we have and what they are good for as it relates to Special Needs.

 

Cash is doing amazing. He was diagnosed right before he turned three and shortly after he started therapy he spoke his first audible sentence! He is now 6 and in an amazing school for children with learning and speech delays. He is excelling, making friends, learning how to read, write and is in an environment where he is fully understood and loved.

 

We are our kids only advocates and I believe that God asks us to fight for them, break down barriers if we have to. He knitted them perfectly together in the womb. I know sometimes as parents it might be hard to see that, but His purpose for them is greater than we can ever imagine.

 

 

Noelle Otts lives in Austin Tx with her husband Brad and their 2 kids Cash (6) and Maddie-Rose (3).  They are currently in the process of bringing home their 7-year-old son from Ethiopia.  Noelle blogs about her life and their current adoption wait at her blog TO BRING THEM HOME.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Breakfast of Champions

By jamieivey on May 10, 2012

I have a new favorite breakfast and I’m actually mad when we are out of eggs, because I’m not sure what to do for breakfast.  This breakfast makes me so happy.

 

What we have here are two eggs perfectly fried where the yoke is still runny when you cut into it.  Then I lay those on a great bunch of greens, and actually eat a salad for breakfast!  To finish it off I add veggie cheese & hot sauce.  Y’all this is heaven on a plate, especially when you cut into the eggs and the yoke runs and basically is your dressing for your salad.

 

This picture captures a perfect morning for me.  My perfect breakfast.  Fresh coffee.  Bible & journal ready to read Romans.

 

 

This perfect morning was a few days ago, and it turned quickly to a bad morning.  I took this picture to email Aaron and show him my great morning.  Then I cut my eggs and walked outside to talk to a neighbor.  You might see where this is going …. my DANG DOG jumped up on the chair and practically devoured my breakfast in one gulp.  Eggs were all over my bible and forever I will think of my missing breakfast when I read Romans 2.

 

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Why moms need to know their bible.

By jamieivey on May 8, 2012

Nine months ago I made a statement that I’m absolutely embarrassed to admit today.  I actually said these words that were in my heart and although I wished I had never said them out loud, I’m glad that my heart was revealed and I was held accountable to these words.

I declared that knowing theology wasn’t really my thing.  I knew what I needed to know:  God loves me.  God pursued me.  Jesus died for me.  I trust him.  I believe him.  I love him.  I want to model my life like him.  He changed me.  He’s coming back for me.  I’ll be with him forever.  That was all I needed to know.  Anything else was too much information for this mom’s brain and honestly really only people like Matt Carter & Halim Suh need to know these things.  I’ll just believe whatever they tell me.

Oh my goodness, are you cringing on the inside too.  Can’t you just hear me saying these things.  I’m glad to tell you that I do know just a tad bit more than I did 9 months ago, but for sure I have 100% more desire to know more than I have known before.

A few months ago I was faced with the reality of why I need to know things that are in the bible, and why I need to be able to articulate them.  Not only do I need to know things so that I’m able to discern false teaching, and so that I’m able to articulate the bible & gospel to friends that don’t know Jesus, but I have four disciples that are under my teaching every single day.  My kids have been entrusted to me and they have more questions each day than I’d ever imagine could enter one human beings brain in a lifetime.  Most of them are about which super hero is better, or how we can ride a star, or if I could be any vegetable what would it be, but lots are about God and how he plays in their life.

Previous to my discovery of yearning and needing to know more I would always pass of Cayden’s questions to his dad.  I would tell him to ask his Dad when he got home, because you know your dad is a pastor and ordained and guess what, he even has a degree in Christianity (whatever that means!).  He’s much smarter at this stuff than mommy is.  If you want to know sports stuff, you ask mommy and if you want to know why God allows bad things to happen to good people, then you ask your dad.

I was missing my calling right in front of my eyes.  My disciples.  My pupils.  My babies are asking me to teach them and I’m waiting until their daddy gets home.

These past few months have opened my eyes up to the truth that I’ve been entrusted with knowledge that is not just for me to hoard and keep to myself, but it is for me to pass on to my children.  When Story asks me who is stronger, God or Satan, I know exactly what to say, although just so you don’t think even worse of me, I could have answered this one before!  (2 Peter 2:4)  When Cayden asks why God would let a little kid die, I know exactly what to say.  I get to tell him that God is in charge of everything, and does everything to bring him glory, even when we don’t understand. (Romans 8:28)  When Amos one day asks me why his mom couldn’t take care of him, I can lead him to God’s word where we learn that God uses everything in this world to bring good, even death, disease, starvation, and orphans. (Gen 50:20)  When their friends Grandpa dies of a sudden heart attack I get to pray with my kids and thank God that he’s in charge even when things seem bad to us.  (Psalm 139:16)  When Cayden asks if God knows if he will follow him or not, I get to tell him that yes God chooses all those that will follow him and he already knows if he will or not.  (2 Thes 2:13)  When Deacon asks why God allowed that tornado to kill all those people I can tell him that I am sad that those people died, but I trust that God uses all things to bring him glory, and is the author of all things as well.  (Daniel 4:35)

 

Moms we are teachers every single day.  Every conversation about Jesus is teaching our children to love and trust the character of God and we can be the ones that point them to God’s word and to Jesus.  I’m embarrassed of my feelings about theology 9 months ago, but encouraged by my growth and conversations that I get to have with my kids about God’s character and just how much he stinking loves them and all of us!

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Happy 34th birthday

By jamieivey on May 6, 2012

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

The photo above was taken at my 30th SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY that Aaron threw for me.  One of the most epic and memorable nights of my life.  He put SO MUCH work into that party and I was very loved and appreciated that night.  Maris, Rachel, myself & Amy four years ago!

 

 

 

 

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Encouraging my kids even when they argue with me.

By jamieivey on May 4, 2012

This month I am challenging myself to focus on being an encourager to my kids. I feel that as moms we can either be our kids biggest fans or we can squash them daily, not intentionally, but just in the mode of getting things done and running a tight ship. I want to be my kids biggest fan, but I often find I’m in this struggle of needing the kids to do and do and do, and instead I need to sit and sit and sit with them.

What I mean is this … As soon as we get home from school it’s time for homework, then it’s time to do a few chores, then we probably have somewhere to go, then it’s time to play outside for a bit, then it’s time for dinner, then showers, then reading and then bed. All we did was DO and we never did any SIT. I can become very rigid in getting stuff done. I mean the truth is that there are four kids here and they are all between 4-8, so all around the same range, and I’m doing a lot redirecting, directing, disciplining, answering the same stupid question over and over again all day long. You can see how I forget to sit with them.

 

For me, this month of encouraging is going to be about sitting with them.  Engaging them.  Talking to them intentionally.  This actually played out two ways today.

 

#1.  I read to Story the book THE STORY OF ME tonight for the first time.

 

This book is about educating your children about sex.  (I wrote about these books before HERE)  Yes this was an educational book, but I still encouraged her in the way that we talked.  After we finished reading the book we talked about how one day she can become a mommy.  In words that she could understand we talked about how God has a husband for her and then I prayed for her and that husband that God would keep them pure for each other.  Y’all she’s four and I feel like this was a way to encourage her.  Did she understand it all?  No.  But it was real and it was her and I discussing BIG things in SMALL ways to her.

 

#2 Cayden is going to send both Aaron and I into a looney bin for all the arguing and talking back that he does.  This child always has to have the last word, even if it is something so silly and small.  If I tell him that I’ve been doing laundry all day long, he’ll look at me and say “well you’re not doing laundry right now, so don’t say you’ve been doing it all day”.  Y’all that is annoying to say the least!  It drives me mad.  Yes he’s saying something that is truthful, but for the love that will drive you crazy when you hear this all day long.  He also argues when he’s in trouble and if I could just get him to shut his mouth and say ‘yes sir’ his days would be better.  Mind you, this kid is P.E.R.F.E.C.T at school and would never do this to his teacher (at least I don’t think he does).

 

At dinner tonight it got out of control and I literally wanted to throw my entire plate of fish tacos at him, but I didn’t for two reasons.  First, I hear that it’s looked down upon in restaurants to throw food at your kids when you are at mad at them, and two I really love my fish tacos.  Anyhow, I was about to lose my cool when finally I told Cayden that I understood that he can’t help it (that’s what he always says) and that daddy and I both struggle with things to that we want to stop but we can’t.  I explained how there’s Cayden’s way and then there’s God’s way (flesh and the spirt) and sometimes even when we truly want to do God’s way, our way gets in the way and we choose what makes us happy.  As crazy as it might sound, I think he was actually understanding.  I told him that truly the only way that he would get better at watching his mouth was if God helped him, because on our own we will still do the things that please us.  I told him that he should start praying and asking God to help him.  I told him that we would pray this as well.

 

I felt in that moment of losing my mind with a child that always has to have the last word and I could have just told him to shut up (just kidding – I’ve never told my kids to shut up, although I have thought it about once a day) and leave me alone, that I chose a moment to encourage him in his struggle.  The truth is I have struggles too that I so desperately don’t want to do, but so many times I chose my way over God’s way.

 

I’m praying that this month is a challenge to be an encourager and not just a woman that runs the logistics of a house, because I can do that very well, but it will be of no lasting value to my kids.  I’m asking God to show me unique opportunities to cheer on my kids.  To show them their value, and to point them to God in this encouragement.

 

You joining me for this month?  Who is with me on trying to think daily on how we can cheer our kids on, and not push them down?  Come on!

Do you have a special way that you encourage and cheer your kids on?  Please share with all of us moms.  We’re all in this race together!

 

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I’m in a magazine: HOMELIFE May edition

By jamieivey on May 3, 2012

 

Back in the fall I was emailed by the publisher of a magazine and asked if I would like to write an article for them.  I nearly peed on myself as I read it because I was so honored and excited!  My first time to be asked to write for something that would be in a magazine, and they would also pay me!!!  Life couldn’t get any better.

 

My final draft was sent in January 3, and believe it or not they actually sent me a check.  I still was holding out that maybe they were just paying me to be nice for the work I put into it, but they weren’t actually going to use it.  I knew it was to be in the May issue, and I suspected I would get a copy in the mail as well.

 

Last week I opened up a package and there it was!  I couldn’t believe it.  I seriously jumped up and down and screamed.  It might have been one of the happiest moments in my life.  I had put so much work into that article and literally had nearly thrown up after I hit the “send” button to email it to them.  So much fear and worry wrapped into one moment and now here it was.  They did use it and weren’t just paying me to be nice.

 

I opened it up and there it was … MY PICTURE … I was in the “contributors” section.  I am a contributor.  Dream come true.  Loved seeing my name in print there.  Of course there I was surrounded by greatness with Jen Hatmaker and Mark Batterson – both authors and amazing people!

 

My article is about surviving the hard times in marriage.  I specifically wrote about adding a child to our family through international adoption and all the stress that can come on your marriage through that and how we coped and made it through.  I pray and hope that God will use my words for marriages all over the country to realize that in the midst of all the trials and struggles you have to cherish your marriage.  Everything around us can fall, but if Aaron and I have each other we can make it.  I hope that it will encourage one woman to not neglect her marriage because parenting/work/life is hard in this moment.

 

I told Aaron that after being married to him for eleven years and lots of albums, I finally knew what it was like to get a finished product in your hand.  I never understood the joy he would experience when he got the final track, because we had already listened to it about 1.4 million times in the recording, mixing and mastering process.  For real.  When an album of Aaron’s comes out I’ve already heard it for months.  I have not been the supportive wife in this area.  NEVER AGAIN will I downplay the joy of getting the final product in your hands.  When I held that article it was amazing.  Months ago I wrote this little piece and poured my heart into it.  To see it finally in print was a JOY for me.

 

MY FIRST PUBLISHED WORK.  You can find my article in the May issue of HOMELIFE magazine, which is a Lifeway publication, so you can find it at your local Lifeway Store (Christian bookstore), or you can order them online.  Thanks for letting me brag on myself for a moment.  That is so rude, but I hope I get a free pass for this one!

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This Place is Perfect for Kids! Austin, TX

By jamieivey on May 1, 2012

Recently Aaron and I spent a few days at a resort that is about 30 miles outside of Austin. It was truly the best of both worlds for us. We were in the “woods,” but really close to our home city. While there we met three different families from Chicago that were in Texas for Spring Break. What are the chances that three different families from the same part of Chicago who didn’t know each other would end up in the great state of Texas at the same resort?

The way we met them was through me being all up in their business. Aaron thinks I’m nosy. I call it just being aware of my surroundings! Anyhow, I overheard two of these couples talking about how they were heading into Austin for the day and they didn’t know what to do. Y’all I couldn’t keep my mouth shut then!

In the three and a half years that we’ve lived here I have said numerous times how much I love living in Austin and how I could die here because I don’t plan on ever leaving. This city has truly captured our hearts and we love all the craziness about it! We love that our kids get to live miles from a very cool downtown and that we frequently eat at lots of crazy places with our kids. I have yet to eat at a chain restaurant, except CFA, but come on, momma needs her chicken biscuits. There are so many fabulous places to eat that are truly local and I love that!

I gave them my advice.

Head to South Congress.

Park your car.

Get out and walk.

Enjoy!

It’s that simple. I don’t think you can go wrong with those instructions. You can park on South Congress and find some fabulous restaurants, trailer eateries, dessert places, funky thrift stores and a view of the bats coming out at night! It’s awesome.

Recently we packed up our kids and told them we were heading to South Congress for lunch and gave them two options. We offered them GUERO’S or HOME SLICE. Two very different restaurants, but both equally local feeling and delicious.

Majority ruled and our family ended up spending our lunch at Home Slice on South Congress. This place has truly some of the best pizza I have ever eaten in my life. We get the exact same thing every time we go, because when you find something that does you right, there’s no reason to change. One of my favorite things about Home Slice is that is combines Austin life with NY style pizza and that makes this lover of Austin and NYC very happy!

I met one of the chefs last year and he told me that each year they close down their shop and head to NYC to taste pizza and get better ideas on how to make their pizza better. Oh my I love that!

This place is perfect for kids! Immediately my kids ran to the courtyard where they spent the whole time playing ping-pong and we had to literally drag them away from it! One of my most favorite things about Austin is that people just take their kids anywhere and it all works out well! Kids fit in most places around town and we love that our family can do lots of fun stuff together that’s not adult only!

Our next stop was Amy’s ice cream and if you are visiting Austin you for sure need to get to an Amy’s ice cream during your stop here. They have such great flavors and my kids love getting the works on their ice cream! Nothing beats local ice cream!

Finally, if you’re visiting South Congress, grab your camera and your loved ones and get your picture taken in front of the sign “I love you so much!” So fun and it would be a fun family picture to document your visit to Austin!

We love family days on South Congress. Whether we eat at Home Slice, Perla’s, a trailer, Guerro’s, Vespaio (one of our favorite date spots) or South Congress Cafe, we’re going to get great food, lovely family time and lots of fun in our favorite city in America.

$100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

Travel Texas and BlogHer are sponsoring a great giveaway to one lucky reader. Please leave a comment telling me where you’d like to visit in Texas. You can request a free Texas Travel Guide from the TravelTex.com website where you can get lots of great ideas!

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/1/2012-6/1/2012.

Be sure to visit the Discover Texas page on BlogHer.com where you can read about other bloggers’ adventures and find more chances to win!

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April recap & what’s up for May

By jamieivey on May 1, 2012

APRIL “year of motherhood” recap … FAMILY NIGHTS

 

I feel like my husband, Aaron, and I spend a good amount of quality family time with our kids, but for some reason I felt as though we needed a little boost to our nights.  I wanted to put a little pep in our step and bring them up a notch.

Our first family night was a LUAU FAMILY NIGHT theme and it was so much fun with the kids.  I learned that on one hand it was super easy because it’s food we would have normally eaten, and I didn’t have to buy much to make the night special.  We played limbo with a broomstick I found in the backyard, and silly straws and virgin pina colada’s don’t cost too much these days!  The kids loved it.  At one point I looked at Aaron and thought, I could do this.  I could plan something like this every week and be a really “good” mom!

 

Get the rest of the article over at INSPIRED TO ACTION ….. & see what my challenge for May is.  You are gonna want to get in on this one!

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