Summer Traditions

As a working mother, it is very hard when it comes to summer and kids being out of school.  There is a sense of "mom- guilt" we have by putting our kids in summer camps all summer while you go off to work.  They always love the adventures they have, but there is a void ... that you didn't get to be with them.

I have always made a big deal with creating summer traditions for our family to do together.  We have made a Buck Family Summer Bucket List for quite a few years now.  Our list always included fun - inexpensive things to do as a family.  Backyard Movie marathons, building sheet fortress and sleeping out in it, or playing laser tag in the dark (yes we have our own laser tag guns.)

Some of  things we did one summer have become a new family tradition that goes on every summer bucket list.  A couple of those include the Annual Buck family Watermelon eating contest, going to Jordan Lake for stargazing, and the annual summer Mohawk that my son gets.

  
As Gideon (currently age 10)  has gotten older, he's grown to love his summer Mohawk and he wears it well.  I am not sure when he gets into middle school/ high school if he'll continue this tradition but for now he does and it makes summers just a little more fun for him!

~ Does your family have any summer traditions?

Wonder Woman Review

Disclaimer: I am no movie expert.  I am no comic book expert.  I will not give away spoilers.   This review is just your average (wonderful) woman watching another (wonderful) comic book movie.

We all have watched DC try to make a movie as good as Marvel, and frankly we are getting a little time of Marvel making so many movies, so it's great when DC has a hit ... and Wonder Woman was it!

Let's just get it out there.. yes  Gal Gadot is HOT and having arrived to the acting gig from modeling not all that long ago, she's got great potential.  I loved her facial expressions, body language and heart throughout the movie.

Diane Prince gets to experience all of what life is... and isn't.  She see's war, hated, heroism and love.  She becomes Wonder Woman in this movie... he beginning story.

Her charterer is strong, independent, charismatic and loving... all the things I aspire daily to be.  (I wouldn't mind looking like her either...)

As a woman, I highly enjoyed seeing a Female LEAD Comic book movie...with  war, hated, heroism and most importantly love.   I feel like they've tried to make good female superheros but always failed.

I can't recall having seen a good FEMALE lead movie by either Marvel and DC before.   I WONDER why it's taken so long ...

Motherhood Reminders..

I became a mom, around the time most of my friends were graduating college and living it up as young singles do.

I never visioned getting married at 20 or starting a young family shortly after. 
I certainly didn't have anything figured out but quickly learned what was most important.

Being a mom has taught me...

   -To laugh and be silly.  It's important to maintain a sense of humor.  Play dress up. Watch Cartoons. Dance crazy. Make mud pies.. and so forth.  Time is so short and before you know it.. you have a high school-er and almost middle school-er. 

  - To Embrace the mess.  The uncleaned house.  The dirty dishes.  The crazy wild bed head hair and the (endless) mounts of laundry just sitting in the corner.  No Mom has it figured out and you can't let life spills and mishaps bring you down.

  - To stop comparing yourself.  For both mom's and children.  The grass isn't greener.  Every child is different.  And every mom is different.  No kid is perfect and certainly no Mom is either. Be encouraged and not discouraged when others seem to have it all, because truth is they don't.

  - To love unconditionally.  A newborn child brings absolutely nothing to the relationship, rather than needing to eat, sleep and be changed... At all hours of the day.  But a mother has an unconditional love for the child, that even 10-15 (and probably way more) years later never fade. 

Motherhood is challenging and rewarding.  Some days it's both of those.  Sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's really hard.   Some times you get a glimpse of God's great design and goodness.. through your smiling child.  

But being a mom is a great thing to be and I'm blessed.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is something we all struggles​ with.  Self include​d.  I have the ability to recognize when someone should seek forgiveness but often don't have the ability to actually do it.

When I was 11 years old my uncle was murdered by a young 18 year old kid... because he was either jealous or simply didn't like my uncle.  The kid ended up getting aquitted of the charges since he had a good attorney.

That kids life was never the same and truth be told he ended up taking his own life only a few years later.   My family felt that Justice was served when that young man died.

But I'll never really know if my grandparents found forgiveness.

As humans we hold on to so much: Pain. Struggle.  Addiction.  Hurt.  Sadness. 
We don't forgive others because it's our way off remembering this bad things.  Unfortunately we believe that makes us stronger on the inside.

As we get ready to celebrate Easter.  I'm reminded so much about forgiveness.
Jesus' first words in the cross we're "forgive them father, for they no not what they do."

Jesus took and bore all our pain, suffering, punishment and in that moment we we're forgiven. 

I'm not a theologican or scholar.. just your average person...  Learning and struggling.  Trying to seek forgiveness when need and give it graciously even when it seems far from fair.

Who are the people you need to forgive?   Maybe a parent, sibling, friend, spouse or ex, a high school bully, or maybe a kid who killed your uncle?  Find forgiveness.

..and Forgive others just as Christ forgives you. 

GOD GIVEN PURPOSE

Spoiler alert... It's Jesus. 

I have joked around this comic stripe for years... God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things.  Right now I am so far behind I will NEVER die.  ~ Calvin

I continue to struggle with ... "My Purpose."  What are all those things God wants me to accomplish.  How am I doing?  Am I behind schedule?  Am I following the right path?  Doing the right things?  I tease and joke that I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up ... because I am often uncertain what is my God given purpose...

Last night, I was reminded that our God given purpose is Jesus.  We are all called to follow his lead and love like him.  I often realize that when I am too busy complaining about the world around me, I am missing out the things he wants me to accomplish right now.  

Which is to shine his light and live a life that those who don't know him will want to know him because they know me. 

Jesus should be the only purpose I need.  Too often I am too busy chasing dreams of saving the world, when he's already done that.  Shame on me... but thankfully God's gentle reminders are always there to guide me back on his path and his PURPOSE.   #JESUS

I choose to be Happy

Have you ever met someone that seems to be always - HAPPY?  Those people who always see the good.  Always smiling and always full of life.   

Happy people are anomaly these days.  I was running around the park yesterday and not many people smiled or appeared to be happy.  People just looking at there phones, walking their dogs, running or listening to their music.  I guess I wasn't really all that surprised at most of the individuals I past, just trying to enjoy the beautify day or get through life.  But two people stood out to me during that run.  

The first was A young women.  She was my age or a even a bit younger and she was pushing a child in a handicap stroller.  The boy had to be around 4 years old. He had a hat and sunglasses on, no expression on his face, and was clearly paralyzed.  I passed her multiple times each time she had a worn out frown as she pushed the bulky stroller.  The first time I saw her I prayed: Lord, she clearly has so much going on in her life. How difficult her life appears to be. Give her strength. The second time I past her I prayed:  Lord be with her give her Peace.  Please bless her.  The 3rd time I echoed my first two prayers and I smiled at her. I didn't know about her situation or what she was going through but I knew that it was probably difficult and so I wanted to encourage her each time I past her so I prayed a sentence for her and I smiled. The last time I past her she looked at me and smiled back. A God moment... 

The second individual was a middle aged overweight man. He was maybe in his mid forties, balding and walking by himself.  I Running in the opposite direction as him with a pace three times he's speed, I past him often.  Each time he smiled at me.  He was about the only one who smiled every time. Maybe he was thinking to himself - what a good looking lady I was.  But I believe he was probably thinking.  I wish I could run and bit fit.  I prayed that he would keep going and that with each step he would feel better about himself and who he was and if he was trying to get in shape that he would. I didn't know his situation or anything about him but I wished him the most because he blessed me - with a simple smile. 

Often times, we don't know peoples situations and we assume. I did... about two strangers at the Park. Even though I don't know what they were thinking or the life they were living God knows their situations.  
  
I often forget to be happy.   Perhaps it's years of being around unhappy people.  Growing up in around a unhappy family.  Or it's just the fact that I don't feel like I deserve or should be happy when there is so much ugliness in the world. I wonder how many times people pass me in the park and I am not smiling or looking unhappy.

So even when life seems to be crazy and the run is hot and long... and smiling is the last thing on my mind.  I will do my best to choose Happiness.  Life is too short to not be.  #behappytoo  

Breaking up with my job

So I have been given a new opportunity and a new chapter in my book of life.   I am super excited about all the things I know God is teaching me and the ways he's rewarding me... but now I have to break up with my old job. 

After a decade of service ... It's been nothing short of a roller coaster of emotions over the past couple weeks.  They say that quitting your job can be as heartbreaking as ending a romance and is that ever true.  

I have fallen trapped into all the DON'TS.  Don't hold a grudge... Don't annoy your co-workers... Don't act like a short-timer...  My bad attitude over the past week and a half is not who I am and how I want to leave.   I have so many great memories and I find it strange that I am only remembering the bad ones.  

I kept saying I was just following the steps of grieving and I kind of got stuck in Anger.  I am typically not an angry person.  Or I always seem to be able to move on and let things go.  Just because I am sad or just disappointed doesn't mean I am not going to leave.  I am leaving.  At this point, nothing good will come from my disappointment or lack of fulfillment I have started to feel.  God is teaching me to end relationships well... not like a bad-romance breakup.  I deserve more and I am more ...  

So with only one more week ... five more days... I have decided to let it all go.  I will be meditating these great quotes this week...