Gratitude for the Women in My Life

My SIL, my cousin, my aunt & me. Girls trip, Olympia, WA July 2013

This journey we call life can be so crazy and I am so very grateful for good friends (some of which happen to be family too!) to share it with. Life is full of excitement, laughter and fun filled days but amongst all of that are the crazy, exhausting days. Days where I really just want to curl up in my bed and cry myself to sleep. Days where I know I don't have all of the answers but just try my best. Days where I pray that I am making the best decision for my kids and for our family. Days where I feel like a complete failure as a mom.  

Thankfully I have wonderful women surrounding me in my life. Women of strength, faith, courage and love. They are women I can always count on, who always lend a listening ear, who I can laugh with, who never judge, who reassure and comfort, who understand and who are inspired. I can truly just be myself around them and share the good, the bad and the ugly. They make me want to be a better person, a better mother and a better wife.

I am certain it is because of these women that I have survived the last six months. They build me up, reassure me and remind me of what truly is important. For that, I am forever grateful. 

Getting (My Family) Ready for a Girls Road Trip

So excited for my girls trip coming up tomorrow. I am headed to Oregon for my little sisters collage graduation. So proud of her (way to go chicka!). I've been looking forward to it all week but also realize it is a lot to have The Gent home with the kids for five full days. So, I tried to make it as easy on him as possible. Here are a few things I did to hopefully make it easier for The Gent.

 Homemade pumpkin apple muffins

 Homemade french bread

 Outfits for the kids all laid out

 Girls hairstyle lessons for The Gent

(quite entertaining for me and he is such a good sport)

 The Girl so excited to have her dad do her hair

 Coke Zero for The Gent's sanity

 Hidden message written in Sharpie for when it is empty that says, "Don't worry, there is a backup stash in the pantry. Love you"

 Breakfast in the crockpot

A little gift for The Gent with a few of his favorite things 

(even though we celebrated Father's Day a week early, I didn't want The Gent feeling like he wasn't being celebrated on Father's Day)

Hopefully all of the pre-prep makes it easier for my family while I am gone. The Gent is awesome in so many ways but I love that he wanted me to be able to take a girls trip with my aunt and SIL to celebrate my sister's accomplishments.

Oregon, here we come!