Mother's Day Wishes

It is Mother's Day, for those of us in the United States who celebrate. I do wonder... do other nations have Mother's Day celebrations? Something to look into. But today, I want to wish Moms a great day! I also want to encourage those moms who might be having a hard time.

Mothers have it rough. I know not everyone understands this. And I'm not discounting the fathers. You guys have your day too! At least here. But let's dive in for a moment and just really think about what it means to be a good mom. And yes, there are bad moms. There are those we don't celebrate because they haven't earned that privilege. So again, just focus on the good ones with me, yeah? 

What do I think a good Mom is?

 

A good Mom pours so much energy into her kids. She makes sacrifices for them. Sleep. Time. Money. Energy. Their needs trumps her own. As a good mom, she will hide that yawn. Smile at their jokes or artwork (even when she didn't get it). She will seek to teach them all the knowledge she can in the 18 years they are hers to do so with. She often repeats herself, believing that one day it will sink in. And will provide for every need (not the wants) as best she can.

Do I think I cover all these in my own walk? Not all the time. My kids see me tired and hurting. My kids hear my grumbling about what I lack because I need to get them something instead. These come from weak moments I have. I try not to let them overflow my proverbial internal bottle, but I'm human. It happens. Especially with my teenagers....

That is a whole other beast. Raising teenagers. It is so freaking hard! 'Scuse the language outburst there. But seriously, teenagers can drain the life from you on the daily, smiling the whole time. And I think boys are worse than girls in this. But that is just my own experience. 

So here is some encouragement.

As a Christian mom, I take encouragement from the Bible. I laugh at some of the verses when they are quoted to me by older women in my life. After all, they see my kids behaving their best every time. They don't see the nitty-gritty in the background at home. According to some of these women, these verses should be coming true for me. But they forget I have teenagers. Who might not follow my own faith. "Well, that doesn't seem very encouraging," you say. And you would be right. 

However, these verses are true. No matter what my experiences may be right now. In Proverbs 31:25-29, you get the picture of what many of us call the Proverbs 31 Woman. So many of us strive to be her in our lives. We put ourselves down when we fall short. But let me tell you something. In our own ways, we all reach these standards. No matter how we falter in the walk. We are stronger than we give ourselves credit for. Personally speaking, I hold my head up and walk in such a way that I hope to not fall when evil comes around. With dignity and grace. I do the best I can in imparting wisdom to my kids. Sometimes it comes off as just mom bashing us for failing in some activity. But I do try to make it known in love. How many of you moms out there are juggling schedules? Preparing all the meals? Are your kids clothed? Are they clean? Guess what?! You are fulfilling verse 27. That is a feat of superhuman strength! So be proud of that. The part I struggle with are in verses 28 and 29. In my house, my husband sings my praises daily. My children? Not so often. But I don't let their lack of care get me down like I used to. After all, we are only human. We have phases of life that fluctuate as we go through. Glued to mom when we are tiny. Trying to find our own way through those raging hormones of our teens. Maybe even thinking we know it all. Then later, sometimes much later, we love and respect all our mother did for us.

Another verse that is quoted to me too often is in Luke 7:35. It says simply - Wisdom is justified of all her children. The hope is that we will find our children understanding the wisdom we sought to give them all their lives. That they will grow stronger through it and live better lives. And that they will see, as they look back, that we did it in love for them. We will be justified. 

Do I think I will see these things from all my children, maybe not. There are days when I think at least 1, maybe 2, will fly the coop and not think twice about never looking back. Maybe I'm speaking from the dark corner of my mind that is struggling with Motherhood right now. I hope so. Because one day I can hope that they will return the love I have shared all their lives.  

Maybe you are not a mother. But maybe you fill a motherly role in someone's life. I have, and have had, many mother-like women in my life. You are included in this encouragement. You have a role. And we thank you too! 

So happy mothers day to you all! Hold yourself up and hear the applause I'm sending your way. No matter what your day is like right now.  

Let's Chill with Kinder Bueno Ice Cream!

First off, I love ice cream. But more so, trying new flavors! And this time, I was able to not only try a new flavor, but to have a party with friends and share with them. Let's check it out!

 *Disclaimer: I was sent the party pack for free in exchange for hosting a party and sharing with others. I was not otherwise endorsed. All opinions are mine or my party pals.*

So first off, we have the party pack. This was full of fun things we could share with others. I took an unboxing video. Here you go! 

Now, let's talk ice cream, shall we? I have seen these at my local HEB stores. They come in the personal size (shareable, if you are in the mood). You can find them and the other new flavor, Nutella (AMAZING!), next to them. They sell for $4.37 each here. A little pricey for something so small, but not bad if you are in the mood and treating yourself, ya know?   

We were happy to have caught this sale when we got the ice creams for the party. $1 off each one! And yes, I totally had to grab some Nutella ones. They are soooo good! I got 6 of the Kinder flavors to share at the party. 

Time to party!

Next up, we have party time. We talked to our buddy that has a game store here in town and asked if he and his crew would want to be our party pals.

It was so hard getting everyone together at once, but we managed to break it up and share in the fun. The ice cream was well received by all those who tried it, even those with lactose intolerance wanted to try it. Smooth, rich in flavor and the crunch you recognize from the Kinder Bars! 

What else can you find? 

How about the Kinder Cones? (And Nutella Cones.) I found these while looking for ice cream recently. They went all out with options here! What are your thoughts on these? Are they a buy or a pass for you? Let me know in the comments down below! 

Play Dyce Games with Us!

I was given the amazing chance to try out some new games for Dyce Games. Thanks to them for sending these games to us for free! 

*Disclaimer: I was sent these games for free in exchange for hosting a party and sharing them with others. All opinions are mine or my guests. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed.*

Dyce Games are all about easy-to-play games that are fun for all ages. You can check out their website for more information HERE. The 3 games we are focusing on today are: Birdy Call, This or That, and Miraculous. 

A deeper look at the games 

Let's start with This or That. This game isn't all about winning. It is about seeing how well you know the people you play it with. I played with 3 of my kids. Mom sure knows her kids well, right? But even then, there were things I got wrong on the "what if" decisions my kids answered. There are 300 questions cards where you pick an option and follow the arrows. Cards are stacked pyramid-style. Follow the arrows to find the next This or That question. At the bottom, players have to guess what number the one player would end at. There are points you can count up to find the winner. We just did it in rounds until each player had gone twice. It was not just eye-opening, but fun to see where people go based on what they liked (or disliked) most.

 Next up, let's see the other one that had us girls giggling like crazy. Birdy Call is about calling out and seeing who has the same bird as you. You collect the eggs and even try to steal eggs from other players! This one is truly a riot to play. 

And, finally! We arrive at my youngest daughters favorite, Miraculous. She absolutely loves the show and the movies. So she couldn't wait to try this one! You pick your hero character, and then each player tries to reach the top of the tower first. 

Takeaway:

These games were so easy to play. They cover all ages. I think the only one we had some trouble with was Birdy Call. We weren't sure about when to draw cards when we didn't find matches... Which is why I suggest you watch their videos on how to play before you start. 

Discount! 

Want to get some games of your own? Don't forget the 20% off code at checkout:  TRYAZON20

What game are you most interested in?? Leave me a comment below!  

A Visit to the Midland Army Air Field Museum

My husband took me and one of our children to see the Midland Army Air Field Museum today. We had been wanting to check it out ever since we took the family to the air show. But time has been passing us by too quickly with all the tasks that keep piling up. Here we are in March and we finally took a moment to slow down as we walked around the hanger that makes up this magnificent history-filled place! It isn't the easiest to find if you follow Google maps though. You turn into an unpaved lot. So be warned to watch for the open gates to it. And if you see the outdoor chapel, you know you are in the right spot! 

They are opened on Saturdays, 10-3. Entry is free, and they happily take donations to help keep the place maintained. The people there are volunteers as well. 

We checked out the modern military vehicles that are parked outside first. There are planes, engines, photos, medals, equipment, weapons... An entire display on George bush Sr. getting shot down and rescued!

So many great things to see and learn about. You just wander around at your own pace and see the sights in whatever order you choose. If it is your first time, you will get some introduction to your visit from one of the volunteers who is incredibly knowledgeable about the planes. 

My husband really loved the F-14 Tomcat, 102 aircraft. We had recently heard about that one on a Yarnhub video. When this plane was originally donated, they had no idea it was such a special aircraft. Watch the video if you want to know how. My favorite part? The American pilots waving at the enemy as they flew by each other! 

I loved the German plane from the Luftwaffe. And how well they recreated a living room from the time. Well, except for some of the music that played on the old fashioned radio... 

There are interactive displays that will played sound bites and videos that explain more about the things you are looking at. The plane models you have to feel without seeing to try and identify them as the soldiers would have. 

You can check out the little gift shop they have. We picked up a challenge coin of theirs to add to our collection. Ask about the design on it, it was done by Walt Disney! And while supplies last, you can pick up a free poster too. I want to add that where I have my signed Blue Angels poster... I hope to check out other museums one day. They are so much fun! Besides, if we don't learn from history as a society, we will just be doomed to repeat it. So learn well, my friends!