The "Funny Farm" of the Cowles family.
We are just a few months away from you turning another year older, and that means it’s time for another "Letter to my Girls". My babies, I can’t believe how grown you are. You are quickly approaching the ages when all I could think about was wanting to be a wife and a mom. I… Continue reading Parents have no clue
Work trip today with my babies! These are the things that make this Momma heart happy...just being with my adult girls. When you think about what your life will look like before you have kids, there are dreams that every Mom thinks about. Usually, the big things come first in our thoughts, big moments like… Continue reading Days of my dreams
This "whole blog thing" started with letters to my girls. It began as simple notes to them when they were babies. I wrote about their milestones and how much I loved being their Mom! As they grew, my writing grew. The simple notes turned into letters for their big birthdays and things I wanted them… Continue reading Letters to my Daughters
When the girls were little, as we did our bedtime routine, one of the last things I would say before I walked out of their room was, "What was the best part of your day?" I started saying it as a way to distract them from the desire to stay awake. What kid doesn't hate… Continue reading Best Part of Your Day?
This weekend we did a tour of a college. The whole time I'm walking around this school and listening to the guide, I'm looking at both my girls and realizing that at some point they stopped looking like my little girls and looked like grown college students. They fit there. They looked like college kids.… Continue reading The Last Days that I missed
How in the world is my baby 16?! From the moment I first saw you, you were smiling. You were the happiest baby I've ever met. Giggly, loving the entertainment from your 1 year old big sister and Max the dog. I have learned so much about life and people from watching you and how… Continue reading What I see in my 16 year old S!
My oldest took her driver's test today. As with most parents, there are new fears when your teen starts driving, but after driving with her in a most recent snow storm I realized that I've moved into a new relationship with my girls.I've always been one of those mommas who tried to suck up every… Continue reading “DRIVING FORWARD” into a new relationship with my daughters
What mom doesn't like to hear phrases like, "You are such a great mom!" "You are such a fun mom!" "Your kids are so lucky to have a mom like you." "I love your mom!" (Said from your kid's friends.) All those phrases make us feel so good about ourselves and for that brief moment… Continue reading Best Mom in the World
T passed her driver's permit test this morning. Mom's of little ones... you won't have a date to mark the "last bath", the last time you "pick them up for snuggle", the last time "they come running to grab onto your knees when you walk in the door". Cherish those moments. Even when it's a… Continue reading Mother’s Day
I am generally a very kind and sweet person. I am usually super smiley and I look for ways to encourage people throughout the day and I try to extend grace and forgiveness to those around me. I wear my heart on my sleeve and on my face. However, deep down inside, when my girls… Continue reading “Momma Bear, Get Back in the Cave!”
I've changed their diapers. I've dressed them and helped tie their shoes. I've fed them. I've watched every growth spurt, and every tooth come in. I've helped with the "impossible" math homework... ... now they are taller than me and have been doing all this on their own for years. Somewhere along the way I… Continue reading Mom Courage
I'm doing it again. It's July! The 4th of July, Independence celebrations have come and gone. My daisies are blooming. IT'S JULY! That place that starts with an "S" is going to start up again in a few short weeks and I haven't had enough time with my babies. I think what is really… Continue reading Mid Summer Freak Out
Change is hard and death... well, it sucks. I've been thinking how "life" can bring these hard times and how awful they can be to go through, BUT how thankful and how grateful I am to not be going through them alone. I think back on my life, a hard time in my family when… Continue reading Change is Hard
I can't believe you are 13! Where did my baby go? So another birthday, another letter from your momma. 3 years ago I wrote you what I thought you needed to know to "do life". I still believe you need those words, but I also know you need more. So, my girl, here are the… Continue reading S, 13 Things Before You Turn 13!
We've hit this stage in our parenting where boys are starting to take notice of our girls. We were out to dinner one night and I noticed a boy "do a double take". I put my head down and giggled. Hubby is SO NOT READY for this stage. He said they can date as… Continue reading Entrust
You know how it's hard to see things clearly sometimes, when you're too close? Those are the times we need a perspective change. Kids, as well as adults, need reminders that sometimes our circumstances are not as bad as we are making them out to be. An "attitude of gratitude" is needed. I've started a… Continue reading Give me 5!
When they were babies, and they would cry, I would go though the questions. Is she hungry? Does she need a diaper change? Is she too hot? Do I hold her or let her cry it out? Am I holding her too much? Am I not holding her enough? Then as a toddler... of course… Continue reading The Mom Doubts
I can't believe you are 13! Where did my baby go? So another birthday, another letter from your momma. 3 years ago I wrote you what I thought you needed to know to "do life". I still believe you need those words, but I also know you need more. So, my girl, here are the… Continue reading T, 13 things before you turn 13
A few years ago, we were on vacation in Disney World. Trying to get to one of the shows, my youngest and I were "bringing up the rear" and my hubby turned around and said, "Come on, let's walk a little faster so we can make the show on time." I said, "We are trying… Continue reading Momma, Set the Pace
You've heard the phrase, "Live like it's your last", but I would suggest to you to "LOVE like it's your last" day on earth. We are not promised tomorrow. If I have learned anything in my short 39 years, I've learned that life is short and fast. If today was your last day on earth, … Continue reading Love for Today
"Smile from the Heart." My very own, made up by myself, true to my life, MOTTO. Ok, so it doesn't sound like I could have made it up on my own, but I did. Maybe someone, some where out there in the big wide world said it first, but I had never heard it before… Continue reading Smile from the Heart
I had a meltdown today. Probably could call it a temper tantrum, but it was minus the laying down and kicking part. It was like the world was against me today. Like I could do nothing right! Then I picked up my girls from soccer practice this evening to find out they have "TONS" of… Continue reading Momma’s having a Meltdown
We are approaching that time again in the year, the time of year I dread. SCHOOL IS STARTING AGAIN! Every morning, ever since the girls' first day of kindergarten, we pray on the way to school. I pray for different things every day, but I always end it with a specific phrase. "Lord, give them… Continue reading Strength, Wisdom, and Courage
Besides my "nighttime notebooks", I have these notebooks that only I write in. (Nighttime notebooks are for each of the girls and I to write back and forth.) I started these memory notebooks about a year after my youngest was born. I knew they would never remember things from when they were little, and I… Continue reading Memory notebooks
Around Christmas, our oldest was invited to a youth group all-nighter. When I told my hubby that she was invited AND wanted to go, his response had me laughing so hard I was crying. He said, with all seriousness, "Why does she want to be with her friends instead of us?" To which I replied,… Continue reading Letting Go
I think it only appropriate that since I wrote "letters" to my girls telling them what I wanted them to know before they turned 10, that I write one to my hubby before he turns 40. Babe, I know I don't say these things enough, and I COULD NEVER say them enough, but I mean… Continue reading Hubby, Before you turn 40
My sweet girlies, Picture this...You are driving to meet a friend for dinner. Along the way, your friend calls and says, "Be careful, there is an accident ahead of you." You can't see the road ahead, but your friend was already there and had seen it and warned you. You got a chance to switch… Continue reading Bigger Picture
Like most two year olds, when T was about two years old, she was just pushing my buttons. After the 5th time of me telling her to "Stop eating the dog food!", she threw a fit. I waited patiently until she was done with her fit and I asked if she "had put her 'grumpy… Continue reading “Grumpy Pants”
My sweet girls, In my short 38 years, I've unfortunately been apart of many funerals. The whole day is just awful, but to me the worst is the "visitation". Basically what happens is people you know and many you hardly know come to the church or funeral home and they want to express how sorry… Continue reading Funerals
The best parenting advice I ever got was, "Don't listen to any parenting advice." You are the parent. You know your child better than anyone else. Trust your instincts. Pray. Most parents don't want advice. They want to vent or complain and have someone just listen. They need someone to tell them they are not… Continue reading The best parenting advice
My sweet precious girls, I was determined. I was determined to not "let it beat me". I was determined to not let the fear take over... Looking into the face of a doctor, a man I had come to respect, and see the fear in his eyes, (even though his mouth is saying he's "not… Continue reading The Waiting Room
As with every kid, when the girls were little, they liked to jump on furniture. Bed, couch, chairs, coffee table...it didn't matter what it was, they jumped on it, and as with every mom, jumping on the furniture is huge no-no! One day, I caught them jumping on T's bed, and told them to get… Continue reading Jumping on the couch
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Col. 3:23-24 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31 What… Continue reading EVERYTHING you do…
One day, when the girls were around 2 and 3, they were playing in the playroom. I was doing laundry in the other room, and hearing normal play noise. Then things got quiet. Too quiet. As a mom, you know, when things get quiet, that's never a good sign. So I had to go to… Continue reading Too Quiet
When the girls were little, I was in the kitchen making breakfast and they were playing in the living room. I heard giggles and dancing and clapping so I went out to see what all the excitement was about. I watched for a bit as they were jumping in the air and clapping at what… Continue reading Sun Fuzzies
I was saying goodnight to the girls and I was in S's room and I asked my regular nightly question, "what was the favorite part of your day?" S told me and I told her my other "regular", "wake me if you need me." She smiled and I added, "because you know when I'm old… Continue reading “Wake me if you need me.”
(Ironically, this pic was just snuggling, but I thought it looked like they were choking each other. 😉 ) As I sit here in our sunroom, I'm in awe of how the girls can go from one minute of practically RIPPING each others heads off to, giggly, happy girls the next. Their fights have never… Continue reading Learning to Argue
You know that Subaru commercial, where the girl “grows up in the back of a Subaru”? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ENr4J8zwcI I CRY EVERY TIME!!!! I see my girls in that straight haired girl’s face and her “WHAT?” is what I hear from them, when I just STARE at their OLD faces! We are coming up on another round… Continue reading Time is not waiting on us….
Cowles Farm 