LIFE AIN'T NO PICNIC

It's hard to keep it real when sharing stuff on social media. At least it is for me. I'd much rather share that I ran 5 miles the other day than confess I was so hungry after I ate 8 chocolate chip cookies and felt bloated and fat the rest of the day. 

"When using social media, we tend to broadcast the smiling details of our lives but not the hard times at school or work.We portray an incomplete life—sometimes in a self-aggrandizing or fake way. We share this life, and then we consume the “almost exclusively … fake lives of [our] social media ‘friends.’ “How could it not make you feel worse to spend part of your time pretending to be happier than you are, and the other part of your time seeing how much happier others seem to be than you?” (LDS General Conference, 9/14 Elder Cook)
   When I read this it made me think of this blog. The last thing I want is that when Isabella is a new young mom and is struggling and wishing kids had a return policy (and feeling horribly guilty of course) and goes to her mom's blog posts for reassurance, she comes out feeling worse and even more incompetent because her perfect mom only had perfect happy moments, and was always in control (hahahahahha). That would definitely earn me a nice bunk bed next to the Kardashians in you know where. So basically my point is I want to work on keeping it real. Sharing my WHOLE life not just those picture perfect moments. 

    A young mother got on a bus with seven children. The bus driver asked, “Are these all yours, lady? Or is it a picnic?” “They’re all mine,” she replied. “And it’s no picnic!”
This is what I hope Isabella, any of my kids, or any interested party reads here:

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to just be people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey…delays…sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling burst of speed. The trick is to thank God for letting you have the ride.” Gordon B Hinckley

*I need pictures like the one on the left to remind the version of me on the right to put some kind of make up on and do my hair once in a while. I could have done much better on getting an ugly picture but weirdly I had very few of those on my phone...but believe me my hair and face have had worse moments. I like doing my hair and dressing up, but most of the time my hair is in a braid or bun and I am wearing some kind of loose comfy shirt. Funny story of the picture on the right, I tend to be thinking of 5 things at a time and the other day when I was plucking my eyebrows I accidentally plucked half of my left one. 

I love both of these pictures. Dresses and bows are fun and cute and just plain adorable but definitely not practical or part of most of our daily life. Most of the time a headband will last enough for a picture and a bow will fly off as Isabella tries to do a somersault or just janks it off along with some hair. Isabella would rather be down to her undies surrounded by messy food and running wild. 

I love a clean house and the smell of cleaning supplies. My favorites are Lime Lysol and Orange Pynesol. But my life is full of smells of poopie diapers (sooooo gross), old dirty dishes, and well Stephen knows what else if you know what I mean... I try really hard to keep the house clean but I've learned that sometimes I need to let it be and just be happy. Did I mention I HATE doing dishes? 

*rest assured I have better taste than to use skull bowls for cooking, I am planning a Halloween party at church. The rest of the mess is mine I have no excuse for that....

*yes that is maple syrup among Isabella's toys. She loves to go to my kitchen cabinets and grab food she finds there. I have found her covered in flour from head to toe smearing it all over the floor, eating brown sugar straight from the bag or rolling cans of beans around the house. yes i should baby proof the cabinets i know.