The blessings pour in...

Today has been a wonderful day for me both as a wife and a mother. This has truly been a day where I have felt blessed from sun up to sun down. Ryan and I attended a marriage conference at our church today that was awesome. I really loved it and felt like I came away from it with a great renewed sense of my role as Ryan's wife. I am positive he would say the same for his experience. Something that really struck me was the reminder that God isn't just my spiritual father but also my spiritual father-in-law. That Ryan is God's son and when I am hurting Ryan through my actions or words, I am hurting God. In the same way that I want Hayden's future husband to love her fully and out of reverance for God, God wants me to do the same for Ryan and vice-versa. Gary Thomas, the speaker sharing this wisdom, told us to picture God saying to us, "(Ryan) isn't just your husband, he's my son." Pretty powerful, isn't it?
After coming home to Hayden after the conference, my day just kept getting better. Ryan and I stopped at Mardel on our way home to get some books for her. I picked out one with Bible stories for children her age and one with little songs that have accompanying actions to go with the words. I was excited to get home and start a story with her but, I admit, I was half-expecting her to get distracted and want to move on to something else. Instead, she was totally engrossed in the first story and kept asking me to go on to the next one, and the next one, and the next one. Then we picked up the songbook and I started with the first three songs. I repeated them a few times and then suddenly she was finishing my phrases for me before I even sang them. She was even doing the motions! We brought Daddy in and she performed for him. Oh, what I've been missing out on!!!! My heart is so full and I can just see God working before my eyes. On Hayden, yes, but more than anyone I see Him working on me. To end this wonderful day I read a poem in my Bible study tonight that touched me so much I plan to write it out and keep it on my bathroom mirror. (For those of you reading this that are in the study, yes this from day one's homework. I'm behind!) I'm going to type the poem here so someone else can be touched by it:
Some have had kings in their lineage,
Some to whom honor is paid.
Not blest of my ancestors-but,
I have a mother who prays.

I have a mother who prays for me
And pleads with the Lord every day for me.
Oh what a difference it makes for me-
I have a mother who prays.

Some have worldly success
And trust in the riches they've made-
This is my surest asset,
I have a mother who prays.

My mother's prayers cannot save me,
Only mine can avail;
But mother introduced me to Someone-
Someone who never could fail.

Oh yes...I have a mother who prays for me
And pleads with the Lord every day for me.
O what a difference it makes for me-
I have a mother who prays.
-Author unknown
Blessings to you this week, my sweet friends.

Oh, those quiet moments...

You know the ones. The moments when you realize it's really quiet in your house and it shouldn't be. Yeah, that happened today. I was back in my bedroom when I noticed I couldn't hear Hayden anymore and I didn't have to go far to find her. I turned the corner into the kitchen and found her standing in the pantry playing with my FOOD COLORING! She had moved the trash can out, moved her stool in and gotten down the box of neon food and egg dye. She was so happy to be playing in the "paint" as she called it. (She's in a big watercolor phase). It was all over my tile and all over her hands. My grout now has a lovely purple hue about it. I tried everything, short of bleach, to get it off her hands but nothing worked. It is dye afterall. So for now, Hayden has a big purple thumb and I actually think she kind of likes it.

You know what, Mama?...

I decided that today was going to be different from all other days in a really big way. I was going to make sure that I acknowledged God, and His presence, all throughout my day. Even bigger, I was going to make sure that Hayden knew it. I pray for my daughter constantly. Her health is what I pray for more than anything else. I recently realized, however, that I was missing something very important. I wasn't praying with my daughter. I wasn't taking the time each day to talk about God and point out all the wonderful things He does in our lives. I've just been trying to make it through each day with strong-willed toddler and I've been leaving out the most important thing. So today needed to be different...and it was! I was putting Hayden into her car seat to head to gymnastics and I decided to have a conversation with her about God. I told her that God loves her very much and that He made her special. I went on to explain how He made the beautiful sunshine and all the pretty flowers she loves to pick. "Even the rainbows?", she asked. "Yes, even the rainbows!" "Wow!", she said, her little wheels turning. We had been riding in silence for a few minutes when I heard "You know what, Mama?" "What, baby?" "God made you special, too." Minutes later, when I had finally dried my tears, I thanked God for this amazing day of new beginnings.

What are the chances...

...that all of us would be in the air at the same time and that someone would have a fast enough camera to capture it?! I love this pic...even though my face looks like that.

Love this!

Check out this beautiful necklace I found at http://lisaleonardonline.com/ . All her pieces are beautiful but this was my fave.

Cute alert

It would seem I am trying to win an imaginary contest in my mind for the most blog posts in one day. I guess I'm excited just to have a place to get out all my pointless thoughts! I feel it is a duty of mine to let my other friends with little girls know when I find a cute bargain. Tonight, when I was buying diapers at Walmart (we were down to one!) I saw the cutest little madras plaid dress in the little girl section. It was $6 and came in a pink/orange combo and a green/blue combo. I am already picturing Hayden in it this Spring with white denim capris and metallic sandals (they have the sandals at Target). For those of my friends that have boys...um...I can't help you. Sorry!

Product!

Ok, so I never claimed that this was going to be a deep or thought-provoking blog! I am a lover of "product". This is my husband's word for makeup, hair stuff, shower products, lotions, skin care, etc. Since I'm obsessed with all of it, I think he decided it would be easier to just give it all one name. So, I have decided to share my favorite items with you on my blog. (This is more what I'm known for than deep stuff anyway!) For my first "Product!" post I have to share with you my current face care obsession. It is the combination of Garnier Fructis moist wipes, to remove makeup and cleanse, followed by Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch sunblock for your moisturizer. While I'm sure both of these product are wonderful used alone, the magic happens when you use them together! I swear I saw the texture of my skin change for the better in a week! Try it and let me know what you think.

So proud!

My biggest pet peeve is adverbs. People not using them, that is. I realize that it is probably a waste of my time to be completely annoyed when I hear people say "Drive Safe!" (it should be safely), but there you have it. So here's why I'm proud...Hayden and I were on the way to Walmart when she told me to go faster. I explained to her that I had to go the speed limit and she replied "but you're going slowly". Slowly!!!!!! My two and a half year old used an adverb correctly!!!! (Correctly is another adverb, btw) This is confirmation for me that I'm doing something right as a momma!

Love this!

Ok, so I'm crafty and I am loving this website run by a friend of mine called Mom Made That! I just saw the cutest idea for displaying your kid's art. The link is below. I hear by promise to always post really cute craft ideas as I come upon them!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6367648user_id=6367648

I did it...

I finally did it. I cleaned out my closet FOR REAL. Usually when I say I'm cleaning out my closet I actually mean that I'm going to pick up all the clothes that have been accumulating on my closet floor, hang them, and rearrange things a bit. On some occasions I will give a shirt or two to my best friends. This is safe, you see, because if you ever realize that you will, in fact, wear it again, you can borrow it back. I actually called my friend, Molly, a few months ago to borrow a pair of shoes I had just given her! So today I actually cleaned it out. I had a heart to heart with myself and made the decision I was finally letting stuff go...never to return again. Oh, the black shirt with the fringy trim that I wore all throughout my sophmore year of college....it's gone. I have been telling myself for years that I WILL wear that shirt again. I have been in denial apparently. The shirt is just not cute any more. On and on I went, throwing shirts, skirts and dresses onto my bathroom floor. My criteria became: If you haven't worn it in the past two years, you are obviously never going to wear it again (cocktail dresses exluded, of course). So now when you see me wearing the same four outfits over and over again you'll know why. You watch, next year black shirts with fringy trim will be sooo in.

Hayden's Heroes

Wow! I can't believe it's already time for the Great Strides walk again! Every year our Hayden's Heroes team raises money for the event that benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I am always so amazed at the generosity and compassion displayed by, not only our friends, but complete strangers! I set up our team website a couple of days ago and the donations have already been coming in. At least half are from people I've never met. My friend, April, is creating our shirts again. We are sticking with the pop art but with a new pic and colors. I am extremely excited about them! If any of you are interested in signing up to join us at the walk, here is the link to our site: www.cff.org/Great_Strides/AlyssaSiler You can also see Hayden's video for our team at http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=82156ac1ed91992a7b7f88&skin_id=701&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

My first entry!

Well, I now have a blog. I guess I will start by telling you a bit about me. I am happily married to my husband, Ryan, and together we have a beautiful daughter, Hayden. Hayden has a genetic disease, cystic fibrosis, and you will probably see me reference it on here quite a bit. I love being a wife and a mom. My hobbies include painting, graphic design, decorating etc....basically anything creative. I am not very good at housework and more often than not my poor husband has to get his clean laundry from the dryer! (I'm working on that!) I lead worship at my church and am currently in an awesome study there where I am learning alot and meeting great new friends. I guess that's all I'll say right now. I need to surf other people's blogs to see what I need to be doing on here!