Day 3 and 4

So...What did I do Day 3???

Well, I was on the phone with insurance agencies ALL DAY...

repeating, over and over, our testimonies for Landon's wreck

and trying to finalize and wrap up mine.

This is NOT fun....

Not exactly what I planned on doing when I started this challenge,

I was hoping to report fun things, exciting things, encouraging things,

for all of you!

One thing I have decided through all of this chaos is that 

I DO NOT LIKE AUTOMATED PHONE

SYSTEMS....

But enough of that boring junk....

DAY 4....

YEAH!  Finally a day to offer you guys something really fun to look at and read...

I added something to my blog that I have been working on

for awhile.

MY ETSY SHOP....

Check out my jewelry and accessories.

Click on "shop my store" and enjoy more awesome finds.

I'm so excited I got another one of my goals completed! Thanks for helping hold me

accountable.

For all you who join my blog and comment in the blog spot, your name

will be placed into a drawing for a

FREE

item from my fun little vintage shop!

Another day, another blessing....God is good!

Day 2....

OK! So what did I do for today's Challenge?

Well....I cried!

Yep...all day long....

Doesn't that sound encouraging?

WHY?

Because today, I had to finalize my son's 

Senior Salute

I went through piles of baby pictures.

Realizing through each picture how much time has really passed.

I know our kids have to grow up, and I know they have to leave us.

But looking back on all the pictures, it really makes you

hope and pray you gave them enough love, memories,

and good advice to carry forward.

My baby went from this (which seems like yesterday BTW)

AHHH...so cute!

To this.... :(

A grown MAN!

I still feel like I can put him in my arms and hold him...

And trust me, I still try.

I have literally put this Senior Salute off until the absolute last day

to turn it in.

It has been really hard, letting go.

So today, while crying, I prayed the same prayer I pray 

everyday

over my children...

God, please guide them physically, morally, spiritually, and emotionally. Cover them

with your blood of protection. 

I know God only gave us our children to raise for a little while, they are HIS not ours.

I thank God he choose me to be Landon's mom. 

All I can do now, is set him free, trust him, respect the man he has become, and let 

him know that if and when he falls, I'll always be there to lift him back up.

I know as a parent you always second guess yourself, and wonder if you

did enough, set enough good examples, taught them enough values, encouraged them enough,

and even loved them enough.

I want to believe I did, but I know I wasn't perfect, I know I made mistakes, 

whoever said raising kids was easy...is crazy!

Landon is my little miracle baby. I believe God has big plans for him.

So Landon this is to you....

I will soon be saluting you off into this great big world,

I want you to know that from the moment you came

into this world, my life has never been the same.

You bring me so much joy

You taught me how to love more deeply than I knew possible.

You showed me  that you do not know pain until you experience the pain of your child hurting.

You make me laugh everyday

You showed me that you never understand the meaning of "worry" until you have a child

There is never have a dull moment with you around

You have made me proud

I love you son.....

Challenge #1 DONE!

Day 1 of Challenge

COMPLETE!

Yes, even though my last post a few minutes ago, should have kept me from completing my goal, I still managed to get it done.

OK!

Here are before and after pics....

Remember-DON'T JUDGE!

Especially with the before pic.

Seriously looks like I need an intervention...How in the world does someones

closet get this way?

YIKES! 

I am really keeping it REAL with you people! 

This is so embarrassing...

AND NOW....

Colored coordinated and everything....

Now with a teen aged daughter, lets see how long it lasts...

Thanks for holding me accountable.

I'll let you know what tomorrow 

holds!

Got A Little More Rain Today....

These are my babies....My life! I think everyday, even on the worst days, what would I do without them?

I am so thankful and grateful to God for blessing my life and entrusting me to be their mom.

While taking my son's senior pictures I realized how time flies. They grow up so fast. 

No do overs, what ever you have taught them or not taught them in the small window of time you had them with you, is over.

I have so many "I wish I would have".....you know how it goes, I wish I would have snuggled longer,

said yes more often, played harder, and not wished them to get to the next stage so fast. 

My do over.....SLOW DOWN! Embrace every second, and enjoy every single stage, even the stages where you think you won't survive.

But nothing makes you realize how precious life is and how fast it goes by or how quickly it can be taken away, then when your phone rings and your child has been in an auto accident.

At 3:00 p.m. today, I get a call that Landon has totaled his truck. He is ok, Praise God!, just a little sore. 

When I arrived to the accident there were so many flashing lights my heart stopped.

There were several cars involved and two different wrecks just minutes apart, and thank God no one was seriously hurt. 

I must admit my second reaction after I realized my son was ok, was frustration, and one angry momma. 

If you have read my past blogs, we are still in the process of battling out my wreck with the insurance companies that just happened a few weeks ago.

So now we are officially down to one car, which is headed to the shop because it is broken.

So that means.....3 drivers in the house, and no cars!

Guess I shouldn't have complained about the cost of gas so much.

We exchanged all the info., watched my sons car being towed a way, and left the scene of the accident. 

I felt like crying, screaming, and then laughing. I just could not believe these past few weeks!

Then we had to go to the tow yard to pick up my sons bag out of his car. Only to be told we would have to pay 45.00 to get it. WHAT? WHY? 

Oh, because they close at 4 and the car just got there, so it's 45.00.....YEAH!

Now I'm really not happy.

We get to his car, and as I am carrying a arm full of his stuff, all my emotions hit me at once! I loose it!

Because I was overwhelmed with gratitude, while being gripped with fear, that Thank God, I'm not carrying the belongings out of my son's car who was just killed in that accident. 

The loss of transportation is an inconvenience...yes, but the loss of his life would have been unbearable.

I have always empathized with people who have had to deal with the loss of their children. 

I can not imagine how deep their pain must be. 

I know many people have gone through what I went through today, and the outcome was not good. 

Please take a moment to say a prayer for those people. 

It is in moments like these, that we have to be grateful for the people in our lives, appreciative of what God gives us, and thankful for a new day.

I don't know why so much is coming our way right now, but like I have said before, I will be strong and remain in Faith that God has a plan. Everything will work out like it is supposed to, and what doesn't break us down, makes us stronger. 

This too shall pass, as my grandma would say. 

Today, you are getting a big dose of TarasTidbits! 

I will be posting the closet outcome shortly....I did make the goal. Even through all this!

Let's Do This....

OK, so I am having a bad day! I need to talk, cry, pray and just get it all out. So I guess what better place to do it then right here with you guys!
This is going to be "REAL" and "RAW"... so don't judge. I'm really putting myself out here.
Why? I don't know...I guess because I love you guys, and I guess because that is who I am.
I don't have anything to hide, if you are going to follow my blogs, you might as well see all of me, the
Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!
As you have seen in my past blogs...it has been a little rough in the Nichols house. A lot of "stuff".
Mostly all of it is just stressful. Money, is not fun to balance with teenagers, a husband starting a new business, me in the "finding myself" stage, and all the hospital visits, wrecks, etc in the past few weeks.
Ever feel like you are robbing Peter to pay Paul? Well that is it in a nut shell, right here!
I have always been a stay at home mom, Praise the Lord, he blessed us in that area. But I have also always had an income of some kind coming in. I've never not contributed in some form or fashion, sometimes having multiple jobs at once.
All juggled around my family.
My priorities I feel have always been balanced, but right now I am doubting myself. And by doubting myself I feel like I am doubting God.
God put me on a journey several months ago, and although I didn't understand it, I made a promise to be totally obedient in whatever path he took me on. I have followed that path faithfully!
But now, I'm confused. I know the path isn't always supposed to be smooth, but I keep wondering if I
am hearing him right.
So many financial obligations have come up since I've started this journey. I have gone through all of my savings, and we are literally living paycheck to paycheck.
I know God gives us tests all the time, and I want to pass the test. I want to stand strong in what I feel God is calling me to do, but I want to do it with a pure, peaceful heart.
Right now, I'm full of anxiety and trying to pull things back into my own hands.
You know how it is....we always think we know what is better for us then God does!
I'm not sure if I'm holding up my end of the bargain lately. When I made God the promise, I was very busy doing His work, and allowing him to work through me. But somewhere on this journey, I got a bit lazy and although I am still doing His works, I don't think I am doing them at my 100 percent best.
It is funny how your flesh can be so strong. It make you feel like you need rest, or you can do that tomorrow, or you have to much on your plate. When reality is, I get plenty of rest, tomorrow may not come, and you can never have to much on your plate if you balance it all properly.
So it is time for me to dust myself off and pull myself back up, ( I should be a pro at this by now), get out of this funk and refocus.
I'm going to give myself a challenge. A challenge that I'm going to have you guys hold me accountable too. I'm going to take the whole month of Nov. and during that month each day, I have to commit to something and finish it. EVERYDAY!
I always have tons I want to do, need to do, and I always say I have tomorrow! Why not TODAY?!?!
So for today's challenge.....I'm going to tackle my closet! I will take scary before pics and after pics that way you know I did what I said I was going to do! Wish me luck!

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Ever wake up and have those days when you just feel like something isn't right,

but you just can't explain it? Ever feel like no matter how hard you try, you still

sometimes feel lost?

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