Wisdom & Encouragement

wis·dom

 [wiz-duhm] 

noun

the quality or state of being wise;  knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just   judgment as to action;sagacity, discernment, or insight.

  I'm not completely sure why my posts are leaning towards the more serious side lately...possibly hormones or the realization we'll be soon responsible for raising two respectable human beings!

   Lately I've sort of been hit with the ~ it's time to grow up, raise a family of four, being held accountable, it's time to be WISE train of throught. But as mentioned in my last post, day after day brings new lessons learned (if you choose to accept problems that way). 

  My lesson today, I took as one on wisdom.

   I know I'm not in control of the world, although some days I wish things would happen on my time. People aren't always the easiest to deal with, but that runs deeper than what we see on the surface. Not everything comes easy and I've learned to accept that that's just life.

   After a few tears, a little complaining, and letting go of those bottled feelings via cell phone to a doctors office.... peace was made, things were calm... and then I checked the mail....

    A couple that both Brian and I grew up with recently visited Oak Ridge, Roatan to help rebuild their community and share the Word. I wasn't there and I can't say I had the pleasure of meeting these beautiful children, but checking the mail and finding this picture turned around my "bad" day, entirely. Quite the reminder that life certainly isn't easy for everyone, and to feel discouraged at all today is a pretty embarrassing. What a beautiful sight and encouragement for me to dwell on! I  hope to one day as a family do something this special, because I know the Warrens were blessed just as much as these wonderful people were that week.

Another day, another lesson.
A sort of -think before you feel- kind of lesson.

God never promises to remove us from our struggles. He does promise, however, to change the way we look at them. -Max Lucado

Morals.

        First, I must start off by reminding you all that everyone has a unique opinion, in which they are completely entitled to share...if you're interested in mine, please read on. If not, you haven't hurt my feelings at all.

  No one is perfect, life is one huge learning experience, day after day. 

      To me, morals are the rules you've set for yourself (or your family). Rules between right and wrong.

Where no gray area has appeared, only where black and white sets the standard. To some, this may have all to do with your faith, and to others, it may not. In my opinion,

right is right and wrong is wrong.

   Now, I have no intentions in making this a serious and heavy post, because as you see the picture above, we can't take life too seriously around our house. We believe in a fun and happy environment for ourselves and the little ones. Life is just too short! 

But, when you become a parent especially, responsibility and integrity in every action you make becomes crucial.

Whether it's true or not, even at the age of 18 months, I've told myself time after time that Brady is picking up our habits, he's growing to understand our actions, and I would be extremely embarrassed to ever find out Brady grew to be ashamed of something I've done. Now, we all have things we're regretful of in our past. I have plenty, I hate to say, but I'm thankful for those things that brought great lessons.

To Brian and myself, our marriage and our children are the most important blessings we must protect and nurture in the best way we know how.

This means those daily decisions on right and wrong and how they may affect our relationships. Whether our marriage - where love and respect take lead. Where wandering eyes should stay focused on the husband or wife God has placed in our lives. 

Or with our children - where responsibility in our actions will reflect on their upbringing, whether we like it or not! 

The hardest thing about having a family is the gigantic responsibility to make the best decisions God's given you the knowledge to do. This means not making excuses for why something isn't that bad. If you're scrambling for reasons why it's alright...it's probably not alright. 

No marriage is perfect, no family is perfect, but there is a distinct difference between right and wrong. It's not always fun (I'll be the first to tell you.) But it's right & it brings no regret. 

And you can stand proud of the way you and your family live. 

Funny Things about Life and Growing Up.

Family Life.
Without boring all you folks without children, this post will either scare you to death or give you something to look forward to...
Read on, friends.

BEFORE Children:

-Last Minute Plans for Drinks out with Friends.

-Designer Sunglasses.

-Designer Bags.

-InStyle was secondary to the Bible.

-Never knowing the true meaning to a "clean house."

-Spa Days.

-Stress (HA!)

-Diet, Diet, Diet.

-Shopping for new clothes, about... three times a week.

-Our dogs were our children.

-My idea of a good meal was delivered pizza & any mixed drink.

AFTER Children:

-Plans with Friends must happen atleast a week in advance,

so that looking forward to a night out is half the fun.

-You'll do anything to fix the broken pair of $4.99 sunglasses.

-Switching out bags from your closet is like Christmas.

-The last time you opened a magazine, you didn't have kids.

-A routine to clean your house is made without effort. And your become your mother.

-Your definition of a Spa Day is taking 15 minutes before bed to polish your toes.

-Stress? No time for it.

-A diet means eating a salad once a week, and walking a mile on the treadmill...once a week.

-New clothes are ordered off the internet because that takes less effort than dragging your poor little boy on an eternal shopping trip that he'll remember forever. And likely hate you for it.

-Your neighbor rings your doorbell to let you know your dogs are playing in the street.

-Starbucks is a lifesaver and pizza is still a necessity.

And the bottom line to this ridiculous but true comparison to life before and after baby:

-The beauty of life and family becomes so clear. 

-The search for happiness in life through THINGS is over.

-Hearing him scream "Mama!" when he hugs your neck so tight...is unlike anything I've ever experienced.

The truth is, we definitely long for days out on the boat with friends, last minute trips to the beach,

late nights out with the choice to sleep in...but every lifestyle has its give-and-takes.

And at the very least: Life is learning, and certainly something to laugh at.

A Before and After, and Lessons in Between.

Before

&

After

Before

&

After

Even a back yard miracle was trying on me, and I didn't do one ounce of the physical labor.

The dirt however, accumulated in every crack and crevice in our house, and settled for 3 months.

Seems simple, a boring before, and a miraculous after...

but there were lots and lots of bumps along the way...

Like a neighborhood roll call to move the dog house...

(Thank you Daniel, Jake, Kyle, Andrew, Brett, John, and the nice guy who we've never met before...

You guys are the best.)

And a dirt playground.

Only three t-shirts were ruined by mud and I can live with that.

LESSONS LEARNED:

-Brian Cox knew what he wanted, and made it happen. 

(I admire that, totally.)

- To build our dream home one day...I trust Brian to make 98% of all decisions. 

-Brady loves dirt.

-I hate it.

-There's nothing more heart-warming than seeing your husband stand back, proud of his work, and your baby run wild through sprinklers with a grin on his face.

With all of this said, and more photos to come, our home will probably be up for sale in no time, and we'll have two crazy children running around, trying to build a bigger house, and losing our minds all together.

*CHEERS* to a fun summer ahead. You can catch us playing, tanning, cooking out, building a fire, (making s'mores YAY!) and hopefully soon watching a game or two out here...

Come join!!!

The New Place.

I've only been meaning to blog about the new salon for almost a month now.

Business is amazing, clients have followed easily, and new clients are booking appointments every week. I still can't decide if an updo or color is my favorite... my very favorite thing is when a client is sitting in the chair and says "Just do whatever you want to do, I trust you." That, my friends, is fun. These are recent pictures of a few new colors, cuts and updos I've done. I have to thank everyone who sits in my chair for being a little daring and very trusting. You make my job so enjoyable, and keep my creativity flowing...

And the biggest "Thank You" goes straight to my wonderful mother and father-in-law who made this move so easy and breezy. (And possible, for that matter.) The best part of it all is Brady J. is always near while I work! He comes to visit and maybe to flirt a little with the pretty ladies, and always gets a hug and kiss in return. He's loving the new set up almost as much as I am.

By the way, any clever new names for this salon, I'll take! 

She needs a name, folks!

Surprise Mother's Day Déjà Vu!

Here's a story, short and sweet...

First Comes Love...

Then Comes Marriage...

Then Comes a Baby...

Then a year flies by in the blink of an eye!

Before we knew it...

Our little family of three is GROWING!

A LITTLE ONE IS ON THE WAY, FOLKS!

EXACTLY like two years ago, we told our closest friends and family on Mother's Day how the next year held a new addition to our family! Brady Jameson's brought us joy like we've never known before. Now we're thrilled to share that excitement ALL OVER AGAIN!

We're an ever growing family, with beautiful memories to make...

What a HUGE surprise to EVERYONE ...even US!

(This means Brady and baby-to-come will likely share birthdays only days apart.)

  Without getting all emotional (I cried watching cartoons this morning) my heart is full and my tummy is queasy. Making over a room (once again) in our home is hysterical at this point. Our families have cried happy tears and our friends have given hugs and "Congratulations!". The next year ahead looks like happiness to us, and all we can say is we're so so grateful.

~BRING ON THE BUMP!~

Happy Mother's Day!!!

...we obviously sipped the water.

Flowers, Pretending, and New Beginnings.

Obviously she's beyond talented, and luckily, I caught a little lesson from her!

My sister-in-law Brandi is one heck of a designer. The first picture is where we spent our Friday afternoon at her place. Not too shabby! She taught me tips and tricks on how to pin, wrap and twist to make a boutonnier. 

Lovely, I'd say.

I suppose Brady woke up Saturday morning in the mood to pretend. He tried on my glasses, so I figured he'd appreciate the sombrero, too. This was the extent of our Cinco de Mayo, along with an incredible filling Mexican lunch with dad.

(The child has me wrapped.)

Saturday afternoon, a bridal portrait updo for a special lady was on the book.

If you want to know the truth...I have a love-hate relationship with very important updos.

Probably because she's relying on me to give her the hairstyle she's always imagined.

-That's pressure, love.- 

Hairstylists carry an art of keeping emotions hidden, you know.

   The afternoon held a trip with a trunk full of potting soil, herbs to plant, and a can of black glossy paint. Cilantro was #1 on my list, but also brought home boxwood basil, sweet mint, and orange mint. 

I haven't kept the best record of keeping plants in their best condition, or even alive for that matter, but buying plants is sort of like a new beginning to grow something special! (Or to say you didn't kill it.) Now that salsa is a staple in our home, cilantro is in high demand.

I feel like there's too much to blog about! The construction in the back yard is coming right along. I can't wait to show before and after pictures. 

Also, my most recent big change: LIFE IN THE NEW SALON.

I'll be proudly posting pictures, soon!

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