Extraordinary Ordinary

     It isn't the crisis or big things that can make or break you it is the day to day living that can wear you out. As we say in RECOVERY it isn't the Lions, Tigers, and Bears it is the flies, gnats, and mosquitoes. PRAYER is my biggest tool. It is my biggest asset. It is everything. Tanner just turned 9 and Holden will be 6 in 3 days. I love my boys so much. They are different in so many ways. I am blessed beyond measure and so thankful for my family. Being a mom though is tough and scary. The combination between disciplining and giving GRACE is a balancing act and I sure miss the mark a lot of days. BUT that's the point I think. GOD knew this when he created man.When he created me he knew these boys would be my sons. I get frustrated and moody and selfish and tired. I NEED GOD! I also can be patient and mature and giving and energetic. I am human and as a mommy I need to realize I can not do it all. I can not please everyone and definitely can not please my family all the time it is not my job to be children's HIGHER POWER! They need God. The best thing I can do is just be me. FLAWS and all. I fail them at times. GOD NEVER WILL. I am focusing on these elementary years and the EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY. Here are a few of the extraordinary ordinary day to day things in the life of Spive Tribe.The way Tanner loves to dress up as Santa and is obsessed with Marionettes and puppets right now. The way Billy can do impressions for the kids at the drop of a hat and makes them belly laugh. The way Holden loves to try and sound out words now and try to write them. The way I love cooking and baking and the joy of making something new. The way Tanner loves to draw and his love for FROSTY and snowmen. The way Billy and I sing in the car together to a song we like and it annoys the kids. :-} (parents of the year) The way Holden loves to play board games and is so competitive. The way I like things clean and organized and love taking care of our home. The way Tanner can tell us facts and interesting things at dinner. The way Billy picks up the kids and throws them upside down and plays air guitar with them. The way Holden loves to take up for his brother when I am correcting him. The way we all love reading. The way I can make things fun at home and switch the mood in the house. The way we all have been counting the days down until we go and get our real tree. That is something we all do together the day after Thanksgiving and has become one of our favorite traditions. WE SPIVEY'S LOVE CHRISTMAS! The way I take my boys and we take snacks, sunscreen, Gatorade, or fruit to the huge homeless population literally right by their school and get of the car and talk to them and ask their names because I want my boys to know not everyone has what we have. AND that people are people. The way I LOVE where we live and our neighborhood and its DIVERSITY!! The way things definitely don't always go as planned but how much we have to be thankful for. To some my life may same boring and uneventful. To ME I LOVE WHAT I DO. GOD has called me to it. The way Holden climbed in next to me as I am typing this at 6:38 in the morning and he is in his christmas PJs and still carries his "BABY" (a blue elephant) he has had since birth. Today I choose JOY! Today I embrace the Extraordinary Ordinary!