Things I learned in the first month

I haven't been doing this mother thing very long, but during the short month and a half that I have been a mother I've noticed.

1. Give yourself a break. I don't mean sleep when your baby sleeps. I mean definitely try and do that, but don't be so hard on yourself. When we first brought little Ezra home I was trying to do the most that I could. I was doing my best to be the perfect mom because I had an idea of how this whole motherhood thing should look in my head.After the first 3 weeks I had to do some serious soul searching and I realized that I could not continue putting so much pressure on myself to be the best. I just had to be what Ezra needed.

2.It is okay that your house does not look like it is out of a pinterest picture. Sometimes social media sets these unrealistic expectations of what a mother and homemaker should look like. I must say, that as I sit here typing this. There is laundry in our bedroom right now that has been siting in a basket waiting to be put away. There are Christmas decorations still sitting in the box from 3 days ago that need to go up, and our bed hasn't been made by me since Ezra came home from the hospital. Ladies, it is okay to not have everything cleaned, put away, or looking perfect all the time. You're a human being and you get tired.

3. Treat yourself! This one is my favorite. I would definitely say that since having a baby I've spent less money, but at the same time I have treated myself to coffee (I quit coffee while pregnant). Do not be afraid to do something nice for yourself!

4. Accept help. My mom stayed with us for 2 weeks after Ezra was born and I have to say it helped us out a lot!!! My recovery was rougher than I thought so it was nice to have her here to help us out. Ezra wasn't sleeping and at first he wasn't eating. Having her here for support was exactly what we needed. Ezra had his first evening away from us so we could see a movie and as hard as it was, it was needed. When someone offers to help take them up on it!

5. Don't forget that you are married. Ladies, it is so easy to forget about your husband once that baby comes home. Especially if you are a new mommy. Take a date night, watch a movie he loves, or play that video game he likes. Just don't forget that he is there!

Enjoy some cute one month pictures of little EZ (Tim calls him this).

Isn't hr handsome?

Hard to get a good picture with him because he is always moving. I look psycho!

Fall bucket list

I can honestly say that summer is the most enjoyable season for me especially now. Here in our part of Ohio a lot of things shut down after summer because let's be honest once winter hits you're basically stuck inside. My second favorite season in fall! After all, it is the season in which I got my long awaited sibling! Everything about fall is beautiful; the colors, the smells, the things to taste as well. Last year was so busy for us around here with both of us being in school that we did not get to do much, but this year I have a plan. The plan begins and ends with this fall bucket list I've created. I am hoping to get everything done but there is always next year!

~Pick apples. Fall is not fall without a good ole visit to the apple orchard.

~Buy pumpkins. Last year we did not purchase one pumpkin. So I put it on the list so that we get it done and put the pumpkins out for decoration.

Excuse those dead flowers. Tim "says" I killed them... Also we need to fix that lamp!!!

~Smores! Our family loves to make smores over my mother-in-laws house, but I would love to sit around the fire in the fall. Especially this year since our fall has been mild so far.

~Make Apple Cider. Now, I've never done this before but I heard from a co-worker that it can be done. So I found a slow cooker recipe on pinterest. Let's hope that it works!

 Welcome to our humble abode. By the way, these are the MOST comfortable booties that I have ever worn! I literally wear them everyday if I can. I bought them from Famous Footwear.

What are some things you would like to do this fall?

#thisismybeautiful

This was a hard post for me to write and it took me a while to write it. I truly believe that beauty and being comfortable in one's own skin is a personal struggle that everyone goes through at some point in time. Now I've always been skinny or thin and at one point I was way too skinny. For a bit I allowed it to define me and when I turned 21 I started to gain weight. Let me tell you ,when I tried on my pants and they did not fit I was so disappointed. I went up about two pant sizes and I was not sure what I was going to do. A few years later I started working out and was able to maintain my weight but I never got my original pants size back. I LOVE working out now! It is my stress reliever and most people know that teaching Zumba rocks my socks! I know I'm beautiful the way I am and so are you!

The biggest lie we allow Satan to whisper in our ears is that we are not fearfully and wonderfully made just the way God made us. True beauty can be found in Jesus. True beauty comes from the inside and your relationship with Jesus reflects your outside.

I have a plan. I want to make this hashtag into a big one! What is your beautiful? This is mine. Natural hair, brown skin, and all. I would love to see your pictures of what your pretty looks like. So post your pictures and use the hashtag #thisismybeautiful . You can find me on instagram @mydotson88 and on twitter @cutieandthegeek. There are already a few pictures there and two of them are mine. So post your pictures there as well. We all need to be uplifted every now and then. I would love to scroll through and see those beautiful photos.

"For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well."

Psalms 139: 13-14

We're going on a bear hunt

  Timothy and I ABSOLUTELY love camping! Not cabining or rving (words I made up). Camping in tents is the ONLY way to do it. We took this camping trip right before school started but I thought it would be fitting to share them now.

How do you camp?

July 4, 2015

The Fourth of July has grown to one of my favorite holidays over the years. Growing up we would spend it mostly with my mom's family and then when we got older we used to spend it at the beach. For me, it is a day to be with my family. Now that I'm married I don't spend it at the beach anymore with my parents but I spend it with Tim and his family. Since I've moved this year's Fourth was by far the best one. Every year our city has a parade. Its one of the perks of living in a smaller city. It truly is nothing huge and we basically see the same things every year, but it is tradition. This year we got to sit basically front row because Tim's brother owns a business this year. I took a lot of pictures but I picked some of my favorite ones to share. Enjoy!

 This year we got front row seats. My brother-in-law has a shop and we sat out front and handed out free hot dogs!

This year the this was the BEST float. That O spun around. I mean that set the bar for next year.

Our parade does have interesting floats like this one for instance. I do believe that it was called Pup and Princess Pageant.

And... roller derby!

The military portion is always my favorite.

 And to end the parade the trucks come through. We are the Truckers after all!

It got sorta hot so we moved alllllllll the way back to the building. It was a great day!

The one where Tim got a big boy job.

As most of you know Timothy and I both spent our first year of marriage in school. Boo!!!! I know! But Timothy and I are both hard workers, and I am so happy for the straight A's we received during our two semesters. Timothy got awards for is grades and I must say that when he graduated  I was one proud wife. And I want to say amazingly, but let's be honest when you're faithful to God you know that He will provide for all your needs. So Timothy landed his first big boy job basically right out of college. And even though we had to cancel our vacation we got blessed with a huge opportunity for Tim. So here's to a new season in our lives.

Enjoy these pictures of Tim on his first day!

 So handsome!

Here's to a year!

This past year has flown by! Everyone said that it would and I thought that it would move slower. Has it been a fun year? Yes. Has it been a hard year? Yes. Tim keeps saying "The hardest year is behind us". I truly feel as if each year is going to have its own hardships, but it has been interesting learning how to live with a boy! So here are a few things that Tim and I have learned in our first year:

* Being roommates is tough. I thought learning to live with three girls was tough. Nope, I was wrong. Learning to live with Tim was harder. Boys have a different idea than girls about what clean is. Boys also have a different idea about how dishes should be washed and loaded into the dishwasher.

* Just because you now live together doesn't mean you will see each other ALL the time.

Our first year of marriage has been super busy. We were both in school. Tim was finishing his degree and I was pursuing a new teaching license. Now that we are both done Tim has been interviewing for jobs and I am now on summer vacation. Whew! Thank you LORD for getting us through all this.

* Money, Money, Money! It is amazing how money has become a huge priority since we've been married. I can honestly say that I did not worry about money so much when I was single. But now, money has become much more important. Learning how to not become so consumed by it is a struggle. Tim and I do enjoy ourselves, but we have started to plan for the future (babies!).

* Date nights are the best! Just because we got married doesn't mean that the romance stops. Tim and I thoroughly enjoy getting dressed up to go out and enjoy each other's company. In all honesty, we only get to dress up for church and date nights and we take getting fancy seriously!

* Fight to keep your marriage. I remember growing up and hearing my parents disagree sometimes and thinking to myself that I would NEVER argue with my husband. My parents are coming upon their 30th year of marriage and you know how they made it there? Arguing! Tim and I don't argue or fight about much, but I can tell you that arguing is a way of communication. Do we say some things that hurt? Sometimes. Do we fight a lot? NO. Tim is a very easygoing guy ;) But after a fight is always the best to me because I feel like I understand a little more about him. There is a closeness after a fight and after each misunderstanding we seek to understand each other a little bit more.

Scroll down for some pictures of our year one!

Dinner with the fam!

 Tim after graduation. So proud of this man of mine :)

 We're awkward kissers. It doesn't help that Tim wasn't being serious...

Anniversary dinner :D

So here's to year two!

Sweetly Broken

There are some times where it just seems like this life is a joke. Some things happen and they just make you laugh. Not because of humor but disbelief. That is basically how the last couple of months have been. I laugh, I cry, I smile, and with the Lord's help I pick myself back up again. Throughout all of the chaos that has been happening I've had the support of my sweet husband, my family, and my sweet co-worker who has become a great friend. The other day I laid in bed crying because I felt as if I didn't know who I was anymore. I don't cry randomly, my spirit isn't easily broken, and I've always been able to know my emotions. As I was crying to Tim in the kitchen tonight he kindly reminded me of the story of Job (Job 1-3) and how his faith was tested. He amazes me sometimes. Tim is pretty quiet when I vent and when he does talk its always truth!
There have been specific times that I can remember where circumstances have humbled me and I held my faith. This time has been different. This time I was broken differently.I was broken sweetly. The Lord took all my plans that I had for my life yet again, and showed me, slowly, that He is in control and no matter how much I try to handle things alone. He is the only one who ultimately lays the plans. This past year has been a struggle for me and I am so happy that my husband has been so patient. You see I've always had a plan and if I didn't I always had something for backup. I take comfort in knowing that the Lord will not place anything in my life that He knows I can't handle.

I snapped this picture last week when we got home from the gym. The grass has made an appearance!! Thank the LORD!!! But just like this how the grass has made an appearance God has definitely done the same with me these past couple of months. Sometimes I believe that we need struggles or to be sweetly broken to be reminded of God's love and that His plan is better than anything that we could even imagine.

I hope this post gives you hope and I hope that this song encourages you as much as it has for me.

Click the words below for the song

sweetly Broken

Here's a quickie

Wow...this school year so far has shown me that I will NEVER have it all together, and that there is no such thing as having it all "together". Boy, I wish I did. With that being said, I have been beating myself up about having not posted to my blog for a while. I know most people do not follow me on instagram. So I am just writing  quick post to update everybody.

I started my new teaching position as a preschool special needs teacher. I love it. I have 9 boys in my morning class and let me tell you. As much as I love children, I am struggling. Boys are a whole different ball game than girls. Boys push, take, grab, hit, and touch everything!! I would not trade them for the world because I know by the end of the year they will have the hang of going to school, and they are my babies. Work has been awesome. I was not official staff last year because I was just a sub, but this year just feels like a continuation of last year. My preschool team has been great to work with. Regardless of how hard some of the days seem, my para and I spend most of the day laughing. Our motto has been "if we can not find humor in everything this will be a long year".

This year has been a busy one for Tim and I. We are both in school. I'm pursuing an endorsement and Tim is finishing up his degree (can't wait for May!). We are so thankful for the summer we just had because we were able to spend a lot of time together just getting to know each other more. Unfortunately, our schools schedules are crazy and there are some days where I only see him for maybe 20 minutes the whole day. I am attending a school that is an hour and twenty minutes away from where we live, and I go after work. It has been rough!!! Your prayers are appreciated :) By the grace of God we will both be done with school in May!

Married life has been awesome! I could not have imagined a better husband. We purchased a house the week of our wedding and we love our home. Its the perfect size and in the perfect location. God has truly blessed us with the opportunity to have our own house. It has been taking longer than I thought it would to get everything decorated. I just bought a decorative pillow for our bed and we have been here for about three months! Little by little it is coming along.

Married life so far

So let's talk marriage. It is the best things ever!!!! Tim and I have been married for a little bit over a month, and despite our views on how clean a house should be its been great. As most of you know we bought a house. We closed when we got to Georgia for the wedding. So very blessed, so very VERY blessed. But back to married life. I now get to partake in all the fun married life things like paying grown up bills, making dinner almost every other night (Tim doesn't eat leftovers), buying curtains and a new comforter, cleaning ALL THE TIME, and keeping a yard. Guys I can't tell you how much I did not know about keeping a yard. Tim mows every week, and the weeds!!! I promise once the house is cleaner I'll post some pictures. One month down and many more to go. Oh, I forgot to add sharing a bed the list of grown up married things. Guys, Tim sleeps like every night is a fight!!!! So...we will hopefully be buying a bigger mattress, because lets be honest I am grumpy when my sleep is messed with. But, I am so thankful for all of these grown up married things that we get to do and share together. I could not imagine a more special and awesome person to share them with. Also we are working on some different things for sharing things with you guys so that you can keep up with what we are doing. So stay posted!!! Well, now I have to get back to those married things.

The Post About My Hair

So for friends who have known me for a while, you can obviously tell that my hair has most definitely changed over the past few months. This has a lot to do with the fact that I was fed up with my old hair and needed to do something different. For years I have been trying to grow my hair. I can honestly say that I have been obsessed with growing long hair since I was a little girl. Maybe it was all those princess movies that had girls with long flowing hair ( Pocahontas, Princess Jasmine, Ariel).

I was on a visit to my parent's house after spending a summer in Ohio. I had just gotten another perm and noticed how much shorter my hair was. I was so fed up and mad! I just knew that there had to be a way to solve the issues I felt I was having with my hair. So I got on my mom's tablet and started searching for ways to grow hair, and I happened upon BlackGirlLongHair.com. I noticed how healthy the hair was on the women who were on the site. I spent hours pouring over "natural hair" and happened upon videos on YouTube. It was then that I noticed that there was nothing wrong with my hair and should not longer continue trying to hide what God gave me. So, I decided on a day in Early August that I was no longer going to perm my hair anymore. I was going to be happy with what God gave me. I can honestly say that I have never been so happy with my hair, and it was all because I was willing to accept what God gave me.

I am now a year and a half perm free and I feel so much healthier. The change in hair health has also lead to me wanting to change my health in general. I just thank God for getting through to me and helping me see that I am beautiful the way He made me. So, with all this being said I plan to do posts about natural hair, and sharing some of the sites that I have found that have helped me. But for now enjoy these photos of me and my hair :D

What is your hair story? Share them with me!!!

Thoughts on Substitute Teaching

May I say that God constantly has His way of humbling me. I must say that when the thought of moving to Ohio came across my mind, I just totally thought it was going to be easy. HAHAHAHA was I wrong!!! I had all these doors opening up for me I just knew I was going to have a job. Nope, I got all my documentation, took a ton of tests, and all I get to do is sub. Now subbing here is way different than subbing back home. For instance, people do it as a job. So imagine how frustrated I was when I discovered that I was competing for subbing jobs with people who would never get jobs as teachers in the school systems. UGH!!! That's all I could say, and to this day I am still competing with people who aren't teachers. I have been blessed that one city 40 minutes away is in desperate need of substitute teachers so most of my work has come from them. Now, yes I am frustrated with this whole situation, but I am faithful that God has given me the jobs that he has. So without further ado, here are my pros and cons of substitute teaching

PROS

1. I get to pick and choose the days I work. This has come in handy for Tim and I seeing that we are traveling a lot recently.

2. If I get a crazy class, I do NOT have to go back!!! This has happened before and although I was complimented on "how well" I handled the class. I probably will not go back haha.

3. It is nice to learn about the areas that are near here. The cities are pretty close so it is nice to know we have tons of choices as to where we want to live.

4. The kids in the city I live in are so sweet!!! That's why the jobs are so competitive. The kids are so sweet and loving.

5. And hopefully, just hopefully, this will lead me to a teaching job :)

6. I feel that substitute teaching has started to humble me and strengthen my faith.

CONS

1. I have been subbing 40 minutes away almost everyday.

2. It is so competitive. There are some days that I just wish I could quit and take a regular job doing something else.

3. It frustration I feel blows my mind. I can not believe how much I have had to just trust God. Next week, I am trusting that God will bring me jobs, because right now, I do not have any.

4. Stress. The stress I feel is UNREAL.

I know that I complained A LOT, but it is so hard to go from having full-time work, to having sporadic work. I know that there is a bigger plan. I know that God has a plan for me and Tim. I just ask that as my readers you pray for my faith, and that you pray for Tim and I. I promise that my next post will be a happy one, but I am human. As a human, I have struggles, and well, I have hit a big on haha. Until next time...