The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! I just love it! I love the magic it brings! I love the hope it brings! And I love the Love it brings!
I LOVE Christmas! I always have and I pray I always will! My friend Cathy use to make fun of me and say it looked like Santa puked in my house! I am serious! I just can't help myself!
Even last year, when my mom was so sick and dying, Christmas brought me joy, but when mom died on December 29, I honestly thought, well there goes Christmas. My best friend died during the holidays. How will I ever be able to enjoy Christmas again?
You guys! I am happy to report I do still LOVE Christmas! Do you know why? Because it truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Sure I miss my mom, and yes I have cried a ton this holiday, but, with each tradition that we Berrys carry on, I get a little spark of magic. A little spark of faith. A spark of hope. A spark of joy. And most importantly a little spark of Love. And I know that is what my mom would want. She would want me to feel the magic and the love. She would not want me to wallow in my sadness. She would want me to live and carry on all our fun traditions.
So today I am going to share with you some of what we Berrys do to keep the magic alive. It all starts after thanksgiving when our elf, Felix, comes to visit. He always brings a pair of pajamas for the family as a little, "I am back!" The kids love it, especially Graeme!
My beautiful wreath my mom made me with a little touch of Graeme's art from his preschool years.
Once Felix makes his presence known, that is our signal that the decorations can go up! Trey handles the outside and I handle everything inside. This works best for our family. This has probably been the hardest thing for me this year. When I went up into the attic to start bringing Christmas down, the first thing I got was the wreath my mother was making for me when her water broke and she went into labor with me! Yup you heard me! This wreath is 47 years old and it is a labor of love that I will ALWAYS cherish! So that kind of froze me a bit. Thank God for good friends. My friend Sarah, happen to call when I was in my rut and I had a good cry and she came over and I knocked out Christmas with her guidance and love! For this I will forever be eternally grateful!
Once the decorations are up and December 1 hits we to participate in our favorite Berry tradition! Gumdrop Picking! My Dad even got to this year and he LOVES it! He actually was quite confused and amazed at the same time! But once it slowly settled into his noggin, he got it! And he LOVED IT! So you might be asking yourself, "What is gumdrop tree picking?" Let me tell you.
When Trey and I moved back to Dallas in 2005, we were amazed by all the AMAZING lights! At that time Will had just turned 4 and JP was almost 3 and we use to take them to look at lights often. Trey kept calling the multi color trees, "Gum ball trees." The next year, I got the idea to hide gum balls in my glove box and when we saw a tree, one of us would jump out and pick one or two. What we learned here was gum balls is not a good idea! Trust me, but gum drops! BRILLIANT! So we switched it to gum drop trees! The kids loved it and still do! Even the teenagers love it now! Disclaimer: we have set ALL kinds of rules and if you start this tradition, you will want to too. For instance, if it is a busy street, the tree is not magical. If the tree is close to a window or house, not magical. A big rule is: 3-5 trees only per night! Santa does not want you to get sick! Trees are not magical until December 1 and only until Christmas! You know in Texas they start putting lights up in October! So as you can see, you MIGHT have to make rules that conform to your family and your needs, but I promise this is a fun tradition! So for us now we pick at least one night when all 5 can go, we go in our PJ's and we have a ball! My teenagers might not think so, but someday they will look back and be glad! Heck they may carry on the tradition with their kids!
Another tradition we have is the North Park Santa. This tradition started with my sister Robin. She and her husband took their kiddos there and they are in there 20's and would you believe it is the same guy! So we use to fly home for the holidays and go to see what we call "THE REAL SANTA." Now we live here and guess what, SAME GUY! I have all kinds of pictures to prove it! WE LOVE HIM! I have to say it is not an easy process because he is famous! Now how it works, which is actually MUCH better than when Robin and Ralph did it, is I go get in line at 8:30 am on the day I want to take Graeme to see him. I get my number and head back when they say is a good time. So the tradition has turned into: Whatever day I decide, I go to the mall at 8:30. Get my number. Surprise the kids at school (now it is just Graeme as the bigs are in high school) and take him to lunch and to see Santa and bonus....You miss some school! Shhh.......don't tell! He loves it! I have even roped one of my dearest friends Shirley into the tradition! So it has kind of turned into our thing!
Our Elf tends to carry on a lot of our traditions. He does all kinds of things from bringing an advent calendar every December 1, toilet papering the tree, zip lining in the kitchen, sledding down the stairs, to sitting in the manger Christmas Day to remind us that Jesus is The reason for the season. After all, it is Jesus's birthday! The day we were given the gift of eternal life along with many other gifts! What a wonderful day Christmas is! This is why I still LOVE Christmas!
So you see, Christmas is such a wonderful time of year even in my darkest moments. I do miss my mom so much and sometimes I do feel guilty for enjoying the holiday magic, but I know she would want this for me. She use to get a kick out of our daily calls and the stories I would tell her of what we were doing so I know she is now too! I might not can call her to talk about it, but I do feel her with me at times. Not always, Lord do I wish it was always, but I feel her when I need to! And that is what matters!
This was my mom's absolute favorite picture of Graeme! I can hear her giggling still when she would look at this and saying, "That Graeme is something else!"
So if you find yourself in my shoes this holiday season....mourning the loss of a loved one, know they are with us. They are in our hearts and they want us to feel and experience all the faith, hope, love, and joy the holidays bring.
Christmas Morning 2016
Merry Christmas my Friends!
xo,
Amy
The Clock is Ticking
The Count down to Christmas is on! Have you finished your shopping or are you in a wee bit of a panic mode like me? If so I have some options! Together we can make the magic happen!
Last year at this time I found myself sitting in a hospital room with my mother daily. I am not complaining about this by any means and Lord knows I wish she was still here! But, my point is, the clock was ticking on days left to shop, and I was in a hospital room. This is when AMAZON became my best friend for anything and everything! I know this is hard for some people as they fear Amazon is taking over the world, but trust me, when your mom is dying and you have three kids at home, 18 nieces and nephews, teachers, and in laws, and the list could on and on....you start to get creative on gifts! Amazon became my go to for gifts and groceries! They saved my life last year and for this I will be forever grateful!
This year I am not sitting in a hospital room, but oddly enough I find myself in the same boat and I am having to get creative. So this post is all about what I am ordering today. It includes ideas for stocking stuffers, gifts, hostess gifts, and even some household items. One thing: DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID! ALWAYS CHECK THE SHIPPING DATE. TRUST ME ON THIS! IT MIGHT NOT MAKE IT IF YOU MAKE THAT MISTAKE!
TODAYS CART WILL INCLUDE:
These leggings are AMAZING! I wear them to dance, I wear them around town, I wear them everywhere! And they fit so good and they look amazing. They come longer because the Yogi's in our lives like to cover their feet and I like this because it brings extra warmth around my ankles which is a plus for me! Santa does not know it yet, but he is bringing me one or two more pairs! Gotta love that guy!
This Shirt! Oh my yall! I got this for myself and it is one of my favorites! It fits amazing and it is great with jeans or with my leggings! Especially the ones above! I have this shirt in grey and I wear a medium, but I assure you Santa will be bringing me a few other colors this Christmas because EVERY time I wear it someone comments on how great it is!
For the Cooks in your life this cookbook is GREAT! Especially for families! I use it on average once a week! And we pretty much love everything from it! This is a great gift for any female in your life from a teacher to your mother to your boss! The same author also has a slow cooker cookbook I just got in the mail and I just made my first dish from it as well! LOVED it too! See below! Perfect gift for busy moms in your life!
My big boys will be finding these in their stockings! They are GREAT and the teenagers can always use another headset! Trust me on this!
These are fun for little girls to get in their stockings! It is a bath bomb with a treat! My nieces loved them last year!
Bath bombs for the boys too with toys! GREAT stocking stuffer! Especially for a little minion named Graeme!
Candles are always a good go to gift! For a hostess, for a friend, for a sister, or for yourself! I love how clean this one smells!
Anyone who really knows me knows I LOVE MY DARK CHOCOLATE SEA SALT CARAMELS. I am kind of a snob about it actually! Up until I found these I only liked Central Markets in their bulk section. This is now my go to for a hostess gift or an extra little something to add to any chocolate lovers gift. These things are the bomb! I may or may not have one or two every night! Just saying......they are that good!!!!! I have even started leaving a canister of these by the bedside of our guest! They love it!
Really not sure what all the rage is about on this, but Graeme loves these things so this year he might get a shiny one in his stocking.....:)
Yet another fascination I do not understand, but it will be in a stocking I assure you! Probably JP's!
And I can't leave my Will out so he will probably get this one!
Came across this while looking for the bath bombs and got this for Graeme. He loves all the "Surprise" stuff! Not sure I do, but hey! It makes him happy!
This is perfect for Trey's stocking! He loves coupon books of love and things like this.
So there you have it! That is what will be in my Amazon cart today along with toilet paper and paper towels! What will be in your Amazon Cart?
Happy Shopping!
xo,
Amy
My Triple Threat....
Today I will make a heartfelt confession and one I hope other moms can learn from....
As I sat watching my beautiful JP recently during one of his brilliant performances, I got a little sad. Not sad because of my mom, not sad because he was growing up, but sad because he is 14 years old and I was JUST REALIZING who he is and HOW MUCH TALENT HE HAS.
In the ARTS, I guess he is called a "TRIPLE THREAT". The boy can play three instruments that I know of and he is only trained in one. He can Act like you would not believe. When he is on that stage he transforms into whatever character he is and it is so fun to watch. He can sing, Oh my lord the boy has some pipes, and now I realize he can dance....and what a beautiful site to behold when he is dancing.
My first point is, doesn't that make him a quadruple threat? We are talking about a instrument, acting, singing and dancing....my calculations say that is a quadruple effect... Just sayin......but my real point here is I am so sad that it took me so long to figure this out. I will tell yall, people quite often would say to me when he was young, "JP is meant for the stage!" I would smile and say, "He is quite the character." But yall! He IS meant for the stage! Why didn't I listen?
I will tell you why. This is an honest heart felt confession.
Because I had an image of what being a boymom was and it did not include the stage. It included soccer fields, football fields, basketball courts, baseball fields (even though I despise baseball), golf clubs, track, and the list goes on and on, but you get the point. It did not include an instrument. It did not include a stage and costumes or god forbid make up, and it really did not include tights. Why? Because I selfishly had an image of what I THOUGHT A BOY SHOULD BE OR DO.
It is kind of odd really, being that I grew up acting with plenty of boys and even dated them.
As I sat there watching him move gracefully across the stage, I thought to myself, "Did I hold him back? Where would he be today had I listened?" I don't know and no one does. What I do know is I could have had a professional coach on JP at the age of two for any sport and it would not have made a hill of beans. JP did not like or want to play sports. He did not have the mind or desire to learn a game. His mind loves the stage. His heart loves the stage. Not some field or court.
Why do I share this with you? I share this story with you simply because I don't want people to make the same mistake I did. I don't want to see others put their "idea" or "image" of what a particular kid should do on them. I promise you it will not work. And in this broken world it will only add yet another layer of stress to our poor kiddos. Trust me JP told me it was awful when I kept signing him up for football and not listening to him.
I consider myself one of the lucky ones. JP was secure enough in who he is to basically push back and FINALLY get to his love. Some kids are not that confidant. I don't think I was at that age. So in this day and age, when our kids are already stressed out and trying to fit in, lets all work harder on not pigeon holing our kids into what WE THINK IS RIGHT OR BEST for them. Instead let's empower them to be who they are and to do it to the BEST OF THEIR ABILITY and TO SHINE!
xo,
Amy
For The Men in your Life
I am not an expert when it comes to girl gifts, but if you have men in your life, I think I can help you out. Check out these ideas and let me know what some of yours are.
Christmas is Closing in and I am scrambling and my hunch is you might be too. Today I have made an easy list of what my little guy is asking for as well as somethings for the bigs as well. Hope this helps make your holiday shopping a little easier!
First up is the World of Nerf. We have about 10 little boys on our block alone and Nerf is all the rage, specifically this gun! It shoots 3 bullets at once!!!!!! What kid would not love that!
Don't forget your bullets! Lord knows we go through the bullets!
Another toy that has been all the rage on this street is the Hover Board. Santa is bringing this particular one along with knee pads, elbow pads, a helmet, and bubble wrap! Ha! Just kidding! Kind of! But we all know boys will be boys!
And last but not least the Garmin Jr to help Graeme tell time, know how much activity he has been doing, and bonus it helps to teach chores!
The teens in my world have been a little harder to buy for this year and I am really struggling as all they want is cash. I know that would make my life so much easier just to do that, but I want to wrap SOMETHING other than cash for under the tree. So far all I have come up with is the following few items. If you have ANY ideas for a teenage boy, PLEASE put in the comments below. I will be forever grateful!
Now on to my better half! Trey is so hard to buy for and I believe I will get him the fitbit above, but for anyone who knows my spouse all he wants is the gift of time and touch! There, I said it! But, I LOVE to wrap gifts and watch him open them so he will probably get the watch along with a coupon book full of "love gifts" and a funny gag gift! Here is what I have come up with:
Yep! A salt gun! Trust me! If you know Trey Berry he will be digging on this! Honestly all the Berry Men will!
So there ya have it! A complete list of gift ideas for the dudes in your life! Hope it helps and let me know if you have any I can add to my collection!
Happy Shopping!
XO,
Amy
The Day my Water Broke
It is my sweet boy's birthday.....and it has been 16 years of miracles and growth and love!
December 8, 2001 is a day that I will never forget. I was pregnant with our first baby, Will, and my water broke.
At the time, Trey was a pilot in the Navy and we lived in Oxnard, California. It was a gorgeous day I remember. My mother in law was staying with me as Trey was in Mississippi house hunting for our next move. I remember she made the most delicious lasagna, because my brother in law Marc had come to visit.
After lunch, I went for a walk on the beach. I walked for almost an hour. When I returned, Marc and my mother in law were having what appeared to be a serious conversation, so I decided I would go lie down. When I woke up about an hour later I went to the restroom and my water broke! I was shocked as this was my first baby and I had ZERO clue what was going on. Will was not due until January 27 so I was not quite sure what to do as this was only December 8.
I called my mother in law into the bathroom and very calmly said, "I think my water just broke." I remember her reaction like it was yesterday. Her voice kind of went up a notch and she said, "Your water cannot break! It is too early! You must of gone to the bathroom on yourself!" I remember thinking she is crazy! I did not do that! But, before I said something rude, it happened again. All this fluid rushed out and I was wearing a dress. She looked down on the floor and I looked at her and she yelled, "Your water broke!"
Long story short, one of Trey's friends, Ben, happened to stop by right at that moment. My mother in law explained what was happening. I remember Ben went into a little bit of panic and literally said to my MIL, "Boil some water and get some towels I am going to run to the bathroom right quick!" I started laughing and said, "Ben, its ok, we are not going to have this baby right here, right now, but could you please take us to the hospital?" He was like, Oh right!
My Wonderful Driver and Dear Friend Ben with Will
Sweet Ben drove 10 mph all the way to the hospital as I made a gazillion phone calls filling everyone in on my big news and asking for prayers as it was so early. When I finally got a hold of my husband to tell him the news I remember very clearly saying, "Honey, my water broke, I need you home ASAP and WHATEVER you do, DO NOT FLY SOUTHWEST!" Would you believe he is a pilot for them now!? I was scared if he did he would NEVER make it due to all the stops they make! Now he flies for them! Funny how life works!
Good news is, Trey did make it to the birth of our first born and William Geary Berry IV was born at 2:10 am on December 9, 2001. He weighed 5lbs 10 ounces and was 19 inches long. All in all he was in GREAT health considering he was so premature and after an 8 day stay in the hospital we got to bring him home.
16 years ago today God blessed us with the most beautiful gift. Will. He has grown into such a fine young man. Ever since the day he was born I have tried to be the best parent I can be to Will and his brothers. Having a baby changes EVERYTHING! Namely your priorities. Now my priorities are Will and his brothers and our precious family.
Priorities of helping them feel important, empowering them, teaching them about Jesus, finding time for the things that matter. Laughing with them, crying with them, growing with them, and all the moments in between. Sure we disagree and my biggest fear when this happens, do they know that even in disappointments I love them? I ALWAYS LOVE THEM. No matter what, I love them!
So as I reflect back on these past 16 years, I am humbled and I am blessed and I am so in love with my boy! Happy Birthday Son! You are a treasure and you are a gift! I am so proud of who you have become and cannot wait to see what the future holds for you!
All my love, Mom!
Salty but Sweet!
Thanksgiving 2017 at the Beach did not disappoint! It was VERY sweet and salty!
I was really worried about Thanksgiving this year with it being the first year without mom, but I have to say it was really ok! It was Salty but sweet! Luckily for me, we have been doing Thanksgiving with Trey's side of the family for over 6 years now. It is kind of what I am use to so mom really was never with me. Maybe that made it easier. I don't know, but I can tell you I am just thankful for how wonderful it was.
Typical family photo for us!
We took the boys out of school early....shhhhh....don't tell! And we headed to Inlet Beach, Florida. For those of you not familiar with Inlet, it is in the 30a area and right next door to Rosemary Beach. You guys it is GORGEOUS! The entire area is stunning and really a neat place.
This is what I woke up to for 6 days! Heaven right!
The water is AMAZING and you can see 10 feet down! I swear! The stingrays would swim right up to the shoreline and it was so fun to watch! We got lucky with the weather this year as it was warm enough to swim. We spent most of the 6 days on the beach with our toes in the sand building all kinds of unique sand objects and making all kinds of memories. Graeme, our six year old, made a little friend the very first day and they had so much fun the entire week! This trip was just what my soul needed as my heart has been missing my mom so much.
I did not know how I would feel about not cooking the "traditional" Thanksgiving dinner, but let me just tell you, IT WAS AWESOME! There was no stress and the food we ate was UNBELIEVABLE. We ate at Fish out of Water, which is part of the Watercolor Inn and Resort, on Thanksgiving day and they knocked it out of the ballpark. It was not necessarily traditional, but it was so good! Take a look at some of these photos of our dessert options! Delish! If you ever go to Watercolor I highly suggest Fish Out of Water.
We may have not of had the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but in true Berry form we carried on our tradition of "Grubba Guitar!" Grubba Guitar is a holiday tradition The Foley side (my side of the family) and the Berry side started doing after every family holiday gathering. I am proud to say we have been doing it since Trey and I were married in 2000! So 17 years of this amazing family memory. Everyone looks forward to it and it is really a great time full of lots of fun! Here are some pictures of "Grubba Guitar" Thanksgiving 2017.
So as you can see from my pictures above, Thanksgiving this year was spectacular. Sure we had moments, but all and all, this Thanksgiving is one that will go down in the record books. We swam, we fished, we ate, we sang, we shopped, and we made memories! Now that is something to be Thankful for and I am so Thankful! Especially for my Party of 5!
Berry....Party of 5
xo,
Amy
The First Family Tree
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A UNIQUE ADVENT CALENDAR, I HAVE FOUND THE PERFECT ONE.
Have you ever heard of the Jesse Tree? I had not until just recently when a friend gave our family the COOLEST advent calendar EVER! It is LITERALLY the genealogy of Christ, so essentially the first family tree. I am so excited about this that I just had to share it with you!
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY:
Jesse was the father of King David and known for being the first person in the genealogy of Christ, hence the name The Jesse Tree. The Jesse Tree has been used over many years through art to explain the genealogy of Christ from the time of creation up to Christ birth. They say you see it in stained glass art in windows. Originally the design showed a branch of a tree growing from a reclining figure of Jesse. Throughout the tree the various branches had pictures of old and new testament figures who were ancestors of Jesus. The top of the tree were figures of Mary and Jesus.
LITTLE BIT ABOUT ADVENT:
Advent literally means: The arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. In the Christian faith it is the first season of the Christian Church year, leading up to Christmas and including the four preceding Sundays:
Do you see why I love this Calendar? It is not just a calendar leading up to Christmas with a piece of chocolate, or lego figurine to build, or a tiny gift, it is truly the story of God's Salvation Plan beginning with creation, continuing through the old testament, all the way to the coming of the birth of Jesus.
Isaiah 11:1 a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit
The art and idea for this beautiful calendar was literally born from this verse from Isaiah and it is literally showing us the Royal lineage! How cool is that?
This advent calendar and this beautiful tree does not have all the lights and garland that your typical tree has. It does not have the candy and the treats your typical advent calendar has. What it does have is a beautiful ornament that you hang daily to your tree. Each ornament is a symbol that points to the Coming Savior. Each day you can take time with yourself and your family to really reinforce and emphasize the true meaning of Christmas. What a beautiful gift! And just think, you can unwrap this beautiful gift together as a family and draw closer to our Lord and Savior everyday. Won't you join me and my family this beautiful season as we unwrap the Wonder of Christ?
Our Jesse Tree
What do you do with your family at Christmas to remember Jesus is the true gift and the reason for the season? I would love to know.
xo,
Amy
Grateful for Family
It was thanksgiving last week and we were suppose to be Grateful Right?! So then why oh why do we get so stressed!!!!!
It was thanksgiving last week and we were suppose to be Grateful Right?! So then why oh why do we get so stressed!!!!! I mean seriously people! We spent Thanksgiving at the beach! You heard me, the BEACH! Who gets stressed at the beach? We did and sometimes you could feel the tension....inside of me...inside the room...or inside of one of my family members. Why?
Well, after Church at the Chapel of Seaside, I realized why. The sermon really put it into perspective for me and I think it MIGHT help me at any family gathering in the future. OPERATIVE WORD here is MIGHT! We are human after all and we tend to forget things when we are stressed or mad or angry. And let's face it people....that is what sometimes comes out when we are all together as a family.
Think about all the family dynamics that are coming together....In my family on The Berry side alone I think we have 7! SEVEN! Lucky seven maybe? 7 different ways we all were raised, 7 different ways we celebrate, 7 different ways we discipline and the list goes on and on! Imagine how many if we had included the Foley side! Holy Guacamole! But thankfully this week it was just the Berry's. We had the dynamics of:
Grubba (my father in law)
Gramzee (my mother in law)
Trey and Tom (husband and brother in law) and the way they were raised
Me
Jobeth (my sister in law)
The way Trey and I raise our boys
The way Tom and Jobeth are raising their girls
Do you see how it could get sticky here and there? Lord Love a Duck it can get sticky! Throw in the fact that we had a six year old blowing snot rockets, an eight year old little Shirley Temple twinky dink, an 11 year old who LOVES to sit in her corner and read (God love her she was the sweetest and quietest one), and TWO TEENAGERS! To say it was GLORIOUS 24-7 would be a LIE! TOTAL LIE!
I decided after hearing the amazing Sermon by Pastor Gary Wingo that I would dig in deep in my QT and really focus on what I could do now that I understand why it gets Sticky. What I came up with and what MIGHT help you and I in the coming weeks is to remember it will be "Weird" and "Stressful" at times. It can't help to be. So together, lets challenge ourselves in the following.
A. Patience and Love-this is probably the hardest. Especially when you are tired and all you want is to be quiet or to read and someone in your family wants to talk to you. Practice it here. Breath and smile and remember this time together is oh so brief in the grand scheme of things. Talk to them. Make them feel special and show them you are listening....this will go far.
B. No Complaining in your head or outward-Yet another hard one. Especially if you feel like you are the only one participating in whatever (Cleaning, cooking, errand running). What I have learned this week here is we all have our strengths. One person's might better at laundry, dishes whatever while the other person might actually be better at calming situations just by their smile and laughter and crazy sense of humor. Sometimes someones beautiful smile is all you need to calm the tension, but both help in stressful times.
C. Don't be critical of anyone-Only Encourage one another, build one another up-Yep, you guessed it! This is hard too! What happens when you encourage and build someone up is so much more beautiful than when you tear someone down. Especially when you do it when you are angry, hurt, or irritated by someone....SERIOUSLY try it! Build that person up and watch the miracle work between you both! I dare you! You might be in for a pleasant surprise.
I put this challenge into place with myself last week and no it was not easy and no I did not "Nail It", but it did bring me much more peace and calm. I truly think I enjoyed my week so much more just by TRYING to apply these three things and I am going to Challenge all of us to apply them in the future. You might be surprised at the JOY you bring to your heart and to your family!
And always remember: HOME IS WHEREVER A BUNCH OF CRAZIES ARE!
Just kidding! Home is your story of who you are and a collection of all the things you love.
This is Us....And boy do I love Us!
xo,
Amy
Gift Ideas
Christmas is such a magical time of year and if you are anything like me you love to find the PERFECT gift for each person in your life. I honestly hate the idea of giving a gift card or cash, but my teenagers seem to think the latter is the perfect gift. I still however, strive to find the PERFECT gift even for the not so fun at times beast we know as a teenager.
Christmas is such a magical time of year and if you are anything like me you love to find the PERFECT gift for each person in your life. I honestly hate the idea of giving a gift card or cash, but my teenagers seem to think the latter is the perfect gift. I still however, strive to find the PERFECT gift even for the not so fun at times beast we know as a teenager.
Today I have put together a few things I am giving this year and maybe just maybe this will make your life easier as you are putting together your Christmas list.
FOR THE RENTS:
Parents and Grandparents are so hard to buy for. Let's face it....nine times out of ten if they want something, they just go out and buy it. This year I am giving a gift that will last for ages and will bring joy, laughter, and maybe some tears to the entire family. It is a book that ask questions so you can learn who they were as a kid, teenager, young adult, etc. I have been doing this book with my father and I so wish I had it when my mother was alive. I have learned so many fun, interesting facts about who he is was and how he came to be the man I love and adore. The book title is: Tell Me So I Know and you can find it here:
FOR THE WIFEY OR ANY FEMALE IN YOUR LIFE REALLY
JEWELS! I mean come on! What Women does not like a new pair of earrings or a necklace? Now if you are on a budget and you can't afford the real deal I have the next best thing! B Stellar! Her stuff is AMAZING and so different and PRETTY! If you find something you like on her site type in the code AMYBERRY and you will get free shipping! Bonus! Here is a pair of my favorite earrings that people always comment on!
www.bstellar.co
TEENAGERS OR YOUNG ADULTS
Like I said early, I realize they all want cash, but I have found the perfect gift that you can give along with that cash if your heart so desires. It is a small, simple, easy read....and it even has large type! LOL! It is a written by a former Navy Seal and it was actually a speech he gave to a graduating class. The book is so inspiring and gives the reader simple things to do to change his or her life and possibly the world. GREAT book for any teenager or young adult, honestly it is a great book for anyone in general who wants to make a difference. You can get it here at:
THE HUBS OR MEN IN YOUR LIFE
If your husband or significant other is anything like mine, Christmas revs him up, but not in the sense of Tis the Season. More in the sense of OMG look at our pocketbook! LOL! Mine is always saying, "Amy do not get me ANYTHING!" And yall he sincerely means it. So I am always on a quest for the perfect gift. Last year I surprised him with an enormous canvas photo of our three boys! I must say I nailed it! This year I am struggling....So far all i have come up with is a coupon book that I bought! (I have ZERO CRAFTING SKILLS!) So if you have any ideas for me I would love to hear them and in the meantime if you are not a crafter like myself here is the link for the book and the neat thing about this is, if your husband or significant other likes it the last coupon is a coupon for another coupon book! ADORABLE!
THE LITTLE MALE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE:
So this is the area where I do go crazy and I do need help! I could buy toys all day everyday! This year however our little man/child has asked for the minecraft x box and a bike. Jury is still out on which he will receive. It is up to santa, but I have included the links below along with some other things he wants.
FOR THE LITTLE FEMALES IN YOUR WORLD
I don't have these personally in my house, but I do in my family and boy do I love buying for them! So hear are some cute ideas for you:
So there you have it. A little bit of inspiration to get you jump started on your holiday shopping. Do you have any inspiration for me? I would love to hear it!
xo,
Amy
Faith of Bee-rad and G money
Have you ever heard the quote "faith like a child"? I have numerous times and last night Graeme Berry displayed faith that I only wish I could have an ounce of! His faith was so innocent, so real, and so big that my heart burst with love and joy watching him speak.
Have you ever heard the quote "faith like a child"? I have numerous times and last night Graeme Berry displayed faith that I only wish I could have an ounce of! His faith was so innocent, so real, and so big that my heart burst with love and joy watching him speak.
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
We have a neighbor, Brad, who was an olympic hopeful back in his day. Long story short, Brad was in a car wreck on the way to the olympic trials and basically died but was revived. He sustained a major head injury and was in a coma for a month if my memory serves me right. Brad went from being a Prince grad, aspiring surgeon, and a US olympic hopeful to a hospital bed with years of physical therapy. Brad would tell you that today he is 30 which he is not. He is probably in his mid 50's, but he likes to think that when that happened, he got a second chance. He cannot drive a car so he rides his bike everywhere and I think he has been hit by a car 9 times! And he giggles about it and just keeps on keeping on! He is such an inspiration in the Berry House. He is on fire for God and we always talk about how angry we would be if our lives were turned upside down like his was, but not Brad. He is grateful!
Graeme LOVES Bee-RAD, this is the nickname my husband gave him. Anytime Bee-RAD is here, Graeme is right by his side and asking questions and hanging on to every word Bee-RAD says. I see it all the time, but just the other night it became very evident.
I was really tired and missing my mom one night and decided to lose myself in a TV show and I chose Chicago fire. I was watching the show and Graeme walked in and I did not notice because I was so into it. (Another mom fail on my part! Told you these happen all the time here!) Anyways.....there was a man about to jump off of a building and take his own life. The firefighters basically save his life and a commercial comes on.
I turn to hear Graeme saying, "Mom, that would of been really bad." I was like, "Um, yes....Very Bad....he would of died and then the people that loved him most would be so sad." Graeme looked at me so calmly and said, "Not if Jesus woke him up when he died." I was very perplexed and said, "Graeme, that does not happen." He shook his head and looked at me square in the eyes and said, "Yes it does mom, it happened to Bee-RAD. Jesus was not done with him on this earth and he woke him from the dead and the only reason he did not wake up Grandma was she did what he needed her to do here, so he brought her to Heaven."
WOW! WOW! WOW!
I really was speechless and for those of you who know me that NEVER happens! I hugged Graeme tight and with tears in my eyes just said, "Thank you Graeme. Thank you for reminding me that anything is possible with God".
I really wish I had the same simple innocent Faith as my little man/child has. I know I don't, but his little heart is so full of faith. When do we lose that innocence and strong belief in anything is possible? I guess when the world gets a hold of us. This is a broken world after all. Bad things happen daily and to good people. I guess all we can really do is try really hard to get back to the faith of a child or the faith of someone like Bee-RAD and see the world through their eyes and heart. Maybe then we can live in peace knowing that sometimes bad things that happen in our lives that put us directly on a path to some of the best things and times that will ever happen to us. We just have to have a little faith....
xo,
Amy
Not the First and Not the Last
I don't know about you, but I find myself making mistakes daily. Some days are just a series of tiny mistakes that really amount to nothing, but every once in a while I make a BIG MISTAKE. When the mistake involves my kids I feel awful.
I don't know about you, but I find myself making mistakes daily. Some days are just a series of tiny mistakes that really amount to nothing, but every once in a while I make a BIG MISTAKE. When the mistake involves my kids I feel awful. I call these moments MOM FAILS. Every time it happens I find myself apologizing and feeling really lousy about myself. Has this every happened to you? If so, you are not alone.
Last Saturday, while Trey was away with our youngest, Graeme, I asked the bigs for a date night with me. WELL THAT WENT OVER LIKE A PARTY! NOT! So we compromised and they agreed to go to Church with me before they went on their merry teenage ways. I was soooooo Happy!
This particular Saturday, our church was wrapping up its series on giving. When the service was coming to an end, our Pastor Paul, asked the choir to sing one last song before the benediction and asked the congregation to consider their gifts to the church for the next year. I looked over at Will and he was reaching in his pocket! I was mortified! Was he seriously reaching for his PHONE?
I leaned over and quietly whispered, "Please tell me you are not reaching for your phone..." With a look of disappointment, he shook his head and pulled out his billfold and put $5 of his own money and a card in the offering. The look in his eyes was pure sadness as he laid his money and the card in the plate. It crushed my heart. I had totally doubted him! REALLY DOUBTED HIM. WHY? Because he is a teenager? Because they all live with their phones attached at their ear and fingers? Because I had not stopped to see before I spoke? Maybe all of the above but the real point is I had not given my son the benefit of the doubt.
When the service ended and we began to walk to the car I began asking for forgiveness as fast as I could. I was crushed, Will was crushed, it was just bad. Will had two tears roll out of his left eye and calmly asked, "Why do you always doubt me? Why do you always assume the worst of me?"
This was like an arrow to my heart. He was right though. I doubted him and I assumed the worst. I sat in the car quietly for a moment then I turned to him and said, "Son you are right. I do. I am so sorry! You are so right though. I promise to try harder and not doubt you. You are a great kid! I am so sorry." He pushed me harder on why and I told him I was not really sure.
I do this with my boys quite often I must confess. They are both good boys and for some reason I ALWAYS assume the worst. Maybe it is because I know how difficult I was growing up. Maybe it is because I live in fear of them going down the wrong path. Maybe it is because I listen to so many stories of teenagers...I don't know what the reason is, but I do doubt them EVEN BEFORE THEY GIVE ME REASON TO DOUBT THEM.
FEAR
It is all fear driven. I know this. And I know what the solution is! GOD! Put them in God's hands. Hand them over. Ask him to protect and guide them. This is so hard! But it is the only way.
GIVING IT TO GOD
I promised Will and JP that day, that moment, in our church parking lot, that until they gave me reason to doubt, I would trust them. I told them I would try harder and put my fears and doubts in God's hands and let him guide them. I promised that I would ask God daily to let them be a light to others and a leader.
As we were pulling out and heading home I asked Will what the card was that he had put in the offering. He began to tell me a story about a man who helps the homeless that he had lunch with at Whataburger! The man gave him the card of his ministry and Will prayed over it then put it in our church offering in hopes that our Church would pray over it as well. Talk about a moment of mixed emotions! Pride and disappointment in myself as a mom. How could I doubt such a beautiful young man? How could I be raising such a beautiful young man? Well folks, I did and I am . I am sure this will not be my last time for a mom fail...but I promise I will work harder at giving these doubts and fears up to God. What are you giving up to God these days?
xo,
Amy
Thankful for November - Goals for the Month
It's November 3rd and the busiest yet most wonderful time of the year is right around the corner! The parties will start, the shopping for the best gift, the charlie brown movies, the amazing meals, and the Christmas decorating will all begin. Just thinking about it all makes me excited, tired, and stressed. I hate that last feeling and I know you do too!
It's November 3rd and the busiest yet most wonderful time of the year is right around the corner! The parties will start, the shopping for the best gift, the Charlie Brown movies, the amazing meals, and the Christmas decorating will all begin. Just thinking about it all makes me excited, tired, and stressed. I hate that last feeling and I know you do too!
November Goals...
I really want to TRY to implement a plan to help my family and I enjoy this time more. This is such a special time, a time to reflect and be thankful and boy do The Berry's have a lot to be thankful for. So I decided to sit down and write out goals for us. I would love to hear any of your ideas and goals that you implement to help bring back sanity to this crazy time of year too! Here are mine:
1. Special Night Out with the Hubs (Alone) at least three times this month.
As a mom, I get so caught up in all of our kids activities and sometimes Trey gets lost in the shuffle. That is just not healthy. I know this, so I am going to try really hard to put Trey at the front of the list and have 3 special nights alone this month. I bet we will see miracles happen in our marriage just by doing this! I mean let's face it, when these kiddos graduate he and I are it, so why not start dating again and get back to the basics!
2. Pray more for others; make a "Hit List"
My sweet mom use to LITERALLY pray for people EVERYDAY! She had what she called her "Hit List". It was a pad and she sat in her chair daily praying over her list. Now that she is gone, I have decided to pick up where she left off. Again, I bet Miracles will begin to happen daily! I dare you to try this too!
3. Write one hand-written thank you note a week and mail it.
Cutest note cards and invites ever from my sister in law, Erin! Stop by her store in etsy and tell her Worthy Heart sent you!
What happened to snail mail? It is GONE! Who does not love to receive a handwritten, heartfelt note, in the mail! I know I do! So since November is the month of Thanksgiving I am going to write a minimum of ONE handwritten note a week! Want to join me in this endeavor and bring some joy to someones life. I will even share with you my source! She is amazing! Stop by Erin Shelby's Etsy Shop and see these beautiful notecards for yourself!
4. Start Christmas Shopping and finish 95% of it by November 30
Who wants to join the rest of the world in the rat race of shopping in December? Not me! So I am going to challenge myself to get this wrapped up (no pun intended) by the beginning of December so when the OOPS I forgot this person's gift arises I am not stressed to the max!
5. Daily Family Devotional
Our life is JUST CRAZY with three boys ranging in age from 6 to 15 so with all the different activities, somedays, the boys don't even see each other! This November I am going to try to implement a plan each day on a daily devotional. I realize I will have to be on top of the calendar as some days the devotional will have to be in the morning and others at the dinner table, but I am determined to make this happen. 30 days! That is all! I think anyone can do that for 30 days and who knows what God will do to bless this! I can't wait to see!
There you have it! Amy's November Goal's for herself and her family! What are you guys going to do this month to kick off this crazy season and try to stay sane? Share with me! I would love to hear! After all we are all in this together and I am so thankful for that!
xo, Amy
Oh no You Didn't!
A TEENAGER!
It's a scary thing I tell ya! A Teenager! Somedays it is so kind and loving and other days you are like who is this creature!? And you find yourself thinking, "Oh No You Didn't!?"
Do you ever feel like where did I go wrong? How do people do this? Dear God, PLEASE HELP ME! I AM A FAILURE AS A PARENT!
It does not matter what stage you are in with this thing called parenting and honestly I don't think it matters what book you read on the subject matter- I still say it is ONE BIG FAT EXPERIMENT!
I mean come on--EVERY kid is different and EVERY kid thinks differently or reacts differently! So yes, while these books give us direction the truth is it is STILL AN EXPERIMENT!
ITS KIND OF LIKE MEDICINE REALLY--The way I see it with medicine, every case is different, every body is different, every cell is different, and that is how our kids are! DIFFERENT! So I have decided, due to a "CERTAIN" situation, I will do an experiment. Maybe just maybe, my little experiment will help someone else in my shoes navigate this thing called...
A TEENAGER!
It's a scary thing I tell ya! A Teenager! Somedays they are so kind and loving and other days you are like who is this creature!? And you find yourself thinking, "Oh No You Didn't!?"
So for this experiment here is your background:
I get up every morning at 5:45 for my Quiet Time (I will call this QT). I pray over my family, our day, my friends, etc. etc... by 6:20 am I start waking the boys and I usually start with our Soccer Player. At least twice a week right now we have to be out the door by 6:40 to get to his Physical Therapy for his ankle. I drop him at PT and if my husband is on the road I run back home (this is what I did this particular morning). I get the other two boy's up and going and get them to school and yep I head back to PT to pick up Will. As we are leaving therapy I gently ask Will if he has gotten his note for school since we will be late? The emotion that erupts from him on this one question is UNBELIEVABLE at best, his language is colorful and he let's me know that as far as he is concerned I know nothing....
Enter Tawanda! (remember her? my alter ego)
Oh NO he Didn't!
But unfortunately, Oh Yes he did! When I get to a safe reasonable area to pull over and look him in the eyes and calmly say, "Will, I am your cook. Your uber driver. Your laundry mat! Your coach! your cheerleader! AND much, much, more, but I am most importantly your mother! You don't ever talk to me like this again and until you can appreciate me you are on your own! You are on your own with your meals! Your laundry! Your rides! Your recruitment coaches! Your school! Your jobs! YOU name it....you are on your own! Once I get you to school you are on your own!" Not another word was spoken- When we got to the school... AGAIN he surprised me! He got out of the car without saying a word and slammed the door!
BIG MISTAKE!
This is where my heart crumbled and I knew what I had to do-I had to follow through and nip this behavior in the bud. This is not the boy I raised. Where have I gone wrong? What should I do?
It hit me! Blog about it! Blog about my follow through and how it felt, so on days in the future when something like this happens again with Will or one of the other two boys I have something to remind me it will be ok. And guess what? So will you my friend!
Teenagers are hard, but so were toddlers, and all the other stages-It is just a different kind of hard! We are all in this together and together if we share our stories and our mistakes even, maybe we can raise Strong, Confident, Kind, Loving, Respectful, God fearing human beings. This is what I want for my kids and I am sure it is what you want for yours. So yes, discipline and follow through are hard, but together we can do it!
Fast Forward to the very next day, because my son was too smart to ask for any assistance the same day, however, he did think I would forget and soften within 24 hours. WRONG! He asked for a ride to work. I looked at him calmly and without any emotion simply said, "you are own your own buddy...remember?" Tears welled up into his eyes and I had to turn and walk away as they did in mine too and my heart was yet again crushed. I knew I had to do it though. I knew he would be late for work, but that was a consequence-
Consequence-a result or effect of an action or condition
Something these kids need to learn. Will went through the rest of the weekend without asking me for anything, it was strange, and we were distant, but he was thinking and I was praying. By Sunday night, he was asking for forgiveness and telling me how much he appreciates me and realizes how much I do. I accepted his forgiveness of course and gave him the biggest hug and so far so good-sure there have been a few bumps, but for the most part he has really worked on his attitude.
This follow through hurt. It hurt Will's ego, it hurt my heart, it hurt our relationship while we were in the thick of it, but in the end we were both better for it. Will learned and saw what I do for him. I learned and saw what Follow through can do for Will and my other two boys. As hard as it is I need to remember this experiment and follow through. Our kids need us too. They need to learn under our roof the consequences to poor decisions so when they are out in this ruthless world they can cope. Cope with Confidence, Grace, Respect, and Love.
My follow through with Will was so hard, but I did it and I am proud to say I have seen a change and shift in his behavior. How long will it last? I don't know that answer, but my prayer is that through this situation he and I both have grown in areas we needed to and we are both better for it.
Where are you growing in your role as a parent? After all we are in this together!
xo,
Amy
Life in a Locker Room - On Being a Boy Mom
BOYMOM
MY friend asked me what it was like to live in a house full of boys so I peed on her bathroom floor, ate everything in their fridge, told her 800 stories about Minecraft, farted 20 times, and when she was ready to kill me I gave her a hug and told her she was pretty.
I know I mentioned that I am the mother of Three Beautiful, talented, loving boys who could not be more different. I love this about each of them and embrace their differences with Grace and joy, but, I have to confess, raising boys is exciting and fun, BUT the truth is....raising boys is quite disgusting at times and VERY messy. Don't get me wrong, I love my little monkeys, but life is so crazy and messy! I read this quote once and it stuck with me because OMG is it SOOOOO true....
BOYMOM
MY friend asked me what it was like to live in a house full of boys so I peed on her bathroom floor, ate everything in their fridge, told her 800 stories about Minecraft, farted 20 times, and when she was ready to kill me I gave her a hug and told her she was pretty.
Graeme and Princess Zoey
Will and John Paul all dolled up for Homecoming....
Yep! That pretty much sums up my life in a nutshell! Messy and funny and full of Love. Boys just have this way....they can drive you to the brink of exhaustion and anger and then look at you and give you this dirty stinky hug, with this smile that melts your heart, and tell you how pretty you are and you just melt! It is the craziest thing!
I will NEVER FORGET the day I realized God's plan for me was LIFE IN A LOCKER ROOM! It was December 13, 2010 and Trey, Will, JP and I were at the Doctors office finding out the Sex of our Miracle baby.....I just knew Graeme was a girl. This had been by far my easiest pregnancy! I mean with Will and JP I puked my life up all day everyday and I was hooked up to IV's and had a homecare nurse, but not with this one...I did a triathlon 9 weeks pregnant and did really good! How could this be a boy! Well JOKES ON ME! I hear the Doc announce, "Congrats! Its a boy!" I remember thinking, "Seriously God! Seriously this is your plan! Life in a Locker Room!" I remember looking to Trey and seeing Relief all over his face, which honestly infuriated me! How could he be relieved! I wanted a girl! Then I remember looking at Will and Jp and thinking, OK pull your you know what together! These two are looking at an alien on the big screen and probably thinking, "Seriously! You guys are excited about my baby brother looking like an alien!" So at that moment in time on December 13 I had the first of many breakdowns about being a mother of boys....but since then I have embraced it and realized that being a boy mom is a treasure and I basically live in a crazy house run by a tiny army that with God's help, I, with the help of Trey made and I am proud of it and in love!
So as my story unfolds and you get to know me and my tribe more, you will see that my life is messy, exciting, fun, full of laughter, sometimes tears, sometimes frustration, lots of hugs, many days of asking for forgiveness, but all the while trying to remain steadfast in our foundation of the Lord and so full of love my heart could burst. As I bring you into my life, you will see my style is basically workout clothes, though I will try to ramp it up at times. My home is made up of ikea furniture and garage sale finds, because if it gets ruined I don't pitch a hissy fit. You will learn we do everything from Soccer to dance lessons....Yes, I am a Soccer mom and a Dance mom! You will learn how God showed me not to pigeon hole my son into sports just because I thought, "he is a boy he should be athletic" and You will learn how I am still watching God unfold the mystery of what my six year old's passion will be... all the while living in my Locker Room and loving it! Won't you join me and watch as our story unfolds.....I promise it will be one exciting Ride.
xo,
Amy
Even at the DMV, there are Angels Among Us
Angels Among Us
Did you know there are really Angels everywhere?
Somedays they just pop out and are so obvious...like the story I am about to share with you.
But, sometimes we have to look for them. Other times, I firmly believe they are amongst us, we just cannot see them, or feel them, or recognize them.
Angels Among Us
Did you know there are really Angels everywhere?
Somedays they just pop out and are so obvious...like the story I am about to share with you.
But, sometimes we have to look for them. Other times, I firmly believe they are amongst us, we just cannot see them, or feel them, or recognize them.
Do you know why we can't see those angels among us?
Because some days we are so hard, so closed up, and hurting so bad, that unless the angel literally slaps you in the face. You just don't know they are there.
But I promise you they are. Look for them. Pray to the Holy Spirit, he will reveal them.
I honestly forget to do this, but days like today when I remember, well, let's just say it brings me chills and comfort.
Sons may grow into men and grow out of their toys, but in the hearts of mothers, they are still our little boys.
Today I took my 15 year old son, Will, to the DMV to get his drivers permit.
On the way there I prayed to the Holy Spirit to please let this go smoothly.
I actually begged!
You see yesterday, my husband, Trey, took Will at 7:00 am, and I received a very not-so- happy call at 11:30 am. Will had failed the eye exam.
Failed the eye exam? Yep! Failed the eye exam.
The boy who is literally legally blind in his left eye did not wear his contact.
Naturally, after sitting at the DMV for four plus hours and to going through the ENTIRE process, to get to the eye test and Will say, "I can't read that" was not ideal. Let's just say, it was not a pretty ride home.
This morning I begged the Holy Spirit, "Please throw us a bone."
I think He heard me.
We walked up to the front door, and I explained to the lady the situation from the day before, and she led us straight to the information desk.
It was there I met my Angel of the day, Miss Charlotte.
To make a long story short, once we explained the day before she literally looked Will in the eyes and said,
"Son, why did you not wear your contact?"
He explained it fell out Tuesday night at soccer practice.
She said, "Why did you just not put in another one?"
Good Question!
He explained that was his last one. She then began to lecture him on how you never wait until the last one. You always tell your Mama when you have two left!
I sat there with tears streaming down my face thinking this Lady, this Angel, really has my son's attention. He is getting the message! Thank you.
For those of you with teenagers you can appreciate this. You see when your kids pull the lazy card, or the entitled card, which happens, (You were a teenager once. You remember).
It's easy to lose your temper. Let's just say, mine is not pretty. She actually has a name: Tawanda (more about her later).
Sometimes my kids get the message with Tawanda, sometimes they do not, and all the time I have to eat crow and apologize for my behavior. That sucks! But it is reality, and I do it.
The point here is after the tension from the day before, Will was just not getting it. But this lady talked to him calmly and sternly, and I think he got it.
Will looked at me, and was so confused as to why I was crying.
Miss Charlotte quickly said, "Son, this is an emotional time for a Mom give her a hug." And he gave me a sideways hug, and she proceeded to say, "Not a sideways hug, son! A Real hug!"
Do you know what I wanted to do? I wanted to jump across that counter and Hug her! My Angel!
So you see, Angels are here. They are among us. We just need to look for them, and maybe, just maybe, on those really stressful, hurtful, lonely days, if you open up to the Holy Spirit and ask him to be with you and throw you a bone, well, he might send you a Miss Charlotte too! Try it. I dare you.
xo,
Amy
Take A Breath and Look UP...
Summer is officially over and today is the first day of school. AGH! UGH! (and insert many, many tears here). Yes I hate this day! I am not your typical mom who can't wait for this day each year... I am not the one who has the champagne chilling next to the orange juice in the frigelator! No, I am actually quite opposite.
Summer is officially over and today is the first day of school. AGH! UGH! (and insert many, many tears here). Yes I hate this day! I am not your typical mom who can't wait for this day each year... I am not the one who has the champagne chilling next to the orange juice in the frigelator (JPism for Refrigerator)! No, I am actually quite opposite. The first day brings up so many emotions for me, but the biggest one is My Boys are Growing Up! This saddens my heart. It is a wonderful time, yes, because we can reflect on how much they have matured or developed or whatever...but it is a constant reminder to me that time is running past me and before I know it they will be going to College and preparing to live the life God intended for them. Trey and I 's job will (kind of) be done.
When I meditate on that, I start to think about who will they be, what will they become, who will they marry and then I just get way ahead of myself and I have to reel myself back in and say slow down Amy! So I take a deep breath and look up and simply pray, "Lord, thank you for our beautiful boys and for having faith in us to bring them up. I pray that as this year starts, they will remain steadfast in their foundation of you and they will go out into this world and be an instrument for you. I pray Lord that their peers, their teachers, their coaches, and whomever they encounter, will see you in them. I pray they will be Leaders and not followers. I pray for their Health and for their hearts Lord and I give them to you...Please make them instruments for you and protect and guide them this School year. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen"
Remember who you are and what God Expects you to become. You are a child of promise. You are a man of might. You are a Son of God.-Thomas S. Monson
So as this new school year starts, if you are celebrating, or if you are like me and crying, Let's not forget to take a breath and look up. In Celebration and in tears, God is here.
Happy first Day of School!
xo,
Amy
Howdy!
Hi there! My name is Amy Berry! I am a Wife, Mom, Daughter, Sister, friend, driver, cook, launder, baker, dancer, and Lover of God! Welcome to my Blog! I hope you like what you see!
I grew up in the small north central Texas town of Graham, Texas, now known as Graham America. I am number three in the line of four kiddos and I can honestly say I had a beautiful up bringing out there in the country!
COLLEGE LIFE AND MARRIAGE...
I went to college at University of North Texas and Texas A&M where I met my husband in 1991. Long story short, I followed him to Texas A&M my junior year (who does that! I guess I do) and when he graduated he told me if I would hurry up and graduate we would get married.... so I hauled my hiney back to UNT, graduated, and well....THAT DID NOT HAPPEN...after NINE years...YES you heard me right! NINE years of dating off and on we FINALLY married in December of 2000 and we are still going strong to this day. We have three beautiful boys and one angel baby in Heaven.
WHY THIS BLOG....
In December of 2016 I lost my best friend, my confidante, and my angel on earth. I lost my mom....and this rocked me more than any other loss of I have ever experienced. My mom knew ALMOST everything about me...the good, the bad, and the VERY VERY UGLY side of me that my baby brother, Paul, has so eloquently named TAWANDA. My mom loved all parts of me, even Tawanda. I called her daily and on average we talked 5 days a week. When she left this earth and went home I can honestly say I was lost. This loss has challenged me on many levels but most of all this loss has challenged me in my faith. I am hoping through this blog I can grow stronger than ever in my walk with God all the while making you laugh!
DREAMS AND HOPES FOR MY BLOG...
What I can promise from this blog is some yummy recipes (I do love to cook), HOPEFULLY some funny stories, probably some not so funny stories, because I promise to be real, and let's face it life is messy sometimes, I might have some words of wisdom here and there (if I do it will be from something I learned from someone much wiser than myself!) and one thing I will not promise is fashion sense....I try so hard here, but I am a dance teacher for adult fitness and my wardrobe consists of black tights and black tops....I will challenge myself in this area and maybe with your advice I can grow here...because Lord knows I am not fashion savy!
Love of my life and best-friend.
In a nutshell, I am married to the love of my life and my best friend. We have three beautiful boys and a dog named Zoey. My father lives with us during the day and my sister Robin at night and I survive on bullet proof coffee, God, Dance, and my amazing family and friends. I am Amy Berry and I would like to be your friend!
xo,
Amy