The Day my Water Broke

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!

  

Guest Post: My Web Designer - Shay Paulson of Merit Media

Hello, Worthy Heart readers! I’m honored to be guest posting for Amy today.  We were introduced through a dear mutual friend several months ago, and hit it off - of course.  I mean, who doesn’t feel like they’re best friends with Amy?! 

Amy and I were finally able to meet in person with Lyndsy, who introduced us.  We enjoyed a fun evening eating and chatting at Rise.  I'm sure you'll come to know our girl Lyndsy soon, but you may know her by the Berry Family's nickname, "Blizzard."

Shay, Amy and Lyndsy (aka Blizzard)

Amy and I quickly connected over our love for building relationships and so much more. She’s a hoot.  I’m not a dancer, but it’s on my list of things to do soon - go to one of Amy’s dance classes.  

Amy’s been through a tough season after losing her mom and caring for her dad, but the beautiful thing is that she’s looking for an outlet to use her pain for good to encourage others through this blog.  I love that!  

Once Amy pitched her idea to me on wanting to start a blog about motherhood, grief, life, and everything in between, I knew it would get a great response because she’s already so relatable. In just the short time since we launched her site, so many people have commented, liked and shared, which was exactly what we'd hoped.  Definitely the power of community.

Amy asked if I’d be willing to share a bit about what I do for a living, since she’s getting so many questions about who designed her site and helped her launch her blog.  (Insert the girl raising her hand emoji here - that’s me!)

About My Business - Merit Media

I own Merit Media, a marketing and public relations company that specializes in web design, social media strategy, managing relationships and media.  I started my company about four years ago when my husband and I moved to Jacksonville, Florida for him to attend graduate school.  We’re moving back to Dallas next week, and I’m thrilled to be back in my hometown and the land of Tex-Mex.  

It was risky to start just as we moved, but I had four clients who believed in me, and I went for it.  That is my biggest piece of advice - just go for it!  

So many times we want things to be perfect before we put them out in the world.  You know what? Life’s too short and too precious for that.

A Little Background & My Experience

I have a degree from Baylor University in Journalism and Public Relations, and for the first part of my career, I worked for the March of Dimes as a fundraiser and event coordinator. Their mission to have healthy moms and healthy babies is near and dear to my family’s heart, because I spent three weeks in the NICU with bacterial spinal meningitis when I was a newborn.

It’s because of prayers and miracles and my time in the NICU that I have no complications from this disease.  (Unless you count not being able to navigate a map very well. But thank goodness for Google Maps!  I figure that’s the least of my concerns.)

After the March of Dimes, I had a short stint as a communications director for a trade organization, and then we moved to Florida.  I was crazy and started a business two weeks before we moved.  

Who Do I Work With?

It is one of my greatest joys to grow this business and work with a wide array of people, companies and causes.

I spend quite a bit of time reading, researching and staying up-to-date on the latest social media trends and news, in order to convey to my clients what’s happening and what is most important to focus on.  Social Media is always changing, and I know it can be overwhelming. That’s where I come in to help!

I work with personal bloggers, non-profits, restaurants, interior designers and musicians, just to name a few.  It keeps me hopping!  I love it.  (Have I mentioned that?!)  Because each client is unique, I start with a general inquiry email and then schedule a time to talk on the phone.  If we’re in the same city, I’ll do my best to meet up with you in person, too.  I have clients from the east coast to the west coast,  so I am able to travel a fair amount.

If you’re curious about the Marketing & PR Services I offer, here’s a short list.  I’d love to talk to you personally if you think I might be able to help you grow your idea or company.

• Graphic Design
• Logo Design
• Web Design
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Social Media Management
• Media Relations
• Start-up business consulting
• Non-profit consulting
• Event coordinating - weddings, events, fundraisers, media days, etc.

I’m booking 2018 dates and would love to help you grow your business or manage your event.

Here is my Merit Media website or you can email me directly at shay@meritmedia.net.

I hope to hear from you soon!

Yummy, Healthy, Pasta! Say What?

It's the holiday season and if you are anything like me, your waist line is feeling it!  I LOVE TO EAT!  Just ask my dance teacher Alana!  She is always commenting on how much my friend Linh and I can put away! 

This year, I have really tried hard to pay attention to what I am eating and drinking during the week.  I know me, and I know full well, if I am at a party with friends and fun, well I am not watching my waist line!  I can promise you that.  So I have been experimenting with some recipes from different sites I follow and playing around.  Tonight I tried one with the family and everyone loved it!  I got it from Primal Mom.  If you don't follow her and you really want to eat healthy, you should follow her.  Most of her recipes are easy and they are ALL healthy!  

For this particular recipe I did it a little different in that I baked it where she uses the crock pot and I brined my chicken before hand.  Other than that everything else is the same.

If you want the crock pot version shoot me a message and I will be sure to send it your way.

CHICKEN BASIL PASTA

Ingredients:

2lbs of chicken thighs

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspon salt

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 tablespoon parsley

1 cup parmesan (more for topping)

1 cup sundried tomatoes

1 lemon

spaghetti squash (I get mine at Tom Thumb or Central Market already made into spaghetti for me!)

Instructions:

15 minutes to an hour before you want to cook brine your chicken.  This is very easy.  Fill a bowl with warm salt water.  Place your chicken in the bowl for 15 minutes up to an hour.  If doing it longer put in the refrigerator.

In a mixing bowl mix all your ingredients with the exception of your lemon and squash.

Place your chicken in your baking dish and cover with the mix in the bowl.  Mix around to wear all chicken is coated nicely.

Place in preheated oven on 350 for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

While chicken is cooking saute your squash noodles in some grass fed butter or olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Once done plate your noodles and your chicken and spoon juice from the pan over the dish as a sauce.  Then squeeze the lemon over each dish.  Top with parmesan.

*****Disclaimer:  The Berry Boys eat real noodles and that is okay too  They still love it!******

Hope you enjoy!  Would love to hear what you are eating during the crazy fun filled holiday season! 

xo,

Amy 

Salty but Sweet!

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

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:

The Wonder of the Greatest Gift: An Interactive Family Celebration of Advent

By Ann Voskamp

Buy on Amazon

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

 

November Book Reviews

After finishing off October with Jodi Picoult's, The Story Teller, I needed something light, quick, and funny, with a little bit of romance.  While I loved The Story Teller, it was just a heavy read and I needed a little breather.  I chose The Barefoot Summer, by Carolyn Brown.  

The premise of the book sounded hilarious!  Three women at a funeral who knew NOTHING about each other and learned that day they were all widowed from the same guy!  "OH YES!  SIGN ME UP!  THIS WILL BE JUICY AND FUNNY!"  The first page was funny, but then I felt it got a little slow.  I am not going to lie, there were some hilarious moments and moments I thought, "Oh the Magic is coming back," but then the magic would fade.  

I finished the book simply because I found it so interesting to see how three people, with three entirely different backgrounds,  likes,  etc fell for the same con man and ended up living together.  It was fascinating to see how they ended up becoming friends and how really you never know what tomorrow will bring or who tomorrow will bring.  I was glad I finished it, but it did take me a while, but it was worth getting to the end.  (side note about me, if I start something, USUALLY, no matter how bad I have to finish....curiosity gets me every time!)   

The Barefoot Summer

By Carolyn Brown

Buy on Amazon

Once I finished The Barefoot Summer, I chose the book Class Mom, by Laurie Gelman and let me just say, "NAILED IT!"  This book was down right knock your socks off funny!  The book was actually PERFECT for me!  I too, like the main character, have a kindergartner and two in high school so I could really relate to her and her thoughts.

This book is an easy read about a mom who has taken on the task of room mom. This is not her first rodeo either as she has two in College and little Max in Kinder.  She makes no bones about what she expects from her classroom moms and dads and she is downright funny about it!  GREAT book to read!  ESPECIALLY if you have a desire to be a room mom, have been a room mom, are a teacher, a principal, or just want to laugh!  I mean OUT LOUD laugh!  HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book!

Class Mom: A Novel

By Laurie Gelman

Buy on Amazon

Next up I chose Cancel the Wedding by Carolyn T. Dingman.  I picked this book because it is Carolyn Dingman's Debut and seeing that I am just starting out with my blog I thought we had something in common.  Weird reason I know seeing that she has written others now, but it is true, AND it is a story about two sisters who have lost their mother and one sister in particular is on a quest to figure out who her mother was.  Another thing I had in common.

 I will not lie, I wanted to give up on this book once or twice, but I am so glad I did not.  The mystery of Olivia's mom kept me pushing on and I am so glad I did.  Between the mystery and the budding romance between Olivia and Elliot, I found this book to end on a high note.  It was just one of those books that until midway through I had to work at it, but once it kicked in.....well let's just say I stayed up until 1:15 am finishing it!  And anyone who knows me, knows this is not normal!  So I do recommend this book if you are looking for whimsy, humor, love and a little bit of mystery!  It will not disappoint.

Cancel the Wedding: A Novel

By Carolyn T. Dingman

Buy on Amazon

For my little readers this month I chose The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.  What a sweet sweet book!  And the perfect book for anyone who has a child who is apprehensive about going to school or anywhere really without you.  Graeme and I really enjoy reading this book together and we even use the same gesture the Raccoons do now!  Such a neat tradition!  

The Kissing Hand

By Audrey Penn

Buy on Amazon

What have you been reading?  I would love to know!

xo,

Amy

Yummy Pizza Bread

Want a recipe that will knock everyone's socks off?  If so, read on, because boy do I have it!  It is my mother in laws Pizza Bread.   My first time to experience this was in January of 1992.  It was Trey and I's second date and he brought me this bread and I fell in love!  Not only with him, but with the pizza bread!   I promise you this recipe is a crowd pleaser and EVERYONE who tries it will be asking, "How can I get my hands on this recipe!"   

Not only is this recipe delicious it is VERY easy and VERY fast.  There is one TINY detail and that is you have to let the frozen dough thaw and rise, but I promise it is worth it!  

INGREDIENTS

Frozen loaves of Bread.  You find these in the frozen food section next to the sister schubert rolls.  They usually come three to a pack, but Kroger actually carries them 5 to a pack which is perfect for my family of boys!

Hard salami cut into pieces

pepperoni

mozzarella

parmesan

olive oil

salt to taste

Ranch dressing for dipping

PREPERATION

Place your frozen dough on a cookie sheet and let thaw and rise

When ready to bake, roll out your dough flat, use flour to keep from sticking to rolling pin.

Once flat layer with cheese, salami, cheese, pepperoni, and one more layer of cheese (I usually do first and third layer mozzarella, and second layer parmesan)

Roll sides up to make a big calzone like loaf

Brush with olive oil and salt and put three slits in it for air

Bake at 350 of 30 minutes

Use Ranch for dipping

I promise you, EVERYONE will LOVE this! So if you are looking for something easy to bring to a party or to feed a crowd, look no further!  Pizza Bread is the answer!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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!!!!!  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:

1. Grubba (my father in law)

2. Gramzee (my mother in law)

3. Trey and Tom (husband and brother in law) and the way they were raised

4. Me

5. Jobeth (my sister in law)

6. The way Trey and I raise our boys

7. 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.  

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:

Tell Me So I Know: My Questions ... Your Answers

By Paul Shike

Buy on Amazon

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

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:

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

By William H. McRaven

Buy on Amazon

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!

Coupons From The Heart

By Sherry Barnett, Liz Tapanes

Buy on Amazon

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.  

Nerf Zombie Strike Sledgefire Blaster

Nerf

Buy on Amazon

Xbox One S 500GB Console - Minecraft Bundle [Discontinued]

Microsoft

Buy on Amazon

Mindscope LED Laser Twister Tracks 12 Feet of Light Up Flexible Track + 1 Light Up Race Car Each Individual Track Piece Contains Lights (Standard Color System)

Mindscope

Buy on Amazon

Passback Football - Junior Size (13 and Under) - Rubber

Passback football

Buy on Amazon

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:

Toysmith Lanyard Toys Limited Chalkie Chalk Bombs, Assorted Colors

Toysmith

Buy on Amazon

Unicorn Tears - Unicorn Bottle - Pink Water Bottle - Stainless Steel Bottle - by Unicorn Everything

Unicorn Everything

Buy on Amazon

Garmin Vivofit jr. 2 - Adjustable The Resistance - Activity Tracker for Kids 010-01909-31

Garmin

Buy on Amazon

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

Are You in the Club?

It is thanksgiving!  Today is a day that is suppose to be full of love and gratitude, but for some today will be empty, lonely, or dark. For all my friends who are in the club of "firsts", know you are not alone. 

Some of you are asking yourself, "what does she mean." I am talking about the first thanksgiving without a parent who has past within the last 365 days. For me it is my mom and for one of my best friends it is her dad.

It is not a club you want to be in, unfortunately, it is a club we all find ourselves in eventually. It is a sad reality, but there is hope in this reality. Hope in Jesus Christ and hope in the beautiful reality we will all be together again in Heaven and what a glorious Thanksgiving that will be. 

For some of us in this group, this hope will be what gets us through this day. Others of us might still be doubting and this is ok too. Trust me, after my mom died I was in the trenches of doubt. Lean on your family and friends if you find yourself doubting. Some of you might even find yourself downright mad. That is ok too. Trust me when I tell you I was not just mad, I found myself pissed off at God, for lack of a better word. Seriously!  So if you find yourself there, it is ok too. 

Wherever you find yourself, it is ok. Go easy on yourself. Trust me on this. Don't expect today to be anything, matter of fact, my advice is take each minute of the day as they come at you with zero expectation. Then you won't be disappointed in someone or yourself. This has been a huge coping mechanism for me. ZERO EXPECTATIONS!  

Most importantly my dear friend and reader, know your loved one is up their in the mysterious place known as Heaven and they are watching over you. Look for them today. Listen for them. You will be so surprised when you hear their whisper from heaven, it will bring you a peace that overcomes your soul. Trust me. They are with us and they will reveal themselves to you at the oddest moment and you and only you will know, "Ah, this is my loved one". 

Happy Thanksgiving and much love and hope and joy to you today and always.

Amy

What's for dinner

www.primalmom.com

With Thanksgiving right in front of us followed by all the Christmas parties and Christmas, I really need to be watching what I eat.  I tried another Primal Mom recipe and my family LOVED it!   I did it a little differently than she does, simply because I hate cooking meat on my stove in a pan, so I tried baking our chicken and it was amazing!  You should try it too!  It is super easy and very fresh and delish!  You can also make each kid's plate right to their liking which is always great in this house!

PRIMAL MOM TOMATO MOZZARELLA SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

4 Chicken Breast

grape tomatoes (you will plate these and can use however many each person desires)

2 cucumbers or more if your family loves cucumber

1 Tablespoon Dried Basil

1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley

2 Tablespoons real Kerry Gold Butter

4 Cups Mixed Greens or more if you have a lot of rabbits at your table

1 Cup Pistachios

Mozzarella

Salt and Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

First step in baking the most delicious chicken is brining it.  Yep you heard me.  I always brine my chicken.  It is so easy too.  Just fill a large bowl with warm water and salt and let the salt dissolve.  Add your chicken and let it sit there for 15 minutes.  I have been known to put mine in the frigelator for 6 hours and it is unbelievable! 

Next cut the chicken breast in half.  Melt your butter in a bowl and add your basil and parsley and brush over your chicken.  You can then salt and pepper to your liking. 

Now I like to cook my chicken on high, but you do what your family prefers.  I preheat my oven to 450 degrees and cook those babies for about 18 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (160-170 degrees F).

While the chicken is cooking you can cut up your tomatoes, chop your cucumbers, and cut up your mozzarella into chunks.

When all is done you will evenly plate each plate with the greens.  Top each with the chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, pistachios and cheese. 

And if your family is like mine, some will get greens, some will not.  Some will get tomatoes some will not.  Each plate you can build however you heart desires.  

Such a fresh and healthy meal that has something for ALMOST everyone!

Hope you enjoy! 

Tell me what you are eating that is healthy these days?  I would love to know!

xo,

Amy 

Option 3!

I had a dream last night and when I woke I could not remember ANY OF IT!  Has this ever happened to you?  It is so annoying!  Especially if you are like me and remember your dreams.  As I laid there trying desperately to go back to sleep, thoughts of my mom washed over me.  This happens from time to time.  I guess it is all part of the thing they call GRIEF.

The day my mom said she was not scared....

This night, for some reason, all I kept thinking of was one particular day when she was in the ICU at Presbyterian Hospital.  This particular day was haunting me.  LITERALLY.   My heart started racing, I tried my breathing techniques I had learned from lots of different sources, and nothing was working.  I decided I had a few choices:

1. I could get up and read or watch a TV show

2. I could keep breathing in and out like I was, but I was getting dizzy!

3. I could just really go back to that day and let whatever it was that was bothering me work itself out. 

I chose option 3.  If there is one thing I have learned from the grief from the loss of my mom, it is that you cannot control it.  You cannot bury it, you cannot swipe it under a rug, you cannot put your head in the sand like an ostrich.  It will not let you!  Trust me.  You might think you are running from it, but the rest of the world sees you and it is there.  So I have learned somedays or nights you just got to roll around in it and get dirty!

As I laid there I really focused on that day that was coming to mind.  I could see the two of us in her ICU room.  She was sitting up which was a huge success and we were talking.  I remember her saying, "I think I am dying Amy."  Very calmly and very matter of fact.  I didn't know what to do with that I remember.  I recall saying, "Are you scared?" She calmly said, "No, everyone has to do it sometime."  

It was all very surreal.  We did not say much more, but I remember holding her hand and just looking into her BEAUTIFUL blue eyes willing her not to die.  Have I ever told you she had the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen?  I miss those eyes. 

Thinking back on it that day I wish I would have said more.  I wish I would have asked her more.  She was such a spiritual person and so close to God that I wish I would have pushed more on why she thought she was dying, why she was not worried, or what would she miss the most.  Maybe if I had I would not be so worried about her.  I don't know.

Dying is a scary and uncomfortable thing to talk about.   ESPECIALLY with your mom while she is recovering in ICU.  I feel like I was not finished with that conversation with my mom.  I feel like maybe she came to me in my dream and forced me to deal with that day.  I don't know.  I somehow fell back to sleep because the next thing I remember is my alarm going off.  I think my mom came to me that night and sat with me until I finished our conversation in my own head and came to some kind of peace that she was ok.  

I am still so sad about losing my mom and I still find myself really wondering if she can hear me and see me when I am struggling.  What I am learning through all this though is you have to choose option 3.  You have to face it dead on (for lack of a better word) and look it square in the eyes and deal with it.  Then and only then can you live your life to its fullest and I know that is what my mom would want for me and I am sure that is what your loved one would want too.

Won't you choose option 3 and Choose life along with me?

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. 

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  

B Stellar and Be You!

Our model Stephanie!!  Is she not the cutest! You can find her at

www.krusingthroughthekhaos.com  

So fun watching them work and playing dress up!

Starbucks and earrings!  Yes please!  Earrings at www.bstellar.co

I honestly had not planned on blogging today, but after the amazing day I had yesterday, well, I just had too!  Yesterday, I got to play with Jewelry and dress a model and help a photographer!  As a boy mom, I promise you this is a day in paradise for me!  A day away from stinky soccer shoes, stinky dance shoes, and stinky six year old boy clothes!  AHHHHHH HEAVEN!  I AM IN HEAVEN!!!!!

My extremely talented and gorgeous niece has a jewelry line that I asked my adorable friend Stephanie to model for and blog about. (you can find her blog at www.krusingthroughthekhaos.com)  Yall it was so much fun that I just have to share it with you now!  

Meet my niece Misty!

First, I would like to brag about my niece.  Her name is Misty and she is an artist.  She paints, she draws, she is a mom and a wife and she is so talented.  She draws most of her inspiration from nature, however, she gets ideas daily from everything around her.  She has an amazing eye and everything she does is "line driven".  I honestly have ZERO idea what that means, however if you are an artist I am sure you do.  All I know is I LOVE HER STUFF! I think you will too!    

I played dress up too!  LOVE THESE EARRINGS!

www.bstellar.co

The name of her company is B.Stellar and she pretty much came up with the idea because her maiden name is Misty Burns.  The B is for Burns, and Stellar, well....the definition of Stellar is:

Exceptionally good, outstanding, marvelous, superb!

So BAM!  B.Stellar-it is her call to action for "Be"....Be something EXCEPTIONAL!  

Penny Lane!  Love this three chain necklace!  Called the Penny lane because the hand is holding a compass...meaning behind it...a girl does not know who she is until she finds her way holding a compass

www.bstellar.co

I love that she is empowering people subliminally through her jewelry!  So cool!  Only an Artist could do that!  And an even cooler fact is all the pieces are named after women of influence, women she knows, or women in art.  There are some men's Artist names that she uses as well, but only if they stand out to her.  

Is she not the cutest?!  Necklace and Earrings B.Stellar

www.bstellar.co

Our amazing photographer Lorena 

www.helloellegee.com

Her Jewelry really is amazing!   If you like what you see, just go to her website at www.bstellar.co and use AMYBERRY as your code and you will get free shipping!  Perfect timing for the holidays!  

This is a one of a kind so if you like it message me and I will get a price for you.  Just think....you could be the only one in the world with this beauty!

Happy Shopping!

xo,

Amy

Ju Ju's Taco Soup

It's Fall Baby!  Time for the leaves to fall, the weather to change, and time for SOUP!  I love me some soup y'all!  And Ju Ju's taco soup is just the thing I needed to welcome in brisk cool air of fall!  I love it!!!!! I think you will too!  Give it a whirl and let me know your thoughts!  I bet it makes you Happy!

Ju Ju's Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 Lb Ground beef,  Olive Oil, Onion, garlic, 2 cans ranch style pinto beans (my family prefers one with Jalapeños  and one without) 1 can corn, 1 can chopped green chilies, 1 package of ranch dressing, 1 package of taco seasoning mix, 1 can of stewed tomatoes or 2 can’s of rotel. If you do 1 can of stewed tomatoes then use 1 can of rotel (I prefer the one with lime in it) and we prefer 2 cans of rotel because the tomatoes are chopped up better. 1 can of water and 1 beer of choice (and no it is not to drink!). Pepper and Lawrys season salt.

Place 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil in a big pot, Throw in one chopped onion and as much chopped garlic as your family would like.  Let those soften a little then throw your ground beef in and brown. Next dump every can in and do not drain.  Throw in your seasoning packets and as much salt and pepper as your family would like for taste.  Add your beer of choice and one extra can of water and let it simmer.

When you go to serve garnish with Shredded Cheese, jalapeños, sour cream, and chives and serve it up with a nice slice of cornbread!  Oh so Good!  

What kind of soup do you like?  I would love to know!

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 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

Stumbling in the Darkness

Do you ever find yourself stumbling in the darkness?  I don't mean in the "literal sense", I mean in the "figurative sense".  I know I do and I do quite often.  Usually I can find my way out of the darkness, but there have been two times in my life where finding my way out was like digging through concrete.  

The first time was when I lost our baby and the second time was when I lost my mom. 

Both times I took to my bed and pulled back the covers and drowned out the world with tears and moaning.  Both times I was ANGRY WITH GOD and ANGRY WITH ANYONE WHO TRIED TO HELP.  The pain I felt was crushing.  I cannot even begin to describe it. It was weird, because both times with this pain I felt guilt. Guilt of could I have done more?  Should I have done something differently?  AND GUILT FOR BEING ANGRY WITH GOD.  But, I was!  And it was what it was.

When I look back to those dark, dark, days, I see I was blinded.

Blinded by pain.  Blinded by loss. Blinded by anger.  Blinded by sadness.

I was in the dark. It was not until I opened up my heart and  mind to the Holy Spirit that I was able to see beyond my suffering to the glory of God.  This was not easy either!   It took me literally forcing myself to open this daily devotional I bought.  It did not happen overnight either.  It was a slow painful process, but one I am happy to say brought me to where I am today.  I still have a lot of room for growth, but I am happy to say I have at least opened my eyes to Hope.  Ironically enough,  the book's name is Hope!  

HOPE IN JESUS

Some days this hope just lies in getting through the next 30 minutes and somedays this hope just lies peacefully in my heart.  But I have HOPE!  And I do still stumble in the dark, but I hold onto Jesus and I hold onto hope!

Do you ever find yourself stumbling in the dark?  If you do, I promise Jesus is there!  He is reaching out his hand ready to touch you and take hold of you and your heart and transform your life.  Will you let him in?

xo,

Amy

The One Year Book of Hope (One Year Books)

By Nancy Guthrie

Buy on Amazon

 

Gramzee's Chili

Don't you just love the fall?  I do!  The leaves begin to change, the air is crisp, and football season is in high gear.  Whenever I think of football and fall I think of frito pie!  Boy do I love me some frito pie! Especially when the recipe involves my Mother in Laws Chili!  You guys, this Chili is so good and so easy to make!  I changed it just a tad bit in that instead of water I add a can of beer, but you can do whatever is best for your family.  Over here we like the beer!  (Ha, I am a poet and I did not even know it!)

GRAMZEE'S CHILI

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Oil (I use olive oil)

1 Cup of Chopped onions

1 clove of garlic (I use crushed garlic and a ton)

1lb ground beef

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can ranch style beans (we like the can with jalapenos)

1 can of water (we use beer here)

1 teaspoon paprika

2 Tablespoons chili powder

Instructions:

In a large pot saute your garlic and onion in your oil.  When onions are transparent add your ground beef and brown.  Once cooked throw in your tomatoes, ranch style beans, water (or beer), paprika, and chili powder.  Let simmer until ready to serve.

FRITO PIE:

If in the mood for the frito pie you will need the following:

fritos

shredded cheese

onions

jalapenos

In a bowl place your chili and top with any and all of the above.  I promise you will LOVE it!  This is so good and so easy to make! 

I made this Halloween night for 32 plus people (I tripled the recipe) and it was easy and everyone really enjoyed it!  I hope you do too!  Let me know what some of your fall favorites are for feeding a crowd!  I would love to know!

xo,

Amy

Life with Dad

If someone would have told me 10 years ago that when my mom died my sister and I would be sharing the responsibility of taking care of my father I probably would of laughed in their face.  My father was and still is one of the most independent, strongest, men I know.  However, life has taken a toll on his memory and he cannot live alone.  

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.....

My father was in a serious car wreck when I was a little girl.  He basically went through the windshield of his car going 70 mph.  He was conscious until the paramedics arrived and he told them EXACTLY where he was headed and who he was going to see and then slipped into a coma.  He had something like 8 surgeries and once he healed he went on with life happy and healthy, UNTIL probably around 2008 when my siblings and I noticed some changes.  Not really memory changes, but more like he was not involved in the conversations and decisions with our family business and other things. Slowly the memory issues started creeping in and when he got lost one time going to get my nephew we knew it is time to intervene.

VERY LONG STORY SHORT...

My father was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment.  Honestly I think it is just a catch phrase for physicians now a days because people are living longer and they are seeing astronomical numbers of patients with the same condition.  They use to call it Alzheimers if I understand the history correctly until they realized you really cannot diagnose Alzheimers until the patient is dead.  Yep you heard me....Dead!  Then they called it Dementia,  which basically is a huge Umbrella of memory issues and now I feel like the new term for beginning phases of Dementia and Alzheimer's is Mild Cognitive Impairment.  And let me be clear, this is the Amy Berry Understanding of Memory issues in the elderly, because honestly, I don't think they know!  This is all new territory because more people are living ALOT LONGER  and the brain is an AMAZING thing!  But, the more I talk about my father with friends and hear their stories about their parents or grandparents I see that we are all in this boat paddling like crazy and not really getting anywhere with answers or solutions!

OUR SOLUTION FOR NOW...

When mom died, my sister Robin and I decided we would take care of Dad together.  We knew he could not live alone and we also knew he would NEVER allow a nurse or babysitter in his own home, and the idea of any kind of assisted living, well that just shuts him down.  So for now our set up is, I get Dad Monday through Friday, anywhere between 11 and 1, and keep him until around 6:00 at night where he then goes to my sisters.  Our baby brother Paul helps when he can on the weekends and we are all a team.  It is not easy and at times it gets tense but it is what we are doing.  It is what works for us for now.

 NO IT IS NOT EASY, BUT IT IS A BLESSING...

People give me a hard time because we don't discuss other options, but it is so hard to think about other options.  I just lost one parent and I don't want my father to feel like we don't care.  Every family is different and every family has to work to find what works for them.  This works for us for now.  If you only knew how many fights and battles we had when mom was alive trying to get them to move into assisted living or to Dallas to be near us.  It was awful!  Now my father has lost the love of his life, he has basically moved to Dallas, away from his home of 49 years, his friends and church,  and people want us to put him in assisted living.   I just can't right now.  Right or wrong, I can't!  And I know there are many other people out there dealing with this as well.  I hear stories almost every day.  I wish I had an answer, I wish I had a solution, but I don't.  So I am hoping through my blog I will meet other people in my shoes who we can bounce ideas off of each other, offer each other solutions, and hope,  all the while loving on our parents to where they don't live in constant fear of losing their independence and everything they have ever known.  There has got to be a way and I think we can pave the way together.  So if you too are in a situation like me where you are taking care of your parents tell me what you do to make life beautiful for all?  I would love to hear. 

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! 

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!

Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions For Kids

By Sarah Young

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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