The Toy Box Years: Blessings

The Creators of the Toy Box Years

The creators of the Toy Box Years are my two beautiful daughters and wonderful, handsome soldier husband.

"Nani" (our oldest) is a 11 year old 6th grader who loves Taylor Swift, ballet, books, fashion designing and sewing. Ask her what she wants to be when she grows up and it changes daily to anything from "an artist" to "a teacher" to "a singer/dancer". Nani is also currently fighting a battle against brain cancer -- recently diagnosed in June 2016.

"Nudgie" (our youngest) is a very smiley, very happy, very giggly, very spirited 8 year old 3rd Grader who's favorite toys are anything that gives mommy an anxiety attack - ladders, stepstools, the climbing wall at the playground. Like her sister, she has a love of reading and coloring, loves gymnastics and still provides mommy lots of snuggle time!

"My Marine" is my high school sweetheart. We've been married over 20 years and met when we were 17. (You do the math....) His favorite toys are Blackhawk helicopters, the lawnmower, our steam cleaner, and microbrew beer bottles. My husband is also my hero in that he proudly serves his country as a Blackhawk crew chief (hence his favorite toy!). And need I say that there is nothing hotter than my man in uniform!

All About Me......

Once upon a time I had a career and worked in the corporate world. Once upon a time, I dreamed about leaving that all behind to follow my true calling -- being a wife and mommy.

The first part of my calling was fulfilled in 1995 when I married my Marine (now soldier) and my love. Little did I know that being a military wife would change me in so many ways and that because of that, I would have an extended family all over the world from Japan, to California, to North Carolina.

The second part of my calling took a little doing, but I finally achieved that dream in 2004 with the birth of our first child, followed 4 years later by her baby sister.

So now, when someone asks me what I do for a living - I simply smile and say proudly that I'm following my calling - I'm a mommy and a wife -- and I couldn't be HAPPIER -- I'm living in the Toy Box Years!!

Dear God:

For most of my life, I've done it my way. Believed all the bad things about myself. And it's gotten me into some big messes -- messes that have come and gone.....and messes that I'm just now trying to dig out of. Now, I think.....what if?

What if I had more faith in You back then?
What if I found a church to go to?

What if I talked through everything with You?

It didn't turn out that way, did it. But, even back then.....You KNEW.

You KNEW I would come crawling back to You.

You KNEW I would struggle -- try to be perfect so I could face You again.

You KNEW that I desperately wanted to come home to You, but was afraid to -- because I believed I had to do everything "right" before I could even begin to think about You.

You KNEW that I was so afraid that You were mad at me, that You would turn me away, You would reject me, and that I just stopped trying.

You KNEW that I thought, "Why bother?" because You had so many other people worthy of Your love.

You KNEW that in my darkest moments of fear and worry -- over and over -- I would take those baby steps towards you....but then shy away again.

You KNEW that I would feel like an abused puppy -- so hesitant, so tentative -- wanting to trust You, but skittering away again, to hide. But You remained. You kept trying. You slowly coaxed me out with blessings and acts that showed me -- proved to me -- that I could come to You and trust You. You don't have to prove Yourself to ANYONE....but You KNEW that's what it would take to get me to start to come out from the dark.

You KNEW I needed others. You began to surround me with believers. Friends who would patiently listen to me as I poured out my struggles with faith. Friends who would encourage and reinforce that You DO love me, You DO forgive me, You DO want me back. Friends that convinced me that it's not about doing it the "right" way.

You surrounded me, enveloped me with music and songs that You KNEW would reach me deep in my soul because You KNEW that music was a way to get Your love and Your message through to me.

You used my daughters to continue to show me Your love - because You KNEW that I love them more than anything in this world and that if I could see their joy and passion for You just beginning in them, then I would soak You up as well.

You KNEW that I would eventually end up right here, right in this moment, writing these words to You.

You KNOW what my today holds. You KNOW what my tomorrow will bring. But the difference between me "then" and me "now" is that NOW I recognize that I have You with me, beside me, all around me. Ready to offer grace, love and forgiveness.

Never again will I be that abused, broken puppy hesitating to come to You. NOW I run to Your open arms, ready to jump in, to receive all that You have to give -- knowing that when I make a mistake, You will still be there.

ALWAYS

Yesterday the girls and I decorated our Easter Blessings Tree. (It's actually the mini Christmas tree that we put in Nani's room for Christmas, and I just decided to keep it up through the year!)

I explained to the girls how Jesus lived and died for us on the cross so that we can live a happy life. (That's probably the best way I can explain it to a 6-yr. old and a 2-yr. old)

I also wanted to have a reminder present, something they can look at, to remember everything that they have to be grateful for.

I found an egg template online (which you can download here). I then cut a couple out and had Nani trace them on different colored foam sheets. We cut them out, hole-punched them and put a ribbon through them. Nani wrote down some things that make her happy.

Things that make Nani happy - Daddy, Playing outside, Nudgie, Dolls, Spaghetti, Zoja and Mommy

I gave Nudgie a couple of the paper eggs to color as well.

I found some solid colored egg ornaments on sale at Hobby Lobby (before Lent, of course....) and used my secret stash of markers to write some meaningful words on them - Love, Faith, Hope, Family, God.

Then we took turns putting our ornaments on the tree.

I really love how it turned out. So cute and colorful with Nani's ornaments, Nudgie's colored eggs, and my eggs. Nani made a wreath out of her handprints in the colors of the rainbow and we added that as a tree topper.