His First Love

Someday there'll be a piggy-taled girl wearing a pink princess dress in his class that he'll share all his toys with.

Someday he'll come home heart-broken from a dance because the girl he asked to join him said no.

Someday he'll wear a tux with an evening-gowned beauty by his side.

And someday he'll make promises of forever to a woman wearing white that I will love and support dearly.

But for now, for now, I am his first love, 

the only woman he has eyes for, 

the only one he wants to cuddle up with at night, 

the only one who lights up a room, 

the only one he wants to hold him tight when he's sad, 

and the only one he'll crawl far distances just to be near. 

Being his first love isn't a responsibility I take lightly, no, I take it very heavily on my heart, for I know, someday, he'll belong to her, and he'll be all grown up. Someday he won't keep me up all hours of the night whimpering his sweet cry for my comfort, he won't shimmy himself as close as he can to my face when I'm laying on the floor, he won't give me that look, that look of sheer joy and gratitude that I am here and I am his Mommy. That look he gives every single time I'm in his view that melts my heart so.

But someday is still locked away in the future.

For now he is all mine, and I feel so privileged he chose me for his mother, his first love.

My dear baby boy, how I love you so.

Heaven's slice is being his first love.

My week without sugar

I was going to title this 'the hardest week of my life,' but I thought people would probably get the wrong idea...

Why go a week without sugar? Well, given I'm currently writing this particular paragraph on day 6 of 7 without sugar, I almost don't remember why I started this stupid gesture. But I think, I think, I ultimately wanted to gain some sort of self-discipline lesson out of it. Like by giving up something I love and enjoy for a week that used to be an almost daily routine I'd somehow show myself that I can do anything I set my mind to, or like to prove I'm not addicted to sugar, or may be because I had 2 ginormous Billie Minor Pies one after another that made me so sick I decided to take a sugar break, or may be, may be, it was to be more grateful that sugar is in my life, absence does make the heart grow stronger you know. I know for sure it wasn't a health or diet thing, I know it sounds like it should be, but it defenetly wasn't that, that's just not me. May be it was because I just thought I needed an additional WEEKER this month and couldn't think of something, so I came up with this one off the top of my head. I don't know, I can't even focus anymore. I'm pretty much on countdown for Monday. I'll write more after this torture is finished.

...

Just FYI the reason why was indeed to gain more self-discipline and I thought after eating myself sick it would be easier to tackle a no sugar week for my WEEKER. It wasn't a diet thing but just an 'I'm gonna try something hard' thing. (I will be doing a post about WEEKERS later ;)

...

I chastised my husband for making pancakes on my day 7 and then vocalized later that night of all my baking plans for the morning in using that sweet white granulated delicacy. Then the weirdest thing happened - I woke up after my 7 day fast without sugar and my cravings vanished. Seriously. It was like my sweet tooth fell out over night. I had a part of a chocolate muffin just because I felt I had to. It was good, but not the same. I didn't crave more. It was weird. Later that night I had ice cream, again, just because I felt I should, and after a bowl of it, I didn't crave more. So weird. It's like the first bite was really good then it all tapered off from being very good at all; Whereas before, every bite was as fantastic as the first and I'd just chase more and more of it. I didn't anticipate this result on day 8 at all, in fact I'm still kind of in shock over the matter.

From what I gather 1 of 2 things happened, or may be a mixture of both. Either -

A) My defient personality that is my weakness came out swinging AKA - If you tell me 'No' I desire it that much more and if it's not 'against the rules' the appeal lessens dramatically for me. This could definitely explain why on day 8, when I could have sugar, it just no longer appealed the way it did. (This is my husband's vote ps.)

or

B) My sweet tooth did indeed fall out AKA - I starved my desire for sugar so much so that it died.

I don't know what the answer is but either way, my will power has increased a ton from this challenge and I feel like I could karate chop a 2 by 4 if I really wanted to. 

My sweet tooth has actually started to regrow because of these cookies pictured above. These are AMAZINGLY delicious and AMAZINGLY easy and quick to make. 
HERE'S THE RECIPE!!

Heaven's slice is will power... and delicious cookies!

About The Blog Sponsors...

These 3 are the one's who sponsor my blog, and I truly couldn't ask for better sponsors.

* The handsome man in the cowboy hat is my husband. He reads all posts before they get published, catching any weird sentence structure or if anything written is too private or embarrassing for me to be relaying. He is the eyes and ears of the blog.

* The pretty little thing in the dress is my daughter. She is the inspiration for a lot of the blog content.

* The ever-so sweet babe is my son. My heart-softening all night snuggler who keeps me grounded enough to write through a humbler perspective.

They are all simply the best and I love them dearly.

Heaven's slice is so grateful for it's wonderful sponsors.

The 20/20 Project

“My brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness—be they family members, friends, acquaintances, or strangers. We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children."   

- Pres. Thomas S. Monson

20 People.

              20 days.

Lives touched.
           
                 Serving changed.


As I pondered my previous post about serving THE ONE, a sudden idea came into my mind on how I could better achieve a more effective and less stressful way to love one another. This idea is what I call 'The 20/20 Project.'

What you do:

1. Make a list of 20 names of people in your life.
      On this list you MUST include the following:
        - Spouse (if applicable)
        - Children (if applicable)
        - Parents (if applicable)
        - At least 1 person you have negative feelings towards.
        - Yourself

2. Write verticaly # 1-20 with one name from your list beside each number.  Start with your own family and leave #20 for your own name. You can be strategic with birthday's if it applies.

3. Choose your month. This is your month from the 1st to the 20th where you will take the corresponding name into your heart and mind as your focus for that day. Place your list in such a way that you can only view the name for that day and dates past. e.g. --------------------------------------->

  Leave this on your night stand. Each morning, slowly pull out the next name for that day.


4. Serve that one in whatever way you feel impressed. From a text to a cookie drop-off, from forgiving to making amends. Heal that relationship and/or celebrate that relationship. Give patience, find empathy, spend your time, flash a smile, make a treat, buy a gift, write a letter etc. But above all else that day PRAY FOR THEM on your knees and in your heart.  Pray specifically for blessings to be poured upon them, pray in expression of gratitude for them, or even a prayer for yourself to have your heart softened toward them. Even if praying is the only thing you do for them that day, it will have a great impact for their good and your own.


5. Pullout the new name the following morning and repeat until your list is finished.


Tips and Commentary:

On your children's day: It was wonderful to start this off with my children. I feel as though my eyes were opened from an unknowing haze. I didn't do anything extravagant for their day, in fact, it was pretty normal happenings, but I mentally gave up my to do list of busyness. I played with them more presently, I stared into their eyes with full attention and gave them an array of patience that perhaps wasn't there before. My day felt a lot less distracted and lot more purposeful. Bouncing back between kids giving pieces here and there was unknowingly draining me and through this experiment I was able to deepen the pieces of me I was giving to them by allowing my time to run around theirs instead of the other way around. What I thought may be would mean 1 child would be ignored as the other got spoiled, oddly enough found a venue to give proper affection to both. I would recommend though doing as I did and having the toddler's day ahead of the baby's day, as I think that could have been a reason she coped with his day of attention so well.

On the day(s) you have a person you feel negatively towards: I STRONGLY recommend starting with a prayer for yourself to find desire and strength to let go. I also STRONGLY recommend you read and/or watch this talk: THE MERCIFUL OBTAIN MERCY (<--CLICK ON IT) This talk by Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf  stimulates motivation to let go of grievances, but does it in such a comforting way that your desire to change doesn't feel forced, but lovingly guided. It's a huge help for those hard days - because they are hard. To think you can forgive years of pain inflicted upon you by someone in a single day, is a seemingly impossibly task. I found though, that putting forth the effort by making it your main focus for a whole 24hrs draws out miracles inside yourself. Windows of remembrance start to close in your mind, and doors of empathy in your heart start to open.

On your day: Give yourself a break, a break from the to do's and to dont's and anything else that is guilting and overwhelming you. Do what you enjoy this day, even if it's just lazying around. Be ever-so kind to yourself and call in help to give you the time to do so if necessary. This is your guilt-free day of self indulgence. You spent 19 days focused on others, it's time to now be kind to yourself, stress and guilt free. ENJOY THIS DAY.

On day 21: (Bonus day) Reflect on your last 20 days; write down and/or ponder what insights you've received and lessons you have learned. I personally know this project was indeed inspired. I was able to forgive and let go of some negative grudges clouding the far back corners of my mind. I saw, at no random coincidence, person's reaching out to me for help on the exact day I placed them as my focus. I became closer to Heavenly Father as I dedicated the majority of my thoughts in prayer for others. This project stretched me to love more earnestly and judge less critically.


This project changed me for the better, and if you have a desire to take the challenge, I know it can do the same for you.  




Heaven's slice is caring for the one.