Mama with a Mouth

07/23/2024

READ THIS.
READ IT AGAIN.
I needed this reminder.
🤍🤍
Also, Jen Hatmaker is a national treasure. And she is a dear friend, if only in my head. Haha! Her words of wisdom and advice have changed my life and impacted me so much. So she gets a spot on the ‘dear friend’ list even if she’s never met me 🤍🤍🤍

I have a million and a half followers on socials, but some of you have been here for a looooooong time. My OG's remember the olden days when my feeds were an absolute daily s**t show.

I never met an online fight I didn't accept the invitation to. Call me names? Let's go, bro. Question my faith? Hold my earrings. Tell me to "stick to Jesus and the kitchen"? Fisticuffs. I engaged comments that were absolutely not in good faith and proceeded to hand them a full day of my life.

I can never quantify the amount of energy, time, and peace I gave to strangers on the internet trying to defend myself, my convictions, and my character.

Darlings, those of you still here, the internet is the devil's playground. It is where people are their basest, worst selves. It sabotages nuance, thoughtfulness, and connection. It is for knee jerk reactions and dramatic declarations of ill will. People are meaner online than they are in actual life. It is both real and not real on here.

"Scott from Montana" shouldn't be able to steal an hour of your life fighting in the comments. You don't even know him. He doesn't even know you. He certainly doesn't know me. Giving these futile arguments constant oxygen is a colossal waste of time. It isn't dialogue; it is useless grandstanding.

This is not about creating some fake peace. It is about protecting your own. You can borrow my own internal response when someone writes jackassery on the internet: BLESS AND RELEASE. Good luck and faretheewell. I wish you well on your journey. But I will be giving you exactly zero of my precious time and energy.

Just scroll on past, beloveds. Internet fighters are looking for a fight, so don't give them one. Turns out, we do not have to accept every invitation, and you don't owe an internet stranger a can of beans. Don't let Facebook warriors drag you down to the lowest common denominator.

Be online who you are in real life too. Say things online you wouldn't be embarrassed to show your children. We need the most amount of adults in the room right now, so don't let the internet drag you backward to a juvenile playground brawl.

Say it with me: BLESS AND RELEASE.

07/08/2024

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

06/20/2024

Our daughter is 💯 ours. Genetics are dumb and meaningless.
Also, VERY sure there is a similar picture somewhere of me doing this to MY dad.
I’m so proud.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

06/19/2024

Love this and second all of Tyler’s sentiments. Your voice matters, your moments you think are “no big deal” mean the world to someone.

Remember you matter. And no one else can be you. And we need you. 🫶

Every now and then a simple image just hits different. Today it was this one and I wanted to share it with you.

All the times in my life that a simple thing that someone did or said, that may have seemed like nothing for them but it absolutely meant the world to me.

It repositioned that singular moment in my life and in turn helped reposition my whole day.

Thank you to all of you that continue to choose kindness and love over hate and fear. Those of you who choose proximity over distance.

I hope that wherever you are today you can get just a glimpse of how very special and needed that YOU are in the world.

You really do matter.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again a thousand times…

The world needs you.

I need you.

06/18/2024

I saw this on a shirt someone was wearing.

I love you. For whoever you need to be now, today, in this moment.

Believe that. You’re important. 🫶🫶

06/14/2024

🫶🫶🫶

CANCER FIGHT CLUB!!
The first rule of Cancer Fight Club: YOU DON’T EVER STOP FIGHTING!

My amazing dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer last fall. He had surgery in October. In Feb, they checked and his PSA levels weren’t as low as they should have been. His doctors didn’t seem overly concerned but he was. They said they’d recheck in June.

My dad is a warrior. He’ll always fight for my mom and for me. But his biggest inspiration to fight like hell now is in that third picture (and, here in spirit, the girl child. She’s at camp!). He WILL be here to see his Doodle & the Girl grow up. That’s non-negotiable.

Well those tests were today and his levels were below the markers!!

And last week, my beautiful bestie in the whole universe was declared 2 years cancer free!

F🎗CK CANCER!!!

Thank you, The Tyler Merritt Project, for the phenomenal shirt and for fighting the good fight.

Cancer is scary. It is a permeating darkness that has snuffed out far too many bright lights way before their time. Everyone has been affected by it in some way. But BELIEVE in the overwhelming stories of the survivors. Dig into hope and grace.

Keep going. Keep fighting. Never give up. And never take a moment for granted.

Love on, beloveds. Love on! 🤍🤍🤍

05/31/2024

I feel this in my soul.

The last few weeks honestly. LOL!

05/25/2024

Cannot believe it’s been 2 years since this horrific day. 😭😭😭

19. We’ve gone up to 19 CHILDREN. And 2 adults.
Kids 10 and under. I updated The Tyler Merritt Project photo. I didn’t even want to. It made me want to vomit. 😭😭😭

I can’t right now. I’m reposting my thoughts from earlier. Cuz damn.

All. Of. This.

Normally I do not post about “controversial” topics.

Tonight, 28 (now 38) parents are in a level of pain only thought of in our worst nightmares. The parents of 14 (now 19) elementary school students will cry next to empty beds where their babies should be sleeping. Where they should be reading them stories and tucking them in and kissing them goodnight.

Now they are making funeral arrangements, picking coffins or urns, and trying to figure out how to possibly put one foot in front of the other when all they want to do is curl up in a ball and die themselves.

I am sitting here looking at a drawing my little miracle baby made me today. And freezing in fear of sending him to kindergarten next year. And worried about what the reality of active shooter drills will do to him mentally and emotionally.

And I’m just sobbing for the parents in Texas tonight who will never hold their babies again.

I don’t know how to stop this but I, like The Tyler Merritt Project, am willing to do whatever it takes to protect our kids.

And let us make sure we remember that teachers lost their lives today trying to protect the children in their care.

OUR TEACHERS DID NOT SIGN UP TO BE BULLET SPONGES. Schools should not be a war zone. Our teachers should not have to fear for their lives going to work. Yet, here we are.

If you are a teacher who is still showing up and teaching our children, despite all the obstacles thrown at you- THANK YOU.

And if you comment and make this about politics, if you comment with ANYTHING but condolences, solidarity, and sympathy for these families…so help me god, I will block your sorry ass so fast your head will spin. You may post ideas on how to make this better. But you may NEVER use these lives to push your own agenda. There is only ONE agenda.
STOP MAKING US BURY OUR CHILDREN! Period. No more.

I don’t have any answers but I am holding space for those grieving parents, their friends, every single beautiful soul at that school and their families who were paralyzed with fear today and witnessed the unthinkable.

May peace that passes all understanding be with you now and always

05/24/2024

Never have I ever had to tell a bear to back the F&$@ OFF when they’ve invaded my personal space at a gas station WHILE MY KID WAS IN THE CAR. And then had it get all butthurt and rude when I had the audacity to say no. And two other “men” at other pumps LAUGHING at the situation. Laughing.

TEAM BEAR 🖕🖕🖕

Stop being shocked by this and do better.

05/21/2024

Sporks are an entirely under appreciated & under-offered utensil.
That is all.

05/21/2024

You know those times when you know SOMETHING needs to change/a shift is coming? I've been feeling that way since December. I know so much of the change I was feeling was leading me here. There's still some shifting happening though. The unknown is a difficult place. Stress is a difficult place. But I'm going into summer with a new fire for the health of my family and TIME with them. Boundaries will be set and will be HELD. It's too important not to. We are doing it scared! Eep!

So, here we go, friends!

05/20/2024

Okay friends-
It’s Monday!
Show me your current stress level by posting just a GIF in the comments! Annnnnd GO!

05/16/2024

Okay Masked Singer fans who also have seen HSM-
We KNOW KNOW who Goldfish is yeah? Like, from the first note? Tell me I’m not alone! Also…I know who Gumball is 😉

05/12/2024

Sending love to all of you this Mother’s Day 🫶🫶🫶

05/09/2024

Got to see Foo Fighters on Tuesday and it’s was AMAZING!!

Who else has seen them before?

05/09/2024

🤣🤣🤣
But seriously-
Teachers- you’re amazing and we love you!

05/07/2024

Question time! I want your feedback!

When you last visited your doctor, did they discuss vitamin/mineral importance and talk about food at all?

05/02/2024

Love this. So true

05/02/2024

💯 me. Hand gesture and exasperated face included. 😂😂😂😂

05/01/2024

Is anyone else watching Ghost Boy Detectives??

05/01/2024

Okay but I had to… 🤣🤣🤣

04/30/2024

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
But for real though…

04/30/2024

Ahhhhhhhh!!!

I swore I wasn’t gonna do health and wellness again. I said never ever. And here comes the Universe with its “you’re gonna learn to stop saying never, missy!” lesson again 😂😂

This is the face of someone who has gotten a FULL 8hrs of sleep for FOUR nights in a row. AND got up with enough energy to actually do some yoga and a walk!

Mike is now finally back BELOW a big scary number he hates (and has been above for a solid 8 months).

I am ELATED. Running after this thing & spreading the word like my hair is on fire, friends.

Also, my glow is even better when I’m rested. This is ZERO MAKEUP AT ALL. No bb cream, no mascara, no bronzer, NADA. Nakey face!! And I am HERE FOR IT!!!

04/29/2024

Okay friends-
What’s more important TO YOU-
Mental health or physical health?

04/20/2024

Ummmm

I feel seen. Rude. TRUE but rude. 🤣🤣🤣
I miss my squish a lot 😍😍😍

04/20/2024

Beloved fellow EC mamas-

Can I ask something?
Why oh why oh WHY do teachers who clearly HATE EC KIDS and don’t care about their issues end up in the EC department?

I seriously don’t understand this phenomenon. It’s ridiculous.

Anyone else experiencing this?

04/19/2024

There isn’t any magical fix that will cure you not believing you’re enough. You not KNOWING that you’re more than worthy of all the good things in this world. I can recommend everything I love until I’m blue in the face (I mean, peep that glowing skin with NO filter and that fabulous hair. Cmon…that’s amazing)
But until YOU know that YOU are beautiful, worthy, brave, and ENOUGH, there isn’t enough skincare, nail dashes, and happy juice in the world to fix that.

I’m able to work on myself and recognize these amazing improvements and be so grateful BECAUSE I:
Loved myself when I was 293lbs
Loved myself when I was told I couldn’t have babies
Loved myself when I had eye/upper cheek rash craziness
Loved myself when my face got BRIGHT red and angry
Loved myself when I was shown I wasn’t enough for someone else. AND loving myself enough in THAT moment allowed me to love someone else enough to work through something HARD.

I love myself through the hard. Through the breakouts, the financial stresses, the weight fluctuations, the tough parenting moments, the tough marriage moments.

I can love YOU well because I love me MOST. If there was ever one thing I could make everyone believe it’s that your BEAUTY comes from your soul and shines out of every pore. Beauty never ever comes from magazines, shots, fad diets, makeup, or skincare. It’s who you are.

And if you’re ugly on the inside, well, there’s not enough BooSeBoo in the world to fix that, pumpkin. You can’t outrun ugly. 🩵

Tell yourself 3 things that you truly appreciate about yourself. Pour the light in so you can shine it out. You are MORE than worth it. ❤️❤️❤️

04/19/2024

Truest thing ever! 🤣🤣🤣

04/18/2024

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