ISSUE [6]: JAN/FEB 2014
Beaut iful Beginnings
Exposing
Beaut iful
FROM THE
INSIDE,
OUT
“It takes a lot of courage to grow up and be who
you really are.
-E.E. Cummings-
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skin deep exposures ex路po路sure [ik-spoh-zher] an act or instance of revealing or unmasking. This magazine is dedicated to inspiring and uplifting women, giving them a voice and encouraging them to discover their unique beauty from the inside, out. Who we are is found deeper than our skin.
michael mautz
AD DESIGN MANAGER/ ART DIRECTOR
joe carns SENIOR EDITOR
wendy carns ASSISTING EDITOR
michael mautz . naomi mautz CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
naomi mautz
FOUNDER/ PHOTOGRAPHER/ CREATIVE DIRECTOR Naomi lives with her family in Colorado where she homeschools her three children and works as a freelance photographer. “I am a people- watcher by nature. I studied psychology and counseling in college. Having always been deeply sensitivity to others, I wanted to be in a position to make a difference. It wasn’t until after college that I realized my passion for photography. I think my background in psychology makes me a better photographer. I tend to be able to pick up on subtle things about someone that others don’t normally see. I love shooting portraits because it gives me the opportunity to reveal those unique qualities in each individual through my camera. There is so much beauty in our unique individuality. That beauty has sadly become muddled and misunderstood as we are constantly encouraged, especially as women, to cram ourselves into some impossible cookiecutter standard of what it means to be beautiful. We are in a constant persuit to improve ourselves; our looks, our figure, our spirituality, our productivity... in order to prove to ourselves and to others our value and lovleiness. In the midst of these persuits, we often fail to see the beauty that we already posses at the core of who we are naturally! Everyone has a beauty within themselves to discover, a beauty that they inately posses. The realization and pursuit of this beauty is what inspired Skin Deep Exposures.”
beautiful beginnings Embracing the Possibility of A Fresh Start It’s A New Year... Again. 3 Fun and Easy Resolutions This Whole Motherhood Thing...I Think I’m Doing It Wrong!
my photo
10 14 42
diary
A Blessing and a Future Sugar and Spice with a Good Chance of Snails Beleive
isn’t she
34 52
lovely
Investing in the Next Generation of Women 21 Things Every Girls Should Be Told Princess Dresses
48 50
16
feature articles 16 28
exposed: codie book fetish
42 52
28 34
Beaut iful Beginnings
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It’s A New Year...Again. It is that time of the year- again! You know, the time of year that we all have a love-hate relationship with. New Years is a time of fresh starts and new beginnings. It’s the time to wipe the slate clean and start over. Exciting, right? Yes! And no. The older we get, the more New Years can feel like a reminder of all of the promises we failed to keep, all of the goals we didn’t reach and all of the pressure of finally breaking the vicious cycle this year! When it comes time to set pen to paper and create the inevitable New Years Resolution list for this year, most of us don’t have to work very hard, we need only smooth out the wrinkles from last years list and vow to try harder this year. Why do we do this to ourselves? Sure it is ment to be a good thing, a grand starting line of sorts (you know like Monday’s are for every new diet... “I’ll start on Monday”). For some people, the act of making new resolutions every January first is a great thing and they actually manage to accomplish the goals they create for themselves. So why does it work for some of us and not the rest of us? For some of us it really does seem to be more weighted in favor of being an unhealthy practice.
I was reading an article a few days ago by Uri Gneezy and John List on the blog, The Daily Beast. The article touched on the psychology behind human behavior as it applies to self control, the power of habits and establishing behavioral rules. A series of research studies was done by Roy Baumeister and colleagues showing that exerting self control causes people to suffer from depletion. So every time we are in a situation where we have to excersice a measure of self control, our brain literally becomes tired! Just think of the internal dialougue that goes on in your head every 10
time you are out with a friend and they ask if you want to share a dessert with them after dinner. Not just any dessert, your very favorite chocolate crunch layer cake! A war ensues in your brain as you make your most valliant effort to graciously refuse the heavenly dessert. As your brain struggles to exert self control, you are coming up with reasons why you deserve the little slice of chocolate perfection. Finally, you turn to your friend, shake your head “no” and paste a brave smile on your face as you search for the nearest exit before you change your mind.
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Beaut iful Beginnings
Beaut iful Beginnings
WHEW! You did it and now you need a nap! Apparently, that feeling of exhaustion that slams into you after winning such a battle, is your brain leaning against the nearest proverbial wall trying to take some deep breaths. So imagine now that your dinner date with your friend, the temptress, has just ended and you now have a long drive back home. Coffee is calling your name and there happens to be a drive-thru coffee shop on your route! You pull up to the window to order your plain coffee with non fat milk and no sugar. The drive thru attendant welcomes you with, “would you like to try one of our brand new double chocolate heaven brownies?” Did she just say “DOUBLE CHOCOLATE HEAVEN BROWNIES”? You take a fortifying breath as you prepare for another round of mental war games. Your self control muscle, however, is still nursing the stitch in its side from all of its hard work at dinner. So with a shrug, you tell yourself that nibbling
on a tiny brownie to keep yourself awake on your long trip home is way better than if you would have wolffed down that piece of cake at dinner. So you see, self- control is a tough energy reserve to keep replenished. With temptations around every corner, it is no wonder most of us are doomed from the get-go. Who has that much energy? This is where the power of establishing habits comes to the rescue! Instead of vowing to never let another ounce of chocolate touch your lips, instead promise to exercise for twenty minutes each day. If you are laughing right now at the ludicracy of that little change off...hear me out. According to this article Gneezy and List say that while making the decision to get some exercise every day can be just as tough as resisting that double chocolate heaven brownie, you only have to make the decision to excercise once. After you have successfully rocked that treadmill at the gym, your tired brain can rest and
recharge for tomorrow’s big battle. That sounds almost doable doesn’t it? Instead of taking on the daunting task of throwing yourself into the middle of a war zone one hundred times a day, you can, instead, commit to engaging in a single battle one time each day. This battle is one that you will not only be prepared for and expecting, but also one that you have had an entire day to rest up for. From that perspective, this plan seems doable indeed! And the better news is, as we have all heard from the crazy personal trainer we hired that one time as part of a previous resolution, after repeating something for 28 days your body forms a habit! So all you really have to do is commit to twenty eight straight days and then you will WANT to go to the gym every day! Not bad at all. So the final peice of the puzzle, according to Gneezy and List is the effectiveness of establishing clear behavioral rules. In other words, don’t leave ANY room for excuses, no matter how valid. Set clear rules for yourself that are not to be broken, ever. Then remove every temptation to break said rules that you possibly can. Disable that snooze button and vow to get out of bed one hour earlier than normal in order to squeeze in that 20 minute workout. Do not even allow the mental dialogue to begin when that alarm starts buzzing. Push all thought aside, throw your covers off, put those gym clothes on and grab your keys! And remember, in 28 short days, the buzz of that alarm will be exciting! :)
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FUN and easy resolutions to try this year!
1. Start a Photo Journal
Buy yourself a pretty journal with heavy stock paper, a few colorful pens and markers, a decent photo printer, ink and photo paper (or set aside a small monthly budget to have your photos printed at the local print shop). Make a habit of grabbing your camera (Ideally one that will fit in a pocket or a purse) or you can utilize your camera phone. During your day, remind yourself to pull out your camera and snap a few shots of the interesting things you see, the fun places you go and the little things that make you smile or wonder. One day each week resolve to print out your favorite photos from the week, glue them in your journal and then write a short description of the photo and why you took it. This can be as in depth of a project as you want it to be. Use markers, colored pens, fabric, scrapbook paper and stickers to add layers to your journal, if you want to get artsy! If you only have 10 minutes to spare, just glue those photos in and write a couple of quick sentences. Even if your journal is not leyden with artistic flare, it will still be a neat reminder of the little day to day things at the end of the year!
Keep your Photo Journal on your iPhone or iPad There are several great Photo Journaling Apps to choose from. Here are a few of our favorites; Memories by Juicy Cocktail ($13.99)
Capture 365 Journal by Stckii Pty Ltd. ($7.99)
The Journalist by Funny Realm LLC (FREE)
This App allows you to record images and videos and embed them naturally into the text. Control your fonts and colors. Create tags for the locations in your diary and show what the weather was like. Sync your journal over iCloud and export in a variety of formats to share your entries. Protect your journal with a pssword and even set up motivational reminders to add a new entry.
This App is super simple to use. It easily integrates multiple images into your journal entries, itoffers support for multiple tags, offers iCloud support to easily sync your journal on all of your devices and enables password protection.
This App is a simple note taking app that allows you to integrate your images and add categories. You can add the In-App purchase, The Journalist Pro for only $2.99, for more options and control.
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2. Develop a Positive Relationship With Yourself
*Make a list of 3-5 things you love about yourself. 3-5 things that make you unique and 3-5 people who couldn’t live without you! Make copies of your lists and put them in places your frequent throughout the day. *Write yourself a love note on your bathroom mirror. *Make room in your budget for a monthly spa day or a weekly date dight with your beau (and make sure you dress to impress- for yourself.) *Join a step aerobics class or a weekly yoga session. *Keep your dialogue with yourself and about yourself positive! Whether it is in your head or out loud while chatting with your best friend. Don’t insult yourself! YOU ARE LOVELY.
3. Create an Inspiration Wall
Find a blank wall in a place you like to go to recharge and unwind. (You can also purchase a large corkboard to mount and hang.) As you see things that inspire you, attatch them to your wall. Write down quotes, cut out magazine articles, print out photographs, pin up your Bucket List, hang notes and cards from friends and family! Now everytime you look at your wall you will be reminded of all of the things that inspire and encourage you!
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CODIE SEIME PERPETUAL OPTIMIST, DIE-HARD TOMBOY, LOVER OF RAIN “There’s always a way to make those hard times bearable, whether it’s turning it into a game and making it fun, or finding the one good thing in what seems like an endless stream of bad things. There is ALWAYS something good to be found, you just have to be willing to look for it!”
Photography by NAOMI MAUTZ
“ Forgiveness is important, not because the person who hurt you deserves it, but because you deserve inner peace. ” It is just before sunset on a chilly January evening, and though everyone is freezing, Codie is smiling. Being a Bronco fan, she playfully teases Mike, the set director, about the Raiders jacket he is wearing. Even as I ask her to maneuver her brand new snowboard back and forth for photographs, she does it gracefully with no complaints. Being someone who refuses to dwell on negativity keeps Codie grounded and up beat in situations where many others find it easy to grumble. This ability to stay positive is something to be admired in this twenty- one year old. It seems to come effortlessly to her and just being in her presence is rather a humbling experience.
SDE: Besides having mastered the art of optimism, tell me a little bit about yourself. CS: I love being a tomboy. I almost define myself in that I am not at all a girly girl. I’m all about comfort and necessity. I love snowboarding and sports and the outdoors. I’m in love with rain. It’s so beautiful and refreshing. I can’t help but turn into a little kid when it rains. I love jumping in puddles. I’m so thankful that I live in Colorado. Being able to drive to the mountains whenever I want to makes me happy. I love kids. Several people have told me that I will be a good mother. I hope they are right. For now though, I’m not quite ready. I try to be the kind of person who cares for other people. Accepting everyone for who they are and doing my best not to judge them, is something that is very important to me. 18
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I love helping people and doing my best to make their days just a little brighter. Knowing that I made someone smile actually helps to inspire a positive mood in myself, I know it sounds cheesy, but it really is a mood booster! SDE: tell me about your family. CS: I have the best family that anyone could ever ask for. They are all so supportive and wonderful. I have always been a daddy’s
I definitely get my work ethic from my dad. He always found a way to take care of us, no matter how hard times were. I want to be able to do that for myself and my family. I remember one morning, growing up, I woke up terribly sick before school. I laid in bed moaning and whining. He came in to say good- bye before going to work and he sat on my bed and rubbed my back for a few minutes and just talked to me. It was a
“Those things were important, they told me I was special and loved.” girl. My dad is my hero. I love who he is, and for who he has taught me to be. My dad and I are very alike, so we’ve always gotten along great. We just get each other. He is the person I want to grow up to be. He’s always there for me, no matter what the situation, to help me get through it.
simple thing, but it had such a huge impact on me. It is those types of things that I have always been able to count on my dad for. Those things are important, they tell me I am special and loved.
My mom is my best friend. She has the biggest heart in the world. She is always so positive and she has taught me a lot about making the most of every situation. One day when I was younger, it was pouring rain and we absolutely had to go wherever it was we were going. My brother and I were so mad and resentful that we had to ride the bus. So my mom, making lemonaide out of lemons said, “grab an umbrella and we’ll make it an adventure.” The day did turn out to be an adventure. Ever since then, that’s been our motto; If you have your umbrella, anything can be an adventure. For my 18th birthday my mom and I went and got umbrella tattoos. We figure this way, we always have our umbrellas so life is always an adventure. My brother and I have always been really close. We never fought a whole lot growing up. In fact, we were pretty inseperable. I have always been really proud of him. He is one of the sweetest guys you could ever meet. My brother has always been there for me with no exceptions. We’ve faced every single hardship of our lives together, whether it was a tragedy or just a bad dream. I don’t see that ever changing between us. SDE: What would you say is the most significant event that has happened in your life to date? How has it shaped you? CS: I have to say the most significant event was the death of my Aunt Donna. I was very close to her when I was young. I wanted her to be involved in everything I did. She took me to church every Sunday. After church, we would drive up to Cheyenne Mountain and play in the streams, collect fool’s gold, hike, and just hang out. It was something I looked forward to every week. And then one day she was just gone. She was on her way home late one night. About three blocks away from home, she was hit by a drunk driver and died instantly. I was so upset and angry and I handled it terribly. I was in 3rd grade, and it changed me completely. I started doing terrible in school, which was a really big deal because I loved school. I was mad and acted out all the time. My mom didn’t think it was a good idea for me to go to the court hearing because I was so young, so I wrote a letter to the judge. I told him how much I hated the man who took one of the most important people in my life. I asked the judge to put him to death, or at least put him in jail for life. After a few years, I began to understand that it was unhealthy for me to hold on to these feelings for someone I knew nothing about. I slowly began to forgive him, and even felt bad for him. I realized it was an accident and he was going to spend a very long and important 25 years of his life in prison over one stupid decision. I still struggle with the loss, but I have forgiven him. SKIN DEEP EXPOSURES
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“God is an amazing show off. I love being surrounded by the beauty of His work.”
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“I hope to be remembered as someone who was happy more often than not.�
This event taught me that forgiveness is important, not because the person who hurt you deserves it, but because you deserve inner peace. Holding onto things that you haven’t forgiven another for makes for a miserable inner self. Forgivness takes a weight off of your shoulders that you don’t need to carry around. If I hadn’t learned early in my life how important forgiveness is, I would be a completely different person. I think that learning to forgive creates the power to love and be loved by others. SDE: is there any one peice of advice that you feel is universally beneficial no matter who you are? CS: I can think of two actually. First, learn to love yourself. Something I’ve always been thankful for is that my parents never had unreal standards for us. We are who we are, and they always accept us completely. They have always supported us and our dreams for who we wanted to be one hundred and ten percent. They did a great job of not making us feel that we had to measure up to any standard except the very best that we could be. Being able to accept yourself and even love yourself for who you are, even the not so awesome stuff, creates a very powerful inner strength. I guess that relates to the second thing; I hate to see people become depend on “things” to get them through bad situations. Whether it is drugs or alchohol or anything else. These temporary “fixes” to problems are never worth it, and to be honest, they just make everything worse.
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SDE: I know you are a serious snowboarder. What about snowboarding makes it such a huge part of your life? CS: Besides the fact that it’s so much fun, and it’s great exercise, the mountains have always been so beautiful and breath-taking to me. To be able to be up on the slopes is unreal. God is an amazing show off, and I love being surrounded by the beauty of His work. The challenge of snowboarding is another reason why I love it so much. There is a huge thrill that comes from accomplishing new things. To be able to push myself and know what it feels like to get a little better is extremely satisfying. The best part is, you can improve at your own pace. You only have to push as much as you want to, because it’s all about what you want to do. There are no standards, no one to measure up to. It is very liberating and empowering. Snowboarding is my way of escaping for a while. When I’m flying down the slope with my music in my ears, I feel untouchable. Everything that is wrong in my life goes
away for just a little while. I’m dis tracted by the cool, fresh air on my face and the beauty of nature. I’m forced to focus more on my next jump instead of on what is bothering me. Snowboarding just completely takes over my body when I’m in the moment. It plays an important role in my life for that reason. I am so thankful that I found something good for me that I love doing so much. SDE: What example do you hope to set for the generations that come after you? CS: I hope to be remembered as someone who was happy more often than not. Like my mom has passed on to me, I want to pass on to others that there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for. I want people to see me the way I see my father, mother, brother, and grandmother. I want to emanate love to everyone around me. I would love to be able to have a hand in making each life that I come into contact with just a little bit brighter than when I found it.
THE BOOK I WOULD WRITE ...IF I WERE TO WRITE A BOOK
by Naomi Mautz When our children were born, my husband and I joined the ranks of parents all over the world and began to partake in the time honored tradition of bedtime stories. I myself am I book junky. There is never a time when I am “between books”. In the midst of reading one book, there are literally handfulls of others waiting in the wings. As soon as I am nearing the end of a book I have a new one on hand (literally on hand- like in my purse or on my bedside table) ready to sub-in. Naturally, this love for reading is something I want to pass on to my children. It is something I love sharing with them as we snuggle up on my husband and I’s king size bed at night to discover new adventures together. There is a plethora of bed time story choices available. I have logged many hours in the children’s section of the local bookstore, keeping an eye out for new stories to bring home and share. At some point when the kids were little I developed an urge to write my own children’s book. I became frusterated with the options that were out there. There are many that are very sweet and cute and fun but they all seemed to be missing something. I wanted my kids to go to bed at night with a confidence in their worth, their treasured individuality and a sense of being completely, utterly and unconditionally loved. A huge part of my own love for books is my love for poetry. There is something about the written word that is so beautiful. The way a writer can take the simplest idea and write it in such a way as to envoke powerful emotions of beauty that can haunt your soul is magical to me. I tell my kids how precious they are and how much they are loved all the time, but I wanted to be able to communicate that to them through the poetry of the written word. I know I am a huge nerd but I do believe there is something transcendant in posessing a tangible poetry of words not just spoken but written down in order to live into the future. Okay, so back to my point... Now that the kids are a little older, we have been able to graduate from Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are to more substantial chapter books. We love to read the classics like Black Beauty, Treasure Island and The Narnia series. We read through a couple of chapters each night and the kids have fun predicting what will happen next. On nights when we all just want to get to bed we have a collection of favorite 5 - 10 minute bed-time stories that are
well known and loved that we pick from. It is on these nights that the lingering desire to be able to write my own book resurfaces. Now, like every other mom on the planet, my time has become a very precious commodity. At the end of the day after homeschooling, managing my photography business, keeping the house from becoming condemned and keeping everyone fed, clothed, clean and alive, sitting down to write a children’s book is a pipe dream at best! A couple of months ago, while prowling the shelves of the bookstore I came accross a book with the most beautiful cover. I took it from the shelf and began flipping through it. I found myself staring in wonder at the artwork that graced the pages. After gawking at the pictures for several minutes, I began to actually read through it. By the time I was finished I was in tears. It was literally THE most beautiful children’s book I have ever read (or seen). I scooped it up and proceeded to the checkout counter with a skip in my step. Not only had I just found an amazing new book to share with my children, I had found THE book, the one I always wanted to write for them! Only this one was much more beautifully done than anything I could have created. The book was a hit with my kids and it has become our absolute favorite bedtime story! The kids love looking at the amazing illustrations and I love watching their little faces as they absorb the awesome message of love in the words. The book is called, Wherever You are My Love Will Find You, written and illustrated by the ridiculously talented Nancy Tillman. Chances are, most of you with children already own the Nancy Tillman collection but if you do not, I must insist that you proceed to your nearest bookseller and purchse the entire collection! Nancy Tillman has illustrated several books by other authors and her artwork itself is enough reason to buy a book regardless of its literary content, but the collection of books that she has written are absoluetly beautiful! Her collection includes, Wherever You are My Love Will Find You, Tumford the Terrible, The Crown on Your Head and The Spirit of Christmas. They are all absoluetly precious books that feature the important message to our children that YOU ARE LOVED. Thank you Nancy Tillman for writing the exact book that I would write if I were to write a book for my children. *****
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“And if someday you’re lonely, or someday you’re sad, or you strike out at baseball, or think you’ve been bad . . . just lift up your face, feel the wind in your hair. That’s me, my sweet baby, my love is right there.” Excerpt From: Nancy Tillman. “Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You.”
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Find out more about Nancy Tillman and the book collection she has authored. Also find links to the many other books she has illustrated as well as her entire collection of artwork. www.nancytillman.com.
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my
Photo Diary Sugar and Spice with a Good Chance of Snails
Sugar
and Spice with a Good Chance of Snails
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Spice
Sugar and
with a Good Chance of Snails
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Snails
Sugar and Spice with a Good Chance of
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THIS WHOLE MOTHERHOOD THING ... I THINK I’M DOING IT WRONG! It is no joke when they tell you that children don’t come with an instruction manual!
At 42 weeks pregnant, I was so swollen that none of my clothes fit me anymore. I could not even shove flip-flops onto my feet. I felt horrible. My husband insisted we go see the doctor, again, even though we had just seen him the previous day. He had assured us that sometimes babies just like to hang in there, especially when it is the first pregnancy. He had said everything looked fine and I would go into labor on my own when I was ready. So, somewhat reluctantly, I hoisted myself into the car and we headed back to the OBGYN. As we sat in the hospital room waiting for the doctor, I prepared myself to be sent home again. Just as I was wondering how I was possibly managing to get being pregnant wrong, the doctor walked in, looking down at his clipboard. “Still no baby, huh?” he chuckled. I was just summoning the energy to leap from the bed and lunge at his throat when he looked up at me. The amused smile promptly drained from his face as he sucked in a breath. “Oh my gosh.” That was all he said to me before spinning around and grabbing the phone off of the wall. “I’m going to need a delivery room right away,” he barked into the phone. And then I started hyperventilating. My labor was induced at 9am. When that failed to trigger contractions, the doctor broke my water. Apparently that was the magical “go” sign! The contractions were indescribably painful. 42
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There was no easing into them. There was no warning at all! About five minutes after my water was broken my entire midsection cramped up with such intensity I almost passed out. My contractions were lasting a minute and a half and they were exactly one minute apart. Thus, after each contraction, I had precisely sixty SECONDS to take a deep breath and brace myself for the next onslaught! Every time I had a second to breathe I was begging someone to tell me why my back was on fire- from the inside. Later, I was told that I was having what they call, “back labor”. Apparently some women feel the brunt of the contractions in their back. Yeah... I was pretty sure I was dying. It wasn’t long before an angel from heaven swooped in and began pumping sweet relief into my nervous system. Within seconds, my entire lower body went blissfully numb and I promptly fell into unconsciousness. I woke a little while later as my progress was being checked. I was 3 centimeters dilated. This seemed slightly unfair seeing how I had just endured three hours of what had to be the most intense contractions in the history of time! I deserved more than 3 centimeters. With a sigh, I wondered what I wasdoing wrong. Was I the only mom in the history of ever who managed to not do labor and delivery right? I prepared to dig in for a long day. It wasn’t so bad though. I was comfortable, my husband stayed close, my
mom and dad had just arrived and I had friends dropping in here and there to keep me company. We all watched with amusement while the meter I was hooked to spiked every minute or so as my abdomen continued to contract. The doctor continued to check my progress and I continued to not make any. Finally after thirteen hours, the baby began to become distressed. A flurry of activity was suddenly going on around me as everyone was sent from the room and a swarm of doctors and nurses descended. My husband was handed a set of surgical scrubs and I was told that I was being prepped for an emergency C-section. And then I started hyperventilating... again. My husband sat at the head of my bed, holding my hand and reminding me to breathe. He watched as the doctors swiftly got to work and within minutes, I felt an odd release of pressure from my stomach. Before I could wonder too much about the strange sensation, the room erupted into motion. My husbands eyes became saucers and a look of pure wonder came over his face as he stared at a point just beyond the curtain that had been erected between my
head and my lower half. Then, the most beautiful sound I had ever heard came from the corner of the room. A baby began to cry. Actually, scream is probably more accurate. My husband swung his head around and our eyes locked. We sat staring at each other as we marveled at the sound of our baby... OUR baby. It was magic. We both had tears streaming down our cheeks and we were smiling and laughing like a couple of fools. A nurse appeared and handed my husband the sweetest baby girl the world had ever seen. She had olive skin, grey eyes and a head full of jet-black hair. She was perfect. My whole life changed that day; more than I ever thought was possible. In that one small moment in that one small surgical room in that one small hospital, looking up at my amazing husband as he stared in wonder at the precious new life that God had just put into our hands, everything changed. We had no idea how to be parents, we had no clue what was next or where we would go from there. In that moment, though, we didn’t care because the whole world stood still as we glimpsed heaven in that tiny angel face. SKIN DEEP EXPOSURES
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I never knew I could love anything so much. From the moment she was born, that sweet little girl became the center of my universe. I am not always sure of the decisions that I make as a mother. I can’t count how many times I have called my mom or walked into the doctor’s office and desperately begged for the right answer because I was surely doing it wrong! It is no joke when they say, “babies don’t come with instruction manuals”. Being a parent means constantly wondering what comes next, desperately trying to prepare myself for every possibility and pretty much always being completely blind-sided. There is certainly no shortage of advice out there when it comes to being a mother. The bookstores are overflowing with guides on how to raise your child, the 10 best methods of discipline, how not to spoil your child, 5 tricks for getting them to eat their veggies... you name it, someone has written a 10 step guide about it. This is not to mention the unlimited amount of advice every woman who has ever mothered a child, and even some who have known someone who has mothered a child, will shower upon you, whether you want it or not! The fact is, seeking the advice of those you trust is a huge and often necessary tool and the parenting books offer some great and valuable insight. The biggest lesson I have learned as a mother and the only advice I try to ever give to other mothers is this; no matter how much experience you have, no two children are ever the same! I have been a mom for almost ten years and I have three amazing children. When another mom comes to me asking how in the world I manage to make my kids stay in their own beds at night, I just give her a sympathetic chuckle, a hug and a very unhelpful shrug. You see, the methods I use for any number of instances in raising my children have all been entirely different from one kid to the next. If one method works for one of them, I can pretty much guarantee it wont work for the other two. As moms, we are given a unique intuition into our children. We know them better than anyone else could ever hope to. We have special insights into their hearts and minds that give us 44
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“I can’t count how many times I have called my mom or walked into the doctor’s office and desperately begged for the right answer because I was surely doing it wrong! “ the ability to care for them like no one else ever could. I am certainly not saying that being a mom is easy or even that it comes naturally. It is HARD. It is arguably the hardest thing a woman could ever do. In my life, at least, my kids are the main source of my stress, insecurity and frustration. They are also my main source of happiness, purpose and fulfillment and I don’t even want to imagine a life without them! I do not claim to be an expert on motherhood, I would say, “Just ask my kids” but I think I would rather you didn’t! :) I do very much believe though, that God equips each of us with everything we need to raise our children to be safe and healthy. We just have to get to know them, love them with all of our hearts, honor and respect them and trust that when we get to the end, we will look back and know we got it right... for the most part!
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I love doors, especially the interesting ones. I always stand in front of one and imagine that if I were to open it, I would find a gateway into an alternate universe where my life could be something completely different.
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21 Things Every 1. You Are A
Girl Should Be Told
Daughter Of THE King.
2. You Are
Lovely.
3. Who You Are Is 4. I 5. You Are 6. I Am
Enough.
Believe In You.
Worth More Than You Could Ever Know.
Here For You No Matter What Happens. 7. You Are
Not Alone.
8. Your Dreams Are 9. Mistakes Are
Precious. Okay.
Unique, Also Makes You Beautiful.
10. What Makes You
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11. You Are 12.
Smart.
Work Hard.
13. Don’t Let Others Tell You What You Are Not 14. Be
Capable Of.
Honest, Always.
15. Ask
Questions.
Judge
16. Don’t Others, You Don’t Know What Storm They Are Being Asked To Endure. 17. Find Something That You Beleive In With All Of Your Heart, And Then 18.
Beleive Unappologetically.
Love Others For Who They Have The Potential To Be. 19.
Love Yourself.
20. God Has
Plans For Your Life.
21. You Are
Loved. SKIN DEEP EXPOSURES
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Princess Dresses “When you decide to have children they can’t come soon enough Then you sigh and you wonder, “When will this not be so tough?” You wait anxiously for the first smiles and laughs Then you blink and you realize of all of her firsts you’ve lost track. She’s growing so quickly and not fast enough Bedtime stories and goodnight kisses become diamonds in the rough. Her coo’s become first words and those words become speech And that top shelf, so sacred, is no longer out of reach. Murals of scribbles and splatters of paint Become stick figure families and watercolors with grades. Dress-up and tea parties, Barbies and blush Turn to prom dresses, first dates and her first college crush. Somewhere amidst cooties and the blankie she is never without Will come boys and cars and worrying how late she stayed out. The princess dress, tutu and pink plastic heels Become a white dress, a chapel and the true love she will seal. My sweet baby girl, don’t grow up too fast With every new discovery, I pray your time as my little girl will last. As I write this you are still little and your tiny hand fits inside of mine There’s so much for us to do, my love, so grow slow, there is plenty of time.” -NM
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Believe
“When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.� -Walt Disney-
“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.� -Audrey Hepburn-
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“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” -Theodore Roosevelt-
“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.� -Marie Curie-
Once upon a time
there was a girl.
That’s how all the good ones start, right? I just figure if I’m going to tell a story I might as well do it right. I guess you could call this my story, for lack of something more cleaver. It isn’t really a story for the ages. I mean nothing incredible or even tragic happens in this story. But it is my story and uneventful as it may seem to some, it’s about who I am, where I am and how I got here. This is more than anything though, a love story. It’s a love story about a boy and a girl who found each other and lost each other and then saved each other. Nothing horribly dramatic to the everyday bystander but trust me, this is a life-changing story. Well, life changing for me anyway. You see, all of my dreams came true in the eyes of a single boy. So anyway, once upon a time there was a girl...
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