Keepin' it Real...my new motto

If you have been with me for awhile, you've seen this blog go through many name changes.
After having Nannie, I needed to change it from Five Little Monkeys to something else. I was really struggling with things, and really needed to just write. No creative juices were flowing, so I just threw "my journey" up in the title bar. Since then, I've been wanting the perfect blog name.
I was leaning towards a name like,"showers of blessings" quoting scripture. Mainly because behind everything I do is a great love and faith in my Heavenly Father. I wanted this to come across the minute you came to my blog. My faith has made me who I am.
There have been times when I thought I'd just do a CHD blog and give it some clever CHD name. However, CHD is only a small part of our lives. Even though it may seem, because of blog posts, that CHD rules our lives, it truly doesn't. What you see here is me dealing with it the best I know how, in hopes that maybe someone else will be able to relate, and know they aren't alone.
Fast forward to last weekend. The Midwest Homeschool Convention. I'd say this convention was life changing for me. Which is odd to me, because really, it was a homsechool convention, right??
God gives us what we need to hear though, when we need to hear it. I went to the convention with plans of sitting through meetings on unit studies, planning for college, and educating the child who may not learn as easily as the rest of them! And I did!! All except the last one.
I also sat through one by Todd Wilson, called Lies homeschooling moms believe. It was all about the perfect homeschool family. You know, the one that does NOT exist! It's a facade! All of it. We all struggle! We all do the best we can. And we all fall short of our own expectations. All the while, we think miss Susie down the street doesn't struggle, that she has hot gourmet meals on the table every night (and afternoon and morning!!), and that her house is immaculate.
There is no such person!
I have spent way too much time envying miss Susie. I have longed to be the person who has it together. I have felt like a failure!
That's the thing. Those of us who refuse to let the facade down, are actually a discouragement to others!
I'm not just talking homeschooling here. I'm talking every aspect of life.
I have been told, more times than I can count, what a great mom I am and that so and so has no idea how I deal with all I deal with. Let's be real....I have never, not one day, felt like a great mom. I know my shortcomings. And while we're talking about this, let me assure you, I am not the strong person you think I am. I am weak. I deal with what I deal with because I have no choice. Given the choice though, I would never choose to deal with what I have. And I praise God for holding us up through the rough times. It's only through Him that we have survived!
As I was vacuuming my stairs today (something I only do when they get very, very nasty) it hit me...I don't want to be a discouragement to anyone. I want to be an encourager.
And so, I need to KEEP IT REAL! I hope to turn this blog in a different direction...one in which you can find encouragement at.
For some reason, people tend to think that those of us with larger than normal size families have it all together. I plan to debunk that.
I don't want you to waste any of your time envious of some facade.
I hope you'll enjoy this new turn, and that you'll stick around with me as we take this journey together!!
As a side note, I'd LOVE to do a revamp of my blog to reflect the new Keepin' it Real blog. If you know a great blog designer, who designs cheaply, please let me know!
Keep it Real everyone!