Happy Go Stuckey

Tethering Grace & Togetherness

Dear Other Mothers

by 8 Comments

Dear Other Mothers, aka Veteran Moms who put their kids in school last year and saw that they survived just fine:

You should know something.  Today was an isolated incident.

I promise I’m not crazy. I’m not emotionally unstable. I assure you that you won’t see me stone-faced and stoic, hiding behind my dark sunglasses (in the building!) every day that I drop my daughter off for Pre-School, whilst biting my lip and hoping no one speaks to me so I can escape to my car before I totally lose it.

Today was new. Today was scary. Today, I literally DID have movie-clip type flashbacks to different scenes in her short little life thus far. The night she was born. The way she felt wrapped in a receiving blanket when they laid her in my arms. The days she learned her numbers, (well, after she learned that they did not go, “One-uh, Two-uh, Nine-uh, TENNNNN!!!!” )

Today she faced a brand new adventure with all the bravery and excitement that she should have. As we walked down the hall to her room, I felt her grip tighten around mine and her steps slowed a little bit. Just before her class door, she looked up at me with wide, uncertain eyes. I recognize that look, because I woke up with it on my heart this morning. I fought the temptation to say, “QUICK! Out the side door! Let’s make a run for it!!!!” and instead I smiled into her little green eyes and said, “Are you ready?! This is going to be SO much fun!” Then she hugged me tight, put her little hands on my face and said with all resolve and courage, “Mommy. I’m GOING to miss you. But I’m GOING to have fun. I Lud you. See you later.” And then turned and ran headlong into her new little world.

And as I drove away, (slowly– so that the teary vision wouldn’t cause me to hit another emotionally-wrecked motorist.) I knew that this was just one little step in her big life. I knew she would be fine. I knew she would LOVE school and that school would LOVE HER. And, I knew I’d be back in a few hours. Most importantly, I KNEW that Her Creator was holding her in His capable hands, far better than I ever could. And that a little bit of letting go is 100% necessary to watching HIS PLAN for their lives unfold.

However, if you see me tomorrow, and you think to yourself, “Is that that same crazy mom who looks like she just lost her best friend?”
Just go easy on me. Because, that little, big, ponytailed girl I just dropped off?
She was just a baby, like 5 minutes ago. And I’m going to have to get used to the idea of her being as big as she clearly is. But I’ll get there. Just not tomorrow.

_MG_6055 _MG_6053

4 Things I Love Right Now, and 1 That I Do Not.

by Leave a Comment

Happy Monday!!!

We had a great weekend and I hope you did as well.

Monday always means getting our act together: laundry, grocery shopping, and meal planning, etc. But, as you’re going about your business today– here’s a little “Product Love” for you!

1. Flat Out Flatbreads

Image

These were recommended to me as great (QUICK!) pizza crusts, and after trying them–I’m a believer! Each crust has only 140 calories–which means you can load it up with healthy ingredients and it makes a delicious and satisfying meal. They can also be grilled, which I cannot wait to try. We made them last night with a little bit of roasted peppers and onions (EVOO, S&P and 425′ for about 15 min.) and then added a bit of shredded pork from the freezer. Very good!

 Image

Here’s what ours looked like:

Once baked, I drizzled with a bit of balsamic glaze, which brings me to #2!

2. Colavita Balsamic Glaze– this is not the same as Balsamic Vinegar, but is a reduction made from that Vinegar. It is a bit pricey, about 10.00 for this bottle, but I’ve been using it all summer and still have more than half left. It is extremely flavorful so you only need a little bit. It goes great with many things, Caprese Salad being one of the best! Also, think, roasted veggies, grilled steak (perfection!) or pork, and it will jazz up a pasta or risotto very nicely.

Image

ImageCaprese Salad (See? A little goes a long way!)

3. Smaska Children’s Plates from Ikea

Image

These are excellent, non-breakable, dishwasher safe plates for little ones. They also come in bowls. We have had both for years, and they are just as nice as the day we got them. They nestle together, saving space; and they are the perfect size for littles! And at $3.99, they are a steal! Put them on your list next time you visit an Ikea!

4. Meadow Showers Candle from Yankee CandleImage

We love the quality of Yankee Candles around our house! They are a great product and even though we wait until we can stack a coupon with a sale and get a really good deal, they are still a luxury item for us. This scent is a nice, light springy scent that will carry into that awkward time between summer and fall. Still too hot to break out the pumpkin candles, but still “fall.”

And, now for #5. Something I do NOT love. This sweet baby is starting school on Wednesday. Pre-K 4, only three days a week, but still. This fact had me reduced to a puddle of tears last night when I thought about not being there in case she gets cold and forgets she has a sweater in her backpack. I know. I’m such a baby. But I better get it out of my system while she isn’t looking. She’s going, ready or not.

And she is going to have a fantastic time.

Still, SIGH.

Image

Iced Coffee Recipe and Techniques

by 3 Comments

I’m not sure how I became the spokesperson for all things Iced and Coffee, but I LOVE the stuff so much that it just seems fitting. Even in times when I’m seriously counting calories, I carefully budget (and measure) in my one Iced Coffee per day.

There are basically two major ways to make Iced Coffee. By the pitcher, and by the glass. I prefer by the glass, but I’m going to give you instructions for what goes into both. You should not, I repeat should not take hot or warm-ish coffee, pour it over ice, add sugar and call it a day. The coffee will melt the ice, and you will end up with a nice glass of tepid, watery coffee. Not good. But try one of these and I might just make a believer out of you! (those of you who know how to do this, please excuse the step by step instructions.) 

Iced Hazelnut Coffee (Large Batch)

(Great if you can consume it within a few days.)

  • One large 8-cup pot of strong brewed Hazelnut coffee (or any flavor you like– check out the Fresh Market for some excellent flavors!– My current favorite is Hazelnut– )
  • Sugar (to taste… start with about a quarter of a cup for 8-cup pot)
  • Milk (I like to use a bit of half and half to make it slightly rich and then the rest 2% or Whole Milk)

Pour the coffee in a large pitcher, add sugar and stir. Add Milk until it’s the desired color you like. Taste for sweetness, add more sugar if needed. Stir again until sugar is disolved and then place in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Serve over lots of ice in a glass, if you have a a mason jar, even better. 

Keep in mind, whenever you have a partial pot of coffee left over in the morning, don’t throw it out!!! You can do this and have a delicious treat the next morning instead of having to talk yourself out of swinging by Starbucks!!! This is WAY more cost effective and you can drink it in your P.J.’s!!!

Method 2: Making a Coffee Concentrate.

I make up (or more accurately, my moonlighting barista husband makes up) a small batch of very strong coffee. He makes his daily coffee on the strong side anyway, so I can basically take that, chill it and it makes perfect iced coffee. But usually, we will make a batch of strong coffee, either by french press, espresso pot, or in the regular old coffee pot. There is also this method of Cold Brewing your coffee. It’s pretty good too.

Step 1: Brew your Strong Coffee and place it in the fridge over night or for at least a few hours.

Image

Step 2: Prepare your Sweetener, usually a Simple Syrup like this one. I always do 1:2 ratio of water to sugar. Raw Sugar works nicely too. I recommend keeping this in the fridge, if you don’t want to, buy it. At times, I will visit my friendly neighborhood Starbucks, and they will sell me a large bottle of flavoring syrup in Vanilla, or Hazelnut or whatever for around $8.00. (Reasonable vs. several lattes at said Coffee Shop.) And no refrigeration needed.

Step 3: Using a small glass, preferably a different one than you will drink from, measure out the concentrate you want. Add your syrup to taste. Add a small splash of half & half and then add a bit of milk until you reach your desired color. Pour into another glass full of ice and Enjoy!

I like this method especially for entertaining because others can truly customize it to their tastes.

Image

Now grab yourself an Iced Coffee, a muffin (or a cookie!) and a good book!

Settling In

by 2 Comments

Nine days ago, on the morning of my birthday, just minutes after waking up, Lance presented me with a manilla envelope containing my birthday present.  Naturally, I had no clue what it was but the look on his face told me it was a good one.

Was it ever.

He purchased the rights to HappyGoStuckey.Com AND moved my blog over to WordPress!!!! (Yes, I totally cried.)

This was more than just a small gesture. This was the gift of support. He knows I love writing. He knows it is not only a hobby, but a form of worship for me. A way for me to stretch my creative “legs” and also work things out that I struggle with. There are so many times that I come to the computer with nothing but questions, and then I leave with answers. It’s good for me. It’s hard sometimes, but it’s good.

Can I tell you a secret? For someone who has a blog and tries to be disciplined about writing regularly, I’m incredibly shy of what I write. But again, it’s good for me. I struggled for a long time with this…. desire to do something about it. I struggled with the thought that no one would read it. Then I struggled that anyone would.  Then I read this post by Sarah Markley. 

She said the following about writing:

“But for me, the learning of it didn’t come until I wrote about it.This is what I believe: If you are a writer then God has given you a gift that He intends to use to bring you closer to Him. Let me clarify: yes, your writing may help others become closer to Him. Maybe you write in a devotional style or a challenging style or a style that helps people figure God out more. If that is true, then it is only the icing on a very grand cake. 

Writing, if you are a writer, is God’s thoroughfare to your heart and your spirit. It is through the writing that He will draw you to Himself. The gift of writing, as a Christ-follower, is His means of crafting you into who you are supposed to be. You will learn, you will expose parts of your heart you intended to keep hidden and you will examine your soul as you do it.

And the same is true of all gifts and art, not just writing.” (SarahMarkley.Com)

So very true. There are so many lessons I only partially grasp until I get them all written down, then it’s a like HUGE lightbulb clicks on.

So here’s my prayer: If the writing continues to bring me closer to Him, or make me a better Wife and Mother, or bless, encourage or challenge somebody else– then I want to keep at it. If it ceases to be useful for any of those things, then I pray God gives me the strength and wisdom to stop.

In the mean time, I’m blessed to have an amazing husband who wants to support me. And thankful to have YOU along for the ride!

 

P.S. If you are wondering (and I know you are) who did my amazing Blog re-design, it’s none other than the amazing Chloe of English Tea Paperie. She listened to what I wanted and then came up with this beauty! I owe her all the creative credit. Contact her if YOU need some design work done!!

Blocked Vision

by 4 Comments

     Every morning I leave my house early. My faithful walking partner meets me at the edge of my driveway and the words are usually few for the first moments until we both wake up. During our 45 minute walk, we go up and down hills. The talk is always sparse on the way up a hill, as the need for oxygen prevails, and plentiful on the way down. We sweat together, laugh together, persevere together. I am so very thankful for her. I’m amazed at how God knew what I needed in an exercise partner 
(and great friend!) and placed her in my very own neighborhood. 
    At the end of our walk, we pause at the top of a hill (near where she lives) and say goodbye. Then I go on the last 10-15 minutes on my own. I come down the hill and walk home. As I walk toward my responsibilities, my family, toward my day– I have a few minutes of quiet. A few minutes of peace in which I try to commit the day to the One who made it. 
    Nearly every morning, the sun is just rising. But because I’m going down hill and the neighborhood is wooded, I can never see the sun. I see the effects of the sunrise. I see the light filling the clouds, barely filtering through the trees, turning the sky from a beautiful Navy blue into pink, purple and periwinkle. It’s beautiful. But every morning I look hard to try to see more. I wish I were a little bit higher up, or that those particular trees were a bit lower, but I can never see it all. 
Only a glimpse of the beautiful light which will fill our day. 
    Today it struck me. I struggle so much with limited vision. There are a lot of questions in our current state of life. Most of them will have answers.  But, answers that are for God alone to know at this point. It’s hard to be “in the dark” about life decisions. Often we feel that we pray and pray and He is silent. We know He hears. We know He is acting on our behalf and for His glory. We know that when the time is right (His time. Not mine.) He will act. The waiting can be so hard when we just want to *see* that “it” will happen or when or how. But, my friends? That is not trust. That is not faith. That is wanting to peel back the corner of the painting before the artist is finished. 
    I have always loved the illustration that our lives (and our circumstances) appear to be the wrong side of a tapestry. A jumbled mess of strings that seem to be senseless and ugly. But if we could see what God sees, we would be amazed. If we could put into practice in our hearts what we say we believe to be true, we would know that the “Other Side” of what we do not see is far more beautiful than we could imagine. Not to mention, far more capable of bringing glory to God than the plans we have for ourselves. 
   When we allow ourselves to be honest, we may realize that we are so small. We are exceedingly small in our understanding and that our frustration over the waiting is basically whining. When we complain we say two things, 1. We do not trust Him. 2. He doesn’t deserve the care of the large and small details of our lives.  Yikes. What ungratefulness we are capable of. 
When God asked Job, “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it.” (Job 40:2) 
In other words, Who are you who questions what God does?
Perhaps Job said it best, 
“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to Thee?
 I lay my hand on my mouth.” (Job 40:4)
In other words, 
“Um, I’ll be quiet now.”
As we go through moments, days and years of questions we cannot answer,
 heartaches we cannot explain, 
tunnels with no foreseeable light at the end, 
and Light eclipsed and covered by obstacles, 
let us remember–
that even a little bit of light is a blessing and…
He does ALL THINGS well. 
When God is dealing with me on something, it always comes in various ways– this is one that hit me right between the eyes:
Simply Beautiful! He is a Master Painter, is He not??

An Interview with Lucy and Birthday Fun!!!

by 1 Comment

I took this video a couple months ago on Lucy’s fourth birthday and I completely forgot to post it. Enjoy!

Speaking of Birthdays, I just had one. **31** years! I was completely spoiled this past weekend by Lance, the girls and My mom, who made a last minute trip to visit us. We all had so much fun together and I felt very loved on.

 One of my favorites in Augusta. New-ish Restaurant with Fresh, local yet imaginative food. Yum.

 Birthday Dessert!!!
 Date Night!
 Birthday Afternoon Water Fight!!! 

 Sweet Abby with Her Grammy!
The weekend was very nice and I really enjoyed all the time we spent together. Lance was especially thoughtful and came up with a very sweet gift, which I’m keeping a secret for now. 
I know, how very coy of me. 
In true “getting older” fashion, I woke up to a broken refrigerator the morning after my birthday. So that’s what I’ve been dealing with for the past few days. It’s NO fun to be an adult sometimes. Oh well! 

Miss Something?

Please be kind and give proper credit if you share! © Cynthia M. Stuckey. For personal use only, not to be copied, distributed, altered or sold.

Privacy Policy

Full privacy policy may be found HERE.

Want each post to magically appear in your email box?

Your personal information is safe and will never be shared.

Cynthia@happygostuckey.com
xo Cynthia