Thoughts from a writing mom

A fellow young petty officer in the navy who was assigned to my paperwork for my first sacraments told me that he rarely knew of anyone getting what he called “the triple whammy”, which was three sacraments in one day. Baptism, first Holy Communion, and confirmation.   Yet there he was, printing my certificates for the said sacraments that I was to receive on Easter Sunday in 2006.   I was watching him print them in the religious office at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, my home at that time in my life.   I was a young sailor in those days with a Catholic boyfriend (who was in Guantanamo Bay that year I came into the church) and wanted to become a Catholic myself. Sometimes when I share that he is the one who first introduced me to the church, I receive questions such as “oh, so you had to convert so you could marry him?” or “oh, you converted for Michael?”     The answer to those questions is no, and I can explain by backing up a bit. My husband Micha...

This past weekend I attended the first annual eLectio Publishing author’s conference.   Just in case you aren’t aware, eLectio is a small independent press who published my fiction novella, Absolved. (You can find my book by clicking the link here)  http://www.amazon.com/Absolved-Christy-Decker/dp/1632130157/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458016110&sr=8-1&keywords=absolved   I doubted I would go upon first learning of the conference.   I’ve been so busy with kids, obviously. It is a good busy, please do not misunderstand my use of the word. It is a wanted busy.   However I allowed this busy to be my excuse to stay away from anything else, including any book marketing or promotion.   It’s a valid excuse, yes?   I mean, come on. Six kids under the age of seven.   It’s a battle to even shower daily. I’ll be straight forward about that. The truth is, however, I could have put some time and effort into putting my book out...

Last time I updated my blog I was announcing my pregnancy.  Now I write this as I nurse my sweet two week old daughter Marian Grace. Let me tell you, she is an angel baby. We're all completely in love with her. What prompted me to write tonight was the recent questions from family regarding my book.  I've had a second book in progress for almost two years now.  It is VERY different from my first.  I'm still excited about it and I still know I'll finish writing it. I also know I'll pursue publication again.  Oh, but when those things will happen?  Totally cannot answer that at the moment. Obviously I'm busy with my children.  It doesn't mean I'm letting writing go, or I want to write any less.  I just understand that while I can always return to my writing, I will not always be able to return to this time with them.  If I've learned anything at all in six and a half years of parenting it is this - time moves quickly.  They're ...

So....I don't know how to start this one.   It's hard because there are certain people in my life that are going to find out about our newest addition via social media, which is never the ideal way of finding out big news.   But I'm choosing this as my way. Those in our lives that see us regularly know already that we're having our sixth baby this summer. Some that don't see us regularly have no idea.   I received some negative reactions to my pregnancy with Barrett, and I just never had a moment when I felt ready to face hearing those again. So I've waited.   I prayed about it, gave it up to God, and here I am. Announcing this in a blog post. It's unfortunate that I feared other's reactions to a new baby, but I did.   It's my family. It isn't easy to hear comments about how I should've prevented some of my children. It hurts, it really does. So here is the story this time. It's different than the others. I had zero sympto...

Navy Boot Camp, 2003 Michael and I as brand new exhausted parents, 2009 It was a sunny, warm day at the DFW airport in Dallas when I left for the Navy.   Arriving at Great Lakes, Illinois that night and seeing ice on the ground was a bit of a shock. I still remember how nervous I was, but strangely excited at the same time to be joining the military.   It was something so much bigger than me and I knew even at the young age of 19 I was where I was supposed to be at the time. It felt scary, but right. Little did I know at the time how much that eight weeks of boot camp would prepare me for a journey I’d begin six years later…motherhood.   Oh yes.   Navy boot camp can actually be compared to parenting babies and toddlers.   Surprised?   I can explain.   This is a list of six of the ways Navy boot camp is like mothering small children. 1.          You have to eat really, really fast.  ...

One of these days I’ll have a better looking blog.   I’ll also add to it more frequently.   I’m quite sure of this, however I cannot say exactly how much more time will pass before these things happen.   Just letting anyone reading know that I am aware of the fact that I need to work on the said items, and then some. But, you know, busy. Five kids busy. Five kids under the age of six busy.   With school, pre-school, t-ball, soccer, religious education, husband is a cop that works all.the.time. busy.   ALL GOOD THINGS however.   I need to point out that despite the busy, we’re happy and grateful for these things that take up our time.   I’ll say it again and again, I’m blessed and I know it. Oh, but I do really want to finish my second book.   I also want to pursue getting it published.   Which in reality is silly, because I never market the first book I had published.   What is with that?   Makes no sense, but I have the toughes...

As I write it is 10:40 am.   I am standing, using my kitchen counter to scribble these words on a page of an old notebook.   My two boys are napping.   My three girls are crawling around pretending to be alligators.   Before that they were hiding “treasure” (a collection of rocks in an empty baby wipes box) and I had the job of drawing a map using a crayon to find the said treasure.   They’ve been watching a lot of Jake and the Pirates lately.   Now I am making time to write a blog post.   I haven’t written much lately and I miss it.   I’ve been praying that God will give me the time to do this, all the while thanking Him for these children that keep me too busy for much else.   I’ve heard of women explaining their child rearing years as a period of putting their dreams on hold.   I don’t exactly feel that way although my writing definitely sits on the back burner at all times.   The truth for me is that mothering is...