Random Ramblings...

Has it really been over a month since I've blogged?? 

Yes. It indeed has. 

And GUESS WHAT!??! Christian is going to be ONE in just 4 days!!!! 

How is that even possible!?!? Didn't we just bring him home from the hospital? And I mean, I haven't done a baby update post since he turned 9 months, so he must still only be 9 months...right?? 

Life has been very full lately and blogging has been left at the wayside. Not that I don't love just spilling my thoughts out onto my computer screen and sharing loads of pictures of my handsome little man. I've just been prioritizing differently lately. I value time with my ever growing baby boy and a clean house more than I've valued documenting our life lately. 

I wish I could share a bagillion pictures...but it seems I have yet to figure out how to back up my photos onto disks yet *gasp* (I better not lose every photo I've taken over the past year before I figure that out!!!) and so I haven't exactly done a photo dump from my phone lately either... 

Over the past 2 months or so, as I said, life has been FULL. 

We moved into our new house and have been busy making it our home. 

By that I mean we have been making lots of trips to Home Depot, attempting projects from Pinterest only to find out that the original pin didn't exactly include every step for the project, meaning the project doesn't really work for us and we have to start over.... 

It also means I've been painting...so far all I've painted is some trim in our bathroom and the bathroom door...painting with a baby means only painting during nap time.

Day #1 Nap - Tape for painting the trim

Day #2 Nap - Prime the trim

Day #3 Nap - Paint the trim 

Let the paint continue to dry because I realized that I bought oil based paint.... ugh.

Several days later...tape for painting the walls

Wait for new paint brushes to arrive since I couldn't get the first paint brush cleaned from the oil based paint... 

Day #10 Nap - Prime the door 

Day #11 Nap - Go to paint the door and find that a bird pooped on it while it was drying...ai yi yi

Clean the door and then attempt to find something to use as a drop cloth so I can actually paint the door inside

Paint side 1 of the door 

Maybe I'll actually be able to get the door finished tomorrow and back on and then get the walls painted in the bathroom so I can move on to the next room..

LONGEST. PROCESS. EVER.

And all of this has been for just ONE room. Ha ha 

Maybe I'll find time to share some DIY tips after all of my projects!

**Note to self** 

Oil based paint paints on beautifully but takes FOREVER to dry and is a PAIN to clean up! #newhomeownerfail

Goo Be Gone is a great fill in when you don't have mineral spirits! 

On another note...garage sale season has started and we have been scoring some MAJOR deals!!!

But along with garage sale season has also come allergy season...the worst one YET! Boo. 

The weather has been getting nicer, though, and we have been spending TONS of time outside...hence the allergies :) Christian cries when I make him come inside. We love walks and park time and time on the deck! 

Christian has also started walking!!! Not fully walking but he has taken 4 steps on his own and will do this periodically. 

Those are just a few of the highlights from the past 2 months. 

 In college, a very wise teacher once told me: 

"You can have it all, just not all at once" 

In this season of my life, I am realizing just how true this is. 

I wanted to be a stay at home mom so that I could have time with my baby boy. As a stay at home mom my focus could then be on caring for Christian and our home and family. 

This has always been my dream. 

Lately I've found myself asking, "If this is my dream, then why don't I embrace it and live it? I don't need to blog...at least not in this season." 

I still want to blog and hopefully will, but I want to spend this season enjoying what God has given me and the opportunities I have been blessed with. 

In this season I'm going to be a mom. 

Just a mom. 

And that is enough. More than enough and all I've ever dreamed of. 

And right now that season is calling. Somebody is awake from his nap and apparently doesn't want to just play with daddy. 

Hopefully I'll blog again, but today I'm enjoying this season. 

What season are you currently enjoying? What does life look like for you?

 What are you having right now in your process to "have it all"? 

Stop the Mommy Wars

Wow. I never realized mommyhood was a competitive sport.

I often feel like every decision I make is being thoroughly "reviewed" and "judged" by other moms. Maybe this is more of a fear in just my head, but a recent photo series, I think, shows that I'm not alone.

Let's be confident in the decisions we make as mommy and support our mommy friends in their decisions too.

What you decide is best for you, your child and your family, may not be what another parent decides is best for them.

And that's okay. 

There is more than ONE way to be a good mom.

Let's support each other as we find our "way".

Connecticut Working Moms recently released a photo series addressing this issue.

Maybe you've seen it going around Facebook. If not, check it out.

Stop the Mommy Wars. 

Click {here} to view the complete photo series. I highly encourage you do. 

Real Life Mama

I now get to enjoy moments like these, every day, ALL day! It's my dream come true! 

You're probably thinking - "Really, mama? All day, every day? Because my days aren't like this EVERY day and especially not ALL day." 

So let's be real. ALL day EVERY day isn't like this. My little guy rarely has a bad day {Praise the Lord}, but I {yes, this mama right here!!} have plenty of bad days. 

I struggle with being a mama, friends. 

Almost daily. 

If you're anything like me, those cute little faces, like my little Christian man above, really do make it all worth it. But there are a lot of days that I question what I'm doing. 

If I were to write down everything I do in a day I know the list would be long and I'm sure your's would be too! 

But this is the list I see in my mind when I think about my day: 

Didn't read the Bible long enough. 

Fed the baby. 

Changed the baby.

Cleaned up spit up. 

Folded laundry. 

Washed dishes. 

Made the beds. 

Cooked dinner. 

Tried to squeeze in some blogging...and the baby woke up.

Fed the baby again. 

Cleaned up baby after a major blow out. 

And the list repeats itself... again, and again, and again. 

Day in and day out. 

When the day is over what "accomplishments" do I have to show for myself? 

Usually it's not a whole lot in a tangible sense. There are no "promotions" for motherhood. Unless, that is, you count adding in another bundle of joy!? :) {No, we aren't expecting again!}

I don't know about you, but I'm often left with a lot of doubt. 

Is being mommy really enough????

I should have blogged more. 

I should have made a healthier dinner. 

I should have really deep cleaned and organized the kitchen. 

I should have baked a homemade dessert for small group instead of buying the packaged cookies from the store. 

I should have played with the baby more. 

I should have, I should have, I should have. 

The funny thing is that most of us probably feel this way as moms. But the pressure to do more and be more is probably coming from moms too!! 

Let's be real with one another. 

Let's have playdates in our pajamas {because we don't really get dressed up every day! Or is that just me?? }. 

There's nothing that makes me happier than when I get together with another mom and both of us are in our comfy clothes and haven't showered. 

Let's bring the packaged snacks to gatherings. 

Let's delete our pinterest accounts and take away the pressures of this world to be more. 

Loving on our little ones and showing them the love of Christ, leading them in truth daily is 

ENOUGH.

Being mommy is more than enough. 

It's everything. 

I'm talking to myself here too. We are the best moms for our kids. No one can do it better than we can. Our specific kids were given to us for a reason. And we are everything they need. So even when the only rewards of mothering is the smiles and hugs and laughter, let's remind each other that we are enough. 

Being mommy is enough. 

If you don't believe me...just ask your little one. 

I think my little guy thinks I'm just enough :) 

Even if we can't see it, there is a purpose to all the little, tedious tasks we do.

Psalm 138:8

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands."