mommy secrets

I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one. Am I alone in my motherly endeavors? Or more... am I alone in my FAILING at these endeavors?

You know the ones I'm talking about. Not raising my voice. Not blaming my children. Listening to both sides of the story before punishment.

Being a mom is hard! And I will be the first to admit that I screw up on a daily basis. I know I'm not REALLY alone, but it does feel lonely & hopeless at times. I gain such strength from scriptures that say things like "I will never leave you nor forsake you", or "do not be weary in doing good". It's so refreshing. It's so inspiring. To know that He sees our weaknesses & these secret moments of loneliness just helps.

However I know that often I need more than just a scripture. This week I realized that I need a whole lot more.

In our life right now there's a lot going on: a new baby, homeschooling, starting new ministries, Michael finishing school, etc. Then of course there is day to day stuff that I'm constantly drowning in: dishes, laundry, toys, laundry, meals, diapers... did I mention all the laundry?! It's just too much for one woman!!!

The first thing I have committed to in the past week is to have worship music playing throughout the house. It's sets the tone for the day. I found it quite difficult today to be grumpy when "your love never fails" is pouring into the atmosphere. It's hard to yell at my kids when they're dancing & singing that "Jesus You're My Superhero".

The other thing I've learned is that I'm not perfect. No one is. I can't be so hard on myself when the dishes sat in the sink all day. I shouldn't feel guilty for not getting to all of the school lesson. Stuff happens... Laundry doesn't get folded... Cereal gets spilled... especially with a 6 wk old baby & an almost 2 yr old. Ha! In fact, a LOT of stuff happens. :)

I lead a life that is a lot harder than a mom with only 1 or 2 kids, just due to volume! Haha! I remember having 2. 3 was slightly more difficult. 4 rocked my world pretty hard. Now with 5, I say bring it on!! I might not eat totally organic, but we do our best to be really healthy. I might not be caffeine free, but I know how important a cup of coffee is to my day starting well. I might not read to my kids for an hour everyday, but they do get read to. So, I don't judge myself. I don't over analyze it all. And my newest realization is this... no one else is judging me for these little things either. Well, at least no one worth my concern. :)

Stationery card

Our Best Moments Holiday Card

Click here to browse Shutterfly's holiday card collection.

View the entire collection of cards.

All things new!

It's a new year, folks! New year, new month... new everything. Each time another year rolls around, I start thinking of all that I want to be different. How can this year be better than last year?

Since my recent "journey", I've realized a lot of things, but most importantly that my life is GREAT! I just have to let those great things drive me rather than the not-so-great moments that generally come down to all the excruciating work that is just plain parenting.

I'm choosing to focus on the fun!

I'm making my decision to pay attention to the progress made by each child.

I'm saying YES to the things God has planned & NO to the things I think "sound like a good idea"!

This blog is certainly one area that I feel like is a HUGE "yes"! In this new year, which is my 2nd year of blogging, I have some pretty awesome goals. Some are big, some are small. Either way, I can't wait to share them with you all!!!

Here's to a happy, healthy, HILARIOUS 2012!