letting it go when you are tired.


 I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror last night,
and I think I made a noise out loud to myself...something like "uuuughh.".
ha.
yep, I saw myself and realized how tired I looked.
I knew I felt it, but hadn't seen it on my face yet.
(I mean, let's be honest, you don't get a lot of "face time" in the mirror when you are a mommy)

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and yes, it was late, a little after 8:30 PM,
after a long day of worshipping and playing as a family.
Plus, I have been battling a cold and allergies pretty bad all weekend
and honestly have been feeling pretty crappy.
(I actually don't even have a voice right now. :( )

And I think I've been ignoring the emotional exhaustion
that is trying to catch up with me
from the tough losses we have just been through.
Plus just the tired of daily life with two littles.

But 8:30 (or after bedtime, whenever that is each night),
is usually when I get going.
It's when I move into "go mode"...picking up the house, finishing dishes,
preparing lunches for the next day, folding the laundry, etc, etc.

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(oh look, i was so tired I forgot to put my rings back on after making dinner)

But right after I looked in the mirror at my tired face,
I happened to read a tweet from Shauna Niequist (love her),
that said something like
"...one of the hardest things is listening when my body says it's tired."

And then I glanced back in the mirror and thought,
"ok body, I think you are telling me you are tired."

so, I did something that's usually hard for me to do...
I just let it all go.
The bed that remained unmade all day, the messy playroom, the unfolded laundry,
the dirty clothes, and on and on.

(oh hey, here's some pics of my reality last night...enjoy the mess.
no shame here. :-) )

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I literally had to push laundry out of my way,
so I could lounge,
But that's what I did.

I let it all go for the night,
and I just SAT.
chatted with the hubbs, watched a little Mad Men, read a few blogs...
just. sat.

I'm glad I did.
I need the rest.
I forget that sometimes...and I think mommies do that a lot.
It seems as though (at least for me) that our jobs are NEVER over.
And while I don't really mind that,
sometimes I just need to let the day be over, even with things "undone".
And to be okay with that.
And to not feel guilty for resting.

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You know how on the plane, they tell you that if you are traveling with a child,
and if you have to,
to put the oxygen mask on yourself first, then put it on the child next to you?
I often think that would be hard to do, to not help my little one before myself.

But last night...that's kind of what I had to do.
Give myself an oxygen mask, before I could do anything else.
In that mirror moment,
I saw that it was important for me to take care of myself last night,
to let the other tasks go, and to just sit and rest.

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If you need rest today,
just do it.
Let the other things go if you can.
It really is ok.

and maybe your face in the mirror will thank you.
and your family probably will too.
they need a rested you.
:)



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breathe them in this weekend.

hold your babies a little tighter this weekend.
kiss on them a little more.
tell them they are great.
tell them WHY you love them.
praise them for the good they do.
let normal "annoyances" go a little bit.
take them on a date.
remind them you are proud of them.
light up when they walk in a room.
have a dance party with them.
watch them sleep.
...and breathe in the blessing they are in your life.

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here's to a little extra love this weekend...
be blessed, friends!

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happy ring day


there were tulips. pink ones, my favorite.
there were candles. lot of candles.
there was a vacant "castle", on a lake.
there was a picnic, my favorite food.
there was a star. named after me.
with HIS last name.
there was a knee.
there was a beautiful ring.
there was a question.
and and answer.
YES.


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10 years ago today, 
(wow!)
I said yes to the best question I have ever been asked.
what a beautiful and crazy journey it has been,
that we had no idea was waiting for us.

so glad I said yes.
I love you, Parker.
I would say yes all over again.

Happy 10 year ring day, Love!


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I'm not on Insta anymore, but...

...I do still take pics with my phone!
Sometimes just for us to have, or to text Parker or friends. :)

Since I am no longer on Instagram,
(which I miss a lot, but there IS a good reason I left it...I plan to post about that soon)
I thought I'd share some pics from life lately through the lens of my phone!

- - - - - - - - - -

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-showing parker my new Northface I got with Christmas money while I was in Dallas
(I loooove NF).
-NOT missing Dallas traffic
-loving that baby Northface! omg so cute.

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-baby in a box :)
-enjoying a much needed Mambo Taxi from Mi Cocina 
(while I don't miss the traffic,I do miss my Dallas restaurants!)
-sleepy traveler

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-happy baby chilin in Daddy's chair
-some major coloring happening here
-enjoying coffee in a special mug from my Lake Placid girls trip last year.

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-Bethany stealing a scoot while sissy played
-afternoon scooter ride...finally beautiful weather!
-always chillin :)

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-playing under Daddy's desk
-little drivers at the grocery store
-love those little heads! 

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-sweet B actually feel asleep sprawled next to me, so we napped together!
-she found the lightswitch next to her crib, uh oh.
(I caught her on the monitor)
-waking up from the nap next to me...those eyes are stunning.

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-holding hands with her bestie, Anna, at the library storytime
-my girlies listening together!
-taking Easter treats to a local nursing home with her friends

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-admiring the washcloth bouquet I made for a baby shower - turned out pretty cute I think!
-my fun magnets I got from a Easter gift exchange with my bloggy besties!
(it cracks me up every day)
-pushing sissy

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-me at our new Sprouts Market, on opening morning at 6:45 AM. thus the no makeup.
I was one of the first 200 people there and scored free groceries! yes please.
-just a selfie for ya. :)
-early morning bottle on mama's bed. love her.

- - - - - - - - - -

well, hows that?
you may not see me on Insta every day, but here I am. :)

Have a good day everyone.
be blessed.



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being aware of PD

this is really important to me.

As most of you probably know, I just lost my sweet Dad.
While I truly believe that the MAIN reason my Dad went Home was because it was
the Lord's designated and perfect time for him to go...
the "earthly" reasons still remain for us to deal with.

My Dad had Parkinson's Disease for around 13 years,
and what eventually took him from us
 were rare complications that were tied to this disease.

I'm guessing that the reason you have probably heard of Parkinson's is because
famous actor Michael J Fox is a huge advocate and spokesperson,
as he has suffered from it for many years now.
I'm here to remind you that this is a disease that affects many families...like mine.
We need to be aware.

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(you can click on that image to check out that amazing website)

If you are wondering, here's a little but about this debilitating disease.
and please keep in mind:
There is NO cure right now.

(this is a very quick overview just done by me. 
check out www.michaeljfox.org to learn a lot more.
I am no doctor or researcher.)

PD is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects 1 in 100 people over the age of 60.

symptoms:
tremor, sleep problems, balance issues, higher risk of dementia, reduced facial expressions,
intestinal issues, depression and anxiety, speech issues, swallowing issues,
loss of senses like smell and taste.

causes:
there is lots to say here.
check out this website for better words than I can tell here.

treatments:
speech and physical therapy, deep brain stimulation,
lots and lots of medications (which all have other side effects btw)

prognosis:
most doctors will say that PD itself is not fatal,
but the symptoms of this disease put patients at more risk for fatal things,
like severe pneumonia (from aspirating due to swallowing issues), or bad falls from loss of balance.


(at the end of my Dad's life, he developed Pneumonia from aspirating,
and also suffered from Hypothermia, a very rare condition linked to Parkinson's)


life effect:
this is a DEGENERATIVE disease. that means it is not going to get better.
It continues to worsen and affect the person dealing with it in numerous and growing ways.
It is a very difficult sickness for the patient, as well as for the family members.

How you can help:
Become aware that this is a life long hard thing that many people deal with.
If you know someone who has it, realize that they need or will need, your help...physically and emotionally.
Donate to what Michael J Fox is doing.
They are doing amazing work and trying to find a cure.
You can also get involved with Team Fox.
If you are a racer at all (running, triathlon, whatever)...you can race to raise awareness!
I plan to do this for future races.

- - - - - - - - - -

I so wish I had been a bigger advocate about this terrible sickness before my Dad died.
But now I am going to get more involved.
Because people need to know this is real and this is serious.

I know where my Dad is.
He now has perfect balance, and perfect speech.
I am thankful for that every time I get sad he is not here.
I am also thankful he does not have to deal with this disease any longer.

Let's be aware and help find a cure together.
Maybe someday wives like my mom won't have to lose their husbands,
girls like me won't have to lose their Dad's,
and babies like mine won't have to lose their GrandHop.

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thanks yall.


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