Christmas 2015

Hope you all had a wonderful and Merry Christmas! Here are a few shots from ours...

We loved having new stockings (names and all!) for the first time this year. We always had mismatched ones from all over the place, but I always really wanted matching ones for our family! My dream is that these would last for many years, and be something my kids would look forward to seeing put out every year, even when they are older!

the morning was filled with sweet firsts for Isaac (he's never opened his own presents for himself...yay for first Christmas!)...he was LOVING all his new boy toys that finally made it to our house, like trucks and loud things to bang on! But don't worry, there was still plenty of girly stuff around him (note the Anna dresses being spun in behind him!)

They loved making cookies and Reindeer chow for Santa...

my big girl turned SIX on Christmas Eve!!

These are the moments of Christmastime I want to remember...like snuggling my little guy the night before his very first Christmas.

Later on Christmas day, we got to go visit cousins who have horses, and the girls loved playing with them!

Getting some fresh Oklahoma Christmas air! These kiddos love land for sure!!

Enjoy your last week of 2015 friends, and take in all the precious moments you can!

Catch up!

wow, so I have officially posted like twice in a month. oh my.

But see that previous post below? About having a spirit-led day? I've been trying to actually follow through on that, and only do/prioritize as He leads me to do...and in this crazy personal season, it's a juggling act sometimes, what can I say? (I know you feel me, mamas!)

So...here's a little catch up for your viewing pleasure. Hope you are enjoying life in the midst of the holiday cheer all around us!

I always do a secret santa gift exchange with my besties all over the country...the BEST happy mail. Carina got me and totally blessed my socks off!

I realized the other day that me and Isaac don't ever take walks together, just us. I used to do that ALL the time with Abigail, and even Bethany. It's so hard to give the same things to each kid as your family grows, but when that hit me the other day while my girls were at school...I grabbed the stroller and took a walking date with my best boy. :)

Parker and I felt so blessed the other night to peek in on our little crew, all playing together by the Christmas tree. Such an honor to be their parents.

Isaac has a new little BFF in his reflection.

LOVE when these three play so well together. They sure do love each other!

Last week, I turned 33, and God gave me some frost on the ground to wake up to that morning. Such a treat!

my girls and their little besties nextdoor, being silly together on a cold cooped-up day!

our little classroom! Still lovinng the blended model we have started this year, cannot believe the semester is almost over! Abigail has thrived this year...so so thankful God brought us to this path!

did you know I own a little shop online that sells tees with your favorite quotes from the show, Friends? check it out! www.theonewiththeshirts.com

ummmm. life changing right here, yall. ordered online, set a pick up time...and they loaded my car. FREE! and no impatient kids in the store!! win win win.

my guy keeps my heart so full.

I am SUPER honored to have been published alongside some incredible women int he first edition of the Abundant Magazine, put out by Thrive Moms! you can buy one for yourself, or this is a precious gift for a mama in your life! www.thrivemoms.com

we just had our annual MNO (Moms Night Out) and Dirty Santa gift exchange (aka you get to steal gifts until it gets frozen!) and it was so fun! Thankful for some local ladies to do this mommy thing with!

he needed a front row seat to the twinkle.

ENJOY this season, friends!

having a Spirit-led day

I want this day to be led by the Holy Spirit. Every day, for that matter.
.How many days do I let go by that are not led by Him?

I had a revelation this morning that if He is the one who wisdom comes from, if He is the one that is all-knowing, if He is the one who can see the bigger picture of my life and my days, then WHY am I not fully handing over the reigns to Him each and every moment??!!

I am a feeler. Some (ahem, my hubby- :) ) might even call me dramatic.
So I can very easily get caught up in the feelings I am feeling instead of asking Him to just lead me. It really is better when He does it. Emotions and feelings don't always produce great fruit.

But the Spirit does. Always.

He has power that is available to me at every moment, every single day. I don't use it like I should.
But I know He is showing me how much more fruit I could have in my life if I did let the one who should lead do the leading!

Parenting, Wifeing, Homemaking, Business-running, Budgeting, Time Management.

I cannot even imagine how much more in-order each of those areas would be, if I was Spirit-led in every decision about each topic.

I can see how the overwhelming tantrums, or the financial burdens, or the time-wasted can shift if it is not up to me. If I know I need wisdom in an area (all of those areas listed. plus more!), then WHY would I not ask the One who created Wisdom, the One from whom Wisdom is given, to help me? To lead and guide my decisions and my days?

Just some thoughts I wanted to get out as I process this important thing in my head.

Do you struggle with letting each area (even if it seems small) be led by the Holy Spirit, instead of my your feelings?

I just know there is some breakthrough about to happen for myself, and maybe others too.

God is a God of ORDER and PEACE and WISDOM. Let's let Him lead us.

10 months old.

My Isaac man.

Still my main squeeze that sits on my hip each day and flirts with me and his sister all day long. He steals everyone's hearts who just glances at him.

Here's to learning to crawl really soon (I promise it'll happen buddy, I know you are SO anxious to do it!)

Happy 10 months, Bubber!!

Mommy To-Do List

I like to-do lists. I am NOT always great at them, but when I am they are sooo helpful. Making them and then checking them off…a visible sign of productivity. (plus they keep my mommy-brain from forgetting things!) Trying to get better at this in this season!! But He has been speaking some things to me about these to-do's, and about what is in front of me right now...

Each thing on those lists takes time to do.

It ALL takes time, even those little things we do as mothers.

My baby started eating a lot more recently, and I forgot how long it takes and the patience it requires, to give spoonful after spoonful ever so slowly and carefully, so as to not have butternut squash sprayed all over you by flailing baby arms.

The other day as I fed him, I was also being shouted at to come upstairs to see the “doctor’s office” my girls had built. In that same moment, my eyes caught that long to-do list stuck to my fridge, and the basket of unfolded laundry sitting at my feet.

My mind wandered to “Oh my goodness, feeding a baby takes sooo long! I have so much to do.” And I felt myself start to get impatient with the process and feeling this inner anxiety that I should be doing something different, accomplishing something more.

But then his eyes caught mine again.

And I realized this IS my more.

In that moment, spoon in hand, bib in place, and squash on his nose…HE was my to-do.

And that was right where I needed to be.

While there IS a time and a place for accomplishing other things, whether it is work (outside or inside the home), chores, attending to all the children, working on the budget, etc., I think I sometimes get caught up in the need to “get it all done” and be productive and check the boxes off, when really, the most productive thing I am called to do in that particular moment is to feed my baby.

All of our days look different and require different amounts of focus for the various things God has called us to put our hands to. We need to be diligent and wise with those things.

But while you may not be checking off a list for each diaper you change or each time you sit down to nurse, or every time-out you have to enforce…those are important, productive things. For me, it is so easy to not count mothering as the “productive” accomplishments in my days.

But I want to change that thinking. I want to see each mothering moment as the most important thing I am checking off my invisible, grace-seeking, mommy-heart list that day. I want to really breathe in the moments that seem to take too long (or are frustrating because they maybe could’ve been avoided, like cleaning spills or taking children back to their beds for the millionth time). Taking the time to spoon feed my baby is important. Taking the time to read to my kindergartner is important. Taking the time to just SIT and talk with them is important.

If I look at the bigger picture, every single mothering moment is truly vital. I need to remember that more.

So, mamas, be ready to cross some things off, look back tonight and think to yourself “Wow, I was super productive today!” And while no one may ever see this “list” and pat you on the back for all the things you got done…the things you accomplished as a mother today were more important than you realize.