At the end of a very much "Monday"...day after a long holiday weekend.....I'm done. I'm done being a Mama because this Mama stuff is hard. It's tough. It's challenging. It's frustrating. It's heart wrenching. It's time consuming. It's mind boggling. It's craziness. It's draining. It's NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.
But there's these 3 amazing kiddos that somehow...despite all their shenanigans of hibity-bibity....somehow I keep falling in love with them. Somehow their giggles and cuddles....their smiles and THEIR GRACE. They keep me going. THEIR GRACE.....and the way they just keep loving their Mama despite all her mistakes and failures....it's humbling and overwhelming and mind boggling and crazy.
And that? THAT GRACE? It's Heaven sent... God gives these amazing littles grace when they are born....nobody tells them to have grace with others....they just do it. They extend grace...day after day after day. Because it's a chromosome they were born with. They don't know any better....they just give grace.
I'm learning from them....I'm watching and listening amidst the dirty dishes...the dirty baseball clothes...the sticky popsicle sticks....the stinky socks thrown in the middle of a room...the leggos not put back in their container....the water spicket left running for 2 days in the back yard....the bikes left in the driveway...the slamming doors...the bruised knees...the toilet seat left up....I'm watching and listening. And I'm learning.
That grace is unending....it's powerful...it's life changing..it's mind boggling...and it's crazy. And there's enough for all of us. These 3 littles are challenging me to keep extending grace to others...no judgement...just grace. It's all GRACE.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Sunday, January 4, 2015
The Key
"God can do great things with our lives, if we but give them to him in sincerity. He can make them useful, uplifting, herioc. God never wastes anything. God never forgets anything. God never loses anything. Though He holds the worlds in the hollow of His hand, He will yet remember each of us, and the part we are fitted to play in the eternal drama."
Never doubt why you are here...it is for a noble, eternal purpose as we give Him our life. Herein lies the key.
Dr Anne Robertson Brown Lindsay
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Joy in the Journey
Sometimes it's just the little things that take our breath away and make us feel like the luckiest person in the world. This weekend was full of those moments. Watching my man play his guitar and sing his heart out.....late night heart to hearts and prayers....watching him wrestle with the kids. ..listening to their laughter and holding them close after Baby Magic baths....Their never ending silly songs and crazy questions. ...Their child - like faith and sunshine smiles......Their love for their Daddy, for each other, and little babies at church....Gabe telling us he cant wait to get to Heaven....Ellie and Aubrie forming this new "best friend sisterhood"....it's these moments that remind me to be grateful for each season. Because all too soon one has past and another has arrived. I don't want to miss any of the beauty of the changing colors of life. I'm finding that the joy is in the journey and being so very grateful for those who travel by your side.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
MONKEY STORY # 726
...After a very fun filled crazy amazing weekend of my little brother getting married....there are serious conversations going on at our house
Gabe: So now that Jake and Britney are married they can sleep together in the same bed right, Mom?
Me: (because we are teaching purity and saving yourself for marriage to our kiddos)
Yup....you got it Gabe!
Gabe: Well Jake is going to have to build a bigger bed then so they can both fit!!!
Ellie: So Mom....on what day will Britney be getting her babies then???
***I'm convinced we have the smartest monkies in the world living under our roof ;)******
love these kiddos!!!
Monday, August 18, 2014
Counting Summers
I'm grateful for the summers. All of the summers of late night talks with my man....the one who is my best friend. All the summers going on long walks and dreaming together of "some day". The summers of watching our littles experience crawling thru grass for the first time.....learning how to walk with our hands holding theirs so tight. The summers of campfires and watching the light dance across their joy filled faces as they stuffed their mouths full of sticky marshmellow goodness. The summers of becoming brother and sisters, riding bikes, rock piles and truck covered sidewalks, endless park trips, wagon rides, helping Daddy mow, running thru the sprinkler, the 100 thousand trips to the pool, basketball games on the front drive, popsicle parties in play tents under the shade trees, Go Fish in the living room because it was too hot to play outside, playing catch with Daddy, going to the fairs, zoo trips, beach trips, family fun days, rodeos, playing at PawPaw and MeeMee's, dance parties in the kitchen in our jammies and Michigan blueberry milkshakes.
I'm grateful for the memories....the moments that fill the heart to overflowing...and remind me what I live for.
10 more summers before our first little can spread his wings and fly.....only 10 more.
Today this Mama is grateful for the here and now....determined to make every moment...every summer count. To count more stars instead of times the toilet wasn't flushed. To look deeper in their eyes instead of of looking at my phone. To pull them into my arms more often instead of filling my schedule up with everyone else in the world. To love quietly instead of getting impatient loudly. Because there's only 10 more summers before my work here is done with little number one. These babies will be ours forever, but the training grounds are only 18 summers long. Today....I will be grateful for the summers...while we walk this journey of life and the " some days" become the "remember whens."
I'm grateful for the memories....the moments that fill the heart to overflowing...and remind me what I live for.
10 more summers before our first little can spread his wings and fly.....only 10 more.
Today this Mama is grateful for the here and now....determined to make every moment...every summer count. To count more stars instead of times the toilet wasn't flushed. To look deeper in their eyes instead of of looking at my phone. To pull them into my arms more often instead of filling my schedule up with everyone else in the world. To love quietly instead of getting impatient loudly. Because there's only 10 more summers before my work here is done with little number one. These babies will be ours forever, but the training grounds are only 18 summers long. Today....I will be grateful for the summers...while we walk this journey of life and the " some days" become the "remember whens."
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
These Days....
Countless times over the past couple months, I have been asked:
"How did you do it all those years having 3 babies in 4 years???!!!"
My answer?
"Coffee...my beautiful amazing Mama...coffee....chocolate...coffee...Jesus."
And today? We are still as busy as ever...but Mamas of littles....I will tell you this. It gets easier...it gets better..it's breath-taking. This journey of parenthood. It's hard, crazy, wild, messy, heart-wrenching, beautiful, mind-blowing, and the most fantastic thing ever all rolled into one.
If you can just hang on thru all the poopy diapers, temper tantrums, late night/early morning feedings, sassy pant toddler days, never ending spit up laundry days, snotty noses, paintings with booger walls, spilled/smashed/thrown/crunched/squished/tossed/smeared food particles in every nook and cranny of the house, never ending toy litter, whiny little adorable monkey business, mess your hair up/puke all over Mommy right before she is ready to leave the house stages, won't fall asleep unless you rock/bounce/coo/sing to them........it will be worth it all.
Let me tell you: that first time they put their sticky little hands on your face and look you in your eyes and tell you that you the prettiest and best Mama ever....and how much they love you? Yeah...it's a Hollywood moment...but jacked up 1,000 times.
And they reach that age where they can tell when you are having a hard day....and they wrap their dirty, sweaty, smelly arms around your muffin top waist and tell you it's all going to be ok?
It's magical....it's seriously the best drug fix you will ever need.
And these days....I'm still relying on coffee, my Mama, chocolate, and Jesus.
Because honestly? I'm pretty sure I can't live without any of them :)
"How did you do it all those years having 3 babies in 4 years???!!!"
My answer?
"Coffee...my beautiful amazing Mama...coffee....chocolate...coffee...Jesus."
And today? We are still as busy as ever...but Mamas of littles....I will tell you this. It gets easier...it gets better..it's breath-taking. This journey of parenthood. It's hard, crazy, wild, messy, heart-wrenching, beautiful, mind-blowing, and the most fantastic thing ever all rolled into one.
If you can just hang on thru all the poopy diapers, temper tantrums, late night/early morning feedings, sassy pant toddler days, never ending spit up laundry days, snotty noses, paintings with booger walls, spilled/smashed/thrown/crunched/squished/tossed/smeared food particles in every nook and cranny of the house, never ending toy litter, whiny little adorable monkey business, mess your hair up/puke all over Mommy right before she is ready to leave the house stages, won't fall asleep unless you rock/bounce/coo/sing to them........it will be worth it all.
Let me tell you: that first time they put their sticky little hands on your face and look you in your eyes and tell you that you the prettiest and best Mama ever....and how much they love you? Yeah...it's a Hollywood moment...but jacked up 1,000 times.
And they reach that age where they can tell when you are having a hard day....and they wrap their dirty, sweaty, smelly arms around your muffin top waist and tell you it's all going to be ok?
It's magical....it's seriously the best drug fix you will ever need.
And these days....I'm still relying on coffee, my Mama, chocolate, and Jesus.
Because honestly? I'm pretty sure I can't live without any of them :)
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