Relaxing and Reconnecting

Relaxing and reconnecting.....the theme of this weekend!

Relaxing is something I don't do often enough. For some reason, I seem to thrive on busyness and tend to make myself busy even when there really isn't any need to be.  Recently in a women's Bible study that I'm involved in, we discovered that busyness can be a sin! (Something I'd never considered.) So this weekend, I was not busy.....I spent time enjoying my family. I took a few naps. I really relaxed and rested.


I also reconnected.....I feel like Josh and I are so busy during the week that we barely speak to each other. We have so many responsibilities and obligations between our kids, our jobs, our church, and our kids' extracurricular activities. I felt so disconnected and desired to just have a quiet evening and conversation with him. So, we hired a babysitter for our 3 sweet babies and went out. We got dressed up and went to a nice restaurant called "Grits". We did a little shopping and then went to Applebee's for a dessert. It was wonderful! It was just what we needed. We probably spent more money than we should have, but it was worth it. Another recent Bible study take away was that you must invest in your marriage. I'd like to commit more time in investing in my marriage. I can definitely tell when I'm not investing in it. I don't want to be strangers when our kids are grown and gone.  I love my husband and still love going on dates and spending time alone with him.


Overall, this has been one of the best weekends we've had in a while!

Big Breath

Friday has finally come.....I feel like a marathon runner (or the way I imagine they'd feel) after a long race. My weeks are like go, go, go, go, go. When Friday comes, I can finally take a big breath and can finally relax a little. I've finished this week's race.

To celebrate my victory (making it to Friday), I did something a little silly. Addie (age5) has been talking about having a birthday party for her baby doll. So I thought "why not?" I knew that she would LOVE it if we made a big deal out of this. I went to the store and picked up some party supplies and sent Josh for a cookie cake complete with "Happy Birthday Jackson". We invited her very best friend and her mom (my friend) over. We had pizza, sang "happy birthday", and ate cookie cake. The girls even made cards for her doll. It was so much fun!


Why did I do this?? I think I'm beginning to learn that it's the little things in life that mean the most. Making memories with my kids doesn't require a lot of money or planning. We don't have to go on elaborate outings or trips. They just enjoy spending time together. They enjoy when I make a big deal about something they love (like baby doll Jackson). And I needed to take a big breath....I needed to slow down....I needed to spend time with my kids.



Yes, it was a silly idea. It made her very happy though! We made a fun memory and some cute pictures. It was a nice, fun ending to a long, crazy, busy week.

Today....

Wednesdays are THE BUSIEST day of my week! It's such a relief when I've made it through Wednesday (hump day!). So, what did I do today? Here is a glimpse into my crazy, busy beautiful day...

4:30a.m.- alarm went off. I hit the snooze (just once!)
4:40a.m.- time to get up...brush my teeth and hair, throw on some workout clothes and tennis shoes, pump...this morning, Asher was awake for some unknown reason so this required me to spend a little time explaining why he can't go with me to the gym. Finally, he understands so I turn on Yo Gabba Gabba and leave
5:05a.m.- 5:35 a.m.- walk on the treadmill and talk with Tonya...this is my ME time!
5:45- I'm back home and getting my shower. I get myself ready
6:15am- feed Asa
6:30am- wake Addie up and get her dressed and ready for school
7:05am- get everyone packed up and out the door
7:10am- drop off the boys, give them kisses and give Ms. Bonnie a quick morning report
7:20am- stop by Leslie's to give her a shot
7:35am- arrive at Addie's school, stop in to see Mimi and then walk Addie to class
7:55am-8:20am- drive to work
8:30-11:50- work, work. Work
11:50- pump (Asa will need this milk tomorrow!)
12:05- think I'll go out to lunch today! Zaxbys it is :)
1pm-5pm- more working!
5pm-5:30- driving, call Josh and then Blaine
5:30pm- pick up Asa and rush home
5:45pm- church is taking care of dinner tonight!
6:15pm- usually I would go to Women of Purpose but tonight I go home to feed Asa and pump again
7:15-8:30pm- choir practice
8:30-9- I sit on the couch for a little bit
9- pump again, fix lunches, wash bottles, put on pajamas
10pm- devotional, write blog post

Think I should probably be heading to bed....will get up and have another busy day tomorrow! So glad the weekend will be here soon!!!

September Already??

His face says it all!! I cannot believe it is September. Addie has completed 4 weeks of Kindergarten, I've been back to work for 4 weeks, Asa is 16 weeks old (!), and Asher just turned 3. Since I've become a mom, I've become much more aware of how time flies! Seems like just yesterday I was dreaming of being a wife and mom and now I've been a wife for 7 years and I'm the mother of 3! It is super hard to balance being a working mom and enjoying every moment, every stage, every memory of your children/family. This is something that I need to do better at! I want to make more memories, to slow down more and enjoy the stage we are in (the busy, mother of 3 kids 5 and under stage).  This will mean saying no to some things and not getting too involved but it will be worth it!

This weekend has been a nice time to just slow down and enjoy my sweet family. It seems like we are always on the go. I've always been so busy that it is usually hard for me to not be busy. But this weekend we really took it easy. We've hung out with friends and just been lazy around the house. We've had picnics and played at the park. I've enjoyed seeing the kids smile, laugh, and play. I've enjoyed one on one snuggle time with each one this weekend (and that is hard to do!)

As the weekend comes to an end, I'm thinking about how much fun we've had. I'm realizing that if I'm going to make the most of every moment, I will have to be more intentional. I will have to make more of an effort. I will have to slow down. It's OK not to be busy all the time. My kids need me and I need them. We need snuggle time and play time and time with friends. Yes, I still have to work and they still have to go to school but we have evenings, weekends, holidays, and vacations. We will make the most of all of these!!

I love my family and the memories we've made! Since time is not going to slow down, it's up to me to slow down. I am determined to do a better job of slowing down and making the most of every moment. Bring on the memories!!