To The Mom...

To the mom(s) out there who started this trend, and won't let it die...

Stop blogging "letters" to other moms. Stop telling us you see us at Chick-Fil-A or Target, or anywhere else, wrestling our small children and doing our best. Stop telling us you see more than the bags under our eyes and our ponytailed hair. Stop telling us that it won't always be this way, but one day we'll miss it. Stop condemning us or justifying us for *gasp* being on our iPhones while out in public with our children. I've had enough, and I'm speaking out. Stop. Just stop.

Parenting is hard. Far and away, the hardest "job" I've ever had. Everything about it is difficult. And some things get easier with time, while others get more difficult. It's a roller coaster that never ends, but that's okay. There's no perfect way to go about it, and unless you're abusing your children, or putting them in harm's way, you're not doing it wrong! Because there is no right!

I've done a lot, but I haven't done it all. I stayed home for the first year of my oldest son's life. It was hard. I've been working since then. It's hard. My youngest spent his first six months sitting next to me in my office instead of in daycare. That was hard. I've formula fed. It was hard (and expensive!). I'm currently breastfeeding. It's even more difficult. There are a million more choices that I've made along the way. Some I'd do again, and others I might change.

The point is, they're MY choices. I don't need to be affirmed, condemned, reassured, judged, or guilt-ed for any one of them. Because I'm making the choices that are right for MY family. I hope you're doing the same, without any thought of what others might think, want, or expect from you. And that's OKAY.

Are you a Pinterest mom? Great! Do you want to punch those moms in the face? That's okay, too (well, don't actually punch them). Are you ready to bring your Elf on a Shelf back from the North Pole for a glorious month of tricks and treats? Great! Are you a bit of a Grinch who told their child that Santa ran out of elves, because (seriously!) ain't nobody got time for that!? Great! Whether you buy cookies, bake cookies, or balk at the thought of your children eating refined sugar...whether you visit Santa as many times as you can, or tell your children that Santa is simply a fat man in the mall...no matter what your personal beliefs on these and other issues...YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT! Because you're doing it right for you.

So moms of the world, lets stop sharing these annoying blog posts on Facebook, stop judging and feeling judged by each other, and live by this simple motto...

YOU DO YOU...BECAUSE "YOU" IS BEAUTIFUL

Loneliness

I imagine at some point in their lives everyone struggles with loneliness. I'll be honest, this one doesn't get me too much, because I am by nature a very introverted person. Nights alone at home don't bother me. I truly prefer to shop, get pedicures, and all do all other manner of "girly" things, which are typically done in groups, by myself. Weird? Maybe. But that's just how God hard-wired me. 

Why, then, would I choose to blog about a subject that I don't struggle with? Because over the past few months, I've heard women on multiple occasions say to myself or someone else that they're lonely. What really strikes me is that these women are Christians. Church members. Church volunteers. Employees. Mothers. Wives. And yet they still describe themselves as "lonely."

So my question is this: how are we allowing this to happen? How can we as Christians be so disconnected from one another that women...strong, brilliant, amazing women...are struggling to make the pieces fit? Has this always been a problem in Christian culture? Is the problem with us? Are we so busy creating a breed of strong, independent, Pinterest-worthy Super-moms that we've forgotten that we must first take care of ourselves?

I certainly don't have the answers here. But I think the questions are definitely worth asking. How about you? Which side of the scale do you fall on? What do you think about the culture of loneliness? Most importantly...how do we fix it?

Bringing Blogging Back

Please read the title to this post as you nod your head (tap your feet, shake your booty...whatever) to the beat of Justin Timberlake's "Bringing Sexy Back." Yes, I'm old.

I can't believe it's been two and a half years since I've blogged. Seriously. Not one single post. This is my attempt to kick it back into high gear. I don't know that I have a whole lot to say, but dadgum it, I'm gonna say it anyway. Maybe this will just be a way for me to clear my mind of all the chaos that so easily entangles. Maybe it will be a creative springboard for someone else. Maybe it will just be a hot mess. Nevertheless, here I go.

What can you expect? Stories about motherhood. Stories about my husband. Craft projects and recipes that are NOT Pinterest-approved...because let's face it, who has time for that? Children's Ministry materials and ideas. Most of all, you can expect honesty.

Now...ready to dive in with me?

Being a Mommy

Becoming a mom really changes your life. It starts off all sweet and innocent. And then comes your first sleepless night, topped off by a blowout diaper and spit-up down your shirt. Here are some snippets of the past eight months...kind-of like a walk in my shoes. ;)

Some days you feel like you're in over your head.

You may feel right at home...

And then realize that the world is laughing at you.

But you've gotta keep your chin up...

And expect some days to feel like this.

Because sometimes you'll feel this small.

You gotta keep looking over your shoulder...

Because you never know who's watching.

Some days you just feel like garbage.

And others make your hair stand on end.

You'll find yourself at a loss for words.

And sometimes you feel like the butt of the joke.

Like life has taken a bite out of you.

And your whole world is turned upside down.

But when you feel like you can't take another bite of what life has to offer...

Take time to stop and smell the roses (or whatever flower is closest)...

And realize that it's all going to work out in the end.

Who's Your Daddy?

Really, could there be any doubt?

Chase's Dedication

We finally had Chase dedicated over Christmas weekend. I know, I know. He's already seven and a half months! But we wanted Kevin's dad to handle the dedication, so we waited until we went "home" to Louisiana for Christmas.

Look at that proud Grammy. And the kids were so cute on stage...

Chase did great...

And then McKenna started playing with him...at which point I just squeezed my eyes shut to keep from laughing at them.

A Redneck Christmas

Every year, we travel to Kevin's parent's house in Louisiana for Christmas. While none of us are actually rednecks (they're from Ohio), we did have a lot of fun, and ended up doing some pretty redneck things on Christmas day...sitting around a fire, burning trash, and chopping down a tree.

There's a TON of pictures, so I'll try to keep my comments to a minimum. :)

The Christmas-themed room our generous hostess (aka Grammy) prepared

Such a trooper for the drive there.

After the Christmas Eve Service

Santa's favorite helper

Waiting on Santa...he didn't fall asleep until 11:37...almost missed the cut-off.

Chase's first Christmas!

Let the redneck fun commence!