It's all the Good days

I wish there was a way to know, "hey, this season of your life is about to end, and you better soak these moments up" but in real life that doesn't always happen or pretty much never happens. That's  where I have been, having babies and life and craziness in between all of those things. My kids have literally been growing up in front of my eyes. It happens so fast that you don't even realize it until it's done.

When I started blogging, I seriously had a three year old and a newbie. Now I have literally doubled in size and it's crazy around my house at all times. And blogging pretty much stopped all together. I continued to read my favorites, but I never wrote for myself.

I'm hoping that since we have kinda moved passed the "baby" stage, since my youngest is 16 months old- I know he is still so little, but now my life doesn't stop every three hours to nurse a teeny babe. I can start to get me back a little.

Writing! That's where this little ole blog comes in. 

Working out. umm I hate this one, working out is not fun for me, but afterwards I am always so proud.

Soaking up time with my kiddos. This is kinda a no brainer. But I would love to set a time aside for each one of them separately. They are starting to get such amazing personalities and spending time with them, is fun. And  as they grow bigger this will be such an awesome advantage for me! They might actually want to talk to me about things!

So overall, this is just so important to getting back to myself and also being the mama I want to be. 

Because we all know if Mama aint happy aint nobody happy. :)

Also, remember to soak in this season.  I won't have little ones forever. My husband won't always be working and finishing his degree. Sleep won't always trump showering... or maybe it will.

I want to cherish these days now and not look back to what I used to have.

 

A vision of success

I had recently been having this overwhelming feeling of being "just a mama" or "just a wife" It's silly I know, but I had really been letting those thoughts get into my brain and also letting it really get me down. But then after chatting with my hubby, my attitude began to change some.

Who's standard of success am I holding myself too? The world's? Eternal success? I am just living this life seemingly doing nothing?

The answer in short is absolutely not. I am RAISING four little humans. I am the one who will teach them manners, behavior, pretty much everything that they will be when they grow up will have been a culmination of everything I have poured into their tiny little hearts and brains. Talk about a huge impact for the glory of God.

We were chosen to be our husband's wife and our children were place specifically with us. It almost blows my mind how intricate the Lord designs things.

I am coming up on my ten year high school reunion. I think that's why some of these things had really been entering into my mind. For the past ten years, I have given birth to four babies, and followed and supported my husband in his career. I haven't graduated college. I have no special training. I haven't started any business's or pursued any other career besides that of raising, supporting and sacrificing for my family.

The world likes us to believe that's not enough. That if we don't have those titles or degrees we have done nothing.

Oh man, let's not let ourselves  believe that lie. Let's remind ourselves what a huge impact we have. Let's cheer other mama's/wives/stay at home spouses/working mama's/women struggling with infertility, that you have an incredibly important job.

You are exactly where God wants you to be.

 

 

HOPESPOKEN

Yall. Seriously I can't even tell you how much goodness came out of my weekend spent at HOPESPOKEN. God was totally moving and you could feel it. You could almost reach out and touch it. If you have a chance to attend, I can not recommend it enough.

First, I was totally pushed out of my comfort zone. I found a girl off of social media to room with. Her name was Katie and she was amazing. Exactly who I needed to spend the weekend with. We had so much in common and we just were really able to connect. I felt like we had been friends for forever. 

Then came the weekend. All the speakers Jen Hatmaker, music by Jason Castro, and my small group who met four separate times throughout the three days. All amazing and wonderful. I LOVE hearing peoples stories of how God has moved in their lives.

By Saturday night, I was feeling so emotionally exhausted. Just so worn out from all that had been spoken to my heart. I had heard four breakout speakers: Ruth Simons @gracelaced.com , Lindsey Kramer @ yonderwayfarm.blogspot.com, Joy Prouty @wildflowersphotos.com and also Jodi Mockabee @www.jodimockabee.com. Seriously all of them were so wonderful in their own deifferent ways. I AM AMAZED by how God shows up and shows himself through the telling of these women's seemingly ordinary lives. I think that may have been what I was supposed to get out the speaker sessions. God is in your story. Literally every piece, He has woven together. The mundane moments of laundry and sick babes, angry moments and happy moments, babies being born, the wanting of more children, moves, dirty dishes, Every moment sweet friends. 

He even continues to show up for me even when I am not showing up for him, He is so faithful.

The weekend ended with a punch to my heart. Stephanie Holden @ honeyholden.blogspot.com. This was what I had been waiting for, when she spoke about Grace upon Grace... literally the ugly cry happened. Like I said before God continues to show up for me even when I'm so unfaithful. But this was just a moment of knowing that God writes our story. He was there from the moment I became a teen mama, to now- four babies and a crazy unknown future. I have followed Stephanie for a while and it all happened by me stumbling across her letter to her 16 year old self, which I adored. So if you get a minute to read it, do it!

I can't even put into words all the awesomeness that came from the weekend so I'm just going to share a few pictures.

 Ruth told about finding your identity in Christ

 Lovely group of women! My small group <3 p="">

 Jen Hatmaker and Jason Castro

 Delicious gluten free treats!!

 My SWEET Roomie <3 p="">

 Stephanie Holden!

She was pretty much the.sweetest.ever.

Seriously a deployment?

Life is crazy isn't. Like seriously crazy. NOthing is ever turning out really how I would imagine or have planned for it to turn out, but I think that's what makes it awesome.

 Just a few days after I got home from HOPESPOKEN (which is a post in itself), we were notified my husband would be deploying! I mean... whaaaa? I was not expecting that. 

Hubs is currently not able to deploy because he was active duty switching to the reserves. So for two years he was put on stabilization. 

So literally my brain could not even process this info. It still really can't to be honest, a 14 month deployment to Cuba. Seriously who would have thought. 

Our plans are definitely not God's plans.  Originally he got off active duty to finish his degree and then hopefully go back as an officer. He is still planning to put his packet in as soon as his graduation is final. JUNE 8th! Wooop! But, this is just a huge hiccup in the process. 

I keep praying that God would just show us his plans. Make this path so unbelievably clear, that we wouldn't be able to screw it up. I'm sure all will be revealed in His time. Until then, I'm going to soak up this precious family time. Sneak away for plenty of dates. Spend lots of one on one time with our little babes, and also prepare our hearts for what God has in store for this next year.

Also, I'm planning to not just leave my little space of the web so neglected. Ya'll I'm expecting big things this year and I'm so hopeful for things to come!