Joyful Mom Monday - Begin Again!

I love fresh starts!  That's why two of my favorite times of the year are the New Year and September (new school year).  This year my new year has begun a little late.  I wasn't quite ready for the New Year on New Year's Day, and so I used the excuse of having had a baby 3 weeks before to just put it off a little longer! :)  I did, in my mind, kind of make today the beginning of my "begin again."  So far...it's been pretty much...a fail!  I wanted to straighten the house, catch up on the laundry and take down my Christmas decorations.  That really doesn't sound like that much until you throw six kids into the mix and remember that your postpartum check-up is today...as in like 2 hours!!!  

So, I sit here at 4:30 with only 1 load of a laundry out of a possible 15 loads done!  The house was straightened until I remembered we needed to go somewhere whereupon everyone had to change clothes (keeping in mind most of the clothes are dirty) and mom had to spend time getting dressed (so of course everyone had time to make a mess as they entertained themselves).  The Christmas decorations are still up and may never come down.  BUT....I made it to the doctor with six children and was only 5 minutes late.  The doctor informed me that I was a terrific mom and even told the nurse that I was very well put together for being a mom of six.  My first thought...I'm not sure that was a compliment.  My second thought...if you could have only seen me an hour ago.  My third thought...if you could see my house right now!  

On the way home, as I was pondering the great depths of depression I was sinking into, I heard my kiddos laughing and looked into the rear view to see them all trying to watch Emmalyn who was apparently making a funny face in her sleep.  Then, I heard one of them say, "Emmalyn is getting so big already.  I'm glad we get to just sit and enjoy her."  That's when I was once again reminded of what is so important.  Life is passing by too quickly.  I need to enjoy the people who are a part of my life more. 

And so, my laundry may never be done.  We may be able to truly celebrate Christmas in July complete with Christmas lights and decorations, and I am 100% positive that my house will never be completely straightened again.  But I get the chance today to show my sweet mister and 6 little munchkins how much I love them.  So...at approximately 3:15 this afternoon I chose to begin again and this time to make sure I take the time to "just sit and enjoy" the blessings God has given me.  Don't worry...I also switched out the laundry! :)

Joyful Mom Monday - Making Memories in the Middle of Inconveniences

This morning, I woke up feeling a bit achy and blah, and so I took a major risk...I ran a hot bath while I left my children to finish breakfast and do chores!  Yes, even with the oldest being 10, this can be risky!  As I was relaxing for a few minutes, I remembered an incident that happened about 5 years ago, and I finally laughed about it!  

5 years ago, I had a five year old, a 3 1/2 year old, a 22 month old and an 8 month old...in other words, a house full of insanity!  The Mr. and I always refer to these special times as the years of survival! :)  I needed to be somewhere ON TIME that evening...very important to be ON TIME!  I also wanted to leave the house in clean order because the rest of the week was going to be busy.  I spent the entire day cleaning like a mad woman.  As it was getting closer to the time for us to leave, I bathed all the kiddos and got them ready to go and left myself an entire whopping 30 minutes to shower and dress myself.  For those of you who know me, this is not very much time, and then when you add 4 small kiddos to the mix, it's really not enough time.  

I left all the kids playing nicely in their rooms and reminded Evvie (the 5 year old) to come and get me if she needed me.  I jumped into the shower and was in there for approximately 2.5 minutes when I heard this strangely familiar creaking noise.  I knew it was the opening of our wood stove.  I called Evvie's name several times, but she didn't answer.  I finished up in the shower, jumped out, wrapped up, and stepped out the door to look down the hall and see....my 22 month old pouring ashes all over my 8 month old.   My freshly bathed and clothed babies were COVERED in ash, and I haven't even described the house with all the ash flying around!  

I was so exhausted and stressed that the only thing I could think of was how I was going to clean up the babies and all the mess and get myself dressed in 20 minutes! I was a crying mess!  I quickly bathed and dressed them again, went and put all the kids in their car seats and came back inside to finish dressing myself with the last 5 minutes I had. 

I dropped the kids off at the baby sitter's house and made it to my appointment 10 minutes late.  When I explained to the group why I was late, I was appalled when they all began to laugh and several even asked if I took pictures!?!  What?  There was nothing cute about that!!! I was hoping they would back up my idea that this was uncalled for - an unnecessary and rude interruption!  Poor, sweet mom! And the only response I got was, "How cute!"

Five years later, I wish I had taken pictures of them, and I can laugh at the craziness of it all.   As I look back on my first years of being a mom, I wish that I had enjoyed my little ones more.  I wish that I had laughed at their explorations - even if they did cause an amazing amount of mess.  That is one thing that I have made sure I do more of with our youngest.  So...today tired mom of littles, remember that this time goes by so quickly and one day, you will sit back and remember the craziness and actually wish you could do it again!  Remember, mom of older kids, each season has its ups and downs. Enjoy the moments we've been given.  Make the best out of the inconvenient moments.  See things through the eyes of your children - no matter what ages they are - because this moment will soon be gone.  

Today, I am thankful for the memories God allows us to keep and for the lessons we learn as we go through this journey.  And I'm even thankful for that silly 22 month old Garrett who poured ashes all over his little sister! 

Wishing you a day full of blessings,

Christy

Joyful Mom Monday - Looking Past Ourselves

Yes...I know...it's Tuesday, but I had something on my mind yesterday but never had a chance to write.  So...here goes.

Motherhood is quite the journey - full of ups and downs, highs and lows, moments that go by too quickly and moments that you feel you will never be out of!  As moms, we need to make sure we take time to refresh ourselves and fill ourselves up so that we can continue to pour into our family.

However, something that I am noticing in our American culture is that we have become comfortable with saying no.  We have told ourselves the lie that Satan has thoroughly convinced us of and is now using to literally tear the church and the family down - if I have too much on my plate, I can say no with no guilt.  Don't leave me yet, folks!  The question I have been posing to myself is, "What should I say no to?"  "What will count for eternity and what is really unimportant when compared to eternal value?"  

I am suggesting that the average Christian American has begun to feel comfortable saying no to the spiritual priorities of the church and even the family in order that they might have "quality time with family" or that ever sacred "me time."  In the name of a good thing, we are, in reality, neglecting the most needful things.  What we are really saying is, "I won't enjoy doing this as much as I would enjoy this, so I am going to say no," or "That will take more effort than this, so I need to say no."  

Please understand, there are times when we need to say no...even to church activities, but the real heart of the matter is, "Am I spending more time entertaining myself than growing myself?"  If so, we may need to check in and see where our focus is.  Are we really focused on others and the spreading of the gospel, or are we focused on ourselves and what is comfortable and convenient for us? 

Believe me when I say that this is something I need to address in my own life - daily.  It is a constant battle of priorities, and I have by no means arrived, but I am learning...I am realizing that the more I am willing to step out of my comfort zone and the more I am willing to sacrifice, the more meaning my life has, the less shallow my thinking becomes, and the more growth and joy I will experience.  

So, moms, or any Christian out there, how are we doing at looking past ourselves, stepping out of the comfort zone and making true sacrifices that will count for eternity?  It isn't easy, but the rewards are so much greater, and if we want our children to live this kind of sacrificial life, we need to step up and show them how.  What will you say no to this week - something of eternal importance or something of pleasure?  God gives us earthly pleasures to enjoy, yes, but how much more joy would we receive if we asked Him for eternal pleasures and rewards?

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ~Romans 12:1

Wishing you a day full of blessings,

Christy

Joyful Mom Monday - Lots of Cuddles and Snuggles!

Many times as I look back on my experiences of motherhood, I see mostly failures or things that I wish I had put more effort into or ways that I would prioritize things differently now.  One thing the Mr. and I have been successful at though is giving lots of cuddles and snuggles!  I am so thankful that we have made this such a major part of our family's living that it comes very naturally to all of us.  I love it that my 10 year old daughter thinks nothing of coming and sitting in my lap or even crawling into bed with us in the morning if she wakes up before we do.  Every family is different and will show their affection in different ways, but every child needs to be snuggled and cuddled!  It brings joy to my heart when my kiddos come to sit with me or just come up to give me a hug.  As they grow older, the cuddles and snuggles will change, but even teens need that extra hug or arm around their shoulder to let them know you love them and are on their team.  So, I just thought that today I would remind us moms how important snuggling is with those little ones.  It builds a bond that will last forever!

Wishing you a day full of blessings,

Christy

 

Joyful Mom Monday - What to Do When You're Not So Joyful!

Well, in case you haven't noticed, I've been away for awhile...again!   Like I said before, I am not an extremely consistent blogger when I'm expecting, but I am honestly hoping that things are settling a little more, and I can write more often.

To be truly honest, I probably could have written several times, but I have not felt like an especially joyful mom lately.  I feel more like the drill sergeant who wants 25 things accomplished in 2 seconds flat with no back talk, no delays and absolutely no playing allowed!  Yeah...real fun mom right here!  As a matter of fact, the Mr. gave me a wonderful weekend away with my best friend, and one of my children's response to this news was, "Yay, maybe we'll finally get to have some fun!"  Proud mommy moment right there!  So, I feel a little hypocritical posting about being a joyful mom when I myself have obviously lacked in this area.  The truth is we should be joyful always, but the other truth is we are human, and there are times when human nature takes its toll, and we fail.  What can we moms do when we are just having a hard time finding joy in our everyday lives?  Here are a few things that I have been doing, and I am (finally) beginning to see that joy come back.

1.  Spend more time in the Word and in prayer.  Many times, I find that I lose my joy when I am busy...too busy...too busy to even read God's Word.  Slowing down and taking time to be intentional about my quiet time always gives me a better perspective of the day ahead and reminds me of the sacred task I have in parenting my children.  I especially love reading the Psalms when I am overwhelmed and not so full of joy.

2.  Check your schedule.  September and October are always a crazy busy time of year for me because of several obligations I have.  I try to prepare and cut back in other things so that I can still keep my family in the best routine possible.  There will be busy seasons of life, but we need to always be willing to look at the schedule and cross off the not-so necessary things.  (FYI: The Mr. is almost always the one who does this for me because I'm so terrible at it, but it's much easier for me to say, "My husband has asked me to give this up right now" than it is for me to just say, "I can't right now.")

3.  Lower your expectations.  GASP!  Sometimes, we need to step back and ask, "In the big scheme of things, is this really that important?"  For example, is my world going to completely fall apart if I do not mop the floor this Tuesday and Saturday like I usually do.  Answer...no.  It may bother me for a little while, but it's OK to spend that time reading to a little one or comforting another one instead of mopping the floor!  Also, if your children have been out of their regular routine, it is important to keep this in consideration when laying out your expectations of them.

4.  Accomplish your goals one small step at a time.  When I am crazy busy, I have a tendency to look around and see everything that I need to do, everything that I should be doing, everything that I want to do, and everything that everyone else expects me to do all at the same time, and it all suddenly becomes things that should have been done yesterday!  I allow myself to be overwhelmed.  That's when I have to step back and make a list from most important to least important.  I find that as I begin to mark off a few of the most important things that I accomplish, the least important things do not matter as much!

5.  Ask for forgiveness.  No matter how hard we try to prepare for busy times or overcome those moments  or days of lost joy, there will be times that we just blow it!  We become frustrated with a situation, but the children or the husband or the friend receive the backlash!  Be quick to ask for forgiveness and be completely honest.  Call sin sin and say the words, "Will you please forgive me?"  Children are amazing forgivers!

6.  Choose joy.  It's much easier to say than do, but there just comes a time when we need to pull up the boot straps and decide to be joyful even if we don't feel like.  The more we choose joy, the easier it becomes to be truly joyful.  

I hope that your weeks have been more joyful than mine.  If not, maybe these things can help you out of the rut you feel you are in right now!  Always remember that God placed you in the circumstances you are in for a reason.  Every situation has been gently sifted through His hand and chosen just for you.  He has a great plan for you and your little ones, and He is ready to help you conquer the doubts and fears and live in the joy of His plans for you!

A Scripture prayer for today: 

Romans 15:13

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Wishing you a day full of blessings,

Christy

Joyful Mom Monday - An Idea to Try

Well, once again, it's been awhile...I have two more weeks of crazy busyness and juggling of two different worlds, and then I think I will be back to normal pace.  Today, I thought I would share an idea that I haven't had a chance to implement in our home yet, but one that I plan on beginning as soon as we are done with the next two crazy weeks.  This idea is not just mine.  It has come from several different moms, and I have left some of their ideas and borrowed some of their ideas and added some of my own to make something that I am excited about!  So, here it is...

I would like to try to have what I am calling a "Feast of Blessings" once a week at our home.  I have racked my brain trying to find a way to have our family sit down together at least once a week and count the ways God has blessed us.  You see, I don't know if your family is like mine or not, but we have a tendency to complain.  (GASP!)  Yes, we have this knack for looking at what we do not have instead of recognizing how many things we do have that we come nowhere close to even deserving!  And so, I thought this would  be an excellent way to take special time as a family to acknowledge how good God has been to us.  Our family always eats dinner together, but each Thursday night, I would like to prepare a bit more of a special meal (maybe add a bought dessert to the end or something like that! LOL!), set the table nicely (if I can talk myself into passing over the usual paper plates), light some beautiful candles (oh, the Mr. will LOVE that one!) and sit down to a civilized meal with 5 children and a Mr. who doesn't believe in fancy anything!  As you can tell, my family is not perfect, and I fully expect that this will take some training and practice for everyone, BUT if we never attempt new things, think of all the things we would miss out on. 

In reality, I do have high expectations of this meal becoming a wonderful tradition that my family will look back on as a treasured memory.  I do want to have a beautiful meal laid out for them...it may not be a $50 plate, but it will be something that tells them, "You are special to me, and I love serving you."  We will set the table nicely and learn to use beautiful manners while doing it!  And by George, I am determined that one day I will light a candle, and the Mr. will not roll his eyes!

Once the feast has been laid out and enjoyed, we will then pull out our Blessings Journal, and as a family record the different blessings God has given to us that week.  We will also take a few minutes to tell each other thank you for the ways we have been blessed by them during the week.  I pray that this will be a time for us to form a wonderful bond with each other as well as an opportunity to show our children what a personal, loving God they have.

Every family is different, and your family may not be able to do something exactly like this.  The important thing is not necessarily what our traditions are but that we have them.  It's not important how we choose to remember God's goodness, but that we do intentionally take time to show our children their beautiful God.  So for those of you who try this, I would love to hear how it goes (I will make sure to let you know how ours turned out), and if you have other ways that you and your family celebrate the blessings of God, I would love to hear about them!  God is too wonderful not to celebrate and bring glory to! 

Wishing you a day full of blessings,

Christy