Lunch with Gram

A few weeks ago we heading out to visit Gram at her new Hospital. The kids had fun seeing the fish, checking out Grams new office and meeting her coworkers. After we were able to have a treat and play at the park behind the hospital. 
We love having Gram so close that we are blessed to be able to visit for lunch!

This is my second born, sweet, cuddly, Evelyn Jane. 
She has more recently found her voice and proceeds to sing all day long especial during meal times. She loves to sing every thing from itsy bitsy spider to Jesus loves me. 
Out of all three of my kids this one takes after me in the fact that she is an early riser and proceeds to make sure she is not the only one up at 6 am. 
We were truly blessed the day she was born, life has never been the same. Thankful for my bright blued eyed little girl. 

How I make it work

Here is my top 10 ways that help me find balance as a mom of three little blessings!

• Spend time with my Jesus daily

            Everyone knows that this can be challenging, remembering that His grace is new each and every day is what keeps me going. If I fall short one day, I continue to try the very next day to give God my best.

• Being present with my kids

            You know those times when you have a million and one things on your mind. Then your little one asked you to play and you go through the motions but don’t really feel that you are present. I strive to be a mom fully present with my kids leaving my to do list on the counter and my dishes until nap/bed time.

• Keeping a schedule/routine  

            Any time you have responsibilities I think it’s important to keep a schedule and a list to make sure things don’t get missed. Most kids do the best when they know what to expect and what is expected of them. We consistently try to keep things the same from day to day with naps, playtime, meal times, and bedtime. It is also great when I leave the kids with grandma or a sitter for bedtime because the schedule is already in place and easy to follow.

• Getting out of the house

            When I went from one kid to three it was a pretty tall order to make it out of the house by myself, but the more you do it the easier it gets. Finding time to get out to the park, library, and play dates help everyone get fresh air and a change of scenery.  I also love to get involved with things during the day like early childhood classes, a mom group through my church, library story hour.  I find that it makes it easier to get out when you have something concrete on the calendar once a week. Don’t forget to find time to get out of the house without the kids, this always help me be a better mom when I am with them.

• Perusing your passions

            After the girls were born I spent most of my days home with them and quickly found that I needed an outlet. I shortly begin getting involved in with things I am passionate about on a regular basis. I love that God has not only called me to be a mother but also a nurse, mentor, friend, encourager. I encourage you to truly press in and find out where your passion and call is in your life. Many are called but few are chosen Mathew 22:14

• Do a little cleaning and laundry everyday

            I have definitely learned to embrace the chaos and mess that comes with having small children. It is not realistic for me to be able to just clean my whole house top to bottom in one day while caring for my kids.  I have learned to clean a bathroom and do a load of laundry each day, and then it feels a little more manageable to me.

• Making my marriage a priority

            Everyone knows that after a baby your partner can take a backseat to the new little bundle.  We definitely felt this way after the girls came, with three kids we felt that even if we spent the day together we hardly had a chance to say anything but a few words to one another. We started by making a once a month date night, and remembering that as much as life may change my husband was first and I don’t want to choose to do life without him. It is worth hiring a babysitter so you can get a little bit of kid free time to refresh. We have also gotten good at having date nights in, where we put the kids to bed and then spend planned time together.

• Know what’s for dinner

            I was blessed to marry a man who likes to cook, so cooking has always been a shared responsibility. Since I am home it just makes sense if I can get something going before 4pm it helps everyone. Having a plan for what I will make for dinner a week in advance helps me tremendously. Before I would spend all morning scouring pintrest looking for something to make for dinner not present with my kids. I also prep dinner during nap/quite time that way I can fully focus on the task at hand and not feel like I am ignoring the little ones.

• Learning to say No

            When I started getting involved in more things during the evenings to get out of the house, I suddenly found myself away from home 4 nights a week. Like I said before you need to get out and pursue the passions that God has given you but also find balance. This has come through really praying and listening to his voice on where I need to be spending my time away from my family. Saying “no” or “not at this time” is an importance piece to finding balance in my life. If this is something you struggle with I recommend the book Boundaries.

• Give Grace

            This life can be hard and giving myself an ok to not be perfect is important.  Knowing that I will never be a perfect wife, mother, and friend helps me be who God created me to be.  I know that I am insufficient in so many ways, and this is why I put my hope and trust in the Lord because thank you Jesus you are all sufficient. Therefore He will help me where I fall short as a wife, mother, and friend. Not forgetting to have grace for my kids because they are also learning. 

Wherever you are and whatever God has called you to do, do it with your whole heart. Complete the race before you, this in and of itself will be your living example to your children.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17

Balancing Act

Before I became a mom, you could not have told me that I would now be a full time stay at home mom in less than two years.

When I was pregnant with my first I worked full time 12 hour shifts as a registered nurse on a busy cardiac unit, and my schedule had been perfect for my newly married lifestyle. But, boy did things change after my little boy came into the world, just as every new mom has a hard time heading back to work so did I. But it was gut wrenching when I went to work for 12 hours and would come home and my little sweet baby didn't want to nurse. And then the fact that when i worked multiple days in a row I never saw him, I left before he was up and came home after he was asleep. I remember those days and how I would sneak into his room just to rock him and smell his sweet baby smell.

When we decided to try for number two I knew I needed to find a better balance between my family life and my career. I accepted a new position working three days a week 8 hour shifts, I was sure that would be a great balance. And then the bottom fell out when we  went in for the 20 week ultrasound and to our complete and utter shock we were expecting not one baby but two. Once the shock wore off we decided that the best choice for our family was for me to stay home and pick up shifts a couple times a month.

Making this decision was easier said than done, being a stay at home mom with three little kids is not what I expected. Life changed drastically when staying at home and carrying for my children became harder than just going to work for 8 hours. When my Ob mentioned something to this effect when I was pregnant with my first, I laughed and though when would being at home ever be harder than going to a job every day. I guess I got my answer!

Balance is defined as an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.

As a mom many times I feel that my sole focus is to find balance and keep every thing from sinking. But, the truth is I am unable to do it on my own, because I know that there will be days and that I feel out of balance and weary in this life. But, knowing and believing that He will carry me is where my hope must rest.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:29-31

Whether you are a stay at home or working it is so important to find balance and peace in where God has placed us. Believing that whether we are cleaning up lunch or titrate drips, for a critically sick patient know that you have the opportunity to reach and encourage someone today.  

How do you keep things balanced in your everyday life, or are things sinking? Come back as I share how I make it work and keep everything a float as a stay at home mom of three!

Throwback picture from February 2012

Here is a couple pictures of the girls from last weekend at my brothers wedding.

This was the only time they were both sitting together quietly.

We had fun playing outside today!

This is Liam's dino creation! Love his creative imagination! 

Evelyn was living up to her nick  name "the bear"

 My sweet brown eyed babe!

My artist!

Summer?

Summer is here and I feel that I am not as ready for it as I thought. You wait anxiously for 9 long months, hoping, praying for just a few warm days, and then BAM its here. Hot, warm sun and its just what we have been waiting for, and then we go, go, go all day every day just coming home for a few hours for the girls to nap. Or like yesterday no one naps and everyone is at their breaking point and I feel like I should have known better. After 4 years doing this mom thing you would think I would know better or have been more prepared? 

This mamma is exhausted, I am finding myself on my knees more during the day lately just needing strength and joy to make it through the moments. I love that our God is there when I call and cares about all the little things in my life. I am thankful today and reminded that my joy comes from the Lord and is not contingent on my circumstances of this imperfect life. Even when I feel that my children are crumbling all around me I know that we will continue to move forward with the love and joy from the Lord. 

I am encouraged by the fact  that I am training my children daily to love and further the Kingdom, to be respectful adults and this doesn't happen over night.  I may not reap what I sow today or next week but months or years from now if I continue on this path that He has laid out for me. 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 

 I have to remind myself that it's ok if we just play outside in our yard today, and to give myself a little grace. This parenting thing is not always easy (even if your friend tells you it is ;) or straight forward. 

Lord, You have given me a wonderful responsibility: caring for my children. Let me love them, care for them, nurture them, teach them, and lead them to you. When I am weary, give me strength. When I am frustrated, give me patience. And, let my words and actions always demonstrate to my children the love that I feel for them.. and for you.