You Don't Have to Do it All.

As a stay-at-home mom I'm often asked about my daily schedule. And while I don't have a schedule that is set in stone and one that goes like clockwork, I can say that we stay busy. I look forward to the days that I don't have to do the diaper bag, car seat, lugging of 2 kids thing, but I also enjoy being "on the go." I like getting out and "doing".

However, we've been "doing" a lot lately. Doing so much in fact, that it has caused me to stop and re-assess how and why I do the things I do, because I've been coming dangerously close to the edge of a "burn-out". Enter Life Lesson #1,573: "How to Say No." This is a lesson that just about every woman is taught at one time or another. Some learn the lesson quickly and others fail miserably and live in a perpetual state of "burnt crispy." And with the rise in Pinterest popularity, the pressure to "do it all" and to "do it well" makes learning this lesson all the more difficult. For me it's not only a lesson in how to say "no", but it's also a lesson in not needing to do it all, because frankly, I can't do it all.

 With an almost three year old and a 5 month old I have been stretched a bit farther than I had expected. I've been trying to integrate my life "pre-kids" with my current set up, only to realize that that is nearly impossible. And within the last couple of weeks, I have really come to terms with that. I have been convicted about being thankful for where the Lord has me and being content in this chapter of my life. The chapter where pool outings and book reading are more important than booking photoshoots, where keeping my house up and the laundry piles managed are more important than organizing events, where nursing my baby takes precedence over running 10ks. Some of these sacrifices have been tough pills to swallow, but when I think about how quickly this time will fly, I know I will look back and wish I had more of it. Lord willing there will come a time that I can be at our church's kids camp like I used to, and there will come a day that I can hit the gym in the morning and go for a run in the evening, maybe I can watch a movie in one sitting instead of in  installments, or I can go to the pool with a book instead of a load of nerves, and Lord willing, I WILL get to do my 10th Peachtree Road race... but it won't be this year, and I'm ok with that.

 This season is a challenging one, but a beautiful one. I want to be fully immersed in it, so when it's gone, I will know I didn't do it all, but I did it and I did my best. I encourage all my fellow momma friends to do the same.

Home Sweet Home and Things I've Learned...

So. After selling our house in less than 48 hours, finding a new house in 72 hours, packing up our old house in 3 weeks with a 2 1/2 year old and a 4 month old while Mr. Clean traveled for 2 of them, putting everything in storage while we lived with my inlaws for 3 weeks while we waited on our new home to be finished, we have FINALLY made it HOME! It has been a crazy few months, but I gotta say, we've learned a lot of valuable lessons during that time.

1. Shrink wrap. We learned an extremely valuable/costly lesson that moving is soooo much more that throwing junk in boxes and tossing your furniture in the back of the vans. Our wooden furniture can share the rest of this lesson.

2. Hire professional movers.

3. See #2

4. When you pack for vacation or otherwise and you don't include a thermometer or children's medicine, you will inevitably need both...at 3 in the morning. It's called Murphy's Law.

5. When moving your refrigerator from point A to point B, it is NOT easier to keep every thing in it thinking you can just plug it back in and everything be fine. It WILL fall on top of your husband, damage his face and the doors, and all the contents inside will have been wasted.

6. See #2

7. Take a good look at your brand spankin' new walls before you start moving in, it will only take 12.5 seconds for the damage to begin. Dirty little boy hands combined with a clumsy momma and bulky furniture to place is a lethal combination.

8. You will be thankful for homeowners insurance sooner than you'd like when you discover leaky pipes have ruined your brand spankin' new ceilings less than a week after moving in.

9. All that stuff you needed for the 3 weeks in waiting is really all you'll ever need. The rest of the stuff is just NOT necessary...and can go in the basement.

10. See #2.

While we made many mistakes over the last few weeks, I would say it has all been worth it. I am tired and still have some minors touches to be made, but this place is already feeling like our home. I've been in prayer thanking The Lord for this blessing and have awakened every morning humbled by His gracious mercy in our lives and I pray we always remain grateful, content and careful to not squander the goodness He has poured on us for no darn good reason. Praise be to Him