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.