Guest Post

Today I am honored to share with you a guest post by someone whom I highly admire.

I met Emily when both of our husbands were stationed at Nellis Air Force base. We spent many holidays together, baby showers, and parties together. Our husbands went running in the morning (when they actually had the time). I loved Emily's house and all her awesome decorating skills and often think about her house when I see certain home decor. 

She is AMAZING!

I love her sweet, amazingly strong spirit and I adore how genuine and loving she is. 

I think you will love her too.

Emily Blogs over at A Precious Mess 

I love this post and I can not even begin to tell you how many much I love this post. 

I have felt like this so many times, and talk to my husband about this so many times. 

Enjoy her beautiful post, and go visit her blog too. 

“We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are.”

-Marjorie Pay Hinckley 

It was a crisp fall day when I brought home my first baby girl.  She was wrapped up tight in a pink blanket, sleeping peacefully with a big bow on the top of her head....what was not to love?

I had high expectations for this little girl, and for myself as a new mom.  This day was the beginning of what I now call..."The Honeymoon Phase"

Kate and I had wonderful days in our old, but charming, military house.  I woke up every morning to her coos and noises and thought "How could anyone not love being a mom every moment of every day?"  (Really,  I thought those things...hence the reason I now call it the honeymoon phase)

  

But as soon as it began, it started to fall apart.  Before I knew it my ideals were getting thrown out the window left and right.  I didn't breastfeed her for an entire 12 months like I KNEW I would, and she wasn't weaned from a bottle at 9 months old.  I remember sitting at a restaurant watching a baby just a few months older then her tilting his own sippy cup and wondering what was wrong with my child since she couldn't do that.  (now that makes me smile to think that I worried about something so small.)

I was sure ALL children walked by their 1st birthday... and I was in for a surprise when Kate didn't!!

    She didn't walk at 13 months either... or 14 months...or 15 months.... but finally at 16 months she gave it a go!  

At that time I was already 7 months pregnant and extremely relieved that I wouldn't be carrying two babies around on my hip.

18 months after I brought my first baby girl home.. Anna joined our family and that was a whirlwind!  Anna's delivery was physically the hardest thing I'd ever done... until 3 weeks later when she started to cry...and continued to cry for 4 months straight!  

Anna was colicky... and all my visions of being the perfect homemaker went spiraling downward!

  When my husband came home from work each day he was not greeted by a 1950's wife who had even taken time to reapply her lipstick.  There was no impeccably clean house or the aroma of dinner filling the air.  Instead, he walked into a crying baby, a messy toddler, and a  frazzled wife who was practically in tears!  I had not showered,  had not exercised,  had not made dinner, because I had held my crying baby ALL DAY LONG!  (insert end of "honeymoon phase" here!)

Soon after that I was pregnant with James (and terribly sick.)  I think it was the day that I wound up in the ER with IV fluids, (while a baby shower was being held at my house), that I realized I could not do IT ALL!   I was going to have to pick my priorities and let go of the rest.  I was going to have to SIMPLIFY

and simplify I did...

The next 4 months were spent SURVIVING as I layed on the couch punching buttons on the remote control.  My toddlers watched episode after episode of Little Einstein and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  (So much for my '30 minutes a day' TV limit huh?)

Once baby # 3 was born things just changed... the girls hair doesn't always get done and it isn't vital that their shoes match their outfits.  Sometimes faces don't get wiped immediately after lunch.  In fact many times they get wiped in the grocery store parking lot as I'm unloading kids from the  car.   I've learned that spills on shirts will dry, ( for the personalities that don't like wet clothes I throw theirs in the dryer..that speeds things up.)  And I don't need to change my shirt for one little smudge... (like I would have before kids)

  If someone absolutely needs a change of clothes (after 4:00 p.m)  I change them into their pajamas.   (Even with these tactics I still spend a fair amount of time in laundry room.)

I don't do everything I'd like to do....I don't always invite new neighbors to dinner, and I haven't dabbled in my curiosity of photography...and this list has just begun! (I'm sure your nodding your head thinking of your own list)

I don't do these things because there are too many tummies to fill and skinned knees to kiss.  There are lots of stories to read and lessons of honesty and kindness to teach.  Sometimes we go to the splash pad instead of folding laundry.  Or make cookies despite the overflowing dishes in the sink.  Sometimes I just need a break from it all so I check my facebook, or write this blog...or take a NAP!

Everyday is a new challenge of figuring out how to juggle and deciding what takes priority...but it is a challenge I'm happy to have!

In the Bible it talks about seasons...

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven....

a time to be born and a time to die...

a time to plant and a time to pluck up...

a time to weep and a time to laugh...

a time to get and a time to lose...

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

When I start feeling overwhelmed with all the things I DON'T DO  I remind myself...

  this is my season!

My season started 4 1/2 years ago on that perfect fall day...

And now it's my season to love my kids

and to teach them about God

It's my season to have toys scattered across my floor

It's my season to have such sweet innocence surrounding me

and to be completely loved and needed by them

  It's my season to have my pants fit a little tighter then I would like

It's my season to comfort a crying child

and hold them tight

It's my season to have smashed graham crackers in my minivan

It's my season to shape the future,

to simplify and to enjoy what matters most.