Broken Into Beautiful: Mothering When You Have Nothing Left to Give

You are stronger than you think. You are more kind than you know. You are brave and you are good...even in those moments when it feels like you have nothing left to give. Hang on. There is One who holds the burden of raising your babies even more close to His heart than you. He will equip you with the strength you need for each day.

It may not feel like enough to you. You may not feel like you are giving your kids enough...but the One who breathes life into our lungs also multiplies loaves and fishes and He will take the feeble offerings you provide and multiply them into an overflowing love poured into the hearts and minds of your little ones.

So, on those days and in those moments when you are not sure how you can fathom the strength to take another step, tame another tantrum, make another sandwich, change another diaper, or smile another smile, remember that you are not alone. And when you feel so defeated that you don't even want to turn to Jesus for help because you are ashamed and angry, it's okay. Because He will turn to you. He will replace the burden you put on yourself with truth. Instead of carrying a bag of all the ways you don't measure up he will give you a pack of all the ways you are perfectly designed by Him to be the mother of your children. He didn't choose somebody else, He chose you. And He will equip you to love those kids in exactly the way they need to be loved.

In Him, you are strong. In Him, you are kind. In Him you are brave. In Him you are good. And in Him you can mother those children with strength, kindness, bravery, and goodness even on the hard days. So open your hands and let Him take the scraps you have...and you will see a miracle. He turned water into wine and made man from dust, let's let Him take our brokenness and make it into something beautiful.

"I'm Pretty Sure I Forgot to Brush My Teeth This Morning" and Other Mom Confessions

I am pretty sure I forgot to brush my teeth this morning. They felt grimy a few times throughout the day but I didn't really think anything of it until I went to brush my teeth tonight and realized...oops. So apologies to anyone who had to be within a breath of me today, and a special apology to my husband who was apparently gifted halitosis kisses by me. Your welcome honey.

After I realized my faux pas, I began to wonder if I would have made this slip up pre-children. Don't get me wrong, I have had my share of dingbat moments throughout my life...some may even say I am a tad absent-minded at times. But something seems to happen when you have kids (tell me it's not just me?!) that permanently sidelines your brain. I think when you decide to have kids you should get a warning label:

 Sometimes I wonder how my non-parent friends now see me. I have to confess that before I became a mom I had all kinds of "opinions" on mothering and how it should and shouldn't be done. Am I the only one who changed my tune once taking care of little ones 24-7 became my reality? I eased up a bit on my stringent idealism and realized two things. One: being a mom can be a blast if I give myself some grace and learn to go with the flow and laugh at my mistakes and failed plans. Two: being a mom really does take up a ton of mental energy and physical stamina. It isn't as easy as it looks!

So there may be times I let my toddler watch too much television or don't feed her enough vegetables. I might overuse a pacifier with my baby boy because I just want him to go to sleep. Some nights I might go to bed with toys still strewn all over the family room and dishes still overflowing the kitchen sink. I have gotten snappy with my husband and huffy with my kids. There are days I count down the minutes until bedtime and I know I don't cherish the everyday moments as much as someday I'll wish I did. On occasion, I may even forget to do basic things like brush my teeth or remove the seven stickers I have plastered on my shirt and face before answering the door. I'm not a perfect mom, wife, or homemaker. But I love my family fiercely and, in the end, I think that matters more than the perfection I often seek. So, mamas, here's to learning to live in the grace and beauty of the journey as we seek to be the best mamas we can to our littles. And here's to letting Jesus make up the gap where we fall short.

Hello Again (and) Simple Summer Thankfuls

When exactly is the best time to jump back on the blogging bandwagon after having a baby?  I sort of feel like three years from now might be a good option. Or maybe it would be better to wait a solid eighteen and get the kids out of the house so I can catch up on sleep and find some motivation then? Although, if we have any more kids I'll have to push that back a few years, and by then will blogging even still be a thing? It will probably be replaced with some super-techy way to communicate that I don't stand a chance at partaking in because it will be way too complicated for my middle-aged mind to understand. I can barely keep up with blogging technology at its simplest.

Anyway, all that to say, there's really no time like the present, right? Even if by "present" I mean that I have been up since four this morning, just put my crying toddler to bed, and am currently sitting in my own bed dreaming of the possibility of three hours of uninterrupted sleep (while continuously reinserting a pacifier into my little guy's mouth desperately hoping that he will decide sleep is as important to him as it is to me). Sooooo,  I can't really make any promises to you about this post being meaningful or impacting your life in some significant way. You might just want to skip it and go check your facebook feed again. I'm sure you could find something more exciting to read or watch there. But if you insist on continuing in your endeavor to read this in its entirety (whether because you have a need to complete what you start no matter the cost or because you have some sort of need to cause yourself pain) I will leave you with a few blessings from my last few months.

Simple Things I am Thankful For this Summer...

1. The sweet smile my one-month-old little boy gives when he is sleeping peacefully in my arms.
2. The belly laughs my toddler lets out when I tickle-attack her unexpectedly, and the way she sometimes just wants me to hold her and snuggle.
3. The sense of humor my husband brings to those moments when I feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and just can't find the joy...he helps me find it.
4. The thoughts of future moments to be celebrated and shared with my parents, sister, and in-laws as they have all decided to relocate to our area.
5. The smell of freshly mowed lawns, the feel of a breeze tousling my hair, and those mornings that are cool enough to go for a walk or head to the park.
6. The time I have been able to have doing "summer things" with my family. Swimming, swinging, eating ice cream, and playing together...this is the stuff summer is made of.
7. The calm, sweet demeanor of my baby boy and the funny, feisty attitude of my sweet girl. Each of them is unique and I love their differences already.
8. A husband who wants to spend time with me and the kids. I am blessed to have such a man.
9. A house! I am so excited to be buying our first house...less than a week until we sign papers!
10. God's grace...it has been busy and exhausting learning how to be a mama of two under two. I love it, but many days have been ended with God as an afterthought instead of the center. I love His gentleness and grace with me, and I love that He is showing me how He wants to be in the middle of the adventure with me and my family. Here's to learning what that looks like. :)

So there you go! Now I have a completed blog, a sleeping baby, and a warmed-up bed. It is time to say goodnight and sweet dreams. Until next time...whether it be a few days or a few weeks! Keep loving the people and keep cherishing the moments put before you!  

Summer 2014 Bucket List

Oh I have missed you! I have not even glanced at this blog in probably over a month and it has been way too long. I needed the break to focus on other things but every time I set my fingers to typing here on messyfaceshappyfamilies I just get giddy! And while I don't have a ton of time to share my meandering thoughts, I did want to hop on and share my summer bucket list! Some of these things are BIG...like having a baby and buying a house (oh my!) and some are smaller, but I figured if I didn't write them down than I might not do any of the smaller, fun summer activities I have been excited about. So without further ado...my summer bucket list!

1. Have a garage sale
2. Have a baby boy
3. Finish the buying process and move into our new home
4. Have a "bonfire" and make smores
5. Swim Class with my little one in the local pool
6. Visit Shoshone Falls and the lake nearby
7. 4th of July Firefighter picnic and fireworks
8. Get ice cream cones and play in the park in Boise
9. Make homemade bubbles
10. Try a new coffee shop
11.  Make homemade ice cream 
12. Go to a petting zoo or the humane society
13. Try a new restaurant 
14. Have a family barbeque get together with extended family
15. Visit a splash park
16. Go to the aquarium
17. Paint pots with Baby Girl
18. Make Confetti Pudding Pops and have a "tea" party
19. Go on a date with Hubs
20. Play in the kiddie pool
21. Have newborn pics taken of baby boy and his big sis
22. Arrange a "father-daughter date" for the hubs and Baby Girl
23. Feed the ducks
24. Make this ice cream cake
25. Sit outside at night and enjoy the warm summer air and peaceful quiet

What's on your list? I would love to hear!