I'm supposed to be a what?!?

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending Sally Clarkson’s Wholehearted Mother Conference & Retreat. As I've talked to other friends who attended and as I've read blogs (you know me and my guilty pleasure) of some women I know and some I don’t, it has amazed me that so many women could be sitting at the same conference and each would walk away with different key points pressed upon their hearts. The Lord truly meets us where we are!

Before I attended the conference, I thought I’d brush up on some of Sally’s teachings :) by rereading Mission of Motherhood. The chapter that spoke to me the strongest, in fact the one I couldn’t move past because I wanted to sit and soak it all in, is titled, The Servant Mother. The what?? Servant?? Is that what my life has come to? Choosing to be a servant-mother means willingly giving up myself, my expectations, and my time to the task of mothering – and choosing to believe that doing so is the best use of my time at that moment. p.68 Instead of looking at all of the interruptions, accidents, and such as intrusions on my time, I am learning to see them as moments to bless and serve my children, opportunities to model Christ’s graciousness, moments to teach them to be patient and forgiving. This theme continued, for me, throughout the conference. A few points that encouraged me in this: In the midst of the interruptions, there is a moment for planting…All of the little things build a legacy…Nothing that’s great that’s accomplished is ever accomplished easily…You can’t do it all, so make sure that what you’re doing is what God wants you doing…Be the servant leader, not just the person in charge…

The other thing that I kept hearing over and over again was to love my children as they are – individual and unique. I’ve struggled with this one for some time. My girls couldn’t be more different and I sometimes find myself comparing my younger one to my older one. I realize this isn’t fair and believe me, I love my girls equally, yet Anna sure keeps me on my toes! Some things I heard at the conference: Children are not educated unless you nurture their own creativity…Allow them to develop their own areas of interest…To influence their heart, you must give grace and love who they are…

I think I long ago crossed the line from musing to rambling. If there is anyone still reading, I leave you with one more Sally quote:

But it’s the way I respond to my children in everyday moments that gives me the best chance of winning their hearts. If I have integrity and patience in the small moments of life that are so important to my children, and if I approach them with a servant’s heart, then I have a far better chance of influencing them in the larger and more critical issues of life.

(And the next time you see me losing my cool during one of these “teachable” moments, please remind me that I wrote this post!)

In the eyes of the beholder....

All day on Valentine’s Day, my little Anna was just as sweet as could be. She showered me with compliments and kisses, telling me over and over, “Mommy, you’re so pretty!” The next morning, David walked by the girls’ room and heard them talking. He heard Anna say, “Abby, let’s go see our mommy. She’s so pretty.” So Anna comes and crawls into bed with me, snuggling and just being ridiculously sweet. She looks up at me, wipes a few hairs from my face, and says in the cutest little voice ever, “Mommy?” At this point, she’s got me completely eating out of her hands. “Yes, Anna?” Looking into my eyes, in just as sweet of a voice, she says, “Mommy, you’re not as pretty today as you were yesterday.” What?? You mean I don’t look the same with messy hair, no make-up, no contacts, baggy eyes, etc? I was shocked. Not really, but I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in a very long time!

(For those who may be wondering, I couldn't find my heart-shaped cookie cutter on Valentine's Day, so instead, I made the girls teapot-shaped french toast. And yes, that is a furry headband and dress-up outfit that she wore to breakfast. Not uncommon around here.)

And speaking of Valentine’s Day, here are a few pictures from our parties. Unfortunately, I put the wrong memory card in my camera and was only able to take a few.

Oh, to be 29!

Well, yesterday marked the beginning of the end of my twenties! I’ve always thought that as you approach 30, you’re supposed to have some kind of early mid-life-crisis or something. Not so for me. I have several friends who are 30 and older (you know who you are!) who have made getting older look so good! They seem so much wiser, and more mature…more patient too. While I (honestly!) am looking forward to being 30, I still plan to fully enjoy being 29 (which I hear can sometimes last for several years)!

So, how did I spend my birthday? I got my carpets cleaned. Exciting, I know. I then tried to convince my family that all I wanted for my birthday was for us all to clean the baseboards and shutters. I mean really, what could be better to any stay-at-home mom than to have clean carpets, and freshly scrubbed baseboards and shutters? They didn’t buy it, so I guess I’ll save that project for another day.

A very sweet friend stopped by with a lovely cake from Whole Foods complete with candied roses and a white chocolate flower, so yummy! My dad stopped by later with a bottle of 1979 bordeaux (so much better than my $10 grocery store wines!) My wonderful husband brought me some beautiful orange tulips and a delicious sushi dinner from our favorite place. Abigail gave me a pillow that she made in her sewing class, which she had been hiding in her daddy’s trunk for about a month! Anna gave me lots of hugs and kisses, and was the first one to wake me up to wish me a happy birthday...and a happy one it was!

Not too sure what I've gotten myself into...

I’m not exactly sure why (or for whom) I’m starting this blog, but due to the fact that I’m seriously addicted to reading other people’s blogs, I thought it was high time to start one of my own. Blogging is such a strange thing to me. On one hand, I have several blogs that I follow fairly regularly and it’s really fun to get a glimpse into the lives of others. On the other hand, several of these blogs belong to people I’ve never met and who have no idea that I’m reading what, to me, seems rather personal…it’s almost like sneaking and reading someone else’s diary. For some crazy reason, I’ve decided to let the world in on mine...

More than anything, I thought this would be a fun way for me to record silly moments and favorite memories of my simple life as a stay-at-home, home-schooling mom.