Welcome to my weekly post where we take a break from money-related posts and I share about what I'm loving right now and give you a little peek into our life from the past week.
I added a few fall decorations to our mantle this week — thanks to the Target Dollar Spot. I just LOVE fall, even if it’s still so hot in TN!
I told you last week that we completed our second Tough Mudder. They released the professional photos this week, and I just had to share a few of my favorites.
This was our first obstacle. Can you spot me? (I’m in the orange in the left corner!)
The very last obstacle of the event — I had already earned my 2x-er headband (see my hand!) but had to go through the Electo-Shock to get to the finish line. And yes, I did get shocked — on my neck. Yikes! It almost knocked me over!
We continue to adore Quill. He has seemed to adjust so well to our family and we all love him!
Tip: want to get your kids to help with laundry? Tell them that they can watch their favorite show as long as they fold laundry at the same time!
We don’t do much screen time at our house, so this is a win-win. A win for the kids because they get screen time. A win for mom because the laundry gets done!
Not too long ago, I made the conscious decision to stop using the word “busy” to describe my life.
It might seem inconsequential, but I realized that when I would say, “I’m so busy!” Or, “It’s such a busy week!” That I was in essence claiming that I am a victim of my calendar and commitments.
Like I didn’t have a choice in the matter. That all this busyness just “happened” to me.
In reality, I have choice in the matter. I can’t change everything about my life, but there are MANY areas where I can choose — and it’s important to remember that.
I can choose to live life at a go-go-go pace. Or I can choose to slow down and keep it simple. It doesn’t just happen to me.
My decisions (to say yes to that opportunity or to accept that responsibility or to take on that commitment or to sign my child up for this or that) have consequences — both good and bad.
For me, this simple shift in mindset in how I view my day (i.e. opportunities versus obligations) and messaging in how I refer to my day (i.e. no longer feeling like I’m a victim of busyness), has given me so much freedom to make better decisions and to enjoy life more.
Sometimes, simple changes make a world of difference. (Want some encouragement and inspiration to slow down, simplify, and savor life more? Sign up for my free class on 3 Ways to Stop Feeling So Overwhelmed.)
By the way, I’ve found that I thrive with a healthy mix of go-go and then stop. I like doing and producing so long as it’s balanced with plenty of being and resting!
This year, I’ve struggled as a parent more than I ever have. My neat little boxes of how I thought I should parent have been blown to bits by some unexpected circumstances.
Someday — when the time is right — I’ll share the journey with you all. For now, I’ll just say that I’m learning to parent all over again in a brand-new way.
I’m learning to step back and stop trying to micromanage my kids’ lives.
To stop trying to stuff them into the little mold I had created for them and instead to embrace exactly who God has made them to be.
To stop being frustrated when it feels that they aren’t right where I think they should be/making the perfect decisions I think they should be making/responding or acting exactly as I think they should be.
To instead step into their world, be interested in what they are interested in, care about what they care about, and to love them right where they are at.
As I’ve done this, I’ve gotten to not only know my kids in brand-new ways, but I’m closer with each of them than I’ve ever been.
And I’m grateful. Grateful for the beautiful, humbling privilege of getting to be their mom. Grateful for a God who uses unexpected circumstances to wake me up and shake me out of my unhealthy parenting ruts. He’s a good, good Father.
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