I know there are some people with 5, 6, or 19 kids – but for us, it takes everything we have to survive with our 4 children.

Life’s CHAOS

What better way to describe our family. It’s beautiful chaos, but it’s chaos none the less. With the kids having to be out of the house at 7 am.

There’s 2 hours of commuting just for school a day.

There are the 2 toddlers who are home with my part-time and in school part-time.

There is my work, which I LOVE but have to balance when I can get it done with life. This typically calls for late late nights, and early mornings.

There is my dear husband who works so hard and does everything he can to help keep life in order.

There is the house that I SO LOVE but yet is constantly destroyed. I so want to make this house a home, but after a year – it’s still a work in progress.

There are friends who I miss.

There is church that I feel that I can’t find the time to serve for.

It’s all chaos.

When stepping back from the insanity and looking at how we survive, there are 4 words that keep resonating on how we embrace life’s chaos.

• Intentional
• Grace
• Love
• Faith

Intentional

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; … – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Being intentional, specifically with time is something I’ve had to be very aware of. As a previous people pleaser, my life was full of YES. Now, my life is full of, let me see when I can get that on the schedule.

Grace

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me – 2 Corinthians 12:9

Grace is the best thing I have ever learned – but of course, like all good things – it’s something you have to constantly work on. In particular, grace with kids is something I struggle with. I need to let them be kids and understand that.

Love

Let all that you do be done in love. – 1 Corinthians 16:14

Love. Love. Love. As a parent, I don’t know how one could not know love. These kids have taught me a love that I never knew existed. It’s unconditional. It’s ever-lasting. It’s everything.  I have to love like God does, and with my kids… that’s not hard.

Faith

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. – Hebrews 11:3 NIV

Thinking of the word FAITH – it goes hand-in-hand with the word TRUST. I have FAITH (trust) that all will be right – even when things could easily go so wrong. I have FAITH that at the end of my days, my life will be what God intended it to be.

Life’s chaos isn’t going anywhere. We can choose to embrace it – laugh, cry and just ride the ride – or we can choose to be miserable. Misery isn’t something I wear well. So here’s to crazy, chaos and enjoying everything – including the walls in our home that were just decorated with a bingo dauber. I so wish I was kidding on that last sentence. 

At least it’s orange, i’m totally into that color now. *sigh*

As a mom to 4 who no longer works in a typical office setting, the need for mommy friends is more needed than ever. The crying, screaming, fighting of these sweet little toddlers aren’t understood by many, but my mommy friends – they TOTALLY get it. They I feel more than anyone else on this Earth accept me with little judgement.

Read my prayer for mommy friends.

There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind. – C.S. Lewis

Maybe it’s the recovering people pleaser in me, but in all my years blogging – i’ve avoided controversy. Yeah, I know – I am sure I am missing out on trolls, traffic, readers, haters and what not – but it’s just not what I wanted to be known for and in your face controversy just isn’t my style.

But then I realized something.

What I write is my space. What I write you don’t have to write. It’s okay for people to disagree with me. It’s fine if the world doesn’t all think the same, how boring would the world be if we were all the same. 

If you are someone who truly knows me – you know my heart and who I am.

We all have our differences, so I might just dip my toe in and see what happens.

All that said, I promise not to hit you over the head with any of my opinions IRL. I’m just not that type of person, but what I will do is send you inappropriate pictures of things I find in my OBGYN’s office. You think I’m kidding? Send me your number and I’ll add you to my OBGYN spam list.

What? You are telling me you don’t write stupid messages to your nurse on your pee cups? Get with it!

Oh urine photos – nah, thats not the controversial subject I’m talking about – but enjoy.

I have 2 friends overseas in 2 different areas of Africa doing what they can to help those in need. When I think of what it would be like if I was born to a different family into different circumstances, I can’t help but realize how blessed I am.

I have 4 healthy children. I have a good marriage (14 years, baby!). I have a great community and church. Sure there is always the want of this or that. There are the minor hiccups in life that may make your world seem like it’s coming to an end, but really? Big picture, we are spoiled.

This life is amazing. Now go do something BIG.

When Zeke was born, so did my blogging at Baby’s First Year. The last 12 months have had me journaling his journey from infant to baby.

Today, I received exciting news as I have been invited to continue blogging, but this time about Toddler Times! August 1st will be a new journey into the world of being 1 and having a 2 year old.

I’ve loved my time with Babble and so glad to see it continue!

It’s July in Texas and guess what happened today? It RAINED!

After I put the babies down for their nap this afternoon, I fell asleep for 3 hours. When I woke up, it was raining. My absolute favorite lazy thing to do is to sleep while it’s raining. There is something so calming about the noise and the break from the exhausting heat. I needed the rest and the quiet.

So many times I forget to accept what’s going on around me, I just need to remember to just roll with whatever life deals me. I need to learn to dance in the rain (or sleep in the rain, if needed!). Everything happens for a reason.

And speaking of happening for a reason, someone knows that Texas needs a break from the summer heat! This is what my iPhone says about the next 5 days.

Dear iPhone, I am SO holding you accountable.

Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.

– Charles Dickens

And here’s to you Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know — woah woah woah….

If you don’t know Pomplamoose Music, let me introduce you.