Joy in the Journey

 Dear Mamas, I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to write to you this week. I wish I could say it was because I've just been too busy with the holidays but I can't. While it's true that I have been busy, it's more than that. I don't think its just the post-birth hormones or the fact that I have a teething TWO-month-old, either.  It has not broken through the gums yet, but there is certainly a tooth there! That explains the drooling and fist gnawing. There are a lot of other challenging things going on in my life right now. I started writing a list but you don't really need to hear all of it.  All you need to know is that God is in your storms with you, Mamas. He loves you. He isn't surprised by the challenges you are facing. He is waiting for you to lean into Him. He may decide to miraculously calm the waves with a word, or He may want you to weather through it. Either way, lean on Him, Mama! And don't be down on yourself for having a hard time. I t...

 It’s almost Christmas!!! Did you just read that with joy or panic?  My Christmas preparations this year look very different from what they have in the past. Usually I am scrambling to get all my homemade gifts done for the extended family, as well as doing many activities with my kids. But this year I have a newborn, so I decided early on that I was going to expect less of myself. I decided that I would focus on the gifts I really want to make for my own kids and if I get anything done beyond that, it would be a bonus.  It kind of feels selfish, but I’m glad I made this decision. I do miss making gifts for my loved ones (acts of service is my love language!), but I also know there is no way I could have gotten them all made in time. Not without sacrificing the little sleep I get and putting up with some stressful crying from the newborn. I bought this onesie for my daughter 13 years ago, and it’s a good reminder that the people in our life are the best gifts. I also made...

My thoughts to share today are nothing new. I’ve been thinking a lot about how privileged I am. Well, I’ve actually been catching myself complaining about how hard life is and then reminding myself how privileged I am. In case you are wondering if I’ve already written a blog about it, you are right, I have. And I don’t feel like I can say it any better now than I did then, so here’s the link. Please read it, you may need the reminder, too.  https://www.joyhereinthejourney.com/2020/10/privileged.html Love ya, mamas! Lee

The first thing I did after getting out of bed this morning was clean up dog diarrhea...a really awful mess. The entire time I was doing this job I was gagging uncontrollably and the baby was screaming from his rocking seat, also uncontrollably. The baby has been very clingy the past few days and I'm exhausted so it's no wonder that at 7:55 this morning you would have found me crying in my laundry room and wondering, "Is this my life? Really???" But I didn't stay there long. I looked at my adorable toddler and appreciated that he was there watching me and offering moral support during the whole poop-tastrophe. We walked back into the house and I thanked my 10-year-old, who was pacing with the screaming baby and doing her best to try to console him. I put the baby in my front carrier and latched him on and continued mixing up the waffles that we were going to have for breakfast. My 13-year-old asked me advice about a craft she was working on and my 7-year-old humme...