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...

Hey friends! There is no new blog for this week. I am very much in the trenches of having a newborn and adjusting to life and not to mention it’s the holiday season. However, I do want to throw back to this blog, which was written in the spring and I needed to read today. Hope you are having a blessed day! Love, Lee https://www.joyhereinthejourney.com/2021/03/eat-drink-and-nap.html

  Lord, help me respond to this in the right way! That has been my desperate cry a lot lately. I have a preteen and a two-year-old…and three children between those ages…and a newborn…so yeah, I’m pretty exhausted and sleep deprived and don’t really trust my own judgement or initial reactions at the moment. parents.com  But I want to share a story with you that just happened yesterday. I think it’s pretty funny… My oldest was not doing her morning chore (rotating laundry). Well, she had started it and then was somehow in the wrong room and teasing her sister. The rule around here is if you are dawdling (or complaining about your chore) you get an extra chore to do after you finish that one. So I asked her to empty the dishwasher. “Me???” It’s usually not her chore. “Yes.” She stomps into the kitchen and sassily asks, “Do you want me to do that before or after I finish the laundry?” “Your choice.” I reply calmly and keep chopping veggies for the crockpot. She slams the laundry r...

A few weeks ago one of my favorite podcasts had an episode about loving your kitchen. The host had been on a two week vacation in Mexico and had observed women there working in their kitchens. She was struck by the fact that, even though some of the women had little more than a fire pit, a dirt floor, and a handful of dishes, they seemed to be working hard in their homes to provide food for their families with pride and love for their people and their kitchens. She felt challenged and convicted. How many times have you complained about your kitchen, and the work you do there? I blush to think of my answer.  Ok, this is an exaggeration, but somewhat true... Her challenge to love our kitchens has resulted in hundreds of posts in her Facebook group featuring pictures of all different types of kitchens and the stories behind them. I read a lot of them, but was too embarrassed of my own kitchen to make a post. After all, I just had a baby and things are not exactly in tip-top shape arou...