Here. We. Go.

I’m about to go into some uncharted waters, friends…

If you know me in real life you know I’m a stay at home mama to two of the most precious boys. They’re wild, they’re loud, sometimes dirty, they giggle at all the boy humor but my most favorite thing about them (besides their love for Jesus) is their unconditional love for their mama.

I joined the ranks of motherhood in 2014 then was blessed a second time in 2016. I am in no way an expert. I rely on and draw as much wisdom and guidance from the veteran mamas in my life as frequently as possible. I probably call my own mama a minimum of five times a day to soak in ALL that I can.

The role of a mother is not one size fits all. Being a stay at home mama, a working mama, a work from home mama, or a traveling mama looks different under each roof. While we hold some things in common across the board two things stick out the most to me. The love we have for our children and the want we have for time to slow down.

We all know that time is a thief. No matter how you parent, you want it to slow down. Most days anyway 😉

Ok, so HERE IT COMES.

I’ve mentioned before how I’m not a fan of all the pressure folks put on mamas when it comes to their babies growing up.

I think a ton of pressure is put on us almost as soon as that sweet baby is placed in our arms to not to blink” or guilt about “you’re gonna miss this.” I want to think that it comes from a place of caring but honestly it doesn’t always come across that way.

I think it needs to be mentioned that while yes it is hard on a mamas heart to watch her kids outgrow her lap they don’t become less fun when they get older.

They still need you. They still love you. They still want your attention. They still want to cuddle. They still want your time.

I know I’m only five years in, but it just keeps getting better and better.

EVERY stage should be cherished not missed for dread of the next one to come.

Kiss them and tell them you love them as much as you can. Live in the moment so that when you lay down at night you can sleep sweetly knowing you did everything you could.

Of course, some days won’t go as planned, you’ll be on your phone too much, you’ll yell, you’ll be distant sometimes but at the end of it all the good will out weigh the bad.

You’re doing a wonderful job, mama. You’re exactly where the Lord wants you to be. Each day is a new chance. Don’t let guilt steal any of that away.

🖤 Hannah

One of my favorite things about being a mama is the stages my boys go through. While lately it’s been pretty bittersweet with my big boy it’s been so much fun. I’ve always tried to give positive praise whenever my boys do something right. I fail a lot but it’s something my parents always did for me that’s made a difference in my life so I want to do the same for them.

Mason will be five in April and I really can’t believe it. Lately, he’s become a lot more independent which is so amazing to see but also a little sad (for me) at the same time. A few of his latest feats – he’s stopped using his step stool to wash his hands, he can open his own snacks (completely even the tricky stuff), he buckles his top buckle in his car seat and has been able to help me a lot more in the kitchen and with laundry (thank you Lord! See my last post to see why this is a huge praise for me)! While I love all these new things my very favorite thing he’s started doing is when anyone he knows says anything he loves or makes him feel good he quickly and eagerly responds to with,”That is so nice… you can come to my birthday party!”

I love this new invitation so much! I think it’s so precious that he gets so excited to invite his people to his most favorite event of the year: I know in his sweet mind it just makes sense for all his loved ones to be there and he just wants them to know he wants them there.

I want to be more like him in so many ways. Not just the obvious like his innocence and how he views the world but to have his heart for other people.

I want to remember his little grin & his sweet sayings forever.

What’s your favorite thing your little one(s) are doing right now? I’d love to know!

🖤 Hannah

Happy New Year friends!

I hope every one had the very best Christmas and New Year! I know we sure did. It was very laid back, just how we like it!

I skipped out on resolutions this year. Not because I don’t wanna change things but because when I make resolutions I tend to view them in the term of a year. Not this year. I want to make permanent changes to how I live that I want to continue for the rest of my life hence – permanent. 😉

A big thing I want to focus on this year is my health and my families health. We are ten days in to 2019 and we’ve already majorly changed our eating habits. Not only are we paying way more attention to carbs, we are paying even more attention to ingredients. I’m taking this year and using it as my learning curve. I want to learn as much as I can about how our bodies need to be fueled. I’m tickled with how things are going this far and I look forward to what will be learned and put into practice this year.

Another big goal of mine is to SIMPLIFY. Not just because its what’s in right now but because JKM and I have a dream of what we want our life and home to look like in just a few short years. It’s going to take work. A LOT of it. BUT we feel that this dream is being led by the Lord and we want to be obedient to Him in all of our ways.

Mason is set to start school in August. September most likely for us. #Homeschooljourney. I’m taking time daily to learn all I can about how homeschooling works and what will be the best fit for our family. I know it’s impossible to learn everything up front because living it will be the best education! I am very excited with what the Lord is doing in my heart and I can’t wait to see it all come to fruition! I will be attending a homeschool convention next month and I cannot wait to take it all in and get my hands on curriculum!

Lastly, this year I want to put more time into this here blog. I really really love and enjoy writing and it is very therapeutic for me. I’m looking to make things a little more permanent domain wise in the near future, so stay tuned for that!

That’s all I’ve got for now!

❤ Hannah