Contentment

The other day, that beautiful Spring-like day, everyone went outside. The big kids headed to the driveway to shoot hoops. The little guy and I stayed in our fenced backyard.

My littlest one LOVES the backyard (which he charmingly refers to as “the garden”). It doesn’t matter the weather, his daily request is always the same.

“Go to the garden today, Mama?”

He could spend hours playing in the backyard, running, watching the birds, making mud pies, finding rocks and sticks.

Except when his siblings were playing basketball on the other side of the fence. He refused to play. He refused to run. He simply sat at the fence holding an old ball and calling to them that he wanted to join them. His joy and contentment with the backyard were gone. He wanted what he couldn’t have.

I’m no different, Mama. I’m so thankful for what God has given me, so joy-filled at the gifts from his hand. My husband , my kids, my home, my daily calling, all amazing blessings from a good and generous Father. But then sometimes, the world beckons from beyond the fence. And I want her schedule, her vacation, her income…her calling. And I forget the joy and contentment I had.

How about you, dear one? Do you ever struggle with seeing what others are doing, and turn your eyes to them and their life, rather than seeing all He’s given you?

#MomTruth

#Contentment

#Joy

#Blessings

#MindfulMotherhood

Transformer Explosions & Slow Days

During last night’s wind storm, a transformer blew right next to our house, causing a fire by the telephone pole as well as multiple “explosion” pops and blinding white light right outside our windows. We got the kids out of bed and to the basement while we waited for the wind to die down, the power to stop surging, the house to stop humming, and emergency services to arrive. It took a long time to get the kids calmed down, and no one slept very well last night. And so we are having a slow day today, lingering over math, snuggling on the couch, reading stories, letting the kids talk about their version of what happened and how they are processing it, and just slowly easing into routines. Rest time will be a bit longer than usual, so that little people can unwind and decompress. Tomorrow will be a busy day again, but for today, we slow. And we thank God that not only are all our people safe and unharmed, but our house is ok as well!

How do you allow flexibility in your schedule when the unexpected happens?

#Thankful

#WindStorm

#Unexpected

#Flexibility

#SlowDown

#MomTruth

#Values

#Rhythms

#Routines

Seasonal Housekeeping

Cleaning, decluttering and re-arranging our home today, as we slowly shake off the shadows of winter and turn our sights toward longer days outdoors and warmer weather adventures beyond these walls.

Spring cleaning and simplifying lay the foundation for easier homekeeping; so we can spend more time loving the community He’s called us too.

How do you prepare as a family for the changing of seasons?

#Housekeeping

#Homekeeping

#Declutter

#Decluttering

#DeclutteringWithKids

#Simplify

#SpringCleaning

#SpringIsInTheAir

#Minimalism

#Rhythms

#Seasons

#Spring

Giving & Receiving

I talk a lot about giving here. Giving meals to those in your circle who could use an extra hand, giving away what you aren’t using to bless those in your community, giving your time to the things that have eternal value. I’ve also discovered, as I’ve gotten older, that there is joy in receiving. Mr. 8 has been wanting to try out the ukelele for awhile, and we had discussed whether we should invest in one for his upcoming birthday. And then this morning, in our local Buy Nothing Group, someone offered a ukelele and case that they were no longer using. I responded to their post, and as of this afternoon, Mr. 8 is the overjoyed owner of a (almost) new ukelele. He can’t wait to start learning to play. And I am so thankful for a community that I can not only pour into, but that blesses my family when there are things that we can make use of.

What community resources are you grateful for? What has been a surprising blessing to your family?

#BuyNothing

#DebtFreeLifestyle

#DebtFree

#GiveAway

#UnexpectedBlessing

#MusicalInstruments

#KidsAndMusic

#StrikeUpTheBand

#Ukelele

Pokémon Cards & Lent

It’s Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. There are 40 days from today until Easter (not counting Sundays). 40 days during which Jesus walked toward the cross, laying down His life for you and me.

In our family, we try to mark these 40 days of Lent in ways which help bring us and our kids closer to the heart of God. Sometimes we talk about giving things up. Sometimes we talk about adding things in. We share with our kids what we are feeling called to do, and ask them if there’s anything they feel God prompting them to do.

This year, one of us is giving up phone use from 9:00pm to 9:00am. One of us is reading a Psalm a day for the next 40 days. One of us is limiting Pokémon card play to 4 days a week. The others didn’t share with me their plans—and that’s ok. We talk about how walking through Lent is between the person and God, and talk about the seriousness of making promises to a holy God. And we remember that it is never in our own strength that we carry out our promises, but only through God strengthening us each moment of each day.

My prayer is that my kids will see Lent in the way that I’ve come to see it…a time when the burden of living each day the same is lifted, and that there is a refreshing that comes from daily following Him where He leads and stepping away from the constant pull of some of the things that consume us. It’s (surprisingly!) become one of my favorite seasons of the year, as so much of the unnecessary falls away and I’m freed to focus on what truly matters.

How does your family mark the Lenten season? (It’s never too late to begin!)

#AshWednesday

#Lent

#IntentionalParenting

#IntentionalMotherhood

Read Aloud to Your Kids (even your tweens & teens!)

Our home is a home in which we read aloud. Every day. Even to the teens and tweens.

It wasn’t always this way. In fact, there was a time in my parenthood where I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to read aloud to a teenager. After all, they could just read the book for themselves! Well let me tell you, there’s something magical that happens when you read aloud as a family.

◦ 📚You grow closer. Reading aloud draws every one in, and suddenly, you’re all wondering what’s going to happen on the next page, or in the next chapter!

◦ 📚You create a family culture. Since you’ve shared the same books, you’ll often refer to them in conversations, or talk about a certain character as an example. Your family shares the experience of the book together, and referring back to it solidifies that shared experience.

◦ 📚 Your kids will look forward to bedtime. Or whenever you read together. Really. Hard to believe, but your kids will really look forward to hearing the next chapter of an exciting book. All of our kids get ready for bed more quickly so that there’s more time to read.

So how do you start reading together as a family? Tell the kids you want to try it…for two weeks, for a month, for one book, whatever you feel like is realistic for you. Often bedtime is the easiest time to start, because it’s a quieter slower time. Gather all the kids in one room, (make sure everyone has a blanket to snuggle under), turn down the lights and use a flashlight or lantern to read with. Read one chapter a night as you slowly work up to being by a read aloud family.

Kids talking while you’re reading? Give them a chance to get used to it if this is a new thing. Explain to them that this is a quiet time, and pause your reading until they’re quiet, rather than trying to talk over them. Try it out for a few weeks, and see how it works for your family!

Some of our favorite read alouds have been:

◦ The Chronicles of Narnia series

◦ Beverly Cleary Books

◦ Charlottes Web

◦ The Laura Ingalls Wilder Series

◦ The Hobbit

◦ The Green Ember Series

What are your favorite books to read aloud?

#ReadAloud

#BedtimeStory

#IntentionalParenting

#IntentionalParenting

#ChapterBooks

#KidsBooks

#ChildrensBooks

#Values

#FamilyCulture

#FamilyTime

#BedtimeRoutine

#Bedtime

Saturday Morning Baking

Before I was a mom, I thought that when I had kids, I’d bake all the time for them. And then…I had kids. And I realized that I was only baking on birthdays and holidays. It felt like there was never time and space to make it part of our regular rhythm.

But as we slowly built a meals routine, I realized that Saturdays would be a wonderful day for baking. And so for the past three years, almost every Saturday morning I rise early and make some homemade delicious treat for my family. Muffins. Coffee cake. Pumpkin bread. Bundt Cake. Often I have tiny helpers, eager to pour and mix. Every Saturday is a little bit different—but no matter what I make, I ALWAYS make a double batch. One to eat on Saturday morning, warm out of the oven, and one batch for Sunday morning, to enjoy alongside our eggs and potatoes to keep our bellies full during church.

As my 8 year old said the other day… “Mama, I just LOVE Saturday breakfasts, and eating warm baked treats together as a family”.

“So do I, Buddy. So do I. “

What weekend traditions does your family have that you know your kids will look back on when they’re older?

#SaturdayBaking

#WhatsForBreakfast

#Rhythms

#Values

#IntentionalParenting

#KidsInTheKitchen

#KidsCook

#Muffins

Screen Time & Little Ones

We really don’t watch much tv around here, but every once in a while, when I need 20 minutes to start or finish a task, I’ll put on Daniel Tiger for the little ones. If you’re looking for a slow paced, wholesome show that gently teaches kids how to handle big feelings, explore what it looks like to be part of a family, and introduces the concept of being part of a community and neighborhood—Daniel Tiger checks the boxes. I grew up watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, and Daniel Tiger takes me back to the days when as a little girl dealing with hard things, I felt like Mr. Rogers was talking right to me.

Even though many of our days are #ScreenFree, there are still days when I’m very thankful that I can use a slow-paced show that my toddler can follow to allow me to get something done or even to reinforce a concept that we’ve been working on.

Are there any shows that your kids watch that are just great shows or that help them navigate the world around them?

#DanielTiger

#PBSKids

#MrRogersNeighborhood

#MomTruth

#ScreenTime

#GentleParenting

#Values

Wanna See Inside My Fridge?

Hey Mama,

Here’s a sneak peek of our fridge, and how it looks on a typical weekday. It’s almost 20 years old. It’s missing one of its fruit/vegetable drawers (see that blue basket on the bottom right?). It doesn’t have pretty transparent containers. And sometimes, (gasp!) when we have a lot of white rice leftover, we put the rice pot in the fridge to make it easy to heat up the next day for lunch. 🤫

Our fridge is far from Instagram-worthy. But you know what—it feeds my family 3 hot meals and a snack—every day, 7 days a week. It’s never completely empty, there’s always something to eat in there. It holds the leftovers from dinner that are transformed into delicious hot lunches. It keeps our family fueled and let’s us gather multiple times daily around our table.

Our fridge—is enough. And I’m so grateful for it. It’s not a pretty color, it’s a little dented, but it serves our family well. And there’s no need to buy another as long as it continues to serve us.

What far from Instagram-worthy item in your home serves your family well and faithfully? What hardworking tools are enough in your home, that you can be content with, not because they’re beautiful, but they help you to live the life to which you’ve been called?

#Contentment

#DebtFree

#DebtFreeLifestyle

#Values

#MomTruth

#KitchenIdeas

#LargeFamilyLogistics

Playing With Your Kids?

Here’s a secret, Mama. It’s ok letting them play on their own sometimes. You don’t have to feel guilty sitting next to them and reading a book or doing a handicraft or drinking a hot cup of tea while they play—you’re actually modeling ways to engage the world (reading, crafting, reflecting) as they grow up. And learning to play independently is a skill they’ll use for the rest of their lives.

Sometimes it’s hard for little ones to know what to play or how to play…often I’ll sit on the floor by the play kitchen and ask what they’re cooking. Then I’ll open a book and sit close to them while they play on their own. Or I’ll sit by the bin of Magnatiles and begin to build a tower, or a fence for some farm animals. When they join me, I’ll slowly ease my way out and allow them to play independently. Let them see you feeding your soul (it’s challenging for them to understand that you’re doing meaningful work if you’re on your phone—even if you actually are reading a book, they can’t “see” you doing it), and they’ll learn it’s ok to feed their souls when they’re adults. And as they learn to play independently with your guidance, you’ll gain a bit more time for yourself as well.

How do you encourage independent play in your home?

#IndependentPlay

#Modelling

#MomTruth

#Values

#MagnaTiles

#PlayKitchen

#IntentionalParenting

#IntentionalMotherhood

#SimpleChildhood