Hello New Year 2020! WOW! First off some of you may be looking at this title and wondering where the heck is she going with this? Well it seemed fitting beings that I have started about 20 blogs in my head and then well….LIFE or one of my fav slang words “sh**storm”. Now this word typically is used in a more negative connotation but I also use it for the positive too. I am sure many of you have your go to word when life hands you some lemons or chaos or whatever you have going on in your day to day life.
We are entering month 9 with our third babe. Speaking of said third babe, he is sitting right next to me in his high chair gumming on some teething wheels (yep, mom of the year) can you picture him in all of his cuteness. But I digress…When you have your third babe in the throes of trying to get your writing off the group, having a small business that you are continuing to grow, move yet another time (only three miles away), and keeping your oldest two boys alive, well there just isn’t a manual for the above mentioned items. So here goes nothing.
The last two months have been nothing short of full on buzzer-beater worthy chaos. My little babe had RSV over Thanksgiving which led to an ear infection and that ear infection never went away. Sooo two months and four antibiotics later we have tubes now! But that is not all… my little over achiever decided he needed to cut three, yep you read that right, three teeth since Christmas Eve. Insert, waking lots during the night and only wanting to sleep elevated on good ole mom. Life is good right? Just like you see in magazines. Just kidding but not really. There has been lots of prayers, coffee, laughs (and tears) with good friends, listening to my get psyched music and wine, yep lots of that too. I get that everyone says embrace the cuddles now because one day they won’t want to cuddle and yes that is all rose-colored glasses when it is not your babe that wants to be cuddled 24/7. These last couple months have given me perspective on things that I say to my momma friends for sure. Because frankly they don’t want to hear the rose-colored glasses comments when things are hard. Things are just hard and that is ok too. Yes we will look back (when the time is right) and probably laugh and share stories about whose sh**storm was worse, but in the moment it is just hard. However, one thing I am learning is that it is ok to be in the sh**storm as long as you don’t let it take over your life and you get stuck. How you go through the storm is also important. I have been able to have lots of laughs during it which is not always the case with some people. Prayer has helped with all of it. My prayers and the many other friends who have offered up prayers for not only myself but our family. Of course my prayers aren’t always answered that day but just getting it off my chest is huge! I started keeping prayer journal at the start of 2020 and it is crazy to see that 3 of my prayers have been answered in just the first 13 days of the new year! From stuff with our small group, to health for my sweet babe to my mom and her new life in Omaha. It is crazy to see God’s plan at work.
Yesterday at church our pastor mentioned that January 12 was the day that most resolutions go bust and while I didn’t make any resolutions this year (I know how awful is that, right?) I feel that not only is there no disappointment it actually has been a reset. I mentioned I didn’t make any resolutions this year and mainly because I don’t want to focus on something that I may not be able to keep more then two weeks but I wanted to cover the year more broadly. So I chose a word for the year, yes that probably is cliche but I am going with it. My word this year is LIVE. Before you get all how in the heck is that going to work let me explain. It is such a big word but in the scheme of things 2020 is a big year. It is 366 days long! After all 2019 was a big year too. We brought in our third child, moved our family to our new-to-us home that we are beyond excited to make so many memories in, welcomed my mom to Omaha, gained many new friends along the way and also worked on some old friendships as well (thanks to good ole forgiveness and love). Since we don’t force any major changes to our life this year I figured it is a good year to really LIVE! By that I mean eat the second donut if you want, stay up late just because or for the matter go to bed early just because too. Take walks (long or short), watch a scary movie and then follow it up with a funny one. Watch football all day (yep covered that one this weekend), have ice cream for dinner. Go out with friends, go on spontaneous dates with my hubby, cuddle up and read or just cuddle up. Dance in the kitchen while making dinner (goops do that one almost daily), don’t give up, choose forgiveness, and most of all make each day count! While this may seem like silly stuff to you, it is just the basics that I want remember each. Give myself grace when I am not always at my best and give grace to others as well. We put so much pressure on ourselves to lose weight, workout more, do this, do that. In the end where does that get us, especially if we aren’t able to fulfill our resolutions or we see someone else rocking theirs but it takes all of the gumption in the world to just smile some days for others. We are not perfect, spoil alert… we never will be! But the only thing that matter is that we matter to God. The message that our church ended 2019 with was that we don’t need labels. Man I loved that message it was so good. What a phenomenal way to kick off the start of a new year. What if we take off the labels we give ourself or the labels that we put on others. Man, that sounds huge! I’m game, are you?
So as we enter the second full week of 2020 take a quick pulse. Where are you? If you have busted your resolutions already, that’s ok? Start over, today is a new day! Are you being nudged to forgive someone, do it. Today is a new day? Is there something you are feeling called to do, try it, today is a new day! While I look out my window and see the foggy, dreary day, I hope that you can see the horizon and sun that while we can’t see it, it is out there. Be the light today! Start a fire (well not a real one, unless it is in a fireplace or contained). In all seriousness though go out and make today a great one! What will your word or words be? If you want take mine and LIVE!
Until next time, may you find the joy in YOUR journey!
Under the Clutter 