I Got A New Blog!

I've been blogging for a couple of years now and while I've loved it, I've also gotten a little bored with it (you could probably tell that since I hardly post anymore)! I've gone on a little search for my "blogger identity" and decided to do a little refining. 

To do that, I've started a totally new blog, with a new name, new look, and new site. In this season of my life, motherhood is my main focus. Being a mom has been challenging. It has broken my selfishness, matured me, and pushed me to find my true strengths and weaknesses. 

I am also a huge resource finder and user. Without them, I don't know where I'd be. When I find a great resource that helps me, I tell everyone about it. 

This is what my new blog with be about - the hardships of motherhood with some helpful resources to get us all through. 

You can now find me at drowninginthekiddiepool.wordpress.com. I hope you follow and find the strength you need for this crazy journey called "life."

Bringing Back South Africa

After going to South Africa this past summer, we fell so in love with the culture that there were a few things I had to bring back and make a part of our own family culture. One main thing was "Tea Time". I tried really hard but found I'm just not a tea person. I love the idea behind it, though, of taking time out of your day no matter what you are doing to sit down and rest or visit with family and friends. The second was the picture below. The restaurants and the Bed and Breakfast we stayed in always had simple white candles on the tables. We would sit down for dinner just before nightfall, got wrapped up in each others company, and before we knew it, candle light was all around. With a little Christmas flare added in, I finally got my candles and I'm looking forward to enjoying family dinners in candle light.

So....

So....Obviously the move threw me for a loop. If you didn't know, we moved to Metairie (about 30 minutes from where we lived before). I love it, love it, love it. I'm only 10 minutes or less away from Target and cute local grocery stores! Of course that is a double edged sword if you know what I mean. We painted the whole house and by that I mean the WHOLE house. Every room and its matching closet. The bathrooms, the laundry room, the hallway, the kitchen. We started attending a new church, trying to meet new people. The boys started yet another new school right down the street. Can I say I love the bus service! All of this newness, though wonderful, has been a lot for me at once. Thank God for His Word, books, family and Jesus that will get us all through!
My heart feels like it's in a place of vulnerability and tenderness. I feel like I'm walking on shaky ground. Will this next step I take cause me to stand strong or crumble and fall? I learned about God's grace in a new way. I always thought of God's grace as the umpf that was gonna help me get through a struggling season of life. Instead, the actual struggle may very well be His grace to expose and free me from my bondage to ME. My dependance on myself. Struggles bring you to the end of yourself, making you realize that your identity, meaning, purpose, and inner sense of well being was in you or in something/someone else.
If you asked me who/what do I trust in, I'd give you a quick "Jesus!" answer. But over the last couple of weeks I've realized my hope for happiness has been in things. God puts us in struggling circumstances we never would have designed for ourselves. Those circumstances cause us to give up, let go, and look for something sustainable to depend on - Jesus.

Psalm 69:1-2
Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can't find a foothold to stand on. I am in deep water and the floods overwhelm me.

Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trust in him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

A Good Mom

My "mom life" has been difficult lately. I remember when I was newly married. I not only had a new husband, but I had a new house in a new city, attended a new church with all new people. Ten years later, I have found myself back in that similar situation, only this time not as scary. I'm in a new house, now with 4 children, 2 of them going to a new school, in a new neighborhood, and a new church trying to make new friends. I thought that sending 2 of my 4 kids to school was going to be a breeze at home, providing ample time to get settled in. It turns out that the two that stay home with me happen to be my "clingy" ones who demand my attention all day long. So while I'm trying to answer their calls, I've got a huge list of "to do's" floating around in my head, which has made me a little edgy (more like a lot edgy).
Sitting down to play with my kids has always been a struggle for me so this morning during the baby's nap, I decided to ask my 4-year old what makes a good mom:
1. She sweeps the floor
2. She makes stuff for us and others
3. She shares her stuff
4. She invites other kids over to play
While I'm sure each kid would have a different list, that's pretty simple. I know I still need to work on playing with them more, but I wonder if the "good mom list" in our heads is unnecessarily overwhelming us. Being a mom isn't easy. Being a good mom is even harder.