Tag Archives: family

The Minor Major Battles

Posted in Mommyhood, Personal by

Lately we have been in a season with Peanut where it seems that almost every simple, little task turns into a drawn-out battle.

Eating breakfast, getting dressed, getting in the car, cleaning up, going to the bathroom, eating dinner, feeding the dogs, getting in PJs, going to bed… and on and on.

These seemingly simple things are now something to be fought in marathon fashion.

It drives me absolutely crazy, and I try to pick my battles, but when the battles include the necessary steps for 1. staying alive, & 2. going to school everyday, there’s not a whole lot of choice in the matter. It seriously seems like the only thing she agrees to & picks up the pace for is to get to the couch to watch Doc McStuffins…

 

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I’ve been trying to get some perspective on this (’cause if I can’t get it to stop, I might as well get something positive out of it), and I realized that I’m probably a lot like that with God’s necessary steps too. I’m sure I take waaaaaaay longer than needed to follow his plan. I’m sure I seem to question His wisdom & fight His intentions. In short, I probably act like a small child with a semi-attitude issue.

But the good thing is that He is infinitely more patient than I am. He is infinitely more loving than I am. And He extends infinitely more grace than I give to Peanut (or myself).

 

So if you’re a parent who has some crazy-life hacks for this mama of two strong willed girls – LET. ME. KNOW. Teach me your ways!!! And if you’re just a mama who’s in the thick of it too – I’d love to hear from you! And if you’re just a kind soul who wants to send up a prayer that I can grow to be ever more like God, especially as a parent, I’d cherish the prayers – and you.

Love Is In the Little Things

Posted in b.marie.photography, Personal by

Ok y’all, by no means what-so-ever am I claiming to be a marriage expert… I am the first to admit that I still have a whole lotta learning left to do on that front, but in the 3.5 years that Max and I have been married, there are a few things I’ve learned.

And one of the biggest is that, at least in my opinion, the best kind of love is found in the little things.

 

It’s Max making extra eggs in the morning so that they’re ready for me when I wake up (even after I forgot about them the other day and had to toss them out – oops!).

It’s me taking the time to turn Max’s dress socks right-side out & matching them after pulling them out of the dryer, even though I’d much rather just toss them into the drawer as-is (and I admit that does sometimes happen…).

It’s sneaking to the bar in the restaurant for one quick drink together, just us, after my Mom & Dad brought the girls home at the end of dinner.

It’s Max ordering me a pretty teal Rtic tumbler because he saw it on Amazon and immediately thought of me & thought it would make me happy.

It’s both of us trying to choose our morning Nespresso flavors around the other’s favorite.

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There are the big, grand moments like our wedding or weekend trips together or perfect birthday gifts or fancy date nights. There is so much love in those moments, but there’s just something so much better about the little, everyday choices to show that we love one another. That almost 4 years into this, we’re still choosing each other everyday.

 

So to all of y’all, I challenge you to not only show a little extra love in the little things today, but to take the time to really recognize & appreciate the way that your loved ones are showing you how they feel through the little things.

When It’s Over

Posted in Mommyhood, Personal by

A few of our most recent threenager melt-downs have been because something fun is ending – Halloween trick-or-treating/handing out candy, & then not getting to finish an episode on TV before heading to school.

In the midst of the meltdowns, and especially once she’s calmed down again, I’m trying my best to teach her that when we’re sad about something good ending, it’s best to just focus on the fun & stay happy. That when we get sad about the end, it adds in more negative feelings rather than just holding onto the positive ones.

I am completely aware that this lesson/reasoning is more advanced than a three-year-old can really appreciate. But I’m starting now in the hopes that as she gets older, this may be one of the lessons that really sticks & helps form who she is as a person. And let’s be real honest here, it’s a lesson I am still trying to teach myself.

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Just in the past week, as I left California & all of my family, and again when I left Austin & two of my best friends, it was really hard to fight off the tears & the sadness at the leaving. But I really did try to keep my heart in the happiness that the trips brought long after leaving. And you know what? It helped.

So if you’re in the midst of an ending, leaving a place or a time or a season that you’ve loved & enjoyed, try to keep your heart in that place of gratitude & enjoyment rather than entering that place of sadness & mourning that comes so naturally to most of us. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to extend that joyful season just a little bit longer.