Monday Confessions, A glimpse into our weekend

    Here's a little glimpse into our weekend with Macy's first horse show Saturday and some cookie baking on Sunday! 

I confess that I am feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. I tend to feel this way during a busy family and photography season. It's all good things, don't get me wrong, but it's still a mountain of things I feel responsible for. It's the life of all mothers right?! I am trying to do it all with a toddler who is sort of walking and into everything! His latest achievement is being able to open all the doors in our house, heaven help me! 

I just finished reading, Rare Bird, and it literally made my heart hurt reading it. I was full on ugly crying at 6:30 in the morning Saturday while reading. Ben was up early and although I love Elmo as much as the next girl, I preferred picking up a book. I do whole heartedly recommend this book but at the same time, read with caution. If you have recently lost a dearly loved one, it might be balm to your soul. It also could crack your heart open into a million pieces if your a mother. It reaches right into all of our deepest fears, yet at the same time promises us God will still be there. It's a small but mighty book. I will not soon forget it or the story of Jack, a brown-eyed boy who loved his legos and God. Read with tissues!!!

So although I feel far less than capable of all the needs and to-do's in my life today, I am going to repeat this truth from Psalm 62 (& go get my free coffee, Go Eagles!),

"I wait quietly before God,
    for my victory comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will never be shaken."

Monday Confessions, it's feeling like fall!

   Monday mornings are usually met with a mixture of exhaustion and hustle. There's the immediate needs like packing lunches and rounding up school papers or like today it was picture day so we needed some fresh hair styles to go along with the day! I often succumb to what they call, "the tyranny of the urgent." It's everything we need to get done in the moment, which sometimes leaves me feeling frazzled. I am trying to do a better job of preparing the night before and taking a lot of deep breaths in the morning routine. Kids will be kids but if I can be more subdued in my own reactions, things will go more smoothly...or so I tell myself! 

That being said, we had a huge weekend in our house. I have an especially tired body and also a very full heart! I had a wedding Saturday that I was photographing and yesterday our "3 bigs" got baptized. It was a beautiful and special day all around. Our 3 big kids all professed faith in Jesus at different times over the summer and followed through yesterday with baptism. We were so blessed to four different generations of our family represented in the audience!

As a parent, we often wonder what effect the day in and day out decisions have on our kids. We all always wonder if we are doing anything right. Yesterday though, surrounded by family and church family celebrating, we felt both joy and pride. We pray that these kids do choose to walk in faith throughout their life. These words were spoken over them, "Based upon your profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, I now baptize you in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Buried with Him in the likeness of His death, raised with Him in the likeness of His ressurrection to walk in the newness of life."

As for my usual Monday confessions, here's a few...

 1. I confess twice last week I had to run out to the curb in my pink fuzzy robe with library books for various children. 

2. I am reading Brene Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection and man it is a good one. It's not dauntingly thick which is honestly helpful when you pick up a book that you know is going to do some work on you. Dr. Brown writes, "Sacrificing who we are for the sake of what other people think just isn't worth it...When I let go of trying to be everything to everyone, I had much for more time, attention, love and connection for the important people in my life." (pp. 53).  This has been a big thread for me lately in my own personal growth. (I borrowed my copy from the library for any interested local friends but then I don't like when I can't write in it :) 

3.. I already took a walk with my cutie Benji to get my free Dunkin coffee for the Eagles win. I am counting it as excretes and fresh air for today! (By the way, I think this is the first season ever that the Eagles came out winning 3 straight! Here's to a good season!)

 I know this post is a bit of a hodge lodge of life but that's what I am feeling today! Walking through both the glorious and the mundane this morning ask I do client work, sip my coffee and move the loads of laundry through. Have a beautiful week friends!