Spring!

Ok y'all, it is officially spring! =) We celebrated Mother's Day early in our household. My amazing husband took our kiddos shopping while I enjoyed some rare alone time and they surprised me with some beautiful flowers!

Then he broke in our new charcoal grill by making us a fantastic lunch! It was perfect! On a side note, grilled corn on the cob should be included in every meal from here to the end of time. We are talking sweet, garlic buttery goodness topped with parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of salt. Oh. My. Word. If we had the necessary ingredients I would be tempted to fire up the grill right now for a midnight snack! =) But I digress. Back to Mother's Day!

Recognizing occasions like my birthday or Mother's day on the correct day used to be very important to me. They were days that I didn't have to prove my worth or fight for affirmation. I could simply look at the calendar and know that I was supposed to be celebrated. Whether it happened or not, on those days I knew that I had earned it. Now I couldn't care less. Celebrate Mother's day two weeks early? Sure why not! Going to be busy over my birthday? Ok, no problem! So what changed? Two words. Jeremy Chrystie. This man has completely and without a doubt ruined me forever and in the best possible way. Because now I know what it is like to be celebrated, encouraged, believed in and cherished not just because a calendar or society dictates a day that I should be, but because that is his heart towards me every day. He believes in me in a way that breathes life into parts of my soul that I never knew existed. It doesn't matter what happens on national holidays when every day he is speaking truth to me.

So what truth do you need to hear today? Do you need to hear that you are valuable? Precious? Loved? That you are enough? Do you need a reminder in all of your mess and chaos, that this isn't the end of your story? That God himself is breathing life into your very soul? That He has good plans for you?  For your children?

Or maybe the question is what truth do you need to speak to someone else today? Who in your life could use a cheerleader right now? Who could desperately use an encouraging word? Who needs to look into your eyes and find compassion and hope staring back at them?

It doesn't have to be intimidating. Don't over think it. The next time that friend comes to mind, send that text message, make a quick phone call. Reach out with a hug to that person standing in worship at church, unable to sing for the tears streaming down their face. Give a compassionate smile and a quick "I've been there, you're going to make it." to the mom struggling with the screaming toddler in the checkout line. You don't have to know every detail, have perfect theology, or rehearse every line to be effective. You just have to show love. That's it. Think about your darkest day. Did you need someone with all of the answers or did you simply need someone. A human connection. The knowledge that you weren't alone. That you were loved. Think about what you need and offer that to someone else - chances are they need it too. And chances are that if we get intentional about speaking truth to the people around us, they just might start speaking truth to their people as well, and this whole community thing will just keep going.

Keep Dreaming!

Cocoa Butter Lotion Bars

My latest project? Cocoa butter lotion bars! I don't know why I was so intimidated by the thought of making my own lotion. It is so simple and the smell of these lotion bars is amazing! It is the perfect combination of chocolate and citrus. I made a test batch last week and loved them, so I made another batch for a girl's night!

I found the original recipe here!

Ingredients:
( one batch makes approximately 4 cubes)

1/4 cup raw cocoa butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup beeswax
10-15 drops essential oil (optional)
Silicone ice cube tray

I used doterra's Citrus Bliss essential oil blend and it smells amazing! You could leave it plain or use a different essential oil. Keep in mind that the cocoa butter smell is pretty strong so make sure to pick an oil that pairs well with chocolate. =) I will probably try peppermint next time! 

And speaking of girl's night, it was perfect! I am a quality time girl so in general I don't care what I am doing as long as I am with people I love. =) I got together with some of my sisters (aka: a couple of my cousins and my wonderful sil)! We ate, chatted and worked on creative projects! Does it get any better than that?!

 These girls are part of my community. My people that I can call or text anytime I need back-up. They are strong, passionate, amazingly unique women and I am so blessed by them!

Isn't this the truth!! We are just better together, plain and simple. Wherever you are start building your community. It might mean putting yourself out there, being vulnerable and taking some risks. It won't always look like you think it will or even turn out how you anticipate, but I promise you it is worth it!

Keep Dreaming!

The Weight of Motherhood

I found this quote when I was putting together our wedding photo book (yay!!!) and it has been stuck in my head ever since. Sometimes it seems like in motherhood everything just runs together, the fluid motion of days and nights, school, play, meals, etc. combining into one crazy beautiful life. Then there are the moments where the actual weight of what you are doing settles on you. Not in an overwhelming or oppressive way, but in the way that you get to glimpse the measure or value of something amazing. There is an awe about what you get to be a part of and a renewing of your purpose.  

This quote is one of those moments for me. I got a lot of advice when I was pregnant with my little ones and even more after they were born. One piece of wisdom that I remember most and that has been relevant through every season of life was from my Aunt Hope who shared 2 Peter 1:3. "By his divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own honor and glory."

Parenting definitely falls under those categories and that verse is a constant reminder that although I am not a perfect parent by any means, God has given me what I need for my individual children, each and every day. My job is not to worry, stress, or get caught up in feelings of failure or defeat, but to lean into Him and trust. I don't know about you but leaning and trusting do not come naturally to me. It isn't my first thought when life gets crazy and things don't go according to plan. Trust, like many other worthwhile things, has to be fought for. Sometimes it feels like you are walking steadily through that fight and other times it feels like it will take everything you have just to drag yourself to the other side. Trust is a choice. You have to plan to do it, it will not accidentally happen. It is a deliberate decision to yield your will, your control, knowing that no matter what you may see His plan is always better.

Sometimes I succeed and other times I fail completely. Thankful for His grace that covers us! So remember that today, whether your family looks like a hallmark commercial, a big hot mess or somewhere in between! You are doing good work. You are making a difference. You are the perfect person to parent your children and He has already given you everything you need. Lean on Him!

Keep Dreaming!

It's the little things...

So this happened a couple of days ago... =)

This was actually something that I was ridiculously excited about doing! I may or may not have called my husband (who grew up with this sort of thing) to make sure that the weather was right and to check hanging technique, because heaven forbid I make rookie washline mistakes. Lol! I may have gotten a little dramatic with it! =)

 Hanging clothes out to dry on a clothesline seemed like a mile marker in our journey towards simplifying life. I know it isn't really a huge deal but sometimes the little routine changes feel like they have the biggest impact. The entire process makes you slow down and be in the moment. The sunshine, birds chattering in the background, the munchkins running rampant through the field behind the house practically spilling over pure joy. Perfection.

They were tracking a bear by the way. Apparently the wild animal population around here contains larger animals than I was aware of. Haha. I love their imaginations!!!

I am sure some people thought we were crazy to move into a little (aka: tiny) rental in the country, and we had several people asking in amazement if we would all be able to fit. =) What they didn't realize is it was exactly what we were looking for. We like being together in a very literal sense so we weren't looking for more square footage to spread out in. Our entire wish list for our next place consisted of only three items. 

- We wanted to be out of town. 

-We wanted space for the kiddos to run. 

-We wanted to be able to put a garden in this summer.

This place fit all of those perfectly and from the first week that we moved the entire atmosphere of our house shifted. Everyone seemed more relaxed and peaceful and it felt like home in a way our previous apartment never had. I soon realized that the sun came up over the field directly in front our our house and I love getting up in the morning, opening all of the window blinds and watching the bright golden rays stream in. Despite my intense aversion to the early hours of the morning, sunrises are very special to me. They are a tangible reminder that the darkness will end and light will come. I never see a sunrise without thinking of God's faithfulness to me.

Knowing that God is faithful in general is wonderful. Seeing the specific ways that He is faithful to you personally, is invaluable.  No matter how life is going at this moment I promise you that God is faithful in a very personal, individual way! Take a minute to breathe and recognize that today!

~ Keep Dreaming!

Epic Words! ;)

I finally created a blog and now it is time for my FIRST post! Prepare to be amazed........*crickets chirping*...........yeah I've got nothing. Lol. Here's the thing. In my mind right now I have about 8 blog post ideas floating around. I know what I want to say and even the pictures that I will post with them. But none of them seem "first post" worthy. There is this pressure to start out solid. Like the beginning of something just has to be epic and monumental. Is that even realistic??? If we went back and looked at the "firsts" of a random group of things, people, places, etc. would we find brilliant, earth-shattering moments or one simple step? Or maybe simple steps actually are our earth-shattering moments.

So here I am taking a simple step. I feel like I am starting a new journey and at the same time already halfway down the road. I once saw a pinterest quote that said, "My entire life can be summed up in one sentence: It didn't go as planned, and that's ok.". Not only is that the absolute truth, I am ever so thankful for it. God's grace is an amazing thing and experiencing that in all of the twists and turns that my life has taken is truly beautiful. I have many goals for this blog (to be a creative outlet, to share day to day adventures and diy projects, etc.) but first and foremost I want this to be a real space. Raw, messy, imperfect and beautiful. A place of encouragement, hope and grace. Because THAT is what really matters. We don't actually need five more cupcake recipes (although let's be serious, dessert ministry should be a thing) or the latest ten step program to keep our homes more organized. What we need is connection. A sisterhood. Where we can cut each other some slack in the areas that don't really matter and instead focus on simply loving each other well.

Here's to community! To doing this life thing together because that is where we will all thrive.

Keep Dreaming!