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3 Things I am Learning About Exercise

Katie — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:15:05 +0000

My husband and I just started P90X yesterday. My abs are still a bit shaky and I can already feel my shoulders getting sore…but I did it.

Day 1. Done.

Only 89 more to go.

We have been wanting to do P90X for a while now, but the craziness that has been our life has not allowed it. Well, all that changed this past Saturday when my husband graduated from seminary with his Master of Divinity.

It has been four long years and my sweetie has worked SO incredibly hard—he even graduated with a 4.0!

So, P90X, here we come!

Some seasons allow. Some don’t.

While I am excited to be able to “bring it” to P90X, I know without a doubt that we could not have even attempted something like this until now. It was not realistic for me to find an hour to workout.

Alright, now it’s confession time. I’ve been getting up early for years now, and I have YET to incorporate exercise into my morning routine. You would think that getting up at 5:30 would be long enough for me to squeeze it in. But it has just not happened—for me. Either I wake up the kids, run out of time, or end up falling asleep if it involves laying on the ground.

I feel as if I have needed every moment of that precious morning time to connect with God through journalling and Bible study. So, I decided to just let it rest—this feeling that I should be able to do it all—and I now enjoy my morning time, just as it is.

Plus, trying to get this body moving out of my comfy morning chair is quite a struggle.

There is always something that can be done.

It seems as if things change so quickly with little ones—and that makes it hard for me to get into a good routine.

So, I’ve just tried to find what works—until it doesn’t.

There was a while there where the double stroller and I were great friends. I had my route, and we we walked it a few days a week. My two youngest enjoyed the free-ride, and it got my heart pumping.

For another stretch of months, I would run/walk one mile after dropping my son off from school. My husband has flexible hours, so he would stay at home a bit later in the mornings a couple days a week while I got in 10-15 minutes of cardio.

I’ve even tried to do sit-ups while I brush my teeth. (That one didn’t stick…)

Focus on desire, not longing.

I tend to envy those who are able run regularly, have a gym with childcare nearby, or can do a real pull-up. (Here’s looking at YOU Kat!) But that usually turns into a pity party of how if this or that were different, I would work out more.

Reality is, I do what I want to do.

If I want to work out, I will make it happen. If I don’t, well, I won’t. (And haven’t.)

My stage of life may one day be such that I can find a running buddy and train for a marathon. God may bring us to a town with a childcare-provided YMCA right around the corner. And, I am certainly hoping that I will soon be able to do a darn pull-up.

Instead of wasting time longing for what others have, I need to focus on what desire I do have to work out, and get moving!

What’s your story?

I am no expert at exercise. I am certain many of you are in much better shape than I am. These are just a few things I have stumbled upon along the way.

I’d love to hear about your journey toward incorporating exercise into your life.

Since the hubs and I will be doing this together, we plan to do our workouts together at night, but there may be some days we try it out while the kids are around. What tips do you have for incorporating your children into your workout? Let us know in the comments.

One thing’s for sure, trying to get a good family picture this past weekend MUST have burned some calories!!

Take 204:

________________________________________________

Jesus-lover. Pastor’s wife. Mommy of three. Grace-clinger. Truth-speaker. Auburn fan. Longs to equip others to walk with the Lord for a lifetime. Co-author of Savoring Living Water: How to have an effective quiet time and author of Focused15 Bible studies. Creator of Do Not Depart where you can receive encouragement and tools to abide in God’s Word.

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One Thing That They Will Remember

laragwilliams — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:01:56 +0000

Today’s post was written by our monthly contributor, Lara. You can visit her blog at www.ToOverflowing.com.

I don’t know who wrote it, but I’ve never forgotten, “They won’t remember all the things you did with them, but they will remember how you made them feel.”

I think about those wise words especially when I’m feeling a little frustrated or whiny about my mommy tasks. Like during our recent camping trip.

Flickr photo credit

Gaining Perspective

I admit that I don’t love to camp. Well…reword. I don’t love to tent camp with three young kids when it rains all night and the temperatures drop into the 30s. Not my favorite.

So knowing that our most recent camping trip would include all of these factors, I had to get alone with God before our adventure began. Because I didn’t want my bad attitude to ruin the trip. He graciously met me in my laundry room with true words.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

Put To The Test

We arrived at the site around dinner time. So with the clouds looming and rain inevitable I started the grill. The grate wasn’t straight so two hot dogs rolled off into the charcoal. But we live by the 10-second-rule so I just wiped off the crunchy pieces of charred mess and threw the hot dogs back on the fire.

The kids didn’t notice. They ran around making memories with stick-swords.

We roasted smores and sang a couple of songs and got ready for bed. Then we crawled into our sleeping bags just as the rain started — God’s gracious timing. Though I did dream of gunshots all night with the sound of rain tapping on the tarps.

The oldest woke up around 4:30 needing to go potty. In the rain. And cold. So we ran down the trail in our pajamas to the bath house. When we got back into our sleeping bags I couldn’t sleep because all I could hear was the wild animal that found our stray box of Cheez-Its. It kept reaching in and out of the bag, crunching like a hungry child.

I’m pretty sure it was a raccoon but in my sleep deprivation I laid there slightly fearful that it was a baby bear, which meant its mama was somewhere close. And I’m not interested in meeting up with a bear in the woods.

The kids woke up with the sun — cheerful and excited for the day. While I scrounged for some coffee. Then we hiked a short trail. And after we loaded the car to head home, the first thing they asked was, “When can we do that again?!” My man and I just gave each other “the look.”

We were only gone a total of 24 hours but I had to keep battling my attitude. I didn’t feel like being there. I didn’t want to be cold and wet. But there were these three kids who couldn’t wait to get on that mountain.

The Call on a Mama

I don’t love to tent camp with three young kids when it rains all night and the temperatures drop into the 30s. But as moms we sometimes have to do things that we don’t love. And our attitudes will make an impression on the hearts of our kids.

I want them to remember that I laughed with them, that I smiled a lot, that I listened when they had something to say. I want them to remember that I made them feel loved. I want to honor my Lord.

I continually fail which is why I’m desperately thankful for His grace that mends the places I’ve torn. But this day I lay mommyhood before Him again, asking that He love their souls through my imperfect hands — even if I may not like what’s on the agenda.

How do you reign in your own heart when you need to do something that you don’t particularly enjoy?

Speaker and writer, Lara Williams lives in central North Carolina with her husband and three young children. Check out her blog or follow her on Twitter.

The Year of Motherhood: Themed Family Nights

Jamie — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:50:47 +0000

April Family Night – Recap!

My April challenge was to plan a family night each week that was more than dinner and a movie.

I feel like my husband, Aaron, and I spend a good amount of quality family time with our kids, but for some reason I felt as though we needed a little boost to our nights. I wanted to put a little pep in our step and bring them up a notch.

Our first family night was a LUAU FAMILY NIGHT theme and it was so much fun with the kids. I learned that on one hand it was super easy because it’s food we would have normally eaten, and I didn’t have to buy much to make the night special. We played limbo with a broomstick I found in the backyard, and silly straws and virgin pina colada’s don’t cost too much these days! The kids loved it. At one point I looked at Aaron and thought, I could do this. I could plan something like this every week and be a really “good” mom!

The next family night snuck up on me and I was not as prepared. Around 5:30pm I was still at the grocery store and texting everyone I knew in our neighborhood asking if they had a tent that we could borrow for our camping theme night. We finally got a tent, and finally got dinner made and in the end had one of the kids favorite desserts, but it was stressful for me, and I felt like I was more concerned with feeling like we were “camping” than I was with hanging out with my kids. Sure they ate in the tent, but I’m not sure I talked to them at all during the dinner. I could check another family night off the calendar.

That family night left me feeling defeated.

Another night was completely unplanned and we ended up making nachos late at night with our boys while watching a movie. Aaron looked at me and we kind of had the look that we both knew what we were both thinking. We both knew that this was a memory night. Completely unplanned and no theme at all, unless you call it a “How-much-gross-food-can-you-eat-in-one-night” theme! My kids thought it was hilarious that we put a TV in their room and let them eat nachos on the floor while we watched a movie. It was out of the box and so fun for them. I didn’t plan this theme.

It was just life happening and it was perfect.

Themed family nights have been fun and they’ve also been draining.

I’ve learned this month that each mom is different and I need to know my limits. Planning themed nights is not my thing, and I can say this with all confidence…. I’m.okay.with.this. For me, I’ll still do a theme night every once in a while, because my kids loved it. I’ll also not stress about them, because my kids also just love it when we’re together eating nachos on the floor in their room just because. No theme necessary. Just because.

The Next Motherhood Challenge

My challenge for May is to encourage each of my kids daily.

To say this out loud seems very elementary, but the point of this month is to stop and really talk to my kids each day. If you are like me, you wake up; get them to school and when you pick them up from school the whirl wind starts. The hours between 4 and 8 pm should be the sweetest, but sometimes they are the craziest. Baseball practice, homework, piano lessons, church stuff, dates nights, etc. etc. etc.

I want to slow down each day and spend time exhorting my children.

I want to look at them and find their strengths and encourage them in them daily. Unfortunately this will be a challenge for me. Instead of seeing so many areas that need improvement I’m asking God to help me see the areas they are succeeding in and encourage them there. In Hebrews the writer tells us to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you maybe be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin”. That’s what I want for my kids. I want to be their biggest fan and encourager.

Will you join me this month in becoming your kid’s biggest fans?

Together, let’s find ways to encourage our kids every single day. When they are driving you nuts, find something good in them that is worthy of encouragement. Let’s cheer our kids on with encouragement this month and all the months to come!

Share with us in the comments how you take special time out each day to encourage your kids.Click here to join the discussion!

About the Author:
Jamie Ivey lives in Austin with her husband, Aaron, who is the worship pastor at The Austin Stone Community Church, and their four kids. She’s passionate about loving her husband, following Jesus, talking about adoption, and trying to be the best mom she can be to the four cutest kids in the world. She loves family nights, reading a good book, and could eat Mexican food three times a day. You can find her blogging at DreamingBigDreams.net, or on twitter @jamie_ivey.

Your 15 Minute Transformation

Kat — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:57:43 +0000

What if you spent 15 minutes with Ann Voskamp every day for one whole month? Just a quick coffee and chat about your favorite things?

What if you followed that with a 15 minute chat with Jillian Michaels? Every day for one month.

How do you think those simple conversations would affect you?

I guarantee you’d have a keener eye for the gifts in your life and you’d put up a stronger fight against that last piece of cheesecake.

Why? Because passion and focus are contagious. Ann is passionate about gratitude. Jillian is passionate about fitness. And when you spend one on one time with someone, when you listen to them and share with them you can’t help but be transformed.

The Lowest Point In My Life

My very first real job crushed me. It required me to work one on one with my boss and I knew from the first week that I did not measure up to expectations. I was constantly corrected. Every meeting involved a little notebook where every wrong thing I did or said was written down. I didn’t have any other peers at that job, so the only input I had was that of my boss.

By the end of that job, my self esteem was lower than it had ever been in my entire life. I was convinced I couldn’t do anything right. The daily negative input from one person crushed me.

How My Dream Job Changed Me

Not long after that, I started working at KSBJ Radio in Houston, Texas. (The best job I could have ever even dreamed of…I love that place!) I was given more and more responsibility until my boss, Tim McDermott, decided that I should start a new offspring company for the station. I had no experience starting a new business, but he gave me the keys and let me drive.

After spending a few years at KSBJ, surrounded by people who believed in me, my perception of my working abilities was absolutely transformed.

What’s Your Soundtrack?

Friends, who do you listen to? Who do you spend time with? What is the soundtrack that plays in your life? There may be seasons in your life when you’re surrounded by wonderful people who lift you up or there may be seasons when you are surrounded by hurting people who bring you down.

I’m A Matchmaker

I spend hours and hours of time on this blog. I don’t to it to make money. I don’t do it to build a “brand.”

I do it because I’m a matchmaker. I know Someone who is perfect for you. He adores you. He knows all about you and is the fulfillment of every need of your heart.

And He wants to spend some time with you.

Can I encourage you…no…can I BEG you to know and be known by the One who wants you to succeed more than anyone else? The One who has plans for you and a hope and a future for you? The One who wants to tell you the EXACT things you need to hear?

If a 15 minute daily conversation with Ann would leave you more grateful, if 15 minutes a day with Jillian would leave you more fit, how truly and deeply will you be transformed by 15 minutes with the God who pieced you together perfectly with a specific plan and purpose for this very day in your life?

Put it on the calendar. A 15 minute coffee date with God.

Listen to what He has to say and let the transformation begin.

Share your story

When have you been encouraged by the words of others? Click here to share your story!

You Are A Gold Medal Mom…

Kat — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:17:52 +0000

photo credit

If you’ve read Inspired To Action for any length of time, you might know that I’m a sports nut. And as excited as I get about college basketball, Baylor football or tennis of any kind, nothing compares to the greatest sporting event of all:

The Olympics.

Seriously. I adore the Olympics. The amazing stories, the inspiring sacrifice, the heartbreaking losses, the beautiful victories – I pretty much love everything about the Olympics.

I also love motherhood, so the videos I’m sharing today are in the running to be my favorite commercials of all time. Ever. Times ten. Plus infinity.

You? You are a mom. You have a story, you have sacrificed, you have lost, but your victory awaits. You are a gold medal mom.

My sporty mom self totally got misty eyed at this one:

And I like this video just because it’s about Moms and the Olympics and it’s really cute.

(If you are reading via email or rss, click here to watch these inspiring videos.)

I hope these inspire you as you finish out the week strong.

Anyone else excited the Olympics are coming this summer?! Do you have a favorite Olympic moment? Click here to join the discussion!

I thought perhaps I should note that I have zero affiliation with the company that created these videos. I’m just a sucker for anything that manages to combine motherhood and sports.

When Idealism Gets in the Way

Katie — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:30:27 +0000

Note from Kat: This post is from monthly contributor (and our new HelloMornings Director!) Katie Orr.

I’ve had this love-hate relationship with nutrition over the years. Most of my early twenties were spent finding the ideal diet. My meals consisted of salads, vegetables, whole grains, and fresh fruit. I ate very little meat, most of which was fish or chicken. I kept the carbs at bay, avoided high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, yadda, yadda, yadda.

This was fun and easy way to eat, as a single woman in a big city. I was able to keep this going for several years into marriage and mommy-hood. My husband found the steal-of-the-year, a Champion Juicer for $15 at a garage sale (Oh yes he did!) and I would make vegetable juice for us all to drink. My son and daughter’s baby food was home-made, and I breast-fed until both of them were well into their first year of life. When my oldest was seven months old we went to Asia for 6 weeks and I even made his baby food there!

Fast Forward to French Fries

It is now about four years from the end of that “golden age”. My kids eat a piece of candy every day. My third child was on formula and ate peas from a jar. McDonalds and Hungry Howies are in our diet just about weekly. Need I go on?

There are many factors to the changes. As our family grew and job situation changed, it quickly become too expensive to eat as well. We were up-rooted five times in 6 years and lost all semblance of “normal”. There was also a year of living with (wonderful) family who didn’t quite understand the whys behind our lifestyle. The area in which we lived changed from the artsy suburbs where healthy choices abound, to more rural areas where “greens” are boiled in pig fat and served brown. Did I mention that somewhere along the lines I began my struggle with depression?

I just became too weary to fight for what was healthiest.

It’s Gotta Be All or Nothing

The juicer stayed packed away, I ignored nutrition labels, and what was healthiest was replaced with what was easiest. I gave up the pursuit of the “ideal” stay-at-home mom, but the guilt ate at me every day. It was a struggle to know the way I was “supposed” to be living, but not doing it. Ignorance is bliss took on a new meaning to me; self-condemnation abounded as I was constantly aware of what I “should” be feeding my kids.

What I feed my kids is just one of many layers of the “shoulds of motherhood” I struggle with. You see, I tend to focus on all that I am NOT doing. Instead of noticing the things I do as a mother that are meaningful, important, and astonishing, I look at my failures, short-comings, and dysfunction—and I let them define me. I’ve gotta be all, or nothing.

God has graciously intervened, and I am learning to see that my worth is not determined by what I do or don’t do. I cannot be it all—the perfect wife, mom, and homemaker—and I am in the process of removing all the ideals—the “shoulds”—from my to-do list. Because that list will never be accomplished by any one woman. Nor should it be.

Finding the Right Amidst the Wrongs

So, today I am going to focus on the things I still hold on to in our diet. I am going to celebrate the things I am doing “right”, and ignore all the “wrongs”.

We eat fruit; cold cereal and fruit is our breakfast staple. My kids regularly ask for an apple or orange for a snack. They love fruit and are (mostly) content to eat it.
Vegetables are a big part of our diet. My oldest son will eat spinach and other baby greens with nothing on them—and likes it! My daughter asked me for a whole cucumber yesterday as a snack. My two-year-old is finally starting to eat the spinach and not throw it on the floor! (Now THAT is a cause to celebrate!)

We often get FRESH vegetables, fruit, fish and eggs. Living in a rural area, EVERYONE here has their own garden. We’ve had salads from greens that were picked just hours before. Watermelons given to us fresh from the vine. We even have our own (itty-bitty) organic blueberries bushes in the backyard. My husband has tried his hand at fishing with the local boys and brought home dinner for the evening. Tonight I am buying a dozen free-range chicken eggs from a boy in our church.
We don’t eat much meat. We have swung a bit back and forth with this over the years, but of late we are getting back to eating mostly chicken, turkey and fish; we serve many meals sans meat.

Finding a New Ideal

While our diet may not be perfect, I am doing something nutritionally right. Instead of wallowing in everything I am not or cannot be, I am trying to take a more balanced approach to what I focus on. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

So, we will eat hot dogs at the ball field and drive through McDonalds because it is cheap and convenient. I will let my kids enjoy sugary treats and the occasional Sprite (especially if I can get them to do something for it!) and their snacks will not have to pass my hydrogenated-oil inspection. Nutritionally, it’s not ideal, but it is ideal for getting through these crazy, early years of motherhood.

Although, I did recently find the box with my Champion juicer in it, so look out carrots!

What ideals of motherhood do you struggle with? How have you settled into your own ideal? What “right” are you doing amidst your “wrongs”? Share it with us in the comments.

________________________________________________

Jesus-lover. Pastor’s wife. Mommy of three. Grace-clinger. Truth-speaker. Auburn fan. Longing to equip others to walk with the Lord for a lifetime. Co-author of Savoring Living Water: How to have an effective quiet time and author of Focused15 Bible studies. Creator of Do Not Depart where you can receive encouragement and tools to abide in God’s Word.

5 Things I Don’t Want You To Know About Me – And Why I’m Telling You Anyway

Kat — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:33:54 +0000

My Mom Confessions

My minivan is a mess. You could clothe and feed a small nation with the junk inside.
I tend to lecture my kids.
I rarely floss.
I “check” my iPhone too much.
I have been known to hush my kids so I can work on a post about how to be a great mom.

We’ll just let the terrible irony of that last one sink in…

Too Much Information?

Why am I telling you this? Because its so easy to believe the lie that we are alone. That we are the only ones who don’t “get” it. That we need to be perfect. That we need to have it all together. That our shortcomings make us failures.

Come On Now…

The TRUTH? The truth is that what He *IS* doing in our lives is always greater than what we are *not* doing.

Marinate in that for a minute.

What He has done, what He is doing and what He is going to do matters more than our mistakes.

That is the Gospel.

God sees us as good not by the work of our hands, but through the sacrifice of Jesus.

The Price of Perceived Perfection

One of my favorite song lyrics says, “In the absence of martyrs, there’s the presence of thieves…”

When no one is willing to sacrifice on behalf of others, there is room for the liar to come in, steal truth and replace it with lies.

If I’m not willing to show that I’ve been broken and that I’m fully in need of grace, others (including my children) might believe that they need to be perfect or that they don’t measure up.

It’s hard to tell our story. It’s hard to face it, embrace it and let grace redeem it. It’s painful, it’s humbling, it takes effort. But if we’re willing to step out, we can be the light that exposes the liar and the thief.

It Stops With Us

Our children will carry on the story that starts with us. If we hide our failure or pain, if we avoid the challenge it takes to change….then our children will face the same thieves we did.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not ok with that.

We MUST to stand in front of the fire and forge the weapons we need to fight. Weapons of humility and faith. It’s hard, it hurts, it’s a choice and a battle…

But it can change the course of generations to come.
…it can CHANGE the course of generations to come.
…it can change the COURSE of generations to come.
…it can change the course of GENERATIONS to come.

Let the mama bear in you rise up and roar loud. Sometimes fighting for our children means we battle ourselves first.

The Hard Part

My challenge for you today:
1. Right now confess your need for God to do His work.
2. Today identify and list 3 areas He’s working on.
3. Contact someone today who can keep you accountable to change.

This is how we get Monday started around here. As I’ve mentioned before, this blog isn’t called “Inspired To Think About It.” Who’s in? Click here to join the discussion.

An Extremely Short Post on Fame and Motherhood

Kat — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:41:32 +0000

Tell us! What is one sweet way your kids have shown their love lately? Share your story here.

The 3 Step Secret Weapon Against Mommy Guilt

Kat — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:33:44 +0000

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Mom guilt is universal. And 95% of the time, the things we feel guilty about aren’t even things that are particularly important to us. But since it’s a “good idea” we add it to the heavy weight of guilt we carry around.

For example:

It’s a good idea to clean my baseboards weekly.
It’s a good idea to wash, fold and put away your laundry each day.
It’s a good idea to drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Its a good idea to eat all organic food.
Its a good idea to get 30 minutes of exercise each day.
It’s a good idea to only let your kids watch 30 minutes of tv a day.
It’s a good idea to make your own bread.
It’s a good idea to study your Bible every day for an hour.
It’s a good idea to sit ergonomically correct *every* time you use your computer.
It’s a good idea to build a bomb shelter in your backyard.

They’re all technically good ideas. But if we acted on every “good idea” we’d ever heard, we’d go insane.

And yet we’re making ourselves go insane by NOT acting on those ideas.

The Secret Weapon?

Let me ask you a question: When you go on vacation you don’t pack up your whole house, right? If you did that, you’d never go on vacation. Too much work.

Instead, you choose the most important things and pack them in a small bag.

Thats what we need to do with guilt. We don’t have to carry the whole house with us. Its overwhelming.

The 3 Steps

1. Pick – Pick one area of Motherhood to work on.
2. Plan – Make a plan to work on it. Set a timeline.
3. Move on – When you’ve reached your goal, pick something else.

As much as we want to be superwomen, the reality is that we are not. We are mere mortals who can only do one thing at a time.

To carry the weight of the world is both pointless and paralyzing. Lay it down, my friends. Pick up your one thing and discover how fast you can run, when you run guilt free.

What is the one thing you want to focus on now? OR What is one thing you need to lay down? Click here to join the discussion.

The Year of Motherhood: March Update and April Challenge (Family Nights!)

Jamie — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:00:46 +0000

Editor’s Note: Today we have another motivating read by Jamie Ivey, sharing more about her Year of Motherhood.

The need to schedule.

If someone would have walked up to me eight years ago as I held my precious 2 month old baby and told me that in eight short years you will have four kids and you will be trying to schedule one-on-one time with them each week, I would have looked at them like they had two heads.

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What kind of mom has a hard time spending time with her kids? My mind back then would have said only the “bad” moms have to plan time with their kids! It’s kinda like when you first get married and that sweet couple that’s been married about 10 years longer than you and is chasing four kids around tells you that one day you will schedule sex … you laugh and think NO WAY. Well, YES WAY to scheduling sex and time with our kids!!

This month’s challenge of spending one-on-one time with my kids was harder than I thought it would be.

In a perfect world I would take each kid out to their favorite lunch spot and then we would spend hours at the park talking and sipping cherry coke (although I would really never let my kids drink cherry coke, because I’m the psycho-no-coke-mom) all while the other kids were at home and it was just me and that one kid for a few hours. Y’all that expectation is hard. Very hard.

Throw in a husband that travels, school, piano lessons, homework, a child having surgery, church activities and commitments, a mom volunteering for a big fundraising event, basketball practice, friends and family in town …. the list could go on forever. You know what it’s like with kids and life and trying to fit it all in!

Lesson learned.

What I learned this month was that being a mom takes work.

I know you are on the floor laughing hysterically because you already knew that. Well I already knew that too, but it was confirmed again as I was trying to juggle my commitments in life, my husband’s commitments, and being 100% present and there for my kids.

I’ll say that there were many days that I failed, but there were also days that I succeeded and those days felt so good. I learned that it’s the little things in life that can bring so much joy to my kids.

Yesterday we all went out and got ice cream cones that costs $1 each and they were so excited. I was intentional in my conversations as we sat around the table at the park and talked. I was present. I was there for them. I had nothing on my mind but them.

Moms, I am the first person to say that when life gets busy sometimes my kids get the worst in me. I am on edge, tired, busy, and consumed with my own agenda. This challenge was a huge reminder to me that my babies are precious and are gifts to be treasured. They need me and believe it or not, I need them too.

The March challenge reminded me that the time I invest in my kids has a far greater reward than anything else I could invest my time in.

The next challenge.

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For my April challenge I’m focusing on family nights. We love family nights around here, but they are always dinner & movie. I need to branch out, and make memories with my family through these nights.

This month I want to plan and implement a family night each week that is more than dinner and movie. This is going to be a challenge for this very non-creative momma! Pintrest here I come!!! Leave me a comment with your favorite family night ideas, because truly I need all the help I can get!!!

Wanna join me in planning family nights for your family? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.

Jamie Ivey lives in Austin with her husband, Aaron, who is the worship pastor at The Austin Stone Community Church, and their four kids. She’s passionate about loving her husband, following Jesus, talking about adoption, and trying to be the best mom she can be to the four cutest kids in the world. She loves family nights, reading a good book, and could eat Mexican food three times a day. You can find her blogging at DreamingBigDreams.net, or on twitter @jamie_ivey.