Simplified ABC's

  After having Eden, our second baby, I felt a rush of overwhelming chaos and uprooting of the old routine of our family of three. That sweet little addition was sending a new current my way and I felt the need to simplify my life.  The house was a wreck and I could barely manage to have my teeth brushed, toddler feed and diaper changed, dogs fed and myself fed, oh and of course that sweet little treasure fed and diaper changed every 2-3 hours. I literally down loaded a home organizational app that guided my day and it literally included "feed and change baby", "feed dogs"... I just couldn't get it together.  In the moments of fight or flight I would find myself very over whelmed. Which I heard was normal and I checked with my closest girlfriend of two small ones and she confirmed the rumors to be true.  She assured me that one day it will "just click". I don't remember when it "clicked". I think it was somewhere between 8 hours of sleep and brushing my hair before 5 pm.    It finally has clicked and we have found our new normal as a family of four with two fur babies.  

  I started the simplification process by eliminating anything that wasn't necessary and moving things closer to my finger tips.  I started storing the trash bags under the sink in the kitchen for easy refills and the kids pjs in the bathroom drawer instead of their rooms.  I found myself running in circles for hours feeling like I needed a fanny pack with a trash bag attached to it.  This is when I realized how much trash two littles can make! 

 Don't misunderstand me here. There isn't an ounce of complaining just the reality of growning pains for a family.  No one talks about those.  You only see the happy pictures of sleeping babies and snuggly kisses on Instagram.  Not the real deal of how it looks like an F4 tornado just blew three the entire house. (Do they even categorize tornados with F's? I'm not sure but it sounds good. I'm to exhausted to google it.) Trust me. Your house will recover and it will one day "just click".  

  Purging the apps from my phone and unfollowing Instagram feeds was my way of feeling closer to control.  It was a quick fix to help me get back to the ABC's of life and to what matters most...my family. I will be the first to admit that scrolling through feeds and comments has taken too much of my time and energy.  They are wonderful mental outlets for a break from the baby and tot world. However simplify was my goal and therefore I deleted those apps too.  

  The past six months has been incredible with up and downs of managing a family in this media driven society that consumes us. I pray that the next six months are full of simple memories of my babies in our daily routine in the middle of our simple days of pancakes, diapers, rice cereal and sippy cups.  I'm not perfect and I never will be. But I will be the best mom that I know how to be.  I will give it everything with in me. I want to look back and remember these fleeting moments that are just a vapor.  Most of all I want my babies to know how much they are loved and that I gave it my all. 

 So if you visit us on any given day you will find a cold cup of coffee, bed heads, abc mouse, a baby in the play pen, dishes piled in the sink and toys all over the living room floor with a load of laundry or six shoved in the corner.  

  Welcome to our simplified life! We are happy.  We are safe and warm and our bellies are full and blessed.  It's the simple things that makes life good.  

Matthew 11:28-30."Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

;)

Jen