In being genuinely honest, there are some days when I'm not joyful or grateful to be at home. There are days when my patience runs low, when the routine of cooking and cleaning is boring and mundane, when I question if I'm doing a decent job as a mother, and wonder if I'm making an impact on anything or anyone else other than Steve and Jack... and the first months of being pregnant were specially rough as the tiredness and nausea did not help.
These last few weeks I've been praying for a changed perspective. I know it's just about to get more difficult when I have two little ones to care for in two months! I really want to cherish this time with my little ones and fully enjoy this season.
Anyways here are some blessings of being at home during this time... (Besides the obvious and most important one which is taking care of this little guy)
- It is wonderful to be able to go on playdates. I try to limit playdates to once a week (so I can also take care of the house, groceries, running errands, etc). This is a picture from a Valentine's day playdate in South Tampa last week. I really, really enjoyed the time with these ladies... and enjoyed the beautiful weather that day too!
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- On Wednesday mornings Jack and I head over to Beallshoals church for Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). It is a Christian non-denominational bible study and women from different churches attend. We are going through the book of Acts this year and it has been wonderful. The first hour we meet with our small group (about 10-15 women) and the second hour we hear an incredible speaker expand on what we just learned.
Here is a picture with my small group leader Carolyn (middle) and Kelly who is also in our group. Carolyn is a wonderful leader, she calls every week to ask how I'm doing and how she can pray for me.
On a funny side note- Jack has found himself a cute little girlfriend in his class and talks about her all the time! He also gets to learn about the bible, quiet time, and has a lesson for the day.
- On Thursday nights Steve and I started hosting a small group bible study at our house. We are going over 'Crown' which is a study of what the bible says about money, working, and other topics. There are three couples from our church, and one of our neighbors joined us. We've really been enjoying this study, although it is a lot of work.
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| We all laughed bc Steve look gigantic in this picture. For some reason he looks a foot taller than everyone else :) |
(Now although the small group is at night, I am glad to have the time to be at home to get the house and dinner ready on those nights)
- And although I don't have a picture, every other Tuesday Jack and I head over to Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS). The children are watched in the nursery, while the moms get together for breakfast and then a speaker for the day. I am praying about next year and whether to be in leadership at MOPS or continue BSF, as I don't think I'll be able to do both. Hopefully I'll get some direction soon!
So these are the things I'm most grateful for today. Wanted to write them down as a reminder for myself of really how much I've been given. And partly to share what is going on in our lives as I've been pretty private about it overall.
Wishing everyone a blessed week!
