Third Thursday Blog Hop- Balance

Welcome to my second blogging endeavor- blogging for Hearts at Home! After blogging about my time at the National Conference about a month ago, their head of blogging contacted me and asked me to participate in their monthly blog hop. Each month, I will blog about a topic then link up with other Hearts at Home bloggers. I am VERY excited to be participating!

This month’s topic? Balance. (It’s like they knew I needed some time to think and reflect on the balance in my life.) Balance is something that I have been struggling with lately. I feel like just when I get the hang of juggling 3 balls, someone throws 3 more into the mix. Before having Kenley, I was REALLY stressed out about balance. But we got the hang of it, and it was fine after awhile. But kids change and grow and their needs change and differ- so just when I think I have them figured out? Things change. The ebb and flow of life kicks in, and sometimes, I feel like it is taking me under.

The prompt shared was part of Mary Byer’s book, The Mother Load. (it’s on my to-read list!) In the subtitle she asks “If you are taking care of your kids, who is taking care of you?” And honestly, sometimes I wonder! She makes a good point! We as moms and wives MUST take time out for ourselves. Even if it’s an hour sometimes to just get out, go to a coffee place, read, take a hot bath with NO interruptions, exercise, something! It’s HARD. I feel like I rarely get those opportunities. By the time I manage two kids, naps, Kindermusik, speech therapy, cleaning, grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation, and having a husband who works late this time of year- I am spent. I can’t wait to collapse into bed so that I can manage to function the next day. I am so busy tending to everyone else that I feel like I don’t get to tend to myself- and that’s hard. A lot of that is mom guilt for me- I shouldn’t NEED time alone, I am a mother, that’s just part of the job description. But I know that I need those chances to unwind, be myself, enjoy my hobbies, and take a break.

That’s where balance comes in. I am learning that when the kids are asleep, I shouldn’t do the things that I can do while they are awake- like unloading the dishwasher or showering or laundry. It’s the things like bookwork, writing, making my grocery list, cleaning, blogging, photo editing and uploading that I need to be doing when they are asleep. I have also had to realize in the last almost 3 years that a perfect house with 2 kids is NOT reality. We LIVE in our home, so it should reflect that at least. It will probably never all be clean at the exact same time. And that’s ok.  And sometimes? It’s ok to ask for help as well. I am very, very blessed to have family close by. I have yet to take both kids with me to the grocery store and if I need a place for Brayden to go so I can get a few things done, I always have someone to call! It is nice and I try not to do it ALL the time- but in a pinch, it works!

Balance is a tough thing, but I know that all I can do is rely on HIM to guide me through the tough times and rejoice with me in the little victories of life.

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