My Thoughts During Spring Break

Having my kids home for spring break has got me wondering...

...about this blog of mine. A hobby-- turned passion-- turned surprise income maker-- now takes time.  I now have advertisers, sponsors and write occasional posts on products and get paid for it.  I find myself photographer, editor, writer, social media specialist, administrator, and receptionist all at the same time, and I LOVE IT! It has been a huge blessing, a surprise answer to prayer. We asked God about supplementing our income and what would be the best way to do that, and it seems like this blog is the answer. It brings me to tears when I think of the incredible gift I have been given, to spend time doing my passion hobby, and actually help the family income at the same time.  I have God and YOU ALL to thank for that.

But, as spring break is here, and kids are home, I find myself wondering how in the world am I going to do it all come summer break?  I have felt the pull the last 2 days, the pull between being a mom and being a blog writer.  My little ones win in this tug o' war game.  I gladly give in.  For you see, I now know that the moments are so precious, and are not forever.  They pull, and I respond pulling them to me into arms that don't ever want to let go.  Oh if I could freeze these precious moments!

Arms right now are empty, as I sit here in a few surprise quiet moments, as all 3 of my girls are at a friends house down the street.  Thank goodness for great neighbors, another answer to a prayer that we prayed.

Back to summer, I'm not sure how I will balance the two. I know so many of you do it, working mothers, and then those who are my heroes, single mothers.  But, I do know that my family must always come first, and I must notice and cling to those moments that so easily slip past when I am too focused on work.  I know my work is best when I am being the best mom and wife I can be.

I will probably sneak away to a coffee shop a couple evenings a week and take my laptop to the pool.

Another solution I have is bringing you into our days, sharing with you what we do, and keeping my posts simple. So today, you get to see what my youngest and I have been up to, and I will show you a glimpse of a fun little project we did yesterday with some of our neighbor kids.

I received a phone call from Grandma last night, "Can I take you all out for breakfast in the morning?  Can I drop little ones birthday gift off at the house, too?"  So our morning started out with the blessing beautiful weather, an awesome breakfast and time with Grandma.  Grandma Sharon knew that my little one could really use her own comfy chair in her room, and after looking all over the city, she found the MOST special and comfy one.  Such a great gift!  

 My little ones room has been a mess, and I was hoping this would be the motivation she might need to get her room in order.  I was right.  As we were out to breakfast, little one asks, "Mom, do you think we could work on my room today, maybe rearrange it and find a special place for my new chair?"  Yay!  Because I didn't over schedule our Spring Break, I was able to say "yes" and now her room looks great!  She expressed such gratitude to me for helping her with her room, which melted me.

 {Here is what was eliminated from her room, most of which was under the bed! Eyyy..}

As always, when I get into one project, it seems like the rest of the house falls apart, so I will take some time this afternoon rescuing my house!  The weather is so amazing, I'm thinking it may be a great evening to pack a picnic and have Todd meet us at the park for dinner.  It is 81 degrees and sunny, with just a slight breeze.  Perfect!

Off I go to get to my rescuing, but before I do, here a quick peek at a super fun project we did yesterday.  I will have a "how-to" post coming soon!

Natural Homemade Lip Balm

It was one of our most fun projects, the girls loved it, and I love that it is healthy for them--no chemicals!