Did I Model That?

"Did you model that for the Blossoms?" 

my brother asked, as we were chatting about the Blossoms' fitness routines.  The Blossoms regularly utilize YouTube videos, walking trails, country roads, the college gym, weights, the treadmill, Pilates, and stretching.  How did this happen?

Considering my seemingly imperfect habits, I was about to shrug in the negative, 
until I reflected over the last twenty years.  

When I zoom out, surprisingly, I realized the answer is yes.  

I've squeezed walks in, with strollers, baby carriers, toddlers, tweens, and teens.

I've stretched and jump-roped in the sun while they played in the sandbox.

I've line-danced in the backyard whilst bumping into each other.

I've done fitness videos in the living room with little people climbing on me.

I've utitilized silly kids exercise YouTube videos with cute sidekicks.  

I've capitalized on dance fitness videos with tweens and teens who are now more coordinated than I am.

I've kickboxed in the living room and refereed squabbles and kickboxed again.

I've jump-roped and bounced on the mini trampoline while listening to reading assignments.

I've taken quiet solitary evening walks and family walks and one-on-one walks and walked along behind ambitious runners.

I've walked on the treadmill while the Blossoms do outside chores.

Not in my own perfection, but yes, in each season, I kept adjusting and trying and snatching time.  

Surprisingly, maybe I did model a commitment to overall fitness over the last twenty years!  

I share this not to brag, but to encourage you.  

It is not your perfection that influences your children; 
it is your perseverance.

Springtime and Subtle Shifts

The days are warming up and we are jubilantly soaking in the carefree moments.  

From lunchtime walks to weekend wanderings, 

the sprouts of spring are spunky and spirited and (in)spiring.

Wanderings like these lend themselves to reflection.

There are some things that always remain the same throughout all seasons of motherhood.

Love is a constant.  

Love fiercely.  

Love practically.  

Love freely. 

Love patiently.

Love firmly.

Love.

Say yes whenever you can.

Yes to opportunities to connect.

YES.

Pray.

Pray hard.

Pray for your beautiful Blossoms (or Sprouts).

Pray for yourself and your husband.

Pray.

Other things do change.  Subtly, but they do.

A twenty-year-old is not "managed" the same way an eight-year-old is "managed."  

There are no more reminders to brush teeth or set alarms.  

There is no more hovering about the mirror to make sure modesty standards are upheld.  

She and the Holy Spirit can figure it out by now.

I'm around if she asks for my opinion.

What used to be a long parenting exhortation 

is now a well-placed sentence at the right time.

Given with prayerful grace.

I don't tell the older Blossoms how to handle a situation; 

I try to listen to their recounting and see how they handled it.  

We're here with wisdom, but, most likely, she already knows what we'd say.  

She has His voice inside her.

Some situations just need prayer,

not more of my opinions.

Motherhood shifts, but I'm finding joy behind the shifts, 

noting the growing maturity, the deeply held personal standards, 

blossoming goals and dreams, and a solid foundation.

May He continue to build in the Blossoms' lives.  May He weave the tapestries of their lives.

Half a Habit

Sometimes you have a goal and you're doing really well with it and then, you just hit a snag.  

(I could be looking at you, time change.) 

Before I even realized, I went two weeks with barely a walk in my daily routine and I could tell.

More emotional, less energy.  

If you haven't heard me say it before, exercise is magic.

Because of a few extra demands in our mornings lately, I was having trouble establishing that consistency again. I realized this:

Half a habit is better than seven days without a habit.  

Half a habit builds momentum.

Half a habit is the road back to a good, healthy habit.

I told myself that I could manage 10 minutes on the treadmill or just a quick little walk while Blossom3 was helping with Art Club or squeeze in a few laps around the yard.  

Ten minutes grows.  It's the first step and the longest journeys begin with the first step.

What can you conquer by beginning with half a habit?

What Season Are We In?

This week, we landed somewhere in the neighborhood of Second Winter, Spring of Deception, and Mud Season.  Inevitably, Third Winter followed and that's where we're currently standing as I watch white stuff flit through the air and listen as the wind howls in protest.

We soaked up the sunshine while we had it though, walking, playing in the yard, and working on the homestead, with light hearts and warmth on our faces.  There were towels on the line and breezes skittering through our home, refreshing and reviving us.

In a fit of spring rage-cleaning, I cleaned out the garden and planted lettuce in my mini milk jug greenhouses.  Outside work is such a healthy way to blow off steam.

I'm still not certain how much I'm planting in the garden this year.  This mama is juggling a lot and my normal Blossom work force is not always around, leaving me wondering how much I can realistically juggle.  This is a challenge, unique to the season of launching adults and guiding teens. 

Your work force graduates and you're back to doing many of the tasks alone...

or mostly alone.

Sometimes I feel emotional about this and sometimes I just barrel through. The core is still the same for me:

Work as unto the Lord.

Serve Him with excellence, by serving my family with excellence.

This is the guidepost I come back to when I'm struggling with my attitude.

Dominique

The (New) Little Old Ladies

A longtime family friend and the original 4-H leader to our Blossoms had a predicament:

All the little old ladies with sewing skills are dying off,

so all the little old ladies who used to volunteer to sew things like catheter covers, newborn hats, and NICU quilts are becoming much harder to find.

She texted me an SOS.  

Enter the (new) little old ladies:

the Blossoms and their Blossom friends thinking bigger than themselves.

With their time and

with their talents. 

We gathered and pooled our sewing machines.

They laughed and grinned and spent the morning

using their hands to bring dignity back to elderly folks in a local nursing home.

It challenged me not to get too busy to pass on the life skills that we value.