At 21 years old, I created this blog. In a small 2 bedroom apartment, in Northern Ohio. As a new mother... a new wife to a Pastor, serving in a new ministry... 12 hours from anyone we ever knew. It has been a journey.
With many bumps... pot holes... pits... but also lots of joys.... Tossed in with many moves... and constant change.
As imperfect as I am... I really are just trying to trust the Father with our story...
I am very fortunate to have an awesome Mom who is still well and very involved in the lives of her 4 grand children. Thankful for how involved she was with my brother and I growing up… teaching us to be kind… giving… and praying for us. We share a lot in common ;-) – and not just in our looks.
Here we are in 1985 at Carowinds in North Carolina :)
Happy Mothers Day Mom!! and all your grand babies send you lots of love too, they wish you were here.
I hope everyone has a great mothers day. Today is really beautiful out… suppose to be mid 70′s to lower 80′s… sunny… and best of all, my husbands actually off today… so we plan to just enjoy the weather…. relax…. and spend some time together today.
The last few weeks I feel as if I am multi-tasking to the extreme. I have realized its an art or possibly a slight obsession that I am good at? None the less, I can tell a huge difference in my ability to “keep up” when I leave my husband home with the children haha… Don’t get me wrong, Travis is an amazing husband and father… and does more than most men would ever think to do! I think as a woman though I am just wired differently and because of this, I am able to do things a lot different…. and in short, a little bit more affectively? :) I guess that is the only way I can put it, if I am being frank.
Life as a mother of 4 boys, is go go go and while I do have mornings, a lot lately honestly… where I sleep in til 9am… (yes, it does happen!), I find once I am up, I am always doing something, from cooking a meal, tidying a kitchen, wiping a kids butt, catch up on emails (never ending, its kinda like laundry?), disciplining a kid, prepping my calendar for upcoming shoots, organizing school work, checking school work… getting ready to relaunch She {hearts} It and preparing my new business Lace Lane Wedding’s. It makes me tired to think about :)
One thing though that I am so thankful for, is the ability to do any of it…. and while there are many days I would rather sit on my couch and play the Wii with my children without any other care… and possibly a butler or maid to serve me food and clean my house… I know, in the end, I am one blessed lady!!
& the Wii days do happen some times… minus the butler or maid ;-) – unless you count my children? Its called “teaching them to serve?” ;D
I will admit I am struggling with something though, and that is sleep. For some reason I cant sleep very sound…. I think it is a combination of my anticipating Reed waking up between 2-5am… or possibly the long to-do list constantly going through my mind. The two combined make for some long nights lately.
Any how. Thats life as of right now :)
Busy…
But good.
With the busy, comes my lack of camera use :) – I miss my camera! It has only been used on Sunday’s lately, capturing our Church baptisms…. something Ive tried to help with lately when I can. I do have a fun Boba session this sunday though and am excited about that… especially since its with one of my favorite clients. ;-)
So, since the camera is hard to find time for lately… here is a wrap up with some instagram’s ;-) – what would we do without instagram!? seriously.
Below is Taite’s Cursive. Taite just turned five late Dec. He impresses me daily!
The Pink Bumbo isn’t mine ;-) – belongs to Candra from Curious Georgi.
We’ve gone to her house a few times the last few weeks. Her baby Heaven is only a day older than Reed.
She also has 3 other children, ALL BOYS. So our crew meshes well.
Have I mentioned Owen is a slight addict of Temple Run?
To prove it, check out this video I snagged of him playing it the other night…
Please disregard the screaming 6 year old in the background…. Im not sure what his deal was.
I did manage this photo, BEFORE church Sunday. I had the cam then for baptism ;-)
Lil’ Reed-er (reeder has become his nick name as of late), is still precious as always.
Hilariously ugly – but cute in a way ;-) and my boys, loved them.
I also pampered myself recently and got some peek-a-boo color in my hair. Its fun, yet not to much.
I also had 3 inches cut off… 3 inches of major split ends! Thats what a year 1/2 with no cut will do.
& for those who think my house is always clean ;-) here is some evidence it is not.
Here I am… 4:25am and I am awake. Yet my sweet lil Reed is not. :-)
We moved him into his own room this week and ever since he has been doing a lot better sleeping. I joked that he could totally smell me being in our bedroom… but he also probably “heard” me…. not that I snore of anything ;-) – but you know, little movements here and there, bed squeak, sheet shuffle… I doubt I am a silent sleeper, especially since my bed looks like some sort of animal had a fight in it the following morning.
That being said… Im up waiting for him to wake now. While up I was on my google reader and saw that Ashlee @ Bird Nest Egg posted a new blog post. She recently started back blogging and am so glad she did. Her honesty has been refreshing to read.
The post she put up tonight though was so appreciated…. I think many mothers who nurse have thought the way she thought… and so to hear her express words of apology and go into such detail about her journey nursing and struggling this time to nurse… was honestly SO GOOD to read….
So if you are a mom who is struggling right now with nursing.
Or a mom who is no longer nursing….
Or even a mom WHO IS nursing.
I think every mom out there needs to read Ashlee’s Post.
I added an archive widget on my right side bar. Some of you may have noticed. I was looking for some old photos of Caleb and while looking for them, came across the very 1st photo I put up on my blog. Back in 05.
The post had a little paragraph introducing myself to “the bloggy” world….
Here is what I said…
“Hi peoples! Welcome to my blog. My names Andrea. Im a 22 yr. old stay at home wife and mother. Im just going to use this blog to share with family and friends what’s going on every now and then from day to day! My son Caleb does some funky stuff {man im such a nerd} … so it be neat to remember it by posting it on this blog! Along with pictures… Enjoy your stay.”
TO think back on that day is weird. I actually remember it! I remember sitting in that apartment, up in Northern Ohio… completely overwhelmed at what life had brought to me. I had no clue going into things what marriage really was about and what motherhood was to bring. Add to it ministry and at the time living 12 hrs from anyone I knew… it was not an easy few years. I look back and see a lot of heart ache… but also a lot of growth. For that I am thankful… because I know through the trials the Lord has only made not only myself stronger but my husband and our marriage/family.
I did a side by side of myself (almost 30) and my former 22 year old self. I must say… and I mean this in the most humble of ways [trust me, my husband can speak for me in saying I never compliment myself] – but looking back on this particular photo… I think the last 9 years, age has been gracious to me :)
Thankful for the years…
Thankful for the Lords grace on us.
10 years of marriage…
9 of those going full force into mother hood.
3 different churches…
8 moves? Almost 9?
New careers….
Thats a lot to take in! :) but thankful for being able to take it in… and grow while doing it.
I am 16, going on 17…. innocent as a lambbbbb. Anyone recognize that statement? Or Lyric I guess I should say.
It seriously feels like yesterday that I was watching the Sound of Music even before I was 16. Yet now. Im 29 going on 30 – and spend all my days chasing, cleaning, tending, disciplining, hugging, kissing, washing and some times… just “some” times… loosing my mind haha… with my 4 boys.
When I look at this photo I just can’t help but think “wow they sure are growing up fast….” and wish they would “slow down just a little.” – While I look forward to the days they are independent in ways… and I get to “sleep” again ;-) – I know I will so miss this.
I love so much that my boys strive to please… and while they are far from perfect often…. I see a yearning in them to make not only myself proud but their daddy.
One thing Im trying to remember to do though, is to tell them how proud I am of them. I did this the other night… after Caleb helped me with Reed and Owen… he fed Reed and even got Owen dressed for bed… and I just praised him for how good he did. I saw just a glow in his face in hearing those words “Im proud of you Caleb.” – and he just smiled and said “Thanks” :)
I really am so blessed and love being a mom of 4 amazing dudes!
