Jiggle Peace

I jiggle. 

Everywhere. 

Most of the time. 

I'm not sure my body will ever be "jiggle free"...

One of the things that nearly kept me from exercising, almost daily, was that I was afraid people would see me jiggle. It's a "Catch 22", isn't it?! I didn't want people to see me jiggle so I wouldn't exercise...which is clearly what I needed to do to stop jiggling so much. 

I would cover myself adequately to prevent over-jiggle-xposure and would do "low impact" during exercises with a high "jiggle factor". 

I kid you not. These things are true. 

Until one day...I said, "FORGET IT! I have to jiggle to get stronger and I don't care who sees it!!" 

I didn't say it out loud. That would have been...not unusual. 

Ah, I mean, embarrassing. 

For people around me. 

Exercise can be embarrassing, not just because of jiggling, either. You stick your butt up, out, back, and in (people's faces sometimes). You sweat...everywhere. You stink. You can't really wear make-up. Your hair gets utterly crazy. You show weakness. You show inability. You expose more than just a little jiggle. Exercise is...like I said...embarrassing. 

But...

You know what else it is? 

Important. 

If we were all farmers, homesteaders, self-sufficient home providers without an overwhelming presence of lazy, entertain-me-please tendencies... "Exercise" would not be as important. Hooowwwwevvver...most of us don't fall I to that catagory. 

So we jiggle. 

We jiggle for our health. 

We jiggle for our sanity. 

We jiggle for strength and for our everyday lives!! 

I say these things for three main reasons: 

1. If you are a beginner, or a timid jiggler like myself, I encourage you to forget about it. Forget about the jiggle and let loose your inhibitions!! Truly enjoy and embrace the exercises you do without worry about jiggle-xposure. You may find that you enjoy an exercise more and are better at it when you are less concerned about your physical appearance and how others perceive you. 

2. Don't worry about other people's jiggle. You let their jiggle jig!! (Even instructors at your local gym. They aren't up there to be jiggle-free, but to help YOU get closer to your fitness goals!) Just the same, don't worry about how little other people jiggle. You are you. You are where you are. You are not them and you are not where they are. 

3. You can jiggle less. Your jiggle meter should be regulated in the kitchen. What you eat makes a big difference. You can work out everyday for years and hardly change your jiggle if your jiggle meter is not ON in the kitchen. Don't just eat less...that's not it. Eat well! Nourish your body. You do not need: pills, shakes, supplements, magic wands...well...a magic wand might work. You will need: accountability, determination, goals, and...I'll say it...self control.  (Sometimes shakes or supplements can be great tools to hold you accountable or assist with self-control but you CAN do it without them)

I constantly need these reminders, too. (I find my keys in the fridge sometimes so I need many reminders for many things). I don't pretend to know everything. These are just things I'm learning on this crazy fitness journey. 

So, friends, let your jiggle out! 

Oh wait....

No... 

That's not what I meant. 

Keep the jiggle in. 

Don't take your clothes off. 

Let's try this again...

Jiggle on, friends. Jiggle. On. 

Wishing everyone out there Jiggle Peace...and, as always, Hair Peace! 

Exercise Peace

My babies have changed my body. However, as awesome as he is, my last baby wrecked my body. 

(Aren't they sweet?! ...it's a well timed photo.)

Not like:

"I have a few unsightly stretch marks and my hips are a bit wider..." wrecked my body.

More like:

"I cannot get up off the floor without losing my breath, a tiger mauled my stomach, I'm gaining weight postpartum (not losing), baby blues have turned into full blown postpartum depression, functioning has become difficult..." wrecked my body. 

After three months of wishing for changes, I got aggressive. 

I decided to put my family through what I thought would be financial and time strain. I decided to get a membership at the YMCA to utilize the group exercise classes they offered. 45-55 minutes away from my house. Even $1 was more than what I thought we could afford. My kids would be in child watch multiple times through the week (something I had never done before). I would be packing lunches and driving...a lot. I would have to load and unload the kids...a lot. 

All of those things were daunting to me. (and I didn't even include the ACTUAL exercising)

*Big deep sigh*

But I did it. 

Weekly. 

3-4 times a week. 

I pushed. 

I sweated. 

I laughed. 

I tried. 

I cried. 

I failed.

I grimaced. 

I succeeded. 

My main goals in exercising we're not to look great in a bikini. I find that motivation silly. Pointless. Selfish. 

My main goals were to: 

1. Beat the heavy weight of the postpartum depression that was crippling at times. 

2. Be stronger. 

I did not hate myself. I was not "eating myself to death". In fact, my diet was pretty good. I just wasn't utilizing the benefits that come from exercise. By no means do I look back and think, "I never want to be that person again." That would discredit wonderful things that Lord was doing through me. I just needed to keep moving forward. Allow The Lord to keep doing things through me...and more. 

((((Flash forward 8 months)))

Joining the YMCA was an incredible blessing. 

Turns out...it has become financial gain, instead of strain. I became an instructor!! 

My kids LOVE the Y. 

I don't even hesitate when loading and unloading the kids. 

I am almost daunted when I CANNOT go. 

What a shift!!  

Best part?!? 

I am meeting AND EXCEEDING my original goals. 

 1. Through not only exercise, but fellowship and encouragement at the Y, I successfully managed postpartum depression. 

2. I am stronger than I have ever been! And am working hard to keep getting stronger! 

Bonus...I HAVE LOST 50lbs!!!!! 

For me, the weight loss is not awesome because of how I look, but how I feel. I was carrying around an extra 50lbs. That's more than my four year old weighs. 

You might notice I have not added "before and after" pictures. I do not want you to be inspired by a visual change. I want you to be inspired by changes much more important: mental, emotional, and spiritual changes. 

Yes, the weight loss is exciting, BUT the most exciting part for me is that I have discovered a passion. I have a passion to do for others what the incredible instructors at the Y have done for me. Motivation. Encouragement. General "Hand My Butt to Me on a Sweaty Platter" situations. I want to help moms be okay with exercising. I want to help kids know the importance of caring for our bodies through exercise. I want to encourage someone to push harder. Be stronger. Not for a fitness competition, but rather for the purposes of living life everyday. Being healthier to be able to live bigger. Be used by God more. Show much needed patience...(1 hour of exercising without kids does wonders for patience).

I'm putting this passion into action by teaching adult and children's group fitness classes at the Y. It's tough, overwhelming, and stressful sometimes, but mostly it's just plain awesome. 

I hope you are encouraged by this post. But, mostly, I hope you see that I had a LONG list of seemingly valid excuses. There were a lot of things holding me back. But I pushed forward. And was blessed. Immensely. 

Don't let excuses hold you back. 

Push forward. 

Be blessed. 

Immensely. 

As always, wishing everyone out there Exercise Peace...and Hair Peace!! 

Yoga Peace

Everything I do through the day is at the level of a child. 

Little knee high stinkers that keep me hunched over through the day. 

From picking up toys to wiping boogers and booties. 

My life, and the lives of mothers everywhere, is spent with a crescent arch in my back. 

Nursing is the hardest on a mama's back. I have heard it said that babies are the star to a mama's crescent moon. It's a sweet and pleasant picture of what is actually quit tiring. 

Spending the day in a hunched position takes it's toll on my energy level and my determination to keep going through the day. 

So. 

What do I do? 

I cry a little sometimes. 

I'll beg my kids to rub my back and quickly regret it when I realize they're rubbing my back with permanent markers. (How did they get those from the top of the fridge?!?)

What seems to help the most is yoga. 

Though the marker back massage is...um...nice? Yoga seems to really help uncurl, untwist, unwind, and undo. 

I'm amazed that even a few spine stretches and twists can make me feel like I drank two cups of coffee. 

I don't have the luxury of getting outside to run by myself. And by "run" I mean walk. Slowly. 

With a 3 year old, a 2 year old, and a newborn, my options are limited. We don't have a fitness club with child care within 45 minutes of our house. Even if we did, we do not have the extra funds to spend. 

So...yoga. 

I'm not an expert. I'm not a yogi. I'm just a mom. A regular person with the desire to not loose my sanity to the wiley ways of small children. 

After my sweet little newborn nurses in the morning, I hop joyfully out of bed toss on my yoga pants and hit the mat with strength and determination. 

Like this:

That's my silhouette. 😉

Ha!

Okay, this is how it actually goes:

1. Nurse the baby while dozing off and once he's back asleep I fall out of bed

2. Crawl toward my yoga pants that are lying on the floor. 

    Are they clean? 

    *sniff* 

    Eh, they'll do. I'm just going to sweat in them, right? 

    It's not like I'm going out in public. 

3. Haul myself to my feet wondering how on earth I'll be able to do anything. 

4. Pop the DVD in

5. Roll out the mat

6. Promptly fall asleep on the mat

7. Wake up two minutes later in sheer panic thinking I'm sleeping on the baby

8. Start doing the yoga DVD 

Through the years, yoga is my go-to, fallback, catch all exercise. It's the one practice I find works for me and my body. I've done a couple half marathons and I find that I hurt after all the training and races. I think running is wonderful and is a great way to exercise the body, but I am terrible at it. 

I mean people see me running and think, "Wow, oh, that looks painful. Maybe she should do yoga or something instead."

I think being terrible at running pushes me back to wanting to do strength training and yoga. 

My goal is to improve my strength and flexibility to better my daily life. 

I need the energy and the wonderful release I feel after even just a 5 minute vinyasa. 

Namaste, folks. Namaste. 

Wishing everyone out there Yoga Peace and, of course, Hair Peace!! 

SUGARLESS UPDATE!!

I've been without sugar for three weeks now!! 

I was limiting honey and maple syrup very strictly but soon noticed a drop in my milk supply. I thought it was coincidence until my accountability partner noticed a difference as well. So, I resolved to not limit honey or maple syrup as much. I sweeten my coffee with honey or syrup and add honey to some treats. When I did, my supply returned to normal. Coincidence? Maybe. But breastmilk is heavy on sugars tailored just for baby. 

Oh the sacrifices we make for babies! 😉

BUT! I haven't had processed white sugar and I feel incredible!! Sugar was really weighing me down.

Sugar(less) Peace

A New Year is upon us. 

Goals will be set.

Gyms will be joined. 

"I'll do _____ for a whole year!"

It's the resolution solution. 

Normally, I forgo resolutions and don't change anything. 

This year, however, with the help and prompting of a dear friend...

Ugh...

I'm going say it...

I'm going to make it official...

I'm going to go a year without...

SUGAR. 

I'm not sure you understand the weight and gravity of that statement so let me repeat it:

I'm going to go a YEAR without SUGAR. 

And now my brain is asleep. 

No cookies. 

No ice cream. 

No chocolate. 

I can see most of you reading this saying, "Why?!?"

Well, I don't know...

I'm crazy. 

Okay, no, I actually have my reasons. 

Some foods are a crutch for me. At the end of a long day, I'll rest on the couch with my secret stash of chocolates and unwind. It's a terrible way to unwind. I should just do some twisting yoga poses or...here's a crazy thought...go to bed, but instead I stay up too late and enjoy my chocolates. 

Or cookies. 

Or whatever treats I have made that week. 

We don't usually buy processed treats. I make them. And I enjoy making them. 

Cupcakes. 

Cookies. 

Cinnamon rolls. 

Vanilla cake with a caramel drizzle (or drenching). 

Yuuum. 

*eats celery and pouts*

So, for this whole year, I will push my discipline to the limits. 

I will test my strengths. 

I will forego the delicious sweetness that saps away my energy and strength. 

And it does too. It takes my energy and slams it into a concrete floor. When you have three little kids, ages 3 & under, that is not cool. A mama needs her motivation and energy to get through the day. 

Every goal needs a Game Plan. 

This is my game plan: 

Substitute, substitute, sustitute. 

  Instead of eating chocolate chips to unwind at the end of the day, (oh, yes, I do), I will first actually try to unwind. A few twisting yoga poses and a glass of water. If I still want to snack on something, I'll eat celery or apples with peanut butter.  Lots of good fats and vegetables will hopefully keep the cravings at bay! 

Fruit

I am still going to eat fruit. Fruit has a lot of health benefits and I plan to keep them in my diet. Natural fruit sugars are okay as long as I am also eating the fruit. My goal is to stay away from sweetening things with natural fruit sugars and limit my intake to the whole fruit. I have to be specific with the guidelines or I will cut corners. I'm a terrible cheater... 

Limited Natural Sweeteners

Maple syrup season is right around the corner. We'll have sap boiling, syrup finishing, and jars of sweet, delicious goodness just laying around the house tempting my every last thread of will power. 

So...

I've decided that once a week I can use maple syrup or raw, local honey to make a sweet treat. 

There are rules to this though. It has to be a type of protein or energy bar that doesn't use processed flours. What do I mean? 

Nuts, dates, honey, flax seed, and oats in a food processor makes a really wonderful energy bar. 

Hopefully this will satisfy any craving for sugar that I have without overdoing it. 

Watch out for Hidden Sugars

Sugar is in e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.

Breads, salad dressings, dried fruits, pasta sauce, dips, etc. 

Ketchup. 

Ugh, I love ketchup. 

I have to be very careful to make most of my dressings and sauces. Making my own will help me watch my unintentional sugar intake. 

Have a buddy 

It wasn't actually my idea to cut out sugar for a whole year. I'm just not that crazy. Leave it to a good friend of mine to go there. Deep down into crazytown. But, she made her point about sugar being a deterrant from getting back to a pre-pregnancy weight. Since we have babies 3 days apart...I felt like she was speaking right to me. (She literally was, but you know what I mean)

So I'm going to do it. 

I'm going to eliminate sugars from my diet. 

Sayonara, sweet delicacies. 

Adios, cheesecake, cookies, chocolate bars....

Pies, cobblers, ice cream, frosting, cake....

Wait!!!

I take it back!!

Oooookay....

No.

I'm good now. 

HERE WE GO! 

Wishing everyone out there Sugar(less) peace and...of course...Hair Peace! 

Birth Peace

I'm still reeling over the events of the past week. I feel like I have been caught up in a whirlwind that is just now starting to settle.

I am no longer pregnant. 

I now have a squirmy, delicious baby to hold on the OUTSIDE of me...and I'm still in shock. 

After 42 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy, I feel an incredible relief to have my long desired baby in my arms. 

This is the story of our sweet Baby #3, Sage Nehemiah:

After 41 weeks of pregnancy, I started to undergo standard and noninvasive testing to determine how baby was tolerating his uterine home. All of the tests showed he LOVED it. He was thriving and perfectly content. 

I started to really think that I might be the first woman in the history of women to be pregnant forever. 

Sure enough...I would not be. 

On Saturday, the 18th, I started noticing my Braxton-Hicks contractions were coming at a steady rate. They were not painful by any means, just noticeable. Remembering back to my labor with my daughter, we decided to let the kids spend the night with the grandparents, just in case. 

With each postdates pregnancy, I have been on the schedule at the hospital to be induced. The first two pregnancies, I came in, on my own, no more than 24 hours before. This time was no exception. 

Around 3am on Sunday morning, I had a contraction that woke me from a hibernating bear kind of slumber. I passed it off and settled back in bed. 

The next contraction threw me out of bed. 

I had four of those in about an hour and felt like labor was really about to kick into gear. 

Oh, it did. 

The contractions started coming at 4 minute pace each about 1 minute long.

Part of me was still in denial. 

The hubs woke up to the sound of me working through my contractions...

I was still in denial. 

We texted our doula and told her we'd be going to the hospital soon. 

Still in denial.

We stopped at McDonald's to load up on a healthy labor breakfast. I got about halfway through my sausage biscuit before I was slammed with a big contraction and, yes, I was still in denial. 

The on-call doctor checked me around 7:00 and said I was probably about 6-7 centimeters dilated and 75% effaced (or thinned). 

Guess what??? 

I still didn't believe it.

My doctor came in and we chatted through a few contractions and talked about the days events. Then I was moved from triage to a room and labored for a little while longer before my Doctor came in and said he was going to go with his wife to church. He wanted to check me first, and when he did, found my cervix was much thinner but still about 7cms dilated. 

I decided I was officially D-O-N-E being pregnant and had him break my water in hopes it would speed things along. He went to get ready for his church's service and I was left with high hopes that things would get moving and I would have a baby. 

Well, let me tell you, the second contraction I had after he broke my water nearly threw me across the room. 

It was intense. 

And it kept getting intense. 

All of the sudden I was on the side of labor where things get REEEAL. 

They called the doctor back after half an hour right about the time I felt like starting to push. I was still at 8-9cm, but able to push to a 9-10. I didn't realize this and, despite being told otherwise, I had it in my head I was still at 7 centimeters and could be sent home. 

Seriously. 

These are the crazy thoughts that go through a laboring woman's head. 

When I heard the whole room, teeming with people, giving me words of encouragement and telling me to "PUSH", I was so confused. I felt like pushing and really wanted to push, but I missed the part where the doctor mentioned I was a 10. In my head, I thought it was too early. 

So in my confusion, I asked, "Am I even complete yet?"

In unison, the room hollers, "Yes!"

"He's coming!" I hear. 

"His head is right there!"

I was in disbelief. All of this had happened from 9:20, when my doctor broke my water, to about 10:30. It seemed like minutes! 

So...

I pushed 

And then I stopped. 

That hurt. 

A lot.

The kid was not coming out that way. They were going to have to shove him back in and I would find another way. 

I hear,

"You can do this!"

"Only you can push him out!"

"Almost there!"

I was staring at the ceiling debating with myself about whether or not I could muster up the strength to birth this baby for whom I had been waiting so long.

"You're doing this!"

"He's almost here!"

"You've got this!"

I took a few deep breaths in and gathered the strength that could only come from God and brought my sweet Sage into the world. 

Relief when his head emerged. 

Relief when his shoulders were born.

Relief when all of my sweet man was finally ready to greet the world. 

Relief when the organ that sustained my beautiful baby for 10 months came loose. 

My husband was able to help bring him into the world. He helped deliver and, as strange as it may sound, it was comforting to know that my husband played a part in Sage's delivery. 

There he was. 

The arms and legs I had felt for months within me, were now holding onto my skin. 

I waited so long for his arrival. 

For his squishy, wiggly body to fold up in the crook of my arm. 

I am exhilarated and spellbound by our little man. 

Sage Nehemiah Mason was born at 10:46am on Sunday October 19, 2014. 

He was 9 pounds, 11 ounces and 22 inches long. 

Sage's birth was hard but it was amazing and empowering. 

I felt loved, supported, and encouraged by the amazing people in the room. By my doula, who kept me focused through the most difficult parts of the labor. My sister who kept me laughing and encouraged in between contractions. My incredible husband who I can't even begin to describe. He has remained my rock and my support through the whole pregnancy. When I was so sick I could not get off the couch, he took care of the kids and made everyone supper. When I didn't think I could make it to the end of the pregnancy, he reassured me and supported me through the defeated tears. When I thought I could not deliver my son alone, he helped me in the best way...he literally helped deliver him. 

I'm floored and emotional about it all. 

I'm taken aback by my overwhelming feelings of love for my newest little man. 

I feel whole when I see our little family together. 

The Lord has truly answered prayers and piled blessing upon blessing on us. 

Wishing everyone out there Birth Peace and...Hair Peace! 

Due Date Peace

I have never gone  before 42 weeks with my pregnancies. 

The looks I get when I tell people that is awesome. 

People try to figure it out. They'll ask, 

"Are they sure about your dates?"

"Who's your doctor?"

"Why didn't they induce you?"

We based my "due dates" off of early ultrasound so everybody's in agreement that the dates were pretty accurate. I'm pretty sure I made my doctor very nervous because he had never had a mom go to or past 42 weeks. In truth, he had probably induced moms before they could get there. But I was convinced that, for me, induction was not the way to go. 

When a mom is induced, the ideal scenario would be that she was showing signs of being labor ready. Dilation and effacement are the most detectable signs but even they mean very little in regards to when a mom may go into labor. 

My body was showing zero signs of readiness. ZERO. 

Big, fat, pregnant ZERO. 

This set me firmly against induction as I knew it would probably be a rough induction. Long and arduous and potentially dangerous. 

So I wanted to wait. 

 

People would ask, "When are you due?"

I'd say, "Two weeks ago."

They would show signs of shock (I think one person nearly had a stroke) and slowly step away like I was a leper. 

One woman in the mall starting looking for warm blankets and boiling water. 

Was it hard to wait so long? 

Yes!

Did I like the long wait? 

No! 

So why did I want to wait? 

Well, there were a few reasons. 

First and most importantly, nothing was wrong. Through monitoring and tests, both me and my babies were perfectly healthy. The placenta wasn't "dying" (which is a common excuse for induction post dates), the baby wasn't in danger, my fluid levels were perfect. There was nothing my doctor could have come up with to convince me of the legitimacy of induction. 

Both of my babies were born healthy. They weren't "expired" or "old". They weren't even big. My son was one pound  heavier and an inch longer than my daughter and was born in two easy pushes. That's a full million pushes less than with my daughter. (wink) Bigger baby does not always mean unbirthable baby. I don't know how many times a woman is asked, "How big do you think the baby is?" Really, all this question does is put the idea in a mom's head that her baby might be "too big" to birth. Let me assure you, it is totally okay to birth a "bigger" baby. 

Anyway...

As hard as it was to say "no" to the suggestion of induction, the evidence for its necessity just wasn't there. 

Finally, at 41 weeks and 4 days with my first, I agreed to come in at 42 weeks and 1 day (though my earliest ultrasound put me at 42 weeks and 6 days...eek) and start a more natural induction process. It was a Monday and my induction was scheduled for 7am. Early that Monday morning, at 1 am, I woke up with contractions. No cramping or "hey I think that was a contraction" contractions. I woke up with full blown contractions. 6 minutes apart and consistent. Then 5 minutes. Then 4... 

My sweet little baby girl was born at 7:47am, all on her own. Forty-seven minutes after the induction was supposed to begin. 

She continues to push boundaries at the ripe young age of 3 1/2. I have a love/hate relationship with this quality. (I have no idea where she gets it). 

With my second, at 42 weeks I agreed to come in at 42 weeks 3 days and start a more natural induction process. It was a Monday...

You can see where this is headed. 

The Friday before, I was desperate to avoid this Monday induction. I got a pedicure and a sweet friend of mine sent out a massage therapist to stimulate my pressure points. The next morning I used castor oil on my skin (feet and belly) and prayed that things would get going. 

They did. My squishy sweet man was born at 6:47am on the Sunday morning. 24 hrs before his scheduled eviction. To this day, he doesn't like to be told what to do... (I have no idea where he gets it). 

So with baby #3, I am fully prepared to see the days following my due date of September 28th. I really hope that I don't have to see them, but I'm prepared. The patience and stamina it took to see my due date come and go...and basically evaporate...was surprisingly difficult. It took a great deal of endurance. But as they say, "Good things come to those who wait." 

So I encourage all of you pregnant mamas to trust your instincts. Be educated and informed about all of your options. Due dates are arbitrary and your baby is more important than a number or day we determine. Only 5-10% of babies come on their due dates. 

The medical community still does not understand what brings on labor. There are suspicions about hormones, baby development, size of uterus, etc, but the true catalyst of labor is still unknown. Even induced babies won't necessarily be born on the day of induction. Often times they are born days later. After all these years of women giving birth and the advances in medical technology, we still can't predict the arrival day of a baby. 

Let me repeat that...

We still can't predict the arrival day of a baby. 

I love helping moms with their pregnancies, labors, deliveries, and postpartum experiences. I love being a doula and seeing moms give birth to their babies. It's a truly miraculous thing. Babies all come into the world with uniqueness and individuality. I want to fully embrace this and encourage other moms to do the same. 

Embrace the uniqueness of your baby and your body and remember that, though guesses can be made, your baby's arrival date cannot be predicted. 

Wishing all the pregnant mamas out there Due Date Peace and...Hair Peace! 

(Disclaimer: There are necessary reasons for the use of induction, I just want to encourage pregnant mamas to not let "impatience" be one of them) 

Place Peace

I've been reading a book called "Restless" with a wonderful group of ladies. The chapter we read this week was about Places. 

Where are you? 

Are you supposed to be there? 

Am I supposed to live in the middle of nowhere with my husband, staying at home, and raising children? 

The answer, I've discovered, is a resounding yes.

I always had a desire to "go"! 

In college, I had the amazing and incredible opportunity to travel around the world. It was an experience I will never forget and it spawned a desire to go and see. A few months after I returned, I was scheduled to spend a semester at a University in Thailand. It was an exchange program that I was very excited about. However, a series of events occured that kept me from going. The month after I was scheduled to leave for Thailand, I met the man who would become my husband.

Instead of going to Thailand, I stayed in my current University and took a ceramics class where, lo and behold, I would meet the man with whom I would spend the rest of my life. It's quite romantic and little bit "Ghost" with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, but all in all, I'm so grateful for the events that kept me in America and lead me to my husband.

There are many people who are afraid to go and travel; to spend years in a foreign country. I was never one of those people. I wanted to travel! I wanted adventures in foreign lands! I wanted to meet people and get to know their cultures!

What I didn't want was to stay in one place and live a "boring", "culture less" life.  

I was afraid I would be called to...wifehood. 

Motherhood. 

 I was afraid my desire to travel would be railroaded with a calling to stay at home and be a wife and mother. That was before I realized the huge blessing of being a wife and mother. 

I have traveled the world, been skydiving in South Africa, had a snowball fight on the Great Wall of China, served orphans in India, played ball with kids in Mauritius, and seen countless more amazing things.

But, I will tell you, being a mother is one of the greatest, most rewarding things I have ever done.

Motherhood has taught me selflessness like NOTHING else I have ever encountered. It has tested my character with fire (disquised as children). It has given me great joy.  I am intensely blessed because of the life I live now. 

 God has had his hand in my life from day one. Blessing me with things for which I did not ask. I thought my life would have been better spent photographing wild adventures across the world. Little did I know, I'd be photographing wild children in my own backyard. 

Sometimes, we don't know what is truly best for our lives. 

We can have incredible experiences and experience life with richness and fullness no matter where we are. We have to be willing to open up and allow life to BE rich and full. And, let's not confuse full and rich with EASY either. Some of the most rewarding things come from struggles and pain. Come from hard work.

Having peace in our places is key. Critically evaluating where we are in life is so important. Being open to God sending us someplace (or keeping us somewhere) we aren't expecting, whether deeper into our homes or deep into Africa, is crucial to fully utilizing our potential WHEREVER we land.

So, I ask myself these questions and encourage you to ask them as well:

Am I being fully intentional where I am in life? In my job, my home, my circle of friends?

Am I using every day with purpose? Or am I just biding my time?

I am so thankful for the women in my life who have taught me to truly love being a wife and mother. Those women who want to live a full and rich life in their circumstances have inspired me to do the same.

I hope everyone reading this sees their life as intentional and meaningful. And if it doesn't appear to be so, that you begin to start your days with intention and meaning.

Let's not crave what someone else has, but instead, crave to have peace in our places.

Wishing everyone out there Place Peace and, of course, Hair Peace.