She thought of me.

While she was outside running around wild and care free, she paused and thought of me.

Her busy little mind races a million miles a minute.

She tries to decide what to play with first and where to run to next.

Then, all of a sudden she stops in her tracks and spots something unique.

A pretty yellow flower.

Little does she know that the flower is actually a pesky weed that most homeowners have come to despise.

But to her, this little flower is special and worthy of gifting to you.

Her mommy.

She stops whatever it is that she was doing, picks the flower from the ground, and runs up to you with a big, beaming smile on her face.

She hands you the flower and waits for your approval.

The innocent and pure love that we receive from our children is like no other.

They have nothing to give, yet when they find something that they think is special enough to give- they choose to give it to you.

And it’s all because they love you.

What a beautiful thing it is to be gifted a pretty yellow flower. 🌼

Hi Friends!!! I’m sorry that I haven’t been posting very much content lately. My family and I decided to move a couple months sooner than we had planned. So, we have been SUPER busy packing and getting everything ready in a flash!

As many of you already know, my husband is in the Coast Guard and he will be retiring after serving eight proud years of active duty service. He is officially exiting the Coast Guard in June and we will be settling down in the CSRA in South Carolina or Georgia! We have not purchased a home yet, but we are looking forward to settling down, being much closer to family, and to move in to our new home very soon.🤍

I’m planning to share some of my packing and moving tips with everyone AND I have some very exciting news to share (soon) regarding my blog. 🤍

Love and blessings to you all! 🤍

When you and I first got together (almost 10 years ago now), I couldn’t stop thinking about having a future with you.
Especially the thought of getting married and having babies together.
As I would imagine starting a family with you, I imagined that we would have a son.
I could picture you and him playing catch with a baseball in the back yard, sitting on the couch watching football together, getting ready to head out for a long day of fishing, and all of the other father-son things.

Four years ago when we found out that we were expecting our first baby, I remember feeling a little anxious.
I was nervous that if we found out that we were having a girl, you would be a bit disappointed.
Disappointed because that would mean that you wouldn’t have someone to do all of the boy things with and you wouldn’t have someone to pass on your family name to future generations.
The pressure felt kind of heavy.
Not long after we found out that we were expecting a baby, I remember beginning our search for baby girl and boy names.
We seemed to have better luck coming up with the girl names than we did the boy names.
Actually, you were the one that thought up the girl name that we both liked and ultimately chose.
The day came when the hospital called and told me that we would be welcoming a baby girl.
I remember rushing to the store to buy all the baby girl things to surprise you with when you got home from work.
I was so nervous of what your reaction might be.
I knew that you would be happy, but the anxiety of it not being a boy was still there.
After a long day at work, you walked into our small apartment and the first thing you saw was the “It’s a Marabella” sign with the “It’s a Baby Girl” balloon sitting on the counter along with all of the little things that I bought at the store.
Your eyes filled with tears and I could tell how completely thrilled you were.
You walked up to the counter and held the little pink shoes I bought in your hand and said, “I was just telling my buddy at work that I was really hoping for a baby girl.”
I felt completely overjoyed.
Hearing you say that and watching your reaction filled and melted my heart.

Now, here we are four years later with not only one but THREE daughters!
You might have envisioned raising a boy, but you are nailing it as a girl dad.
God knew exactly what he was doing when he blessed you with all of these little girls.
They have you completely wrapped around their little fingers and they have won your heart a thousand times over.
They are your princesses and you are their knight in shining armor.
Eventually a day will come and your little girls will be all grown up and you’ll have to give them away at their weddings.
But I have no doubt that in that moment, you will never feel more proud to be their dad.
The proudest 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 dad ever. 🩷

There is no such thing as too much hugging, kissing, picking up, and holding your baby. There is no such thing as loving them “too much”. 🤍

Taking our babies to church is hard.

In the mornings, we wake up extra early in efforts to get a head start on the day because we know that we have a LOT to do in order to get to church on time.

We run around like mad women trying to make it out the door on time.

We have to get everyone fed, dressed in their Sunday best, brush hair and teeth, get ourselves ready, pack up the diaper bag with all of the church friendly snacks, coloring books, crayons, toys, and then we have to tinker around with car seat buckles and booster seats.

After rushing around all morning, we finally get everyone loaded up into the car and get a chance to take a breath.

Then, we arrive at church and walk in holding our little ones hand.

As we walk through the doors, we’re flooded with so many emotions.

Calmness, relief, love, peace, and self-assurance.

We’re assured that being there, in the house of the Lord is exactly where God wants our families and ourselves to be.

If you’re tired Mama, grab a cup of coffee to go and show up tired.

If it’s wet and rainy outside, grab everyone a coat.

If you’re running late with breakfast, grab something quick and easy for everyone to eat in the car.

No matter how hectic the process of getting everyone and everything together on Sunday mornings may be, take your babies to church.

Because Jesus will always be there to greet you and your family.

Your children will come to know and love the presence of the Lord in their lives.

They will know that they are never alone and that He will always be there for them.

During service, have patience with your little ones.

Forgive them for their constant wiggling and paper rustling and know that they’re listening even when it seems like they aren’t.

Ask them questions and answer the ones that they ask us.

Point them to Jesus. Over and over and over again.

Let’s continue to do whatever is asked of us in order to bring our babies to church.

Because our children deserve to experience the love of Christ.

Mathew 19:14 “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

I know that you feel like you’re drowning, Mama.

You’re drowning in motherhood and all of the seemingly ceaseless housewife duties.

You love those babies of yours more than anything in this world, but you can’t help but feel completely depleted and outnumbered.

You grew up watching your mom be surrounded by her village of people.

A fierce village that was always at her back to help her along her journey with motherhood.

You had always anticipated that you would have a very similar support system.

But you don’t.

It’s just you and sometimes your husband when the military isn’t calling him away.

So instead of letting yourself drown, you fight.

Some days, it takes every last ounce of energy.

But each day, the sun rises and you continue to show up for your kids.

As any mother would do.

But let’s acknowledge that all that you do for your family is tiresome, Mama.

You don’t get to catch a break like your mother did or maybe like some of your friends do.

Sometimes you feel like you can’t even catch a moment to just breathe.

Motherhood is messy.

You know that you’re in the thick of it, but you also know that it’s what God has called you to do.

Mothering your children is kingdom work.

So rather than allowing the roaring waters of motherhood and that never ending to-do list crash down on you, let yourself drown in faith instead.

When you are feeling the weight of it all, just give it to God.

When you are feeling exhausted after another sleepless night, give it to God.

When you are feeling unheard for the millionth time by your strong-willed toddler, give it to God.

When you look around and feel overwhelmed by all of the messes and chores, give it to God.

When you snap at your husband for not doing something the “right” way, give it to God.

When you are doubting yourself, give it to God.

No matter what you are going through, give it to God and speak with Him.

Know that you are not alone and that He will always hear you, love you, and cover you.

At the end of another long day of mothering and fighting your way through the trenches, grab your bible, hit your knees, and breathe in His grace, Mama.

God is your village and He is at your back.

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear; I will help you."
- Isaiah 41:13

Later in the evening on Christmas Day, I began to question myself on whether or not I did enough for my kids.
Did I do enough Christmassy activities with them? Did I give them enough of my attention? Did I have enough creativity with the Elf this year?
And then I stopped and looked back at all of the photos that I have taken throughout the month. I could feel a huge smile begin to grow on my face and my heart began to burst as I continued scrolling through the photos. I was able to make SO many wonderful new Christmas memories with my children this year. And that is really all I could have asked for.
So I decided to write this little reminder to myself and I wanted to remind other mothers out there too who may have been doubting themselves as well.
You did all that you could to make this season as special as possible for your kids. Don’t ever doubt yourself or wonder if you did enough.
You did what you could do and sometimes you did even more than that. Your children will always know the magic of Christmas because of you and all that you did for them. ❤️

“And just like that, it’s December 26th.

You did it, Mom!

Another fun filled Christmas for your family is in the books!

You completed 25 days of Elf on the Shelf shenanigans.

You decorated the house from top to bottom.

You made all kinds of different Christmas cookies and treats.

You packed up the kids and took them to see Santa Claus and drove around to check out some of the best Christmas lights displays in the area.

You stayed up late to wrap and hide Christmas gifts.

You helped the kids make their count down to Christmas chain.

You wrote the letters to Santa.

You bought the gingerbread house kits for your family to make together.

We watched almost every single Christmas movie that was ever made.

You prepared a special Christmas breakfast with the gingerbread man waffle maker.

You and your partner stayed up late on Christmas Eve night laughing, sneaking around, wrapping gifts, and stuffing stockings.

You were able to gift one of the most prized toys in your toddler girls eyes, the Disney Princess Gourmet Kitchen “with the little garbage bin” as my 4 year old would tell me over and over again.

You walked out to the front yard with the kids to sprinkle the reindeer food out on the lawn.

You tucked your children safely into bed and read them The Christmas Story and talked to them about the precious birth of our Lord and savior.

You made glitter dusted Santa foot prints on the floor near the cozy and brightly lit Christmas tree.

You sacrificed so much of your time to make all of that magic happen.

Your children will remember the wonderful things that they got from Santa and they will remember the cookies, the Elf on the Shelf mischief, and the thrill of Christmas morning.

But most especially, they will remember their teary-eyed Mother sitting behind her camera sipping her morning coffee and smiling from ear to ear as she watches her children’s faces fill with pure joy.

And this is all because of YOU, Mama.

You ARE Christmas magic. ❤️”

As Christmas is only 7 days away and the holiday rush is in full force, it’s important to remember to slow down and enjoy the rest of the holiday season. Before we know it, Christmas will be here and then POOF… it will be gone for another 365 days. If you’re like me, you have a list of a bunch of things to do/get done by December 24th. No matter how hectic it may seem right now, I still believe that we can take the time to slow down and embrace the beauty of the season. It’s never too late to stop for reflection during the holiday season or to set yourself up for reflection for the following year. So, I thought that I would share this adorable devotional that I purchased on Amazon at the start of the season. This book is simple, but incredibly meaningful. Every morning, I wake up while all of my kids are still asleep and start my day with a devotion and reflect. It has 31 pages for each day in December. This little book will bring you so much peace and reassurance. Each short devotion is accompanied by a beautiful photo and a one-paragraph tip for reclaiming Christmas. If you want to reclaim your peace during the holiday season, I highly recommend considering to purchase this devotional. You won’t regret it. ❤️🎄

Written by: Tama Fortner Books

A few nights ago, we went to a local event called “Christmas Village”.

Little did our toddler girls know that we were on our way to see Santa Claus.

The event was packed with lots of people, but overall the atmosphere was fun and very festive.

There was a hot cocoa station, a tunnel of lights and decorations, fire pits with s’more kits available for purchase, vendors, and much more.
Once we got there, we quickly jumped into the line to meet Santa.

Our girls were waiting with much anticipation.
They were singing and dancing along to the Christmas music that was blasting all around us.
It was a magical night filled with joy and we hadn’t even met with Santa yet.

When it was our turn to meet Santa, our girls ran up to his chair with so much excitement.

He greeted them with pure delight.
With a girl on each one of his knees, he asked them what they would like for Christmas.

After the girls spoke with him and whispered their Christmas wishes in his ear, I snapped a quick photo and we said our goodbyes.

After we had our fill of holiday cheer for the evening and got everyone loaded up into the car, my four year old turned to me and said “Mommy… how come Santa looked different than he did last year?”

Nervously, I turned to my husband.
He immediately began to answer her question.
He said, “Honey… that was one of Santa’s helpers! You saw one of his helpers last year and you got to see another one of his helpers again this year. How awesome is that!? Santa is very busy this time of the year so he sends helpers from the North Pole to step in for him while he runs things in his work shop.”

In that moment we looked at each-other with the realization that we might not have as long as we had hoped for our smart little girl to believe in the magic of Santa.
I understand that some families don’t “do” the whole Santa gig for their own personal reasons and that’s okay.
I fully support however other families choose to celebrate Christmas.

But in our house, Santa is a big deal and he always will be.
My husband and I have had many discussions about what we would say if any of our children were to ask us if Santa Claus was real.

We came to a mutual agreement that neither of us want to bluntly tell our children that “Santa is not real”.
Instead, our answer will sound something like this.
Santa is more than just a jolly fat man that wears a red suit.
You see, Santa is a team of people that keep the spirit of Christmas close to their hearts.

Parents, family, friends, department store Santa’s , and so on.
All of us band together to spread the magical spirit of Christmas.

The magic of Santa that you get to experience as a child will inevitably come to an end.
But, the magic of Santa doesn’t have to completely disappear from your heart.

We can continue to believe in the magical significance of Santa Claus and work together to keep it going as the years go by.

I understand that the magic of Santa during my children’s childhood years will not last forever.

But, I’m grateful to give my children the magic of Santa for every year that I possibly can.

Because I know there’s only so much time before I won’t be able to.

Hi friends! I thought that since my previous post talked about how special holiday baking is, I would share one of my favorite holiday cookie recipes with you!! I’m sure that some of you are familiar with them, but they are called Spritz Cookies! These cookies are so cute and festive for the holiday season. You can do so many different color combinations and you can design/decorate them however you want. Have fun and enjoy! Happy Holidays! ❤️