Hello Mornings Challenge!

Anyone feel like your life as a mom is a little chaotic?  Do you feel like things are out of control?  Have your priorities gotten all mixed up?

I am totally with you!!!  

So, what is the solution?

Well, I believe it has to do with the crazy, seemingly impossible (to me, anyway) idea of rising earlier to spend time with God and plan my day BEFORE the precious children are up and about.  Now, mind you, I am NOT, nor have I ever been, a morning person.  I am a total night owl and can not fathom ever being able to jump out of bed smiling at 6:00 a.m.  In all my years of school, college,graduate school and then teaching elementary music, I NEVER developed that so-called "internal clock" that people talk about.  Nope, I can't relate to "Well, it's a Saturday but my body just wakes me up at 5:00 a.m."  To me, that is just a little nuts!

However, I am going to try it and have been inspired by a website I came across called HELLO MORNINGS!  It's all about maximizing your mornings by getting up earlier, in order to properly prepare for the day before it really gets going!  Right now, www.hellomornings.org is having registration for their summer HelloMornings Challenge which...

"was birthed to encourage Christian women toward the life-giving habit of waking up early. Our hope is that over time HelloMornings participants will:

• Experience quality time with God
• Intentionally plan their days
• Exercise regularly

—all before the day gets going! GOD. PLAN. MOVE."

The founder of the website notes that getting up early prepares us to be better able to glorify God with the rest of our day.  I absolutely love that idea! As a Christian woman, that is my goal...to glorify God with my days, with every moment!  I simply can't do that if I've had no time with Him!

And so, this night owl has joined the summer HelloMornings challenge. I believe this will benefit ME spiritually and otherwise, but also will be a blessing to my family as I am better prepared to be a godly wife and mother each day.

The 13-week summer Challenge runs May 6-August 2 and includes accountability groups and an optional (but strongly encouraged!) summer Bible study on the Book of John.  Perfection is not the goal, just a desire to get up early and meet with God, and have the support of others in doing so!  

I am looking forward to this challenge, and believe me, it will be a challenge. You are welcome to join me! PLEASE let me know if you decide to do that so I can bug you, I mean, so we can hold each other accountable. I know I will need encouragement!

Looking forward to early moments with God...Won't you join me?

Tori

Saturday Afternoon Moments

Saturday, I took our 3 year old, 21 month old and 6 month old on a walk...That is one way to describe our afternoon... 

On Saturday, my children and I strolled around the neighborhood, stopping at Sky Zone Trampoline Park, Dos Reales for lunch, and the park for some sliding, swinging and soccer-watching...That is definitely a better description of our activity.

But here are the MOMENTS CHERISHED...

…AnnaJoy's excitement over seeing beautiful yellow dandelions, grabbing one and presenting it as a gift "to you and daddy"

…Our neighbor boy running after us to proudly announce: "Today I opened a savings account!"  I shook his hand and was properly impressed and he gave Lilly and AnnaJoy each a sticker from the bank

…AnnaJoy's eager independence to walk ahead and "meet you at the steps"

…The girls' awe and wonder at the rockin' trampoline park with jumping kids everywhere and a huge screen TV

…interacting with our friend Maria at Dos Reales who is always so sweet and loving to the girls

...Lilly putting her sticker on my nose, finding it hilarious, then reaching her arms out over and over again for an "Ug!"

..Marveling at the lit up fire truck across from the park and the excitement over waving at the firemen and them waving back

...AnnaJoy climbing up and down each bleacher as we walked round the baseball fields

...TJ's excited wave as he saw that his neighbors had come to his soccer game

...Lilly and AnnaJoy grabbing hands and gleefully swooshing down the double slide together 

...AnnaJoy picking up a pricky ball from a sweet gum tree, saying it's going to grow into a sunflower seed

...Baby Allison’s delight in eating banana baby food, lunging at the spoon and shoving it in her mouth

...and AnnaJoy finishing off the banana baby food when I left the room!!!  

These are precious, irreplaceable moments to cherish, and this was all in one afternoon.  What are your moments cherished today?  I'd love for you to share one of your moments!

Moments...Cherished, Entry #1!!!

Dear Friends,

How many, many times do we say, "I can't wait until..."?  Can't wait until the kids are sleeping through the night.  Can't wait until we're done potty training.  Can't wait until I lose that weight.  Can't wait until the kids are in school.  Can't wait until school is out. Can't wait until my husband gets a new job.  Can't wait until we move.  Can't wait until we have an empty nest.  Can't wait until our vacation.  Can't wait to get back to work.  Can't wait until retirement.  Can't wait until we have an empty nest.  And so on and so on and so on...

Nothing wrong with anticipating the future, but when we're so often looking to the next thing, always wishing we were on the next step, always wanting to be somewhere else doing something else, are we missing out on the NOW moments...the moments to cherish?

The purpose of this blog is to encourage anyone and everyone (but especially mommies) to cherish each  moment!  I will share parenting moments, homemaking moments, spiritual/personal moments, marital moments, and more, and I hope you will do the same!

I think part of the reason this is so important to me is because I didn't become a mom until I was OLD!!  At age 40, I had our first daughter, AnnaJoy, who is the delight of our lives.  Ask me 10 years ago and I would have said, "I don't think I'm really cut out for the mom thing."  Now, I've got a 3 year old and two precious foster daughters, and I LOVE IT!!!  I honestly didn't think I would have this opportunity and I feel so incredibly blessed to be raising three girls right now (along with my incredible, awesome husband, Tom).  I strive to cherish every moment and make each moment count.

Some may think, "Today I have been washing dishes, changing diapers, breaking up fights, and cleaning up messes...not really feeling this cherished moments thing."  Or it may be, "All I did was go to a job I hate and work for an annoying boss."  Or, "I'm just going through the motions until things get better."  Or even, "I hate my life!"

Whether today is a good day, a mediocre day, or even an especially bad day for you, there are special, sacred or even silly moments throughout.  We just have to be aware and be looking for those moments!  God blesses us so much in so many ways.  I encourage you to join me in seeking to find MOMENTS CHERISHED!

Cherishing Every Moment,
Tori