How I Chose to Live on Purpose

taken last summer..can we go back?  or can we at least hurry up the warm weather please?!

"Living on Purpose" is a phrase that has been running through my brain so much over the past year or so.  Really since I became a mama.  Time is so fleeting.  Just today I was flipping through videos on my IPad and found myself, 20 minutes in, bawling at all of Georgia's videos from the first few weeks of her life (she was such a tiny, funny and adorable 7 week old y'all!).  That seems like yesterday.  And now she's 19 months old, getting ready to be a big sis.  I cannot even wrap my mind around how fast time is zooming by.  So living on purpose is something I want to do each and every day.  I want to know, that no matter how fast time whizzes by, I'm truly living it - taking chances, cherishing the little moments, being present, putting down my phone, having distraction free conversations with the people I love, pursuing Jesus with everything I have - because those are the things that fire me up.  Those are the things that give me a full life.  

So how do I do that?  I try.  That's the the first thing.  And I mess up a lot!  But one of the ways I can keep my heart and my mind set on the things that matter is starting my day with a little dose of Jesus.  In a perfect world, I would wake up at 5:30 and have an hour long quiet time every single morning.  And I am working to that, truly.  But right now, it really is just a little dose of Jesus at the start of my day.  Maybe while G is playing independently for a few minutes, or if I put on an episode of Little Einsteins, whenever I have a moment I take it.  Even that little reminder - a page from My Utmost for His Highest or Power Thoughts - focuses my mind on Him and not me, reminding me that today is not about me after all.  It's about Jesus and serving others.  And I need that reminder about 1 million times a day.

Another thing I try and do is I always leave my phone downstairs.  And by always, I mean most of the time.  There are times when I run down to grab it so I can take a video or a picture of my crazy toddler, but most of the time it remains downstairs.  Seems silly, but a large portion of playtime with G happens upstairs in her playroom or her "big girl room" as she calls it, which - side note: there is nothing in her big girl room yet except my old comforter that we are cutting down for her to use and a whole bunch of baby toys.  But for some reason, she lovessssss it.  And I even let her swing in her old baby swing praying she doesn't break it.  I digress.... back to the phone thing.  My phone used to be such a distraction between Facebook, Instagram, Email and texting.  And sure there is a time for all of that.  Texting with my girlfriends is a great way we keep in touch when we are all running in separate directions, but not during one-on-one time with my girl.  I also don't want Georgia to think that mommy is always distracted by something, or that she always has to have her phone.  I want Georgia (and baby boy) to value focus and attention and to understand that the best gift you can truly give someone is your full, undivided attention.  So I give her mine.  Every chance I get.  

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."  We've all heard this quote a billion times by good ole' Ben Franklin (or possibly Winston Churchill?  or both!).  Well it. is. so. true.  I plan y'all.  I have to so I'm not a crazy person.  The main thing I plan is dinners.  I get such anxiety every day around noon if I haven't planned our dinner for that day.  Usually on Saturday or Sunday before we go to the grocery store I will make a lose dinner plan, run it by Matt, make any changes and boom.  Crisis averted.  We rarely go out to eat because, well, Gigi makes for a special restaurant guest at her current age and state.  So we avoid it.  And we eat healthier and save money when we eat at home so it's a triple win.  Make that a quadruple win with little ole' me has a plan and can prep dinner during nap time.  When mama's not a crazy person.... the whole house is happier, trust me :)

And last, I only let my to-do lists get so long.  I usually stop at 4-5 things a day and if laundry is one of those things I stop at 1.  Because laundry just takes forever.  And it's my least favorite chore on the planet.  I'm a big list-maker anyway but if I had my way I would have a list of 25 things to accomplish on a random Tuesday and when I'm trying to focus on what's important that day - raising my baby and being a loving wife - then I can't possibly accomplish all 25 things.  So I spare myself the unrealistic expectations as well as the added disappointment and I make realistic lists and I keep them small.  I do have a section in my planner where I have long-term goals and I find this extremely helpful in keeping me on track with things I want to accomplish.  But I usually only glance at those weekly and keep my short, day-lists in front of me.  

And those are a few ways I try to live on purpose each and every day.  I hope you enjoyed this little series and hearing from all of these amazing women.  I know I did.  How do you live on purpose??

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Britt from Southern Mama + Child: Living on Purpose

Happy Monday!  And happy March!  Here's to hoping March brings some spring time weather right?!  Today is the last day of our guest posts in the series, Living on Purpose.  I'll still be sharing my post though later this week.  But today the sweet Britt, from Southern Mama + Child is here!  Britt has a heart of gold and we had the random chance of meeting last spring when she was in Wilmington!  If you haven't heard of Britt's new site, Southern Mama + Child you are missing out.  She covers everything from decorating your home to feeding your family.  I'm so thankful she is here today to share part of her heart!  Take it away Britt!

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I am so thankful for the opportunity to be here today on Denise's lovely blog sharing a little bit about how I aspire to live everyday with intention and purpose. My name is Britt, and I have a resource blog called Southern Mama+ Child. I try to give the best information about motherhood including guides, real mama stories, inspiring nurseries, mama+child style, recipes, and much more!

Living with intention and purpose is hard for me to do each and every day, but what is important is that I do strive to achieve that each day. One of my biggest lessons in life was becoming a mother and experiencing loss at the same time. I will keep the details light and short, but 3 months after I lost my brother and nephews in a hiking accident I became a mother. I'd say my head was in the clouds for many months after she was born. I was happy, distracted, tired, grieving, and trying to take care of myself and a newborn. Nothing could have prepared me for becoming a mom and nothing could have prepared me for loss. It's what I did after that changed my life completely. Part of me is glad that I was in shock for close to a year, because in many ways it saved me, and I was able to focus on being happy and fulfilling my role as a mother. Many people ask me how I did it, and I really cannot give a true answer. But, what I did do, was live each day fully and find happiness in every small thing I could. Doing just that kept me hopeful. A baby's smile, a load of laundry put away, a fresh cup of coffee in hand, a nice text... the list goes on. I've thrived off of those moments and made them huge positives in my life. Each day is a gift, I know that, more than most people, so I made it a promise to myself to praise happy moments and to praise positivity, because that is what gets me through each and every day.

Three Tips For Staying Positive

1. Do not let other's people's negativity take up too much of my happy life. If my friend, spouse, or family member is having a bad day, I definitely will be there for them, but I try not to let it disrupt my whole day. Too often do I get so involved in others' feelings that it affects my own. When offering advice to someone, I always try to bring up positive things from the negative situation to help turn it around. Leaving them on a positive note can help them feel better sooner.

2. Radiate positivity always. One of my biggest things is to not post negative things on social media and try to keep gossip to myself. No matter how upset or mad I could be at something, social media is just not the place to express those feelings and gossiping to a friend in time of hurt can escalate things in an unnecessary manner. I think people feeding off of positivity over negativity is much more effective to other's and friendships. When I lift others up I inadvertently lift up my own spirits. Plus, this is a great way to be a positive role model for my child. Having my daughter see me praising positivity will encourage her to do that as well.

3. Leave some sparkle wherever I go. I always try to encourage others. Saying thank you goes a very long way. Not being on my cell phone in the check out line and asking the person how their day is going is polite and shows appreciation for that person and their job, pushing my chair in at a restaurant, or simply smiling at others when they may not be smiling. These little notions are small, but their impact is huge. I know that when I was struggling in the grocery store with a fussy baby one day that another woman's smile and encouraging words went a loooong way.

The world is not always rainbows and butterflies. I know that. And life can throw us unexpected hurt and pain. No matter how long or short term those hiccups are, there is always a reason and an opportunity to learn from it. I am still learning to live with loss, and my recovery has been a long road, but I couldn't do it without those 3 reminders each day. I know my back story may not be relatable to everyone, but I think every person experiences some type of hiccup in their life and hopefully my story was inspiring.

Thank you again Denise for letting me write here today, I am truly grateful that you let me share my story. And, thank you to those who took the time to read my story! I hope you will come over and visit my blog, Southern Mama+Child :)

Find Britt Here:

SM+C  /  Instagram

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Sheila from The Failte House: Living on Purpose

Happy Friday!  I hope each of you have enjoyed these posts and this series as much as I have.  These women are real and honest and their hearts are pure.  I love reading the different ways each person chooses to live on purpose.  Well, we are wrapping up the series soon.  We've got two more posts for next week, one being mine!  But today we have a special treat - the lovely Sheila from The Failte House Blog and Sheila Sheridan Photography.  Sheila is someone who inspires my core.  Every time we catch up she asks real, bold questions.  I love that in a person.  She is someone who chooses to live her life for Jesus on purpose and she does so fearlessly (or at least it seems that way:)!).  I'll let her do the rest of the talking today I suppose...

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When sweet Denise asked me to write a post on how I plan to Live on Purpose this year, I chuckled.  You see, three years ago Denise wrote a blog post about how she picks one verb each January and focuses on that word throughout the year. I was so inspired by her post, I made this part of my yearly New Year Eve rituals for the past three years.  

My first word was Gratitude – I wanted to learn to live each day with a thankful heart, focusing on the positive and learning to give thanks for the good and bad.  I also started a 1,000 Gift Gratitude Journal, a big thank you to Ann Vonskamp, and try to practice gratitude daily.  My second word was Courage – I wanted to let go of fear and learn to live life without being held back by my own worries.  I learned the best way to overcome fear is by just taking the first step.  It is amazing to see how many fears are left behind after you learn to take one small step forward.

My third, and current, word is joy.  My dream is to become a woman of joy with a content and grateful heart.  I want to wake up every day and make the decision to choose joy, even in challenging situations. And when I face conflict or trials during the day, I want to choose joy.  And when I go to bed a night, I want to look back and see how I tried to choose joy that day.  

Finding the beauty in every situation has not been the easiest, especially during this busy season of work, but I believe I am living on purpose in 2015 by continually striving to choose joy in all situations. It’s wonderful how a joyful, grateful and content heart can help you take an average day, and make it a beautiful day. 

Choose joy with me this year!

Xoxo always,

Sheila

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Blog  /  Photography  /  Instagram

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Sarah from Sarah Tucker Styles: Living on Purpose

The beautiful Sarah Tucker is here today to share how she is Living on Purpose.  Sarah is the first blog I really read and followed and she was definitely the one who inspired me to get into blogging.  I admire so much about Sarah - her humble nature, her natural living tips, her mama way and her style.  I imagine if/when we meet we would sit in a coffee shop and chat for hours about being a mama and wife! And her hubby and my hubby share an alma mater, so that's fun!  She is the true definition of class and her tiny, handsome little Tuck?  I die.  So stinkin' cute.  OK I'll stop rambling and let Sarah take it away...

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“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” - Howard Thurman

I quit my job last November, which was something that at times made me come alive.  But it was overwhelming me in this season of my life.  There are so many working mother's that amaze me - they do it with such grace.  I realized I wasn't one of them.  I was frazzled and struggling at balancing any of it.  So for this season, I decided to take a break.  If a break is such a thing with small children (; ... This season is short.   Just typing that makes me want to hold onto it but I know it's like sand slipping through the cracks of my hands.  Which makes me a bit weepy to be honest.   I am a mom to a just turned two year old little wild man nicknamed Tuck, and in two months I'll welcome his brother, Wesley, into this world.  Being with him day in and day out is a hard thing but the best thing for me right now.  Sometimes I am not very good at it.  I'm still his mom, his world, and so he doesn't seem to mind.  Thank God for the grace children are easy to give.  Something that worries me as I've transitioned into full time stay at home mama is that I'll lose myself.  I'll get so caught up with my children that I'll forget all of the things that made me come alive, the dreams God has placed in my heart from before I was born.  Truthfully, I've already fallen down that rabbit hole a bit!  I think that's a pool we mother's can't help but dip our toes into.  These babies, they are our world, aren't they?  So I think part of living on purpose in this season of my life is reminding myself that it is just that - a season. One of the most precious seasons of my life for sure. Which helps me to focus on it, die to myself a bit more than is comfortable, and trust that God (as always) outdoes my plans tenfold into something more beautiful than I could have dreamed up.  But I think it's still important to keep those things that make your heart sing close to you, to never lose them, sure they will evolve possibly into something better - but I want to remember them.  I want my children to see me as their mother who loves them unconditionally, but also one with purpose and passions all her own.  So what makes me come alive/ what fires me up?  Adventures.  The colors of the ocean.  being seaside.  a great conversation with a close friend.  my momma's love for her family.  marriage.  Gods Grace.  gratitude.  veggie gardens.  florals.  being outside.  porches.  walks.  children.  snuggling.  my boys!  helping others.  my family.  camera in hand.  blogging about things that matter vs just stuff.  early mornings.  good books.  good food.  organic everything.  .... And so I hope, once this season is done, and my babies are in elementary that whatever I do involves those things to some extent.  I hope I add a few more.  I know my children will teach me more than any school or any job - I just have to pay attention.  Some days I will fall short, some days it will be hard to see the beauty through the stains on my t-shirt, my ratty hair, my dark circles looking back at me in the mirror.  But I hope I look at my children with wonder and wide eyes, am grateful for this time together, give myself some Grace when I think I've fallen short and share what makes me come alive with my boys.  

Find Sarah Here:

Blog  /  Instagram

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Nicole from Simply Mama: Living on Purpose

YAY YAY YAY! Happy Friday! Today you get the pleasure of hearing from one of my sweet friends, Nicole. Nicole blogs over at Simply Mama and I love her recipe posts and following along on her journey as a mama to the most handsome Jake. Nicole and I have a blate planned this year we just haven't nailed down a date, time or place. Details! But we will. I can promise you that. Nicole was a savior in my early mama days when I would send her novels at 3 am while nursing and she would kindly respond and answer all of my mumbo jumbo questions. She's the best. So give her some love...

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Hi there friends, I'm Nicole from Simply Mama!  I honestly don't know where to start on this topic of living with purpose.  It seems to have taken on a whole new meaning for me in 2015, in more ways than one.  I finally took the leap and ::gasp:: started my own photography business, a task that has been a blessing and a curse of chaos all at the same time.  I've spent years learning my camera, teaching myself little tricks and taking endless pictures, but it never quite felt right to start a business.  Or rather, I never felt quite right.  Like I wasn't good enough.   Like I was going to be diving into a pool of super creative, gifted people and just couldn't keep up.  Courage was what I  needed.  And courage was what the Lord gave me.  Endless nights of sleep, endless mornings of staring at the ceiling asking for guidance, for strength, for the ability to put away my self-doubt.  I woke up one more in January and said, today.  And that was it.  Simply You Photography was born.

And with it brings new challenges.  Challenges of balance.  Of finding the time to create my craft while still having a full-time job, a husband, an ever-needy dog and of course, a toddler!  I don't have this down.  I doubt I ever will.  The days are too short, but the trail of life is getting shorter.  So I'm teaching myself to ignore the mess.  To keep to my list of accomplishing three things a day.  Just three.  The rest can wait.  There are towers to be built.  There are airplanes to watch.  And there are moments in life when sitting on the couch next to someone you love is really what you need to be doing.

Living on purpose simply means making the choice to do what fills your stomach with that unstoppable joy.  For me that means creating moments with my camera, blowing raspberries, watching my son chase my husband around until they're both in a fit of giggles and spending every day doing something I love - whether that's my day job, my night job, my mama job or indulging a Hart of Dixie marathon.  Hey, a girl's got her guilty pleasures :)

Find Nicole Here:

Blog  /  Instagram  /  Photography

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Linh from A Beautiful RAWR: Living on Purpose

Happy Monday!  I'm excited to continue with our Living on Purpose series as I introduce a dear friend of mine, Linh, from A Beautiful RAWR.  Linh is a loving mama and wife and just launched her business, which you can check out here!  And!  And!  Lucky us!  Linh is offering all Gratefully Inspired readers 20% off with the code PURPOSE!  Code will run for a week so once you read her heartfelt words, go shop!  Before I spill all the beans I'll let her take over...

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Hi, friends! My name is Linh and I own A Beautiful RAWR, a faith-based online shop catered to creating modest comfortable apparel to inspire, support, inspire, and remind every woman of this simple message:  I can do ALL things through Him who strengthens me" - Phil 4:13. RAWR stands for Real Amazing Woman Representing and we are the modern day SUPERWOMEN of society. We are the mothers, daughters, wives, and sisters of our time.  We represent love, strength, beauty, courage, faith, and grit.

2014 was a year full of highs and lows for our family.  My mother, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013, relapsed from her chemotherapy just 6 short months later and this took a heavy toll on our family. Shortly after, I quit my corporate job so I could stay home with Marli AND spend more time with my mother.  Turns out, this would be one of the BEST decisions we made!  Day in and day out, I watched as my mother battled this terrible disease and it was nothing short of amazing to see how strong she was. Her will power and faith in God never wavered.  When others crumbled around her, she reassured them (including me) that there was nothing to fear.  To this very day, she is still fighting the battle and it is truly a remarkable sight to witness the greatness of God’s miracles.

In between hospital visits, caring for Marli, and fulfilling my role as a wife, I did a LOT of praying. I prayed for strength, courage, reassurance, help, and clarity.  I asked God to show me how to be a great role model to Marli, a brave and supportive daughter to my mother, a loving wife to my husband, and above all, a PURPOSEFUL Christian woman.  I wanted to live a more meaningful life through a passionate career where I would be able to give back and make a difference in the world.  And that’s when He allowed me to chase my dreams, open my online shop, and begin living with PURPOSE.

My online shop has one goal – to create a PURPOSEFUL brand to remind amazing women that we can overcome and achieve any obstacle we encounter because we are strong and capable of so much. Whether it’s a personal goal (such as losing weight, starting a family, beating an illness) or a professional one (owning your own business, getting promoted, changing careers), I want you to know that you are A BEAUTIFUL RAWR.

***Visit THE SHOP  today and enjoy 20% off your entire order with the code ‘PURPOSE’ at checkout.  Promo will run for a week!***

A proceed of all sales are donated to LLS (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) or Pediatric Cancer Research. (Simply notate your preference in the notes/message section at checkout.)

Sales are final and promo ends in one week.

Dream Big. Believe in Yourself. Shine Bright. Never Lose Faith. And Never Give Up. 

Thank you so much for supporting the message behind the brand.

Find Linh Here:

Blog  /  Shop  /  Instagram

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Jess from Float On: Living on Purpose

And now for our second, adorable, sweet guest blogger!  Meet Jess, from Float On.  Jess is a new mama, wife, blogger and just one of the sweetest friends I have met through this blogland.  Can't wait for you to read her post and I know you'll love her just as much as I do!

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Hey, Gratefully Inspired readers! I’m Jess and I blog over at Float On!

I was really excited when Denise asked me to come up with a post about how I’m living on purpose. It’s such a great topic for the new year and something I’ve really been working on since becoming a mama 7 months ago. Now that I have a little one to take care of, on top of everything else that I do, it’s more important more than ever that I live my life intentionally. It’s something that I hope I can instill in my son through my actions. Plus, my one goal for the new year is to be the best version of me that I can, so I really have to step up my game.

Being present in the moment, is really helping me to live my life with more intent. I’m a working from home mama, so not only do I have to take care of the baby and the house, I also have to get work done during the day. It’s a crazy juggling act that I am just now starting to get more of a handle on (kinda). I do my best to make sure that I am focus on each area of my life and give it my all. So, when I’m with baby, I focus on just being with him. No computers. No work. No distractions. I want him to know he has my full attention and it’s really helping me to relish my time with him. Of course, he is my little helper for housework. He loves vacuuming in the Ergo!

On the flip side, when he naps, I focus solely on work. It’s way easier to get work done quickly and efficiently, when I’m not also watching the baby and trying to do laundry. Yeah multi-tasking is great, but I think sometimes its best to focus your all on one area at a time. So far, this situation is working well for me. I’m hoping once the little man is sleeping a bit better I can have a bit more “me” time.

Another area I’m really striving to become more purposefully about is my family’s health and wellness. We’ve always done our best to eat well (organic and wholesome), exercise, and use natural products; but I really want to do more. I’m intentional looking for more natural solutions in all aspects of our lives. We are getting ready to try out essential oils, which I’m really excited about. I’m all about making my own green cleaners. And I look forward to adding lots of great supplements to our diet. Got anymore ideas- throw them at me!

Honestly, despite the lack of me time and sleep, having a baby has really changed me for the better. So cliché, but motherhood is the best thing to happened to me. Not only does my life have a new purpose, but I really am living life with more intent, which is how it should be!

Find Jess Here:

Blog / Instagram

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2015 // our best year yet

christmas 2013

christmas 2014

a blank slate.  that is exactly what this year is.  excited?  most definitely.  a little scary?  that too.  as i alluded to in my last post, the past 6 or so weeks have left me with so much to ponder - one of those things being this here space.  when i started this blog almost 3 years ago i wanted it to be a place of encouragement.  a place where someone, having a not-so-bright day, could come and find hope and be pointed to jesus.  i also love the mama community i have found and plan to continue to share throughout this pregnancy as well.  but most importantly, i want this place to be a reflection of my heart.  and my heart is not consumed with stuff.  so over the next year i will attempt to write with more purpose.  intention and purpose.  in her amazing book that all y'all should read, Jen Wilkin said, "Every good endeavor should be done with purpose" and that is what I hope for this space as well.  i want to share what's on my heart - whether that be what God is teaching me at the moment, how I'm struggling with the latest parenting task, or what must-have's I am hoping for as I prepare for baby number 2.  whatever it is, there will be a purpose with my posts, that I can promise you.  

i spent about 2 good hours yesterday making new year's resolutions and goals and choosing my one word.  while i will slowly share the rest over the next few posts, one of those goals is to truly enjoy the present.  leading up the the beginning of this year i felt kinda hazy.  it's almost as if i wanted to rush through it.  i get to meet my youngest baby in july and well, i didn't really want to wait on that.  but my heart has changed and i am slowly realizing the value of the now.  i don't want to miss this pregnancy and what it feels like, even if that's not so great!  i don't want to miss the next 6 months of georgia growing and changing, even if that involves some MAJOR temper tantrums and still a bit of a sleep struggle.  matt and i always see older kids out and about with their parents and we look at each other and say wow, that will be us one day.  one day georgia will sit quietly in a restaurant for an hour.  one day she will know all of the words she needs to tell me how she feels.  but that one day is not now, and for that i am so thankful.  i want to enjoy every single second of parenting, even the hard bits, and there's a lot of those y'all.  but there are so many million more good bits.  i don't want to miss lazy sundays with my family or bike rides that burn my legs in the first 2 minutes :)  i don't want to miss any of it.  so i'm choosing not to.  wherever i am, i want to be all there.

so cheers to the here and now.  more on my other goals to come.  have y'all made any resolutions or goals for the new year?  you can see my pinterest board for 2015 here!

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Making Things Happen 2014

Earlier this week I had the privilege of sharing two full days with a room full of inspiring women.  We dug deep, shared our stories, encouraged each other and truly visited what mattered most to each of us.  I'm not gonna lie.  I didn't know what to expect when I headed to MTH.  I was kind of hoping that Lara would hand out instructions on how to be successful in every aspect of your life and then we would use the two days studying up and practicing those skills.  HA!  I can dream...  

As you can imagine, that's not what happened.  Nowhere even close.

Instead, Lara and the other amazing coaches asked the hard questions.  They asked the deep questions.  And when we weren't getting deep or real enough, they dug even further.  My coaches, Gina and Rhi, pushed me like I had never been pushed before.  They encouraged me to "own it" and say with confidence what it is that matters to me.  And even more than that, they guided me through the process of creating steps to truly make what matters happen to me.  We didn't create a "To Do List."  And we didn't create a map for my life.  Instead we created tangible and manageable tasks that will bring me closer to the picture in my head.  

To those of you who have experienced MTH, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  And for everyone else, I'm sure all of this seems so vague, and even simple.  But trust me when I say those two days were anything but vague and simple.  I was vulnerable, I was inspired, I was affirmed and in many ways I was healed.  God truly opened my eyes to some key aspects of my life.  He encouraged me to fight harder for some of those, and yet for others He commanded me to release the death-like grip I had on them.    

So here I am.  Starting a long journey of truly going after to what matters in my life.  I'm excited and hopeful but most of all I am capable.  Capable of making these things happen.  Capable of creating that picture I have in my head of my family in 40 years.  So here's to #makingthingshappen

More to come next week about some specific goals and changes I'm going to be making in my life!

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2014 goal setting V III

Can't believe we are on the tail-end of January!  I'm getting pumped as I finish up my Power Sheets and get ready for February.  I shared the first part of my goals here and today, here are a few more to add to the list!

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Goal 3  //  To constantly make my marriage a priority and focus on more "Matt and Denise" quality time

So it's no secret here that babies make life a bit more chaotic.  I constantly ask myself what I used to do with all of my free time before Georgia.  I still don't have an answer to that, but I'm thankful for the chaos.  I love every minute of being a mom.  And the fact that I get to be her mom?  Words can't describe the gratitude I feel.  But with being a mom (and a dad for Matt) comes the simple fact that we have less time for just each other.  We are always together and doing things with and for Georgia, and I can't fully express how close that has made us.  Watching my husband grow and learn as a father is truly amazing.  I am in awe of him every single day.  I always knew he'd be a good dad, but I never knew he'd be this good.  I mean really.  G hit that jackpot :)  But ok I digress... all of this mommy/daddy time leaves less time for Matt and Denise time.  Less time for long sit-down dinners and late night chats.  I'm not saying these don't ever happen anymore, because they do.  They just aren't as frequent.  And I don't think either of us would have it any of way honestly, but this year, with G turning 6 months next week (AH!), I want to be intentional about time alone with my husband.  Time away.  Last weekend we had a date night.  We got dressed up, went to a yummy, quiet restaurant, drank wine and had a 4 course meal.  I had to consistently remind myself not to turn the conversation to Georgia the whollllllle time (it's hard y'all, she's just so cute!), but it was nice.  So nice.  And I want more date nights.  Even if they are at home.  On NYE this year we put G down together and ate a later dinner which was wonderful.  Usually we are eating with her beside us, which is also nice, but I am vowing to eat later a few nights a week.  That takes a little more prep for me when sweet hubby comes home ready to eat our pantry so I have an appetizer out for him to munch on while we play with G, bathe her and then do her bedtime routine.  When she's asleep, we are able to sit down together and not rush.  And I love that feeling.  We are also taking a trip sans little G for our 4 year wedding anniversary in the fall!  So yea.  That's one of my goals this year.  More date nights / date days / date hours.  I just want to always date my husband and want him to always know he is the best.  The best.

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Goal 4  //  To do more nourishing and recharging and less surviving.

I need to take better care of myself.  Plain and simple.  I did a great job of that while I was pregnant.  I ate well, I exercised when needed and I rested.  I spent Sunday nights in a bubble bath and went to bed early.  Since my blue-eyed babe has arrived I have done a horrible job of all of that.  Some of that is to be expected, I mean come on.  As a new mom, especially one that has struggled with breast feeding, my body has been put through the ringer ya know?  And sleep?  Well, that is somewhat of a foreign concept for us (we are hoping it makes it way back into our house in the next few weeks though).  But I am also left in awe by my body.  I mean, I grew a life.  A life y'all.  The most precious life I have ever met.  It makes me sad when I hear women stressing about getting their "post-baby body back" (and I have totally been guilty of this), but really my post-baby body does not exist anymore.  My body is different.  I'm not talking about my wider hips, I'm talking about the soul that I nourished and grew inside of me.  How can I compare my body now to what it was then?  I think that is why I haven't started exercising again yet.  I think I had put a weird kind of pressure on myself to look the same as I did before Georgia.  And it's like I was afraid that it would never be possible so, why strive for it?  And then I realized I had it all wrong.  My body isn't supposed to be the same.  Sure, I would still like some abs in my near future, and I think I'm finally ready to start working for those.  But it's more about nourishing and taking care of myself than anything else - and that involves eating good foods, exercising and resting.  So I will be taking some more "me" time in 2014.  Not neccessarily meaning alone time.  Just making myself a priority as well.  Eating better.  Finding time to do my yoga DVD.  And resting when I need to rest.

So those are two more of my goals for 2014.  Any of yall share either of these?  Tips?  Suggestions?  

Happy Thursday!

PS - my baby had FOOD yesterday!  for the first time ever!  real food.  it felt like christmas, i was so excited.  now here's to hoping her belly is more full and she decides sleep is a good thing :)  

PPS - next week = a lot of georgia posts!  hope that's ok :)

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