momspirational mondays: Lauren Chandler

Hi! My name is Lauren Chandler…but first thank you, Mandy, for asking me to share about myself here on your blog! I’m a 27 year old wife to a wonderful husband Kegan and a stay-at-home mom to two precious boys. A few things about myself: I love God and strive to follow and reflect Him in all that I do and say. I also love cooking, crafting, sewing, video games, coffee, playing the piano, being outside and creating memories with my family! A fun hobby for me is taking pictures of my friends and family, you can see those here! I too have a blog here that I try to update (but that doesn't happen very often!).

I’ve been married to Kegan for almost three years – he is my other half! We are always cracking each other up and he always seems to know what I’m thinking before I even say it. He is without a doubt the smartest man I know. And my favorite thing about him is that he is always looking for ways to encourage me, lift me up & point me towards God. We have lived a lot of life in our three years, having two kiddos and all, but we have learned to trust God and each other more and more with every new turn life takes us. I couldn’t imagine living life - and especially doing the whole parenting thing! – with anybody else.

This is Josiah David, my tender-hearted boy. We named him after King Josiah in the Bible, who was a reformer and turned the people of Israel back to God.  We want Josiah to also grow up to be a man who will work to return people to the Scriptures and to God! Fun fact: he was due on Kegan & I’s first anniversary of marriage! (But he came two days later.) He is 3 months shy of two years old and I have loved watching him grow and learn! He is shy at first, but once he comes out of his shell he will have you laughing in no time! A few of his favorite things to do are helping me cook, dancing, being outside in the dirt, playing with toy trucks, painting, visiting his grandparents and reading books.  He is all boy with a heart of gold. Josiah is very compassionate and affectionate, too! He loves to kiss, and is very caring and protective of all of his ‘babies’ (stuffed animals). He has to every single one of them tucked under his arms before he goes to sleep!

And this sweet face that you see above is Judah Amos. His name means “praise” or “man of praise”. We want Judah to grow up to be a man whose life is full of praise and thanksgiving to God. He was born at home this past June and has been the most lovely addition to our family. He is a very happy and smiley baby, which I am so thankful for! He has the sweetest grin, with two little teeth on the bottom. He is also in the 95% for his weight! We can’t wait to see his personality come out as he grows up. I would be totally fine if he never grew up though – this little chunk is the sweetest snuggler.

When we only had one child, Kegan and I did all of our parenting duties together - from Josiah’s bathtime to middle of the night wakings.  We never expected the other person to handle any task on their own. Because of how committed we were to participating in all of those things together as a team, we learned to trust and depend on each other for support in a whole new way prior to having children. Now, with two under two, we have built upon that solid foundation and have adapted to a “divide and conquer” style of parenting. Now a days, the only way to make it through to bedtime in one piece is to split up who does what for each kid. It took some time (and a lot of grace with each other) to figure out our new groove, but now we have a system that works for us! Being a parent and raising babies is hard work, but we make it through the nitty-gritty by trusting God and leaning on each other for support.

At the end of a particularly hard day, I will always tell myself that someday down the road I’m going to miss these moments. The moments when I’m exhausted and I’m up for the fourth time that night nursing the baby back to sleep…The moments when I’m frustrated and the toddler is sticking to my leg like velcro, pulling my shirt saying “Mommy? Mommy?”…The moment when I’m overwhelmed because of my “to do” list but my son wants me to read the “Snuggle Puppy” book for the ninth time in a row…These are all the moments that I am needed, wanted and loved unconditionally by my babies. Sometimes it’s hard to see it in those all-too-often situations, but I try to keep in mind that these boys will be men before I know it, so it’s okay to let the dishes and laundry and dust pile up for today, and to cherish those moments with them as my little boys.

 

Dear Josiah and Judah,

I remember the exact moments I laid eyes on both of you. You both took my breath away, you are my pride and joy! I hope you know that being your mom is such an honor for me and the greatest blessing.

I want to thank you for something. Some people think that the parents are the ones who teach their children all about life, but for me that statement couldn’t be more opposite. You two are the ones who are teaching me! You have shown me what it looks like to have unadultered faith of a child. I’ve learned, through you, how to find joy in the simplest of things as I see the world through your eyes. You have painted a picture for me, to help me understand the love God has for me. You have helped me realize the depth of His sacrifice for us, and for this I thank you! Thank you for teaching me to peel back the layers of selfishness I had built up from before I knew you two. There are more lessons coming my way, I’m sure! So thank you in advance for those too…

I pray that you will grow up to know God and His son. He has a plan for your life and has made you uniquely YOU. Know that you are able to face any situation in your life with His help.

And know that your daddy and I love you with our WHOLE HEARTS!

Love, Mommy