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

momspirational mondays: Erin Nelson

I am thrilled to introduce you all to today's guest poster! Erin and I met through a bible study group that she and her husband led for our church. At the time, I was about 12 weeks pregnant and two of the couples in the group, including Erin, were also expecting their first child(ren). When we discovered we were in a group with two other couples about to be first time parents as well, we were blown away.  God, as usual, is so awesome! On top of that awesomeness the fourth couple in the group were seasoned parents of three precious little girls! Needless to say, this bible study group was exactly what we needed and such a blessing.  

Erin and I clicked instantly and she is always there to offer advice and words of encouragement whenever I need it.  She is a great example of what it is to be a Godly wife, mother, daughter and friend. I hope that you find her story as interesting and inspiring as I do.  

momspirational mondays: patience is a virtue

Unfortunately, I don't have a guest post for this Monday but there a few things in my head so I'm going to go ahead and write my own post. No need to worry, some of my favorite mommy inspirations are working away on their posts and we should have one of those ready next week! 

Patience is a virtue, not one that I possess but a virtue none the less. I am always working to improve in this area. More often than not, I end the day wishing I had been a little more patient with my husband, at my job and even with my sweet girl.

In my head I usually make everything more complicated than it really is.  Even as I write this I'm questioning if patience is always a good quality to have. Like most things, I think it just depends.  In my current circumstance, God is telling me to yet again be patient. The desires of my heart don't match with the desires of my pocketbook and man that can be hard to swallow.  (Especially while working full time with a great and expensive education to pay off) 

What do you do when you're at a crossroads in life? How do I keep my mind focused on the present when I just want to know what God has planned for my future?

For now, I'm just going to enjoy every second I get with this precious girl! (excuse the less than ideal iphone pic)

For your own adorable onesie or toddler t-shirt check out The Little Goose Shop

Amelia,

Sweet girl, mommy isn't going to be much help on this subject.  The best advice I have is to remember that life is a marathon and not a sprint.  Try to enjoy the here and now instead of always looking to the future. For a person with high aspirations and life goals like your mommy, all of this is easier said than done. God has a plan so put your faith in him and take on each day one at a time. 

momspirational mondays: Lauren Attaway

I'm so excited to introduce our next momspirational mondays contributor, Lauren Attaway. Lauren is my good friend and also my current hairstylist! She is not only a superstar with hair but she is an amazing friend, wife and mama! Lauren inspires me in so many ways but her soft spirit is what I find most inspiring.  In all situations she is calm and level headed which are qualities I strive for but don't always get quite right.  I'll let her takeover now and you all can see for yourself why I wanted to include her in this series. Enjoy!

P.S. Aren't these two stunning?!? Just wait until you scroll down and see their kiddos! 

 Photo Credit: Katie Lamb Photography https://www.facebook.com/katielambphotography

Hi! My name is Lauren, and I am delighted to be guest blogging for Mandy on this Momspirational Monday! Thanks for having me, Mandy!

            I am a 29 year old mom of two (more on them later!). I stay at home Sunday through Thursday with my kids, and I work part-time Friday and Saturday in a local upscale salon. I have been doing hair professionally for over seven years, and will celebrate six years at my current salon this fall!

            I love getting to spend the majority of the week with my littles, and love that I still get to enjoy doing something creative with people I have come to know as friends on the weekends. I regularly brag that I have the very best clients, only because it’s true!

            When I’m not at the salon, you can find me hanging out with my kids and husband, taking a million pictures with my not-so-professional iPhone, looking up recipes on Pinterest, roaming the aisles at Target, and singing at my church. Family is one of the greatest gifts I’ve been given, and I am lucky enough to live close to my parents, and my sister and her sweet family.

            Speaking of family, why don’t you meet mine? My husband, Kurt, and I have been married for 8 years. We first met when we were just four years old when our dad’s worked together at the church we attended. Kurt has been my forever crush! His family moved to Dallas when we were still kids, but we reconnected after graduating high school, then became friends again through long emails and nervous phone calls. We dated long distance for a year, and were married at 21! He is truly a gift. Kurt is genuine, always ready with a compliment & encouragement, and has been the very best Daddy to our kids. The. Very. Best!

            Now to my pride and joy... my babies!

            Canten Alan is our very first child, our son. He will be 4 this fall and can’t wait for his birthday. He is such a sweetheart, full of compassion. He loves super heroes, sports, his little buddies at church and pre-school, scrambled eggs, and chocolate milk! He has recently decided thats “girls and princesses are kinda gross”, but assures me that he still loves ME! What a relief! He absolutely loves to sing and to worship (and play air guitar! and play air drums!), and to pray. I am regularly in awe of his prayers... the overflow of his heart.

            Emersen Kate is our second-born and will be 2 in January. When Emersen was born she came out with the highest-pitched cry I had ever heard, and my exact thoughts were, “Here we go!”. That mentality has followed me as I’ve been raising her these last 20 months. She is an absolute joy and keeps me on my toes! Emersen loves her big brother (and everything he does!), saying “Hi!” to everyone we pass wherever we go, coloring (but only markers will do!), climbing everything, other babies, spaghetti, and fruit snacks! She has always been and excellent communicator and I am looking forward to continuing to watch her big personality grow as she grows.

            Family is definitely a huge priority for me, and I feel like the biggest building block for how we choose to parent is team work. Kurt and I from the start have given our best to being together in our approach. From diaper changes, baths, and bed time, to navigating discipline and emerging toddler opinions, neither of us expects the other to handle it all. I am so thankful I have, truly, a partner who I can share this amazing, but often challenging, journey with as we walk down this parenting road. At the end of a harder-than-usual day when I feel like I’ve given all that I’ve got and the countdown to bedtime is on, there is so much reassurance, for me as a mom, to know I have someone who loves my kids as much as I do, that’s going to walk through that door, have my back, and help me pick up the pieces I’m dropping.

There is so much I could leave here in a letter to these sweet kids of mine, but for now, I leave you, simply, with what’s on my heart.

Dear Canten and Emersen,

            I want you to know that it’s ok to not have it all together! There are going to be many seasons in your life where you’ll feel on top of the world, and you will be! Seasons will also come that are challenging, painful, and stretching.

           My desire for your lives is that you will grow to be confident in who God created and is calling you to be... That you can walk through this life with your eyes and hearts open, unintimidated to stand out in a crowd, allowing your light to shine. There are so many distractions and temptations to pull us every which way, and you will feel the tug. But as my dad always told me growing up, as I was walking out the door, “Remember who you are!”.

          I pray you can know who you are, that Daddy and I can help guide you in that discovery, so that as the seasons of life change, you will remember who you are and walk confidently through this life!

                                      

Love, 

Mommy