Joy in the Simple

Yesterday afternoon the kids and I ran through the sprinkler, and played in the back yard for hours and hours. I watched the kids all hold hands, and jump over the sprayer as it spun in circles. We brought a blanket out, and enjoyed a lunch picnic on the yard. At one point in the afternoon, both my boys sat on my lap on the grass, and we giggled and squealed every time the sprinkler passed over us. It's the simple moments like these that really make me grateful for all that I have. We had nothing on the agenda all day, and it was the most perfect, yet ordinary afternoon. I definitely want to strive to have more "slow" days like that. 

A simple life is a less complicated life. Life isn't always going to be stress free, BUT living simply helps to ease stresses and enjoy life to its fullest. Too often schedules can get overly cluttered, and life can feel too rushed. There's something to be said about a simple, slow way of life. I think some of life's best moments happen, when we put away any distractions and just BE. 

Having a simple way of life, has also helped with our finances. We've been able to become completely debt free, just by using our money wisely and living a more minimal lifestyle. So much of our world is material focused. Don't get me wrong, I love trying new products, wearing new clothes, and all the cute home decor, but being wise with spending has made me even more grateful for what we already own. By living more minimally, we've been able to have a more stress free way of life. 

Living simply makes life more enjoyable. It makes you able to live life to the absolute fullest. 


 "A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life."
Proverbs 13:7

"A simple life in the Fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches. "

Proverbs 15:16

Enjoying the Journey

Today, we celebrate ten years of marriage. Through the last ten years, I've been able to witness the integrity, God fearing character, and wisdom of my husband. Not only has he shown such great leadership qualities, but he has been extremely wise in leading our family and our finances. Though our marriage is no where near perfect, I can definitely say that it has been a great ride, and I love doing life with this man that God has given me.

When we first got married I had some expectations of how our marriage would look after ten years. And you know what? It looks a lot different than I thought it would. I thought that at this point we would be living in our dream house, and that I'd be a gourmet chef. Well, we aren't living in our dream house yet, and I'm definitely not a gourmet chef (although I've improved!). All jokes aside, our journey to where we are looks a lot different than I thought it would. I realized that the day to day actions in marriage don't always come easy, and we had to make it a point to be intentional with our actions.

Being intentional is deliberately putting the other's needs in front of your own. It's not just saying "I love you", but choosing to love when the other person isn't so lovable. It's not just being kind during the good days, but being patient & kind during the hard days.

Being intentional doesn't always come easy. After having kids, we've had to become a lot more deliberate about scheduling date nights, and one on one time.  One thing that my husband Matt has been so great about being intentional about is calling me during his work day, to see how my day is going. Even if he is having a crazy day at work, he makes it a point to see how I'm doing, and ask how the kids are doing. When he gets home from work, we usually will take a few minutes, and ask about each others day. It's usually a chaotic time of day, and the kids can be super needy. But taking a moment to catch up, is sometimes just what we need before we unwind before the evening.

We've definitely had to learn how to be more intentional over time. It's been a constant learning process, and there's been times when we've let our stubbornness take over.

I know that life is bound to bring some challenges and trials, but I'm so blessed to be able to go through the good and the bad with this guy by my side.

"I found the one whom my soul loves."
Song of Solomon 3:4

Traveling with Toddlers

Family vacations can be so much fun, and a great adventure. I love creating memories, as well as exploring new places. We've been to snowy, cold places with the kids, as well as tropical places with them. Our vacations with kids are definitely A LOT different than our vacations without the kids(and less relaxing!), but I love the memories that we are creating with them.
Here are a few tips for traveling with toddlers:

1.) Double check the weather conditions right before you leave. It may seem like common sense, but there have been so many times when the weather was a lot chillier than we expected. Sometimes if we aren't sure, I'll throw a light jacket into their backpacks, so we can pull it out easily if we need to.

2.) Bring their own backpack with new activities & snacks.  Before every trip, whether it be a plane or car ride, we pack each toddler their own backpack (for our older two anyways). Each backpack has a sippy cup, crackers, new activity books/sticker books, and their favorite stuffed animal or toy. We also will download new apps onto the iPad for them to play as well.

3.) Don't stress about the schedule. I've always been very structured with naps, and the daily routine, but while on vacation it's so hard to stay on schedule. And let's be honest, should there even be a schedule while on vacation? Thankfully, my kids have been pretty easy to travel with, and they will nap really well in the car or in their stroller.

4. Always plan for extra time. Six months ago we took our three toddlers on a Caribbean cruise. It may sound crazy, but it was one of our favorite vacations EVER. When we stopped at different ports, we had to plan out our time accordingly, and make sure that we had enough time to get back on the ship. Between potty breaks, applying sunscreen, and the slower walking pace, it always took a lot longer to get from point A to point B.

5. Travel with extended family or friends. When we went on our cruise, we had my side of the family join us as well. They were able to help out with the kids, so the hubby and I could have some time to ourselves. It definitely helped to make the trip more relaxing. Also, some resorts and cruise ships have awesome childcare options. We went on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas, and the childcare was absolutely amazing (and free). We would use this option when we all wanted to go to dinner or a show kid free. 

Overall, traveling with kids can be a lot more work, but I wouldn't trade having the adventures and memories with the whole family!