baby steps

God is gently pulling me out of my cocoon.

it's been quite the whirlwind for the last month, i tell ya.
with four parties within a two week period, i have been recovering from cupcakes, valentines, a teenager, and a carnival.
my brain has been on overload for quite some time now, trying to make each party special for my kids.
making sure that all of the details for their special day were covered.
sometimes being detail oriented can work against you, you know?
like having a vision and trying to fulfill it can sort of make a 'detail' girl go crazy.
especially when there's that little thing called 'life' that keeps happening in between.
dentist appointments where i leave sobbing{Lord, help me}, school to be done, laundry literally piled to the ceiling....you get the idea.

in the middle of all of these wonderful celebrations, my family has been sick, too.
like, "are we ever not going to be sick again?", sick.
my husband had double ear infections and strep throat, among other things, and henry ended up with an ear infection, too.
my body must have felt left out, so it decided to join in the fun with a head cold.  yah!

it was enough to send me into sort of a tail spin, feeling very overwhelmed and exhausted.
i hibernated in my home, not wanting to go anywhere.
i just wanted everyone to feel better and my house to function normally again.
pleassssse!?!

through my lowest moments and my deepest weaknesses, God never fails to reveal His strength.
again, i have been neglecting His help, thinking i can do all this on my own.
i'm SO smart.   errrr....not.

through the storm in my heart, He calls out to me, "be still".
He's making my mess calm.
He's using this time in my cocoon to grow me, and get me ready for the next season in my life.
{i DO have a teenager now}
that is crazy.

so, with my hand gently tucked in His, He urges to me to move forward.
with Him.
taking steps to prioritize,
because that is pretty much my number one issue right now.
taking steps to better time management,
but because He knows my tendencies, He is moving slow.
baby steps.
this isn't going to be easy because i'm an all or nothing kinda girl.
i struggle with balance, but i can practically see His outstretched hand and loving smile telling me that it's okay if the floors aren't vacuumed daily and there is kitty litter on the floor.
it's in those daily tasks that the devil makes me feel like a failure, and it's really on a minute by minute basis that i need His steady hand.
His soft whisper of encouragement through scripture.
i need Him to make this storm calm.
and He will.
it's totally up to me to look. to. Him.

so, pray with me, please.

i need to let go of some things, or at least push them down on the priority list.
i have a family who needs a sane mama and a husband a loving wife.  :)
i have time that needs managing.
do you have any great tips for me?
don't be shy...i know you do.  ;)

how about you?
what's happening in your life?.
i would like to pray for you, too.
please let me know, so that i can add you to my list and we can pray together.

i'm going to leave you with a few pics of our parties.
we had so much fun, even if it was CRAZY at times!  :)
i have tons of pictures from each party that i can't wait to share.
baby steps.
i started a post on valentines day to send my love to you all,
and then got frustrated by the computer, so i quit.
yet another sob story.  :)

my new chapter...

:::maddies cupcake bash:::

:::for my valentine:::

 :::teenager:::

:::carnival fun:::

praying that you are trusting Him to calm your storms, too.

we'll chat again soon.  :)

xo,

mary