Transition...

**Warning! This is the real me...please don't judge** :)

Ok so the last few months have been a huge transition for me & our family. I fell like I have truly been going through this identity crisis. I have had a full time job since I was 16 & now I am a stay at home mommy (SAHM)! I had always dreamt of being able to stay home & all the fun I would have. When the time came things were not how I imagined.

I was so used to a scheduled 9-5 job with an inbox & outbox. I would leave work feelingaccomplished & see the progress I had made that day. Well as a SAHM this is totally different...I would end my day wondering WHAT DID I DO TODAY!?! I would feel like all I had done during the day is clean the house (AGAIN), laundry (MORE), feed Hallee & change diapers, etc. Well for me this just was not working. I would often feel like a failure when Hubby would come home & dinner was not on the table & the house was not spotless.

I know that I am truly making a bigger impact on my daughter then I realize but this was hard. There were many nights the first weeks where Mike would say "Maybe you should go back to work...you are going crazy!" Poor guy! I just had this guilt where I felt like there are many moms that would give anything to stay home & here I am blessed to be able to do so & I don't like it...what is wrong with me!

Fast forward 2 months & I am definitely still in transition but I am doing SO much better. I have come to realize that I don't have to be perfect Suzy Homemaker I just have to be a happy mom & wife. If that means that I don't clean today so that I can hang out with a friend, great! If we eat leftover one night so that Hallee & I can spend the day outside, awesome! I am lucky to have a fantastic husband who would rather me be refreshed at the end of the day then have slaved around the house. I am not saying that I have it all figured out & am still working on it but I'm getting there! I would love any words of wisdom & covet your prayers as I become the best SAHM for my family.

Here is a great article my sweet husband send me that really helped me not feel alone.

Date Day Monday!

This Monday we decided to take a trip down PCH to Downtown San Juan Capistrano. It was so much fun, neither of us had walked around down there, we were sweetly surprised. It is extremely cute & historic, love it!

You are just so sweet!

They also had this cute little petting zoo...

you just LOVE animals!

Who I am in Christ...

Awhile back a friend gave me this list & it has been a great remind to me of Who I am in Christ. During this trasition from full time worker to full time mommy it has been great for me to have these truths to cling to. I pray that you can be uplifed by them as well!

Who I am in Christ

*I am a light in the world (Matt. 5:14)

*I am a child of God (John 1:12)

*I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15)

*I am chosen & appointed by Christ to bear his fruit (John 15:16)

*I am a slave of righteousness (Rom. 6:18)

*I am a joint heir with Christ (Rom. 8:17)

*I am a temple, a dwelling place, of God (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19)

*I am a member of Christ’s body (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 5:30)

*I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17)

*I am reconciled to God & a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19)

*I am a saint (Eph. 1:1-2; 2 Cor. 1:1-2)

*I am God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10)

*I am a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20; Eph. 2:6)

*I am righteous & holy (Eph. 4:24)

*I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:12)

*I am a daughter of light & not of darkness (1 Thess. 5:5)

*I am an enemy of the Devil (1 Peter 5:8)

*I am victorious (1 John 5:4)

*I am born again (1 Peter 1:23)

*I am alive with Christ (Eph. 2:5)

*I am more than a conqueror (Rom. 8:37)

*I am the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21)

*I am born of God & the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)

*I am to be like Christ when he returns (1 John 3:1-2)

Asher & Hallee

You know those friends that you absolutely could not live without...well that is my sweet friend Jorden! We have shared many chapters of life together in the past years & my favorite so far is motherhood. The sad part is that she now lives in Minnesota so many of our life is shared via the phone, skype & text. Still she is the greatest friend one could ask for I cherish her! The great thing is that I adore her little babe Asher Luke, he is a sweetheart. They visited in December 2010 when the kids were 2 1/2 & 8 months old & it was a joy to see them spend some time together. To best capture the moments our beautiful & talented (AND Prego!) friend Kaylyn took so sweet pictures.

Well fast forward 4 months & my great friends came out to celebrate Asher turning 1 years old! Jor wanted to take Asher to the beach for the first time & get some fun pics of the kiddos. Our friend & former student Christa took some beautiful pictures of the cuties!




Now I'm just counting down the days until July when Jord & Asher come to visit again!!

Boots!

It has been a while since this post but I have been dreaming of the day you could wear the cute boots we used to share the news of you! I love that you can finally kind of fit into them even though your feet/legs are a little to fat :)

I just adore that smirk you have!

7 Months

Hallee babe!

You are such a joy! We could not have asked for a happier & funny baby. This month has been a new journey for both of us. This is the first month I have been home full time since you were a baby. I feel like we have both been going through a huge transition. You have gotten so used to me being around all the time there was a week or so that you would not let me out of your sight. You would fuss if I left the room or would not hold you, but thankfully you have out grown that stage. For me it has been a learning curve getting used to not having a set schedule. I found & truly still find myself feeling a little unaccomplished by the end of day but I have to remind my self that I am making a bigger impact in your life then I realize right now.

You really love to eat & this month you started feeding yourself finger food. You will still eat the food that I make for you but you really enjoy when I will just cut up some carrot, broccoli, chicken or fruit. You also really enjoy drinking out of a straw, you really think you are a toddler already! You are still taking steps but & more in the cruising mode where you walk from the couch to the coffee table to your exersaucer. You are still not too sure if what you want to get to is more then 5 steps away you would rather crawl there. We have definitely been in the baby proofing mode these days because you love to pull open drawers & cabinets.

The great news is that you sleep through the night so that gives daddy & I some time in the evenings. You tend to go down between 8:30-9:30 depending on if you napped during the day. Naps are really not your favorite thing you seem to fight them more often than not, though you are getting better. You mostly wake up around 7:00am sometimes earlier but you like to just cuddle so I'm okay with that. I am just happy that I no longer have to get up at 4:30 to rock you back to sleep!

Hallee you just LOVE to be outside & around other people! I am so glad because that is what we enjoy as well. If I am busy & you see the door open you will just crawl outside the door & just sit there like a little puppy on the door mat. I guess that is your way of telling me, take me outside mom!

Your Uncle Daniel & Aunt Nicole took you on a little

trip to the park & you had so much fun!

You are also a doggie lover! Whenever we go to grandma &

grandpa's house you just love playing with their puppies!

Here doggie doggie!

You also like the beach & have a new fascination with the sand...

especially putting it in your mouth!

I have found a new hobby stand up paddling, so much fun! I can't wait

until you can put on a life jacket & sit on the front of my board

while we cruise around the harbor!

So serious!

Loving the park!

And the swing...

We just can not get enough of you little girl! You are so special & it has been so much fun seeing your personality come to life. You are going to a fun & energetic daughter & friend. I am blessed to be your mommy. My prayer is that you will have life to the fullest John 10:10 We love you so much sweetie!

Mother