A Hiatus...

Time has slipped away.

Source

 I want to return to writing and attempting to express myself clearly. And sharing photos. Photos most of all...

One day I hope to be wise and share insights of things that I have learned and will hopefully help someone else on their path. I guess that is mostly what I want to find.

As I said almost one whole month ago, I went to Time Out for Women. I learned that I have wisdom to share and should share my experiences. Hopefully my experiences will help someone else. I have always hestitated to share because I am not perfect. I want others to have a good opinion of me and to receive the "praise of Catan." (Settlers of Catan is a favorite game of my Sweetheart's. That is our way of saying we need praise or an atta' boy.)

My goal this year was to be comfortable in my own shoes again. To be happy with me. I have been there a few times in my life - my childhood, as a missionary, and at the end of graduate school. I have been searching again for who I am now as a wife, a mother, and living away from my family. Except for my mission, I have always lived very close to family. I could rely on them to be physically there for me (with food, a listening ear, or just company.) When I moved away across the United States, I feel that I lost me in figuring out my new role as a wife and then as a mother.

In my quest this year, I still feel that I have floundered and then a lot of my questions were answered in quiet whispering when I went away for 36 hours. I needed to be quiet and listen to myself. I needed to change my comparing view of how other mothers parent and how I parent. I found that I know and love my children and don't need to make them do the things that I see other children doing. I felt that even though my family is not physically close; they pray for me every day and are concerned for my welfare.

(Side note: My brother was so concerned about me that he would search the Craig's List listings for a car when we only had one car to drive, and I was at home with no car. He would call when he saw one. We brought a car on his recommendation. The car's name is Fred Ignatowski.)

I have learned to include my children in my "work." It takes longer and has more clean ups. The payoffs are surprising. My children are not as grouchy because I am not as grouchy. My husband is happy. I am learning to be patient with myself.

As the Christmas season is almost upon us, we decided to make an advent. Underfoot is SO EXCITED! He helped me wrap the advent. Hurricane helped me hang it on our wall. Last year we participated in a Jesse Tree Advent and are doing it again this year. This advent takes from the creation of the world and goes through the prophesies in the Bible of Jesus Christ's birth and mission on the earth. The culmination of the advent is the birth of Jesus Christ.

Underfoot & Hurricane with our prepared advent.

I am learning to be more comfortable in my shoes and to happy where I am. I am starting with my children and celebrating each day with them. My Sweetheart has noticed the difference.