It has been way way WAY too long since I did one of these. I figured it was beyond time I do one!
1. blog whatever is authentic. whatever is truly on your mind and in your heart.
2. It can be serious, silly, short, long. NOTE:no one said it has to be serious. But it should be authentic.
3. No judging allowed no snarky comments, no making fun, no passive agressive digs.If you are going to read the blogs linked below, don’t be mean. Nothing here is whining, though I can’t help it if you perceive it that way. It’s me honestly sharing my feelings. if you feel that it’s whining, then you don’t have to read. 🙂
4. If you BYH, link back here. I’ll add an Inlinkz tool at the end of the post. I always read and comment on every single post.
5. Feel free to use the graphic above. Just make sure to link back to me.
6. If you are reading my blog today or if you read any of the blogs linked, please leave a comment. 🙂
Okay…this picture has nothing to do with the post. But I have issues with long, photo-less posts. And also, it kind of does have something to do with the post as Cate’s face (on the right) perfectly describes the way I feel as I work up the courage to do a BYH post. HA!
Here goes.
1. I love Italy. I love being with my family every day. But I miss my friends. Terribly. There are lots of lovely women here, but I feel like I’m having a hard time getting to know them. We are all pretty spread out, location wise, and everyone is pretty busy. This is always the hardest part of moving, and truth be told…it’s lonely.
2. I don’t even believe I’m typing this, but I’m getting tired of Italian food. I know, I know. I need to be punched in the throat. But I’m getting tired of pasta and pizza. We’ve found a good solution. I cook our family favorites (none of the Italian ones, though) during the week so that we all crave Italian food by the weekend.
3. This is the time of year that I tend to get super stressed. The twins turn three on Sunday. Then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then Jimmy’s birthday on January 1. Hello, crazy season. I’m doing my best to be present this year. And knowing that we are having Thanksgiving in Florence helps. No turkey/meal/etc. to get irrationally worked up about. 🙂
4. I hired a housekeeper. For the first time ever. And it has changed my life. I really mean that. I finally allowed myself to ask for help. If you know me, that’s really hard for me. I admitted I need help. And I have to tell you, it’s worth it. I am so grateful for that. Why WHY did I not do this when the twins where born and I was all alone? Because I’m stubborn. That’s why.
5. I really, really need to start exercising. Not to fit in a certain pair of jeans, not to hit a certain number on the scale. I need to start exercising because I don’t feel good about myself. And that affects everything. It affects my marriage, it affects the example I’m setting for my girls.
6. My kids buy their lunches every day. I so wanted to be that mom. The one who made the adorable bento box lunches from Pinterest. And I tried. But the girls wanted to eat at school because apparently everyone else does…and you know how that goes. And truth be told, it makes life easier.
7. For the first time ever in my life, I have road rage issues. I mean…it’s bad here. Motorcycles and bikes ALL OVER THE PLACE (most of them with no regard at all to cars or anyone else who might be there), horrible parking jobs (I’m talking cars that have parked perpendicularly in parallell parking spots), and me driving a car way too big for Italian life…yeah. I’m a maniac. I keep it (mostly) in my head, but I get SO WORKED UP every time I drive. Sigh.
8. I am unnaturally and irrationally obsessed with Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. I have been ever since The Notebook. I have probably watched their MTV Movie Awards kiss 92384082348203842038420384 times. Y’all. It’s bad. I love them. I really think they are the most wonderful couple ever. So when I read that they might be back together??? I got WAY. TOO. EXCITED. I’m a nerd.
9. I worry a lot about my girls in the world we live in today. I worry about someone hurting them, taking advantage of them, bullying them, and so much worse. I’m scared for them. And I pray every day that we will help them become the confident, secure, kind, brave, Godly women I want them to become.
10. I know that everyone else is already excited for Christmas. Music playing, trees ready to go up, decor unpacked…but I’m just not there right now. I want to work on some things this year. One of them is not getting caught up in the stuff. You know what I mean. I don’t want to worry about crafting. Or advent calendars. Or getting overly creative with Turtle the elf. I don’t want to buy our kids a bunch of stuff. Stuff they don’t need, stuff they will stop caring about 10 minutes after they open their gifts. I want this Christmas to be intentional. And I’m thinking about how to best do that.
Okay…that’s it. My November BYH. I sure hope you’ll join in. I love, love, LOVE reading all the links.
xoxo
S
What a beautiful post Stephanie. I love what you said about Christmas, and I totally agree. Loved that kiss too!
Welcome to Europe! In France, things are a little more … or slightly less … Finally, we are never satisfied. I would like to live in Montreal or in Sweden! And I love the way you talk about your hopes and your doubts. You put your heart bare. I have 2 grown daughters and a small (12) boy and I think being mom is trust and hope. I think so. And I love Christmas, but this year, I feel overwhelmed by the desire not to be alone to foresee everything. Love your heart.
We give each family member just three gifts each fir Christmas. It’s life-changing. More meaningful gifts, less stuff, more time to focus on Jesus, less spoiled kids. It works for us!
LOVE this. Ive been doing the want/need/wear/read gift giving strategy for quite some time.
Love what your family does.
Love this Stephanie!
For our family gifts (me, my husband & our 2 kids), we limit gifts to each other at $10. Sometimes it is more of a challenge to not go over that amount – LOL. So usually that means a trip to Target 🙂 I don’t remember when this tradition started but usually we all go together to Target. We take turns being “occupied” while the other 3 go shopping for our gift. It’s fun to be secretive and hide gifts strategically in the shopping cart. And I truly love what my husband and kids pick out for me because I know they’ve all collaborated together. One year they got me a “Little House in the Prairie” Christmas DVD-loved it! And my kids always pick out character flannel pajama pants for my husband. They just get a kick out of seeing him in Super Mario/Star Wars/etc pajamas.
Stephanie – Thank you so much for sharing your words and heart. It is uplifting to read the “real”, instead of just what appears to be perfection. We all have similar struggles/doubts/fears, but somehow we tend to gloss over them. I LOVE seeing posts like this! Thank you!!!
We, too, do the 3 gifts. And now that AJ is getting older I’m hoping to add more service to our Christmas preps. This weekend we are filling boxes for Operation Christmas child through church.
Thanks for doing another BYH. I will work on that this weekend!
My kids are the same way, Steph! They play with the “must have” toy for maybe 10 minutes then it gets pushed aside to never be played with again!!! The past few years I have made a deal with them. They have to give away/donate some toys if they want Santa to bring them new ones. They really take their time and decided long and hard which toys to part with. OR they rediscover a toy that they have not played with in awhile and it starts a whole day of creative play with that particular toy!! LOL!!! As long as the true meaning of Christmas is present in our household, I do still give them the toys that they want. They are only little for a short time and seeing those precious happy faces on xmas morning is priceless!!
Thanks for sharing your heart!
Not everything can be wine and roses, even in Italy 🙂 Kudos for hiring a housekeeper, and striving not to overdo it at Christmas. I bet after all the purging you had to do when moving has made you extra mindful how heavy “stuff” is.
I can totally relate to wanting to make Christmas more meaningful and protecting my daughters. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hey Girl! It can be lonely abroad. Day to day life gets us. Are you still volunteering at school? Good for you for hiring help. I had help when MissEm was little because she was allergic to the odor of cleaning supplies. I hated picking up before hand but loved not scrubbing floors. KISS Keep it simple, silly! Hugs to all! maggieb!
As always, loving hearing you speak from the heart.
This is why your blog is my favorite – I love that you admit the hard stuff and help me realize that it’s OKAY to be scared/bored/tired/etc even if it’s not “cool” to admit. I love BYH posts – you’ve taught me so much on the type of blogger I want to be.
Love this heartfelt post. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I LOVE when you BYH!!! Although we’ve never met in person I know that we are all connected through this crazy, wonderful, amazing, sometimes lonely military spouse life! While we are all jealous of your amazing pictures and fairy tale adventure, we are here for you! We’re only an email, a facebook message or a blog post away! Please know that the Branch family is praying for you. For you, for Jimmy, for your beautiful girls! You are on my heart every single day and I know that God is planning amazing things for your family. xoxo
I second your thoughts about exercising and I even borrowed (and gave you credit!) that part for my BYH post. I used to do it all the time and I have stopped entirely – and I hate it! Now I feel too overwhelmed and intimidated to start up again.
The idea of you with road rage is actually quite funny because you’re so adorable, I can hardly imagine you hollering at a fellow motorist! 🙂
Awesome post Stephanie. I’ve not joined in before, but I just may have to do this. Road rage, yeah, I know what you mean. People really show how stupid they can be on the roads! And the weight thing, absolutely hear you there! Reading this, it’s obvious you are too hard on yourself. Relax, I think you are doing more than fine. tfs
Really? I wouldnt say so. Id say Im honest with myself. I hold myself to the same standard Id hold anyone else….and I owe it to myself to take care of me. No one else is going to do it. 🙂
Stephanie, I am an american overseas too and I totally hear you on the friends thing. I’m in Switzerland and there are lots of amazing women here but I have nothing close to the friendships I have in the US.
I read something this year that I’m doing for gifts for my kids. They can ask for 4 things. SOmething they want, something they need. something to wear and something to read. And I told them Santa would bring one surprise, and 1 gift for the whole family. It has taken my stress level down so many levels!
I know how you feel in so many ways. We only moved from Houston to Austin but I feel lonely all the time and worry that all my old friends have forgotten me. I went to Italy a few times and remember getting sick of Italian food and finding an Indian restaurant one night. Something I totally would have made fun of my parents for doing, but there we were! And road rage, yes. Austin traffic is insane. I can’t even deal anymore. I’m a big believer in giving fewer gifts for holidays and just spending time together too. I still need my crafting though to save my sanity!
Beautifully shared, Stephanie. 🙂
Carmen.
I hear you on so many of these.. 🙂
I try and make Christmas about the memories too.. I feel like things might be a bit simpler in Canada already though? When I saw some of the Christmas posts over at Two Peas last year about what people are getting their kids, my jaw seriously hits the floor! Our kids get stockings, one gift from us, one from Santa, and one small joined gift from the cat that is usually a board game. I feel like that’s more than enough, and have a hard time fathoming any more. But that’s most likely just me.. So no one take offence to that please if you are reading this. 🙂
And I’m so team Rachel&Ryan. sigh.
It’s been almost 2yrs since we moved to our new city, and I still have not made any “close” friends… it is lonely. I wish I were more out going and could connect with people easier.
I’ve been following your blog since Harper was a baby and you lived in TX. Love your authenticity. Love that you write from the heart. I’m a navy brat myself and my son just joined ROTC at his college with plans to go into the Army after graduation, so I follow your military life posts to get a feel for what it’s like.
As far as Christmas goes, our kids are much older than yours (junior in high school and sophomore in college) but we are doing the “something you want, something you need, something you wear and something you read”. I find that they are enjoying the challenge of being very careful in their selections. As it should be, because we don’t need more useless stuff.
Happy holidays to you and your sweet family!
This is our first Christmas with our baby girl and I want it to be special. She’s only 6months old so she doesn’t need cool toys or anything, but I want to establish some fun, family traditions with her. I think it’s cool you got a housekeeper! The chores never cease and with four kids, I don’t blame you, woman! Lol! I have one kid and want a housekeeper. Even when it was just me and my husband there was always something that needed to be done. I know what it’s like to live in a different country, we lived in Germany for three years when we first got married. It’s really really tough, but it goes by so fast and the the next thing you know you are packing up again to come back to the states. Well I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I always read your blog, I love it! 🙂
Couldn’t agree with you more about numbers three and ten. Why am I feeling stressed/guilty just thinking about NOT doing a december daily? Or heaven forbid Project Life next year? (I’ve never completed one in three years.) Is this even logical? Also, my kids don’t buy lunch b/c they don’t really want to but all I hear is, “So and So’s mom makes there lunch for them everyday” because mine have to make their own daily. The horror I tell you. I love your blog. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing. I’m trying not to get stressed out of christmas, my 3 have lists as long as my arm but I make them choose the top 3 so that they don’t have all that “stuff”.
I’m so with you on #6. My kids like a few of the school meals. I generally get 1 day every 2 weeks when they both want the school lunch and I celebrate those days! My kids will only accept a few certain things for lunch so putting together lunches that are healthy and I can feel good about is such a struggle for me.
Hi Stephanie. Found myself commenting a lot on your blog recently. If I had a blog site I would love BYH. Mine is quite heavy at the moment as there are big changes going on in my life. I am a lot older than you but life doesn’t seem to get any easier! I think it is enlightening when you realise you can’t be superwoman . Why do we try to do it? I feel for you when you miss your friends. Try to look at the long term and realise this is just one stage in your life…one to be embraced for the experiences you will have. Enjoy all the festivities coming up…
Long live Ryan Gosling! Such eye candy. Love love love the Notebook. How natural is their relationship in that film!? Sigh! X
Hi Stephanie! Loved this post and found myself nodding along 🙂
I am feeling lonely at this minute in the town I’ve lived for 12 years. My awesome friend and neighbour left this week for the other side of the world, our kids played so beautifully together and whenever I went out to water my garden I knew there would be someone to wave to and chat about our day, the good, bad and the downright ugly!! We had so much fun. I am so excited for her family to have an adventure like yours but oh I miss them!
So true about the exercise, I need to be a far better role model for my little E, she has my build and it hurts me to think she will have the same struggles. Reading that you feel this too might just give me a kick in the butt to get going!
The other one I can relate to is getting over the Italian food, I so desperately craved a steak and veggies once when surrounded by beautiful ethnic food!
Enjoy the crazy holiday period, it is our last in our home where we brought our babies home as we move as soon as the new year is here so I am going to desperately hold onto every moment! Best wishes to you, the girls and Jimmy and i hope this season is magical for you all x
Hi Robyn, I felt like that last year with those projects, I got of social media for a while and stopped looking at what everyone was doing and it helped so much! I slowly got back into my projects as i had more time and felt no pressure. Since back on social media I’ve paired it down to my favs only, you may not even be a social media person so that may not be useful at all lol. Have a great holiday season 🙂
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you don’t dress your twins in the same outfits, and I don’t know if you do that on purpose, but my cousins were twins and my aunt dressed them alike everyday and they hated it because they just wanted to be there own person. So I’m a big fan of yours 🙂
oh hey steph.
I w=anted to be the BENTO mom too, but ha ha . I made them peanut noodles and all these different things and it would come home UNTOUCHED! so now they get pb sandwich, cheese sticks, pudding, yogurt, cucumbers w/ ranch, fruit snacks, clementines. easy stuff and the same thing over and over, because that’s what they eat! At home they eat so much different stuff, but when I send it to school they don’t touch it, so why bother! I was making myself Crazy!
so don’t feel bad about that! I BEG mine to get hot lunch, but NOPE!
I am so happy you get to experience so much fun in another country!
you are so blessed, but I know you must get lonely! Wish I could come visit you guys! your girls make me laugh every single day when I see their faces and videos, LOVE those girls even if I have never seen them! xoxo
much love steph.
tara
Love love Love reading your blog. Love your honesty. I hardly ever comment but I look forward to your posts and precious pics of your girls and your amazing pics of Italy.
Thanks so much for this beautiful post, loved reading it!! That picture made me laugh on Instagram and made me laugh again, even showed it to the family.
Stephanie, you are such a sweet and generous BEAUTIFUL woman, so tiny too. Don’t be too hard on yourself, I’m amazed at all you do with your family. I am for the first time a little excited about the holiday’s coming up. Most years I deny it’s here till the last minute then rush to get it all done. I ask my hubby every year if I can just hibernate thru it all but he says NO, lol.
I just read the amazing book “one hundred gifts” and am blown away by the writing and counting our blessings. I do this all the time but don’t actually write them all down in a list. LOVE THIS!
Anyway the author has her second book out just in time for December and it’s all about having a sane Christmas and doing advent thru the book, it has verses to read daily and ponder about and comes with free download paper ornaments leading up to Jesus being born to hang on your tree.
I’m going to read this each morning starting Dec. 1st and really feel the meaning of Christmas and hope this helps me stay calm and just enjoy all the little moments even more.
I too have heard of the 3 gifts on Christmas and always wanted to try it. Hope this helps you a little. Take it one day at a time and just breathe, and it will be ok.
Thanks again for this sweet and honest post, love when you do these!
Sending you hugs and patience and some Jolly in your steps.
Hey Stephanie,
Your honesty is one of the things I love about reading your blog. Thank you for sharing.
Peace be with you.
Hannah
Stephanie, You are normal and I am glad you shared your feelings. I am much older than you, not married or in a relationship or even want a relationship, and have some of the similar things happening in my life as I live in Vieques, Puerto Rico which is a small island off the east coast of the main island of Puerto Rico. Not only are my kids grown, but my grandchildren are 15 and 16 and live in the states. I have friends here, however, my really good friends are in the states. I miss the really good healthcare in the states and the wonderful grocery stores. I have several health issues and just listed my house so I can move back and be close to more conveniences. I love Puerto Rican food, but I have gained 30 lbs. in 2 years eating it. Most of it is greasy and I cannot find the fresh veggies I really crave or the easy prepackaged foods like Lean Cuisine. Sometimes the stores will have a couple choices in frozen dinners and other times they don’t have any at all. If they have them they are much higher priced than the states as everything has to come to us on ferries when the weather allows it or when the ferries are not broken down. When I have to go to the main island, i.e., a medical specialist, I fly and then have to hire a driver. Life in another culture is not easy even though some parts of it are wonderful. I have always loved adventure, however, I am ready to return to some place that is easier. I don’t have any Christmas things to put out as what I have are packed for the move when the house sells. My dogs will wear their Christmas scarves and I will mail gifts to my sons’ families and that will be my Christmas. Just relax and take each day and do what you feel like. Enjoying each other over the holidays is more important than anything else. I am sure you will make the Christmas special for the children. Your expectations are probably a lot bigger than theirs, so don’t worry. Make it easy. What you are feeling is also grief over the loss of your previous life. This is normal and you will come out of it and discover how to be happy there. This is not forever, so enjoy as much as you can every day even if you don’t go anywhere. Sit back, have a cup of tea or coffee and just watch your children or the birds, etc. Take good care of yourself. We love you and appreciate you. Blessings
Always love your BYH posts. Will try to get one done tomorrow and be as authentic and real as you always are. YAY on the housekeeper!1 I am single, no kids and I would LOVE to have someone come even once a week to do floors, bathroom etc. I’ve even thought about asking for Molly Maid for xmas. 🙂 This weekend I am recouperating and taking time to create…I’ve finally got into ‘the mood’ again after a very long time and I’ve made a list of things that need to get done…stuff for my cousin, stuff for me, and mainly items that will be Christmas gifts. Not a lot of money this year so hand/homemade gifts it is. 🙂
Thank you for your words today:) I am just getting into the holiday spirit after my daughter has been crazy about putting out a few decorations and I finally consented and together we did some small wreaths to hang in our windows and hung our lighted snowballs! I plan to write a BYH post tomorrow…thanks for the reminder. I SO love Ryan and Rachel…just saw the new movie About Time and Rachel is in that one…think you would love it as much as I did….
I love your honest words about life, military life, motherhood, etc. thank you for that
Moving and making new friends is SOOO hard. Ugh. Eventually we find them, but I hate that it takes so long and always makes you feel so lonely and isolated! Stay strong lady
I totally agree with so much of what you’ve said. I used to joke with my husband that once our twins were born we’d need a maid. I still think it sounds wonderful but we haven’t gotten one yet. Last year my husband donated through Heifer International. We’re thinking of letting our boys pick a gift through there or Samaritans Purse as one of our gifts for them instead of the toys. It’s been hard not to buy when I see something but it feels nice to not have/worry about more stuff.
<3 you.
I’m feeling very much the same as many of your thoughts today. I appreciate your honesty, and it helps me to give myself permission to be ok with that. Thank you!!
Completely enjoy your posts, Stephanie!!! This is a cute picture of your twins. All your girls are adorable. I don’t have any kids yet, but I sure do think about today’s world and worry and wonder what it will be like for them.
Unnaturally and irrationally obsessed with Rachel M. & Ryan G.?!? I think NOT.
Thank you for continuing to share your heart and adventures with us.
As always so well spoken(written!)….a housekeeper is something I just have struggled with…the picking up before hand…I also secretly wonder if I’m such a bad cleaner since my mom had a housekeeper!LOL
JustLULu showed some great perspective on American Christmas traditions or gifting…My cousin married an Italian and he was flabbergasted and overwhelmed by the amount of gifts our whole family exchanged….It sure made us think…
I have teenagers and wow, what they want is TOO MUCH!
Keep up the great blogging!
Always love your BYH posts. There is so much “perfect and pretty” in blogland, that these real posts are always a favorite of mine. Good job momma 🙂
Stephanie,
I loved this post and I love that you are real & authentic & vulnerable. I’m not sure how I found your blog a few years ago, but something in your honesty and the cuteness of your chickadees touched my heart and I find myself popping in to check on your family and pray for you from time to time. Once I figured out feedly it became even easier! My Sisters are in Italy this year also, and so I’ve enjoyed seeing you settle into your little corner of the world.
I don’t have a blog… but I have some things on my heart that I need to express so I’m going to take your inspiration & use your little corner of the internet & ask your prayers if you don’t mind!
1. My father at age 81, it appears, is making his final descent towards the end of his life. He has been living alone and independently since 2001, has survived prostate cancer & a stroke which has left him with pretty moderate expressive aphasia, but has been plodding along taking care of himself just fine. This summer, things started to go downhill just after I was home to make sure he was doing everything OK & to take care of a bunch of things to keep him safe, healthy & independent. He’s had a string of hospitalizations, has been in a nursing home for rehab, has had a string of UTIs and almost died because one went septic/systemic. His Medicare 100 day payment window is ending this week, but his physical strength is diminished so that he is too weak to push himself up out of a chair, stay balanced on his feet or walk more than about 25 steps at a time. He has no appetite and is not eating much… He wants to go home but won’t be safe there – and it looks like our only option is long term skilled nursing. My heart breaks to see him suffer & I can only do so much for him. My heart breaks at our impending separation, even though I know our eternal home is not here.
2. I have faith and trust and God, and with #1 it is being truly tested by fire. I feel like we’re walking in a dark hallway – I can’t seem to hear God’s voice or feel His touch, and so I stumble on in the dark. I know that Our Lady is with me too, but I can’t even seem to find her hand to hold. I’m scared and frightened at the future, I know I’ll have the grace to do what needs to be done at the moment but thinking about it makes me anxious.
3. I am ridden with guilt for the times that I have been with him, more concerned with doing things FOR him rather than focusing ON him and being simply PRESENT to him. I was with him this week, and while I did make sure I had time just to be with him, I was focused on DO DO DO… a Martha through and through.
4. I’ve had some health issues surface this year, and from January – July was really trying to be healthy, watch my diet, exercise, strength train, etc. When all this stress started with Dad I had to lay aside my own careful efforts, and now I am back to where I started a year ago. Can’t bring myself to exercise, and am so exhausted physically and mentally and emotionally I can’t really get up the oomph to begin to start taking good care of myself.
5. I’m kind of dreading Thanksgiving, Advent & Christmas. Just don’t have the lighthearted joy in me that I usually do. And the fact that I’m not lighthearted as I normally am makes me even crazier!!
6. At 46, my age says I’m a grownup but I don’t feel like I’m old enough to be responsible for anything! Feel like I’m playing house most days, pretending to be an adult.
Wow. What a Debbie Downer I’ve become! Sorry for mucking up your blog – I think I needed a place to unburden my heart. Thanks for the space to do so.
God bless you – I will be praying for you & your family. If you’d whisper a prayer for me I would be so grateful.
LOVED this BYH post Stephanie. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Stephanie, Your blog post touched my heart on so many levels. I remember being desperately lonely even while living in Paradise (Hawaii) until those special people crossed my path and became life long friends. There are so many challenges and hardships even while living our dreams; sometimes just saying it out loud, as in your posts, make it manageable. And yea you for hiring a housekeeper! Being able to ask for and accepting help is a very good thing! I send my very best wishes for you and your sweet family.
Good for you! Keep that attitude!
I think that this series you have is pretty awesome (:
Still a student but reading all your posts have got me thinking about the future and even about how I’m living my life currently.
Think what hit me the most was your last post about Christmas. Getting caught up in the festivities really pulls you out of the true joy of Christmas. Think it applies for every part of our lives really!
(:
Great post Steph!! I love reading about your adventures. I totally understand your issues with Italian food. You have to have variety!! It is about time you got a housekeeper!! I don’t know how you managed with four young children. Happy birthday to the twins. I absolutely love their facial expressions. Try to enjoy every moment. It all goes too fast. But take care of yourself. Take some time for yourself. It is important. XOXO
I just love your honesty and I so wish I could be brave enough to say these things myself. I really really admire you, I have no idea how stressful it must have been moving to an new country with a completely different language with 4 beautiful little girls. I am so pleased you have asked for help, I just wish I could do the same. not that my live is as hectic as yours.
Thank you for writing this post, you are a real inspiration to me, spiritually and creatively too.
Love your post, I have been wanting some different for the holidays for a while now. Have not found anything just right–maybe never will. Keep trying. I do what I can and try hard not to say I wish I would have ….. fill in the blank. That said — last night I was working on 2 doz ornaments for the softball team and looking for the Tough Mudder pictures I ordered and need to take to Thanksgiving for Christmas gifts. And so it begins, frustrated the glue gun wouldn’t work and I can’t find the photos I put somewhere safe, errrrrr! On top of that, our town does a Christmas home tour which benefits a local childrens agency. On Saturday I was seeing all those houses so wonderfuly decorated & I come home to a tree with half the lights not working. It just makes me frustrated. Wish me luck!
First of all, I can’t believe Lucy & Cate will be three! I now realize I have been reading your blog for over 5 years. I love your blog because it so real. It is so difficult to find new friends. If you are the “new kid on the block” it seems that everyone has friends and doesn’t need anymore. Hang in there – it will happen. You are way to interesting not to draw in friends. It would be excellent if you can really cut back on “stuff” now while your girls are little – then the expections are not so great. Thanks for sharing life with us!
Totally know about the scary driving in Italy and my experience was 42 years ago. Funny how things never change. And really relate to the need for help when the kids were little. I had no family to help. Reeeeally difficult. I am still alive though. And Christmas… well, this year not so into it as a first year empty nester and I lost my mom a few weeks ago. But plan on cutting down a tree on Friday and will probably decorate it all by myself. Well,with a little help from the cat. But I put on Bing Crosby and heat up mulled cider (with some brandy) and then just go to it! Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours!
I enjoyed reading your blogging from the heart. Its refreshing to read that not everyone is perfect with a perfect life all the time! Because I most certainly am not perfect and my family is not living the picture perfect life, but I wouldn’t trade them. Most days anyway. 🙂
My from the heart is this – I really don’t like the craziness of the holiday season. I admit that I get caught up in trying to make the perfect cards, find the perfect gifts, bake, the perfect outfit for my girls, myself, etc.. This year my girls are a senior and sophomore in high school, so I’m doing a lot of reflecting thinking this is our last traditional year of our family as we know it. I hope I did it right for them, I think I did? It wasn’t perfect, but it was good. I hope?! I’m driving myself crazy (probably my husband too!) and of course I want this last Christmas to be perfect, but perfect for my family. I don’t have to pick out their Christmas clothes anymore, so that stress has been off my list for a few years. 🙂 Thanks for letting me get that out.
As for exercise – get doing it again. You will be so happy that you did. I would be a crazy woman for sure without fitness in my life. YOU ARE WORTH IT!
Speaking of exercise check out #MyFitWish over on Instagram. I think you will find it inspiring to read what everyone is listing as their fit wish. 🙂
Athleta started it I believe. They have amazing workout wear! 🙂
I so love these posts every month–just added mine!
Love reading your authentic post. Thanks for sharing!!
lovely post. the memories that you are creating with your family are more precious than material things. be kind to yourself. your love of life and family shines through in every post.