Life - In 3 Hour Increments

I wake at 6:30 a.m. My hardworking {and HOT} hubby is usually out the door and on call by this time. I walk, bleary eyed, to the kitchen and start the coffee. The boys giggle and wish me good morning. I make my way down the hall to littlest's room and scoop her up for kisses. She smiles when she sees us now - one of the sweet bonuses of my job.

7 a.m starts Rae's eat/play/sleep cycle. She noisily takes down 5 ounces and heartily burps. She's changed and while she happily plays in her baby gym, I change my clothes, set up my yoga mat, and turn on Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown DVD. I am in love with the practice of yoga - I always thought it was just breathing and stretching, and somehow centered around Buddah! But it's body training, concentration, and has changed my body dramatically in a matter of a week! {I'm down 3 more pounds, and Mike has noticed my toned arms and booty!} The boys love on Rae and keep her happy while I finish my work out - they are such good helpers, most of the time. I look at the clock and decide if Rae should go down for a nap and how much I can get done before she eats again at 10. Some days are full of errands and school for Park, so she has had to learn to go with the flow, and sleep thru A LOT of noise :) but, she does well. Might as well get her used to the hustle and bustle of Krooswyk life from a young age.

This is it, Rae eats every 3 hours, and I try my best to fit everything else in between.

The boys needs and mealtimes, laundry, dishes, errands, cooking, cleaning, refereeing brotherly spats, organizing, planning, paying bills, and a few spare minutes to get lost in a book or magazine on my Nook. (The bathroom/bathing fits in as well, but I almost always have an audience for those times of day - a not-so-attractive bonus of my job! And, more often than not, my shower comes at 8:30 p.m. after all the kids are in bed and fast asleep.) My new perfume is that of spit up, my outfit of choice is work out clothes that are comfortable, and the bags under my eyes are worn proudly - as no amount of make up will cover them.

Mike gets home around 5, and at 4:30 I pray for the energy to make him feel special and appreciated. For the patience to give him a few minutes to shower and unwind when he walks in the door - when all I really wanna do is toss him a few kids and get dinner made with both hands!  I long for the days of dates with him and sleeping through the night so I have the energy to be his best friend and enjoy our life at a steady pace.

These days are hard and at times trying, but they're days that I'll soon miss. Rocking and signing Rae to sleep, praying with the boys and talking about everything left over on their minds from the day's activities. All too soon they'll be in school, driving, dating, and wanting to be independent from their parents. Oy! My heart hurts when I think of how big they're getting - and the fact that they will not quit getting bigger - no matter how much I beg them not to!

Maternity leave has been the toughest job I've had to date! And in 3 short weeks, I'll be back at work and starting Nursing school. Two things which I am looking forward to, but at the same time dreading. I am blessed beyond measure; a beautiful family, a job I love, and the new adventure of school and a new career. I pray for my children and husband daily - sometimes hourly depending on what the day holds - and pray also for my eyes to be opened to enjoy every minute of this crazy, beautiful life!   

Tells a Story....

Sometimes I look at old pictures of me and get nostalgic for that nice, fit body that I sported for 23 years. That is, until I gave birth to my firstborn, Parker. Then, 17 months later, came Hunter. And now, 4 years after we welcomed Park, a little girl will join our brood!

I wake most mornings more tired than when I went to bed the night before. I scrape my hair back into a messy pony tail and gaze at the woman staring back at me in the mirror. I'm learning to glorify God in everything - even  my thoughts. So, here is how I choose to see this body of mine.

I'll let you in on the secrets of it's story.....

My hair is messy but washed [almost] everyday. It's the hair of a busy mom who wears it just so that it can be pulled into a hair tie and needs only a blow dryer to be 'styled' for the day.

My green eyes peer back at me, lined with dark circles. The circles that remind me of how hard I work all day long - and sometimes into the night - to assure that my boys are taken care of.

Crows feet outline those dark circles and remind me of how much I laugh - how important I think it is to stop and see the joy in every day.

My shoulders are strong and carry the burdens of those I love.

My hands are wide but strong. Able to care for patients at work, my family and friends, and full of worship. My nails are bitten and my cuticles are rough, but they are a testament to a working, worrying momma!

My 'lady lumps' are small, but nourished 2 beautiful boys into healthy little men. :)

My navel is scarred from a belly-button ring, but it reminds me of my younger days - carefree and bikini clad!

My hips are wide, but have brought two {soon to be 3!} children into this crazy beautiful world.

My hips to mid-thigh are marked like a road map, but the scars remind me of how amazing my body is to stretch and reconstruct to make another being. They're the battle scars of my most amazing accomplishments.

My legs are the strongest part of my body, and have carried me through good times and bad, happiness and tragedy. 

My feet are wide and flint-stone like, but they are the support for this whole body. They were made to follow God, and that's just what they do.  

My mind is fuzzy and at times forgetful, but God gave me the brains to succeed in school and be a teacher to my children. 

My heart has been broken a time or two, but is filled with God's word and bursting with love and truth.  

I am fearfully and wonderfully made!