Realization. Priorities.

This last week, this first week of the year….has been amazing! And it is so painfully obvious why….

My goals have been at the front of my mind. And I’ve been doing them. In my “free time”, I have been doing things I actually enjoy and care about, as opposed to doing some cop-out-I-just-want-to-lay-here-and-not-function-for-as-long-as-possible….. I haven’t allowed myself to get caught up in the difficulties of being a home keeper and mother. Or the ease of letting my brain unwind while watching one (ahem…two…three….) episodes of Alias (recent addiction, thanks to Amazon Prime…)….

The craziest part…I have been energetic. And I have been going to bed at about 2am every night in order to do it all….

The magical solution to all of my life problems? Putting my Faith First and prioritizing my priorities!

Some of you may be reading this with one eyebrow raised because of the obviousness (I’m lookin at you General Conference speakers)….but I am so happy to have finally taken this “life secret” to heart! I can surely say I will think twice before skipping out on meaningful prayers and concentrated scripture study. And something that really sets me free--- journal writing. My chance to calm down and reflect on what the day was really about. The moments had, the lessons learned. Pondering in what way it can all be done better, or even repeated the next day.

And after the kids go to bed, writing in my book, learning new songs on the guitar, working on many other new year goal I made, using my talents, it is the most fulfilling thing next to being a mother and a wife. 

Besides priorities, I think its really helps me a lot putting my thoughts out there for the world to see, things I can’t back down from, not once I’ve committed to them in front of the world (or to ya know, the world as far as this blog and the small # of people that read it! Yay for you!).

When I say I’ve put my priorities first, that in no way means I’ve put my children or duties as a mother second. It means that somehow, when I balance everything the way it should be balanced, everything else just falls into place….its like…my daily clock has slowed down, allowing me to squeeze more into it…

But I’m not talking about squeezing more into it in a way that I’m pushing myself too far. I mean. I’ve had so much more quality time with my family. Its because when I’m playing with them, I’m present. My mind isn’t wondering when I’m possibly going to find the time to do things I know I need for self progression.

And at the “end of the day”, when little bodies are bathed, snuggled, and tucked in tight…. when the evidence of imaginative, magic-believing little people’s playfulness has been cleaned up and stored for tomorrows adventures…. when spilled milk has been wiped up and thrown pieces of bread taken away from the impending threat of ants…… I have still had time do these things.

You know that feeling you get sometimes (or for some of us, all the time) when you feel guilt at the end of the day for the things you didn’t accomplish, even when you were crazy busy all day? But maybe you didn’t pick the right things to be crazy busy with or didn’t do them efficiently enough? But really, maybe you’r daily clock can’t slow down because all you can think about it the things you wish you had more time to do ….. Were you really PRESENT for the most precious people in your life???

I haven’t had that at all this week.

Its magical, and I have no intention of letting it fade.

Somehow in my letting the “things that make my soul sing” slip by the wayside, these pictures never saw the light of day! Taken by me dear and talented friend Lori over a year ago! Look at my babies!!