1) Momma Moments: I am still trying to get this "Mom Community" up and running. A lot of people seem to be interested but schedules and planning have been hard to coordinate and have attendance for the events I have tried hosting. I pray (and ask for prayer requests, as well) that I continue to try because I truly believe that the Lord has placed it on my heart to serve moms because it is what HE wants me to do. Thus, I need to remember that it is not about me! I will remain encouraged that if it is His will, it will become something.
Romans 8:28 And we know that God cuases everything to work toegether for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
2) Life as a Stay at Home Mom: I absolutely love being a mom. And we made the decision to stay at home for a LOT of reasons, and we truly believe after prayer and discussion that it is THE best decision. Unfortunately, that doesn't always make it easy! I have been struggling a little bit lately....not regretting the decision and not wanting to be anywhere else...just doubting myself as a mom, wishing I had an outlet for some of my frustrations, and some days experiencing feelings of apathy. I am soooo grateful for the Lord's grace that he calls out to me to seek Him in these moments...to take a step back, take a deep breath, count my blessings and hit restart;).
Coping strategies:
*Prayer, prayer, prayer
*Truly relying on and trusting in God
*Talking to Tommy more and relying on him both emotionally and logistically.
*Running (I have cut my pace by over a minute!!)
*Thirty One Businesss ( I AM SOOOO EXCITED)
*Bible Study/Accountability Partners
3)The Perazzos:
Husband and Wife: Like any marriage, ours has its ups and downs....sometimes these swings happen month by month and other times hour by hour! The important thing is that we continue to work on things. I am so thankful for what Tommy provides for us and encouraged by the fact that no matter what is going on, neither of us would ever want to be anywhere else with anyone else. It is our goal to seek the Lord more in our marriage, both invidually and as one. The verse we focused on when we were dating/engaged comes to mind as we refocus our lives and our marriage to be Christ-centered such that we will raise children who love Jesus and others with a whole, unconditional and unwavering love.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Parents: We have been feeling very convicted and challenged to be certain that we are intentional in our parenting. We want to make sure we are discussing more together what we want to do (instead of me just deciding...read: I am working on control issues;)). We want to raise our children in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and that leads them to want the same for themselves.
Positive side: We have found a great group of strong Christian parents that we are in community with that serve as mentors, friends and encouragers in this process.
Difficult side: Ethan has become quite challenging with his personality, at times. He gets VERY frustrated and often hits us and tends to be aggressive toward others. We are trying to figure out the cause and the best mode of discipline (suggestions are welcome! so is prayer!)
Ephesians 6:4 Parents, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Children: AHHHH! Here lies my pride, my love, my blessing. I sincerely adore my children. I feel as though I love them more and in a new way EVERY DAY!! Challenges and all...I am truly blessed.
Ethan: He turned 2 on May 15 following a fun-filled weekend with a Bubble Guppies birthday party, a baptism, lots of family :), and a trip to the zoo. He is beginning to talk more, a little bit in phrases. He has a large vocabulary, can identify just about anything we see, can count to 20, knows most letters and numbers, but still has not mastered actually communicating. Lord help us when he does, I think he got most of his personality traits from his dad, but talking from his mom! He is so full of life and emotion, he LOVES anything that "goes" (weeee) and he absolutely adores his sister "Mimi".
Here he is rolling on the ground laughing, this captures what he is like MOST of the time. His laughter fills my heart with joy.
We had quite the challenge getting his 2 year pictures done, but when we got this "cycle" out, we had a happy boy. "Weeeeee" was his word of choice for about 10 minutes.
Just a glimpse of that brotherly adoration and admiration I mentioned. Makes a momma smile.
Mia: Little Miss Thang is doing awesome! She is also so full of life. Everyone tells us that she is the most smiley baby they have ever seen, and she truly is, until she is hungry! OH man do not let this diva be hungry. She is eating well and has not rejected any food we have given her. In the last month she has gotten two teeth, started crawling, standing assisted, and babbling...A LOT. The girls likes to sleep as much as her brother. Here are a few of my favorites of her:).
She definitely showed her brother up at the photo shoot. You would have thought she was a model, she knew just what to do for the camera.
She aspires to be like big bro and already likes cars, too. I think she looks so old here and actually looks like Ethan a little bit (maybe its the no headband!)
First high chair at a restaurant and she thought she was big stuff! We even let her try the inside potato part of the wedges.
Just another example of how genuinely happy she is. Here she is trying to keep up with Ethan and learn her ABCs.
I know it was a lot, but its been a long time. I love sharing with others and appreciate support and encouragement. My hopes are to get more serious about this because I really want to reach out and serve moms, connections are important. So, lets connect!
