Moments With Me: Making the Most of March

I just have to say… I am loving the month in review via Instagram. If you would’ve asked me what happened in March, or what I’ve been learning, or if I had any meaningful experiences this last month, I would have looked at you with a glazed stare because I literally feel brain-dead right about now. Granted, it is seven in the evening, and I haven’t eaten… and my thoughts are always a little more understandable and bright and shiny about mid morning.  Anyway, making an intentional effort to take images with my phone and post them on Instagram/social media has taken on a new meaning for me. I’m able to quickly look over all the images I took in one month and can see all the memories… how much my girls are growing and changing, and because I’m the one taking them, I have memories attached to what I was feeling in those exact moments.

Don’t be fooled, though. My March was typical of any Texas suburban mom. It was spring break and instead of a ski trip or the beach, we opted to stay home and cross off all the things on Mia Grace’s wish list.  Those wishes and goals are evident in many of the images of roller skating, having a ball at an arcade, spending time with special friends, and playing softball.  We also started doing family dinners with my brother and sister-in-law, my nephews, and my parents. Seeing those images of the cousins together and the candid family scene warms my heart and makes me thankful I have a way to keep them forever.

What’s most interesting is that I have felt such incredible peace this month — and as I reflect on it, I realize it’s been our busiest month in a while. I think what sums up life at this moment is wrapped up in the very last image I posted this month of me, half asleep in bed with Ellie fingers on my face.  Here are my thoughts from that photo straight from my Instagram feed …

“I woke up early this morning, unable to sleep and found this on my phone. I guess Mia Grace took it without my knowing. Even though we had an epic busy day yesterday, the girls just couldn’t fall asleep last night. I was utterly exhausted when they came in for extra snuggles, and just let Ellie contort my lips and face with her dirty little hands saying, ”Mia Grace! Look!” over and over with a giggle. Despite a day of two sports games, a rehearsal for the school play, a swim party followed by cleaning up throw up from a big girl whose mother forgot to feed her lunch while in the sun all day — washing wet sheets from a little girl whose nap lasted too long while we prepared for my family to come over for dinner– no baths before bed, and a little tiff with the Mr. that she also caught on video exactly two seconds before she took this (yup! NOt even kidding ! And its nearly a FULL minute long), I felt such peace. And during this quiet morning before the sun comes up , I have finally realized that the peace I’ve longed for isn’t found in the absence of conflict or business, but rather, those fleeting moments when no matter what the truth of my life reflects — I just know that no matter what, we’re all gonna be ok.”

Maybe in the next month I will relish in the reality of this peace… (and I mean… we must be doing something right because my girls’ clearly felt peaceful enough to video their parents’ fighting… 😉