Happy Birthday Ben!
Happy birthday to my beautiful boy! Gentle Ben is a delight to watch grow into who he is. He walks up softly and hugs me several times a day, and I stop whatever I'm doing to soak him up. I know very soon I will be reaching UP to hug him. I make him promise that he will never stop hugging me. 💗 He is Tiger Woods with a golf ball, Messi with a soccer ball, A-Rod with a baseball, Mark Zuckerburg with a computer and an ability to love like J.C. None of his many talents make us love him any more than we already do but we look forward to cheering in his stands no matter what. Ben is soft spoken, smart and sensitive. He forgives me easily, and he will also be the star quarterback. He's the full package, and we love every ounce of him. 🎂🎈 Some neighborhood boys will be here soon for a water balloon fight, and then we are headed to our county fair tonight! Happy birthday my sweet boy!!
Two of my children have summer birthdays which gives us ALL day to celebrate! I guess that's how the birthday breakfast tradition got started. Slow summer days mean plenty of time for a fancy breakfast. Most of our breakfasts during the school year are pretty rushed, so these are a real treat to my kids. This year my son requested French toast, so we made a French toast cake and our favorite strawberry smoothie I showed in my stories. Ben's birthday was a great day for him. He had a smile ear to ear all day. Sometimes I curse the precedent we have set with birthdays. I put so much pressure on myself to pull off a "Pinterest birthday," not because I hope to prove anything or make any other mom feel insufficient in ANY way. I strive to create memories for my family and celebrate our lives the best way I know how. But the truth is, I struggle with many parts of motherhood. Sometimes I'm not sure how to play with my kids, I've never figured out having a clean house without paying for it, and sibling bickering gives me anxiety. I love to create what to me are beautiful things because I enjoy doing it and because something in me yearns to. But, I know how it feels to look into these squares and measure my efforts as a woman, mom, wife, decorator, provider, caretaker, homemaker, etc., against an edited snapshot of a perfect MOMENT.
My intention for my Instagram/blog is to serve as inspiration in many ways. I love sharing ideas and resources, but I hope it is always clear that I am human. I have struggles I want to run from like hell. I have days my kids don't feel wrapped in love, our home is a mess a lot of the time, and I am habitually late to everything. My life is NOT perfect, and the other side of this cake has a major finger scrape from a jealous little sister. I desire to REALLY connect with people. To love and be loved. To inspire and feel inspired. But above all, to be known as who I am. I hope it is clear that editing and curating my feed is a hobby. Editing and curating my life is my mission.
