Lately...





We are not so patiently waiting for the closing on our house; we are pretty confident that it is going to happen in about 2 weeks, but if you know anything about this house stuff...it's all over the place. Paperwork being sent from person-to-person and place-to-place just to make sure every t is crossed and I am dotted. It's an annoying process and I'm sure there is every reason in the world it takes so long, but I am just not in any place to be patient. Were ready to move, were excited to have Christmas in our new home. I'm anxious for this time to grow as a family & experience this next chapter in our life. It makes me squeal just thinking about it, eeeek!  Bryce has some projects to start as soon as we get the keys & I've got rooms to paint before new carpet can be laid. I don't think I can spend another minute looking at Pinterest; I'm ready to get crafty!

 

 

Well, besides this waiting game were playing, Avery continues to grow like a weed and amaze us daily. Her vocabulary people, it's shocking! She tries to repeat everything we say & half the time it’s actually understandable. She is getting really good at knowing her animal noises and making the funny faces along with them, I think the Fish face is by far her favorite. She is obsessed with books. I think I get knocked in the face 2-3x a day by a book. As much as I hate reading the same books over and over again, I get it...she's eager to learn. I'm honestly the happiest mom in the world to see her passion for books at this young of an age. She is also now able to wiggle her fingers, touch her toes, point to her mouth, tongue, nose, eyes & ears. She absolutely loves being asked to do these. In between going to the YMCA, mops, and playgroup meet ups we are keeping busy and it's been fun for the both of us. I haven't been much of a cook these past few weeks (or months). I feel like I'm in a cooking rut. (Sorry Babe) I'd love to hear any of your favorite go-to dishes.

 

Happy Wednesday,

Above all, Love each other deeply.

It seems like forever since my last blog post; we've been so busy lately and let me tell you I absolutely love it! Between house searching and our daily adventures I haven't put much thought into my blog and i'm really okay with that. Yet, i'm here now and I need to note all the fun things going on before I forget them. Bryce and his brother stood in a good friends wedding on Labor Day, so last weekend we spent 6 hours traveling to Cincinnati. In between all the wedding extravaganza we explored the town, shopped a bit & ate really good food. Avery did extra awesome for spending so many hours in the car; she amazed us at rehearsal dinner & even was so well-behaved at the wedding. I was one proud mamma all weekend, she is really hit or miss on all-the-above and she pulled through when we needed her too. Yayy, go A go!! I started MOPS (moms of preschoolers) this week and I can't talk enough about it. A group of moms coming together 2x a month at a local church to give each other support, a good laugh when you need it, & even prayer when it's most important. We chat and enjoy breakfast together, while the little ones are in the nursery or classroom playing. Avery spent the entire 2 hours in the nursery & they said she didn't make a peep! Well, not literally this girl is trying so hard to talk lately; her words aren't clear yet, but she is defiantly working on her communication skills. MOPS is really a great group of women who I am so excited to meet more of. I am really starting to find my nitch for this stay at home mom gig. Now that Avery is a busy body its important to keep our days filled with interaction. We still go to the YMCA during the week & playgroup is usually 2-3x a month now. I am really happy with where we are in life and each day is truly a blessing! Of course I can't leave without a picture dump, so enjoy! 

"Love each other as if your life depended on it"

Peter 4:8

Love,
 

Whose your lifeguard?

When I saw this quote I immediately thought of my life. By no means do I ever feel like I'm drowning in life, but by recognizing our weakness & strengths, it helps Bryce & I lean on one another. As a wife & mother, my strong vulnerability and sensitivity create space for others to explore their own paths more deeply. I want this out of my husband and my children. I am committed to bringing the principles of vulnerability and truth to my family. Being a mother is now one of my greatest joys. Opening my child's eyes to the possibilities in their lives is a sublime experience. I love seeing Avery grow daily & I love even more watching my husband grow as a father. Recognizing the beauty in motherhood, the creative powers of being a wife, & seeing my family's faces light up as they realize that the time to start feeling alive is right now. There is nothing in life worth waiting for, its about taking chances, stepping into the dark and there may even be times life gets a bit over your head & you feel like your drowning, but I am my husbands lifeguard & he is mine.  We are a family. I realize more and more that when one of us is down, the other is up walking on top of the water. It's balancing act& from the direct experience that stem from my families explorations, we find ourselves. This is what life's about,finding that person in your life that is worth saving. Whether it be your spouse & children, like it is for me, or someone else, there is always a reason to rise above the water.

Love,

Jayme



Power.

So it's pretty bittersweet to look at Success & Failure. We can look at everything we do in life & define it as either a success or failure, but it gets tricky when you realize that without one, you wouldn't have the other. When I got pregnant out of wedlock it was a Failure. A failure as a christian, a failure as daughter, a failure for myself. I had always set high goals for myself: I wanted to get an education, get married, & make a family; with a dream of being able to stay home with my family & make an income. These were my goals, & this is my dream. Not something my parents wished upon me, not something I felt obligated to do. I just said by following this order in life, I would find success & through success you find happiness, Right?!

However, I had a baby to bring into this world & this was a failure in my life. Though as I said, this failure is so bittersweet. This failure brought me huge success & made me the happiest women in the world. I am the most blessed mother in the world. I successfully finished my education, I've successfully stayed in a committed relationship for 6+ years, & I successfully brought the most beautiful baby into the world. I could not imagine life with out her. I could not imagine moving forward in life with Bryce as a partner, without this success, without this gift from God. I choose to not dwell on the failures; there is no purpose to look back and analyze all the failures I created. I've had many & I'm sure to have many many more, but within each failure I am sure to find a success!

So for me success & failure are just two words. I depend on them to grow. They are easy to define, easy to look at & even easier to be thankful for. But the question I ask you is how do you define Power. Not the kind of power you reach by attaining your goals. No the power you achieve by moving up in a company, by making a larger income than others. Not the power you reach through management or technicial choices... It's tricky, I am not sure how to define this other kind of power yet.

Power can be defined in many differnt ways, the word means many different things to people. How do you define power?


Love,
Jayme

It's feels like finally the 'light bulb' turned on!

I am always gripping about how I wish Bryce would just put more effort into the things that he is really weak at, things that really bother me & prevent us from having a really strong relationship; that I wish he would work on his weaknesses & if I work on MINE as well, our relationship would be so much stronger. I have always said, "You cannot change others, they have to want to make change for themselves," but I realize I can say this over & over, but what's the point if you don't even practice what you preach...

I can easily make a list of my weaknesses & strengths, continually thinking that happiness will come if I stress on fixing my weaknesses & when I do so, I will be a better person. I always thought I would get farther in life if I fixed those first, but in reality those weaknesses aren’t going to get me ahead. My strengths, everyone’s strengths, are what get us ahead. I'm not marrying my best friend for his weaknesses, I'm marring him for his strengths & the same goes for him. (I hope!) When I said, "Yes" to his proposal, I was saying yes to us. To our family as a whole.  It's not about me anymore. This is something I've been secretly struggling with & I didn't even know it. I didn't know that by constantly wishing for him to change & fix the things that bother me I was taking steps in the wrong direction. This goes for the feelings I have for some of my friends & family too.

So I ask myself, why do I care about his weaknesses (weaknesses in friends& family also), they bring nothing to the solution of our problems, they don't bring happiness! Bryce cannot be all things I want him to be, I cannot be all things he wants me to be. WE can be our strengths & accept those of each other. We cannot be perfect in everything. To be a good team, to make a good marriage, we must complement each other. His strengths are different than mine & together we have these skills that make us a team; A team stronger than we ever thought possible.

I truly think my parents, without trying, have this in their relationship. They have 28 years of strong marriage, love, & happiness because they complement each other. They know each other’s strengths & love each other for them. I never hear them bicker or bring up weaknesses. My dad loves my mom & never brings her down & she does the same for him. They are a team & two very amazing people to look up too. I have always envied there relationship & said I want that, but didn't know how they did it. I see it now; I see that my parents are not trying to fill a void within each other. No one person can be an expert in everything and they don't expect that in each other.

So with this all said, I know I’m putting myself out there & sharing my deepest feelings, but this is a place for me to vent & share my life. To write down what is in my head on paper. To get it all out & I am certainly doing so with this topic. I see so much room for growth & happiness now that I’ve come to realize this about myself. I see so much good in Bryce & I. Most importantly the better it will do for our family. I see him for him & I see me for me! Together we are taking an act of faith & becoming one step closer to our dreams, by simply realizing our strengths & respecting them.


Love,
Jayme