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The Next Chapter
It’s funny how things always work out. And that’s not just my rosy optimism speaking. Pray, stay faithful, look for signs that point you in the right direction and you find that even through rough times, God’s plan makes itself apparent. It’s true. We’re proof. Most of you know that last summer Blake and I bought a gym. Blake left his career as a chef to be a gym owner and operator. We were blessed with what appeared to be an amazing opportunity – more time with family, Blake doing something he enjoyed, the chance for him to be his own boss. So many positives. Blake jumped in with enthusiasm…
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A New Chapter
A few months ago I shared that Blake decided to end his career as a chef to pursue something that allowed him to be more focused on our family. It was a change that I welcomed, even though it came with some uncertainty. A few months ago, Blake told me he wanted to own a gym, and through determination and fearlessness, I am happy to report that today he signed the paperwork to purchase our very own gym. One may ask how someone goes from being a chef to a gym owner, and while it seems to be a 180 degree change, for Blake, it makes sense. See, about a year…
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Putting Family First
Tonight I enjoyed the first Sunday since October with the boys and Blake. You see, when Blake took his latest job to be a restaurant chef, the trade-off was that three nights during the week and all weekend he’d be working. To say it has been tough would be an understatement. But, the life as the wife of a chef is just that – it’s tough. Many times you take a back seat to a career that is long hours, fast-paced and high-stress. Nine years ago when we met, Blake worked in a kitchen, and so I knew what I signed up for when we started dating, when we got…
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What five years of marriage have taught me
Five years ago, it was a cool fall day in Georgia and I married the love of my life. Like many others, my marriage is not perfect – but I don’t expect it to be. It ebbs and flows but I am lucky that there are more good days than bad. I’m lucky to be in a healthy (again, not perfect) marriage where we respect each other (most of the time), love each other and most days, really like each other. This five-year milestone has got me thinking about all I’ve learned about love and marriage along the way; advice and perspectives that have made us work, and that if…
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How to Be a Happy Parent
Parenting is hard and it’s easy to find yourself stuck in a rut with all the damn dailies. But I believe that happiness is relative to your expectations. We all have this romanticized idea of what parenting will be like before we have kids… and then we have them and realize some if it’s not so glamorous. Managing your expectations and keeping perspective is key to finding all the joy that parenting has to offer. Juggling your children, your marriage, a job (perhaps), and the stresses from the outside world (strangers, other parents, the media, the “experts”) can be downright stressful. Hey, no pressure, you’re only doing the most important…
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What do you want for dinner?
What do you want for dinner? It’s a pretty simple question. One asked with good intentions of wanting to feed my family something that they would like to eat. My husband, bless his heart, can never seem to give me a real answer. Me: Babe, what would you like for dinner? Blake: I don’t care. Me: No really, what do you want? Blake: It doesn’t matter. Me: I know it doesn’t matter, but what would you like to eat? Blake: Anything you want to make. Me: What is your favorite thing that I make? Blake: I like it all. Me: If we were at a restaurant, and you had to…
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Why Being a Working Mom Works for Me
When I was pregnant with my first, I had many people ask me, presumably I think, if I would be staying home to raise my son. I would answer no, and I think for those who chose that path, it was hard to understand. Ever since I was young, I had a very strong drive to be an independent, working woman. Yes, I always wanted a family, a big family in fact, but I had a dual desire to pursue a career. I worked hard to get into college, moved to Atlanta for opportunity, found a great job, went back to school for my MBA and as soon as I…
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You’re Inspiring a Blog Post
So I have a new saying in my house – you’re inspiring a blog post. My latest remark to the things my boys (husband included) do that make me shake my head. It came out naturally the other night when my husband Blake asked me if I’d seen his cell phone. I told him it was upstairs on my nightstand. Fast forward an hour or so and I asked him if he found his phone. His response – it’s not on your nightstand. A couple of things to know here… 1) I have a photographic memory and 2) Blake has established a reputation for not being able to find things…
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The Difference Between Moms and Dads
Let me preface this post with a couple of statements. This is not meant to belittle the role of dads, or to say that dads don’t pull their weight. This is not a rant post or me complaining about all that I have to do. I am sure there are families where my theory does not apply. It is simply an observation of the roles within my home, as well as many of my friends’. But here goes. I realized soon after the birth of my first son that there is a distinct difference in the roles of moms and dads. Sure there are the stereotypical ones about moms being…
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The things I used to take for granted
I write this post from the plane, on our way back from a much-needed vacay to Vegas for my husband’s 30th birthday. This was a kid-free trip, and while I knew we needed to recharge, I was reminded of the simple things that we used to take for granted – before we were parents. Sleep. Uninterrupted sleep that begins and ends when you say so. There is a tiredness associated with parenthood that is incomparable to any other cause of fatigue. Yes, you can be tired from a late night of partying, an all-nighter studying or an overnight shift at work. But the parent version of tired is different because…
