It was around that time that I started getting the promptings. Promptings that I needed to slow down, take care of myself, focus more on my family. God was letting me know that I needed to take care of myself so that I could serve others better. I decided that one of my goals for 2017 was going to be to focus on self care, slowing down, saying no, and making the moments count with my family.
Well, we're almost two months in to the new year and I'll tell you, it hasn't been easy. This year has been quite a challenge for our little family. Some reasons for that are a little too personal to share but others have had me publicly asking for help. One of the biggest reasons was that our house was put up for sale in the second week of January by our landlord. About two weeks later, it sold.
Rewind to just before our house sold: Sam's hours at work got cut a little bit. We were feeling a kind of stressed about money and I was wishing that I could contribute a little bit more without having to leave Emma any more often than I already do. I was thinking about our predicament one afternoon when I received some inspiration. I was literally inspired to make and sell bath bombs. It might sound like a kind of silly thing to receive inspiration about but, I had never even thought about making bath bombs before and I really did have a clear prompting. I had seen something about DIY bath bombs on Pinterest weeks earlier and thought maybe I'd try it someday but, really hadn't even given it an after thought. Well, the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. I had a few weeks until Valentine's Day which seemed like a good time to be selling bath products. I felt like it was something I would enjoy doing and a product that people would like. I studied several recipes and then ordered the ingredients I'd need. I had a lot of fun experimenting and choosing the scents I liked best and when they were ready, I put them out to the world.
In that same week, our house sold. While it's been an extremely busy time, I've been so grateful for the timing of my little shop opening. I've been able to make some extra money to take some of the financial stress away from our family. This has been especially good because finding a new place to live has been a whole new stress. You wouldn't believe the difficulty we've had in trying to find a home with everything we need. I'm talking pretty bare necessities here. (Enough rooms, a monthly payment we could afford, a place that would allow Daisy to live with us, etc.). Nothing was working out for us and nothing felt quite right.
I was so discouraged by our house hunt that I reached out to friends on social media for help. The response was so overwhelming! So many kind friends began tagging me in posts with homes for rent, messaging me ideas, texting me names and numbers of realtors they knew, offering words of encouragement. I was so emotional as I had friends I hadn't spoken to in years reaching out to me to help in any way they could. We felt so blessed and so loved. I was immediately hopeful and just knew that something would work out. Even though we now have less than two weeks to find a home, I am sure that we will. Heavenly Father is watching over us.
Now, back to my 2017 goal. Taking care of myself, saying no to extra projects, SLOWING DOWN. Sounds like I'm failing pretty badly doesn't it? I've had some time to think about it and I've decided that I'm actually succeeding. I am being more deliberate in taking time for myself-making a conscious effort to be mindful, fuel my body, make time for self care, and do the things I enjoy. I'm also doing a better job of keeping my life balanced. I've said no to a few cake orders (not easy for me to do but, I've realized that now is not the time for me to be doing extra things that take away from my family.) I've been better about holding a boundary for times that I can work and times that I can't. I think the reason Heavenly Father was pushing this goal on me so hard was that He knew of the challenges that were coming for us. He knew that I would need to work on taking care of myself better so that I could be strong, optimistic, and healthy for my family during a time that would be difficult.
I've learned that "slowing down" doesn't mean LIFE slows down. It means that you have to make an effort to enjoy the small moments, prioritize and balance, and do what makes you happy even though life is crazy and busy and full of challenges.
Yesterday, even though we were in the thick of house hunting, packing, and cleaning, our family took some time out to go do what we love. We drove up the winding canyon through low clouds and high snow banks to enjoy some mountain air. Sam tried out his snow shoes and took a walk on his own in the quiet, snow-covered trees while Emma and I played in a giant mound of fresh powder. I watched as she ate handful after handful of snow and laughed with her at Daisy, leaping and frolicking through it.
Finally, Emma's hands were too cold and she and I headed back to the car. 15 minutes or so later, Sam made his way back and climbed into the seat next to me. "I needed that", he said to me. I nodded. It had been exactly what we needed to do. That time was more important than packing another box, looking at more listings, or cleaning more of our house. I've learned that these moments of stillness are just as much a need as the other daily tasks we have to complete.
We ended the day with a campfire in the backyard and banana boats. These are the best kinds of days. The most important.
