Introducing Stacey from SD&DOUBLEE
Welcome to this series -- all about moms! I'll be introducing five of my favorite blogging mommies and sharing with you how they are able to nurture themselves in the midst of raising their children. And sometimes working. And of course, keeping house. And being altogether awesome.
It's called "Just a Few Minutes for Mom". Glad you're here. :)
Introducing Stacey -- mom, photographer and blogger over at s, d, & double e. She has such a creative eye for interesting photographs. I love her idea for a birthday interview. She rocks bangs. ;) And wow, she has the cutest kiddos.
Let's hear what life is like for Stacey and what she does to nurture herself regularly:
What does your life look like right now?
Hello! My name is Stacey and I am wife to Darin of almost 12 years and the proud mama of two kidlets: my compassionate and spirited Evie who will turn 7 next month, and my sweet baby boy Eli who just turned 4 a few weeks ago. My main job is mom to these two loves, but I also work part time as a labor and delivery nurse. In my spare time (ha!) I'm a photographer. My life right now is a mixture of laundry and family bike rides and kissing boo-boos and struggling through first-grade math homework and snuggling and reading and delivering babies and watching HGTV with my hubby on the couch and blogging and the occasional cooking and cleaning and lots of praying. All with my camera within arm's reach.
What are your favorite parts of being a mom? What about motherhood is hardest for you?
My favorite parts of being a mom? And what about motherhood is hardest for me? Well, I absolutely love being able to be a kid again with them. But I hate having to clean up their messes and nag them to clean up their messes when really they are just being kids. It's hard having to lay down the law as a mom sometimes, isn't it? To turn from the "fun mom" playing with them one minute to the "mean mom" reminding them to pick up the next. I love being able to learn from them; they are teaching me so much about myself that sometimes I wonder if they are teaching ME more than I'm teaching THEM. Which makes motherhood hard. Because it's so dang humbling. It doesn't hide your mistakes. It makes you deal with them. I love how I've learned so much about grace being a mom. Both in handing in out to my kids and also receiving it from my Father (hard!). And I love seeing them grow, I love how they rely on me, I love the trust they have in me. But it's so hard seeing them grow, and it's hard seeing how they are relying on me less and less and getting more independent, and it's hard having to trust God more and more with their little lives. See how that works? Favorite parts of being a mom are also the hardest parts. :)
What is one thing you do regularly to nurture yourself as a mom?
One thing I do to regularly nurture myself is yoga. I try to go to at least two classes a week at my local gym. I started it back in January, a little leery because I kind of thought yoga was just for super flexible people that were really cute and skinny. But I found a class every Wednesday morning with a wonderful instructor and it has been incredible. It has not only helped with my flexibility (I might actually have a little bit now!), but it's been a huge strength builder. It helps me focus, helps me breathe, helps me count to 10. And I'm not talking about just in class. I even find myself praying while holding poses. The techniques I've learned have helped me be more patient with my kids, have helped relieved stress, and really have helped me be a better mom. I make it a priority because I know the benefits it has had on me. I know I have every Wednesday off work, so Wednesday mornings are my yoga days. And then I make sure to make it to one other class during the week depending on my schedule. Yoga has nurtured me in ways I never expected.
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Thanks for taking the time to share with us, Stacey!
Next up is Kaylee. Keep reading!
