Hall Family Update!

Hi there, still Kristy…still here!

Whew! Life has been busy! Good busy, crazy busy, fun busy, tiring busy, hectic busy, basically just all the things busy! We’re over here chasing our newly 9-year-old, newly 7-year-old and 21-month-old! Mom life, homeschool life, every day life; that continuous nonstop hustle. It’s all there, and it’s all crazy, wonderful, and beautiful with a bunch of chaos mixed in between.

I learned in the last few months that there are still things to learn and growth in this Mama journey that continues. The primary lesson for me personally recently is that I incapable of giving 100% of my attention to 100% of the things in my life constantly. As much as the battle continues to be all the things, do all the things, accomplish all the things while doing it gracefully and having fresh cookies baked in the afternoon for a pre-homemade dinner snack while the kids play happily and quietly… that just isn’t life. Instead, it’s the alternative that we continue to say as mothers, as parents, “this is for a short time… and things will calm down after…” however, we finally give up and realize that’s just not going to happen! So I finally decided that it’s time to insert more grace than ever!

Grace looks different in different seasons. It also looks far different for different people. Often, it’s the intentional letting go of ideals and perfection, it’s admitting or acknowledging limitations, it’s focusing on aligning priorities for the needs of that point in time and not comparing yourself to even your own performance. It’s being present, and actually enjoying it. It’s letting the kids make a mess, and then a bigger one….all for the smiles on their faces. It’s the in-between, the hard, the messy places that need grace. It’s also the perfectly planned activities that just don’t get executed the way they’re supposed to. It’s actually realizing that grace might come from the act of NOT perfectly planning anything and just being present in life. It’s learning to say no to some things, and yet being willing to say yes to things that deserve your time and attention.

So today, in this moment, in this season… be present. The last few months that’s just what I’ve done. Each day forward I hope I continue to choose to be present with my family, with my kids, my friends, and for myself also. I choose to be present for all the days spent learning, baseball games, horseback riding lessons, birthday parties, Friday night dinners, game nights, movie nights, Saturday lunches that turn into hours full of laughter with my people. I choose to be present for that and forget that ongoing to do list as often as I can. For there isn’t a better gift than enjoying today and NOT waiting for tomorrow to be joyful.

Ecclesiastes 5:18 says, “After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life.” Ecclesiastes 5:18 – MSG

Be blessed friends, and give yourself grace!

XOXO,

Kristy