it’s been about a year since i last put scrubs on and cared for other people’s children. instead, i usually have my fancy yoga pants on chasing my own children around, hoping and praying that i am nourishing their souls, compassionately caring for them well and stimulating their minds and imaginations. well let’s just say that happens on a good day. we all know that being a stay at home mom isn’t as glorious as it sounds. rewarding, yes but easy, no. we don’t go shopping all day with perfectly behaved children in tow, or meet up with friends and have uninterrupted conversations over lunch or indulge in our own hobbies with…

i hit a wall today. physically, emotionally and mentally and realized that i needed some help in my little world in order to take a much needed break. my parents came to the rescue and picked the kids up for the afternoon. as much as i absolutely love the opportunity to be home with my sweet kiddos, i can not do it all alone. and i’m not the mom i want to be when i’ve been pushed beyond my limit. the weight of responsibility i put on myself is enormous. and the amount of energy it takes to meet the needs of two littles 24/7 is impossible sometimes. but through…

that pretty much sums up motherhood!  and i wouldn’t have it any other way, although at times, it highlights my need to care for myself as an individual so i can bring my best to “we.” i look at my mom in amazement knowing what i know now, about how hard this mothering gig is. how it demands selflessness, patience, perseverance, balance, creativity…and so much more. i admire the positivity she exudes about raising three girls and now about her role as grandma. i have never heard her complain about her years raising us and i know for a fact that she didn’t have all the luxuries or support networks…

our city always has COOL events going on. with a toddler in tow, the closest to the action i get is being stuck in the horrific traffic; catching the remnants of sound from the park or people watching as we are out and about. jed’s company has been blessed in the past few years to be an integral part in the background work that goes into making things like SXSW happen. this year, his company is “wrapping” buildings with signage he designed and completely transforming offices and clubs into “lounges” and “exclusive parties.” they are painting murals all over town, printing band merchandise, VIP badges…etc. so lately i have been experiencing…

thank goodness for springlike weather! the daily leotard was finally an acceptable outfit. gracie loved opening a birthday card she got in the mail. we went on a wonderful bike ride around the east side and stopped at a smoothie bar, went to town lake to feed the ducks (although gracie fed herself the bread), and finally ended up at a playground overlooking the historic holly power plant. fun day! beautiful weather.

some days it’s overwhelming to be a working mom but i’m beyond thankful that the days i’m away, gracie is well cared for by my mom or jed. when i take a step back, i realize that it’s a privilege to do the work i do. lately, gracie has seemed to understand what i do when i go to work. she knows that i go to the hospital to work and i help take care of sick kids. i am proud. that is the reason we exist…to help others. i am thankful that i can teach my daughter this at such a young age and i truly believe that she…

Your purchases really do make a difference  “Dear Noonday, Please send our love to all of the ambassadors. Tell them we really appreciate the work they do for us.Every one of us would love to share how noonday orders have changed our lives. Right now we give work to more than 60 women in the Acholi quarters of Banda. These are the women who were displaced by the war in northern Uganda. We have a group of 30 women in the lweza village, 20 women in Sseguku and another 20 in Kitende. All these women did not have any other source of income, and now they are able to support…

i just learned about this great campaign providing meals for haitians. check it out! perhaps donate! http://thirtyabes.com/ we finally checked out “secret beach” and it was pretty amazing and i love that it’s so close to our house. have you seen the incredible sale going on at NOONDAY? you should check it out and be sure to hop on over to my instagram @noondaymarian to see some samples up for grabs. did you know that the number of artisans we are able to support and provide employment for continues to grow tremendously because of your orders? thank you for {shopping with purpose}. SALE HERE! am totally in love with these…

today i am: daydreaming about this fabric i found online and looking forward to SCREEN PRINTING IT! jed redesigned it and is setting up the shop to print! i’m so so excited and can’t wait to start sewing with my custom fabric! drooling over this bag from another ethical company: JADEtribe  holding onto this truth from my devotional Jesus Calling by sarah young: “rest in me, my child. give your mind a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen. pray continually, asking My Spirit to take charge of the details of this day. remember that you are on a journey with Me. when you try to peer…

i truly believe the Lord intentionally places people, stories, memories, etc in your life to speak to you and these two stories on friend’s blogs this week are speaking so LOUDLY to me. just when i’m feeling so confused and honestly just stuck in dreaming about the future children of our family, i hear God saying, just be patient and wait for ME. http://leemeandthegirls.blogspot.com/2013/05/enter-hope-guest-post.htmlhttp://dreamingbigdreams.net/2013/05/20/adopting-from-foster-care/