I Had A Moment When I Saw My Baby Again

The other night I arrived home after the kids were asleep, and I made my way through the usual goodnight kiss rotation starting with Lily on the first bottom bunk.

When my eyes adjusted to the light, I lost it because she was laying how she used to as a baby – on her back, arms splayed on either side of her head in touchdown fashion with her hands in relaxed fists as though curled gently over an imaginary finger.

<sigh> Lily is not a baby, however, as I am reminded daily by the growing vocabulary of 5-year-old sass.

I don’t know. Maybe a mother’s heart can always find the baby in her child.

How are your New Year’s resolutions coming? One of my goals this year was to help my children start their own morning routines. Not only do I want to empower you amazing women to transform your life with an early morning routine, but I want to enable my kids to embrace this habit even now.

So I created a schedule that included a morning shower rotation, setting clothes out the night before, a breakfast menu etc, and guess who out of all three children has embraced this regimen?

Caleb. Of all my kids Caleb is the one who gets in the shower as soon as his alarm goes off at 7a and is stringent about our breakfast menu. Just this morning (Friday at the time of writing) he was very upset that I missed the Friday pancake bars (recipe coming soon).

I told him we could just do oatmeal this morning, and he pointed to the schedule on the wall and said, “THIS is the schedule, Mom, and it does not say oatmeal on Fridays.” Touche.

This week we girls went out for dinner at Per Diem here in Lititz to celebrate Jen’s birthday and Ashley’s remission from cancer (hear her story here).

On the podcast this week, I shared my grandfather’s unlikely success story that tells a legacy of generosity that has joyfully blessed thousands of people and hundreds of ministries.  Don’t miss how my grandparents launched a successful FM radio station (before FM radio even existed!) and renovated a fixer-upper farmhouse decades before the “Fixer Upper” farmhouse style was even a thing.

Do you struggle to unwind at the end of the day because your brain is in a constant state of motion?   Discover 5 ideas to design a relaxing bedroom that promotes the essential restoration of a blissful night’s sleep.

I also shared two recipes on the blog that are some of my absolute favorites!

This delicious gluten-free, low-carb beef zucchini au gratin recipe is packed with nutrient-dense ingredients smothered in cheesy goodness.

Fresh and light, this whipped key lime parfait dessert recipe is a delicious burst of flavor that can be made and ready to serve in minutes.

Let’s check out more inspiration from this week’s Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop!

These Valentine’s Day peanut butter cookie bars are filled with the best Valentine’s candies and cut into perfect squares.

If you find yourself craving pancakes but don’t have time to make a whole batch, this pancake in a mug recipe is for you!

Creating faux topiary trees for the inside of your home is a great way to shake that winter funk.

This beautiful Valentine’s Day sensory bottle for kids is a great way to celebrate the month of February with all of the glitter and confetti.

Are you looking for the perfect appetizer to serve your guests for a gathering or the big game day? Try this baked cheesy dip that only requires a few easy ingredients.

Have a great weekend!