Many of you know I am a Community Leader for BlissDom this year. And of course, where I go, the baby boy goes too. Since this isn’t my first time taking a baby to a conference, I am sharing some of my wisdom with you!  Come join me won’t you?

You’ve bought your ticket, got your room booked and your flight is confirmed…for two. You are bringing your baby to BlissDom and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome you to the BlissDom Baby Brigade!

Having taken a baby to a conference before, I thought I would share with you some tips I learned, both from first hand experience, and through talking to others.

Read the rest on BlissDom’s Insiders’ Guide.

I had great intentions of getting my 4 on the 4th this month. But, Elliott is sick, Libby is sick, and every time I wasn’t running around yesterday, I was sitting getting bitten by nursing a sick babe.

This morning before Jeremy, Seth and Amelia took off for Church, I told everyone to come and SIT so i could snap a quick photo.  This is a rare shot of Elliott as my smiley babe isn’t so smiley these days. Especially when Mama isn’t holding him.

*Someday my kids are going to look back at these pictures and laugh. Amelia is going to ask why I let her wear a red shirt with a dress that has no red in it. Libby is going to laugh that she has pancakes in her mouth in the picture. Seth and Elliott…well they look great in these (there are plenty others that they will wonder about though!). This is what happens when I let my kids be individuals

Last month’s photo here.

Things have been WAY too serious around here.

We have been having fun amidst all the chaos, I promise!  This video is really more for my folks, but anyone who loves 2 1/2 minutes of happy baby squeals can watch. Cause really, this baby? He is DIVINE. I love to eat him up.

And, just in case you didn’t get enough….here he is playing with the big kids.

Ah, that’s better. Happy! Baby! Kids!

Yep, despite all the seriousness of this site lately, my life is pretty dang awesome.

She tells me she misses her
the sister she never met.
I see her playing, hear her making up stories,
so many include this sister she doesn’t know.

Sometimes she cries because she wants to play with her.
She tells me she misses her
almost daily.

I watch her struggle
trying to find the place where she fits.

I see her playing
all the while something is missing,
her other half,
her soul sister.

The one who went before,
the one who she misses on a level
only I can understand.

She tries to make sense of it,
but how can she?
I haven’t made sense of it.

Her spirit misses her sister.
It is as simple as that.

When I realize this
I suddenly feel less alone in my pain,
my sorrow,
my grief.

I understand her so well.
Both of our spirits are missing a piece.

linking up with Just Write

This has been a rough week. As I mentioned in my last post, I am up to my eyeballs with life and sometimes I feel as if I am drowning.

Trying to find the time to get everything done I need to takes it’s toll and there are times I don’t know if I am coming or going.  I’ve been trying to prioritize what needs to be done versus what needs to be done and can wait a bit.

This week my body work suffered. I watched my week 3 lesson and printed out the handouts, that is as far as I have gone though. I haven’t done my collages yet, or answered my questions. There just hasn’t been time.

My body journal has also been suffering. I had been so diligent about adding to my body journal every day. Even if I was in bed, I would remember, get up and go write. I haven’t written in days…and I can tell.

I have started the negative self talk again. That talk that had virtually disappeared when I was honoring my body everyday, it is back.

The feeling like a failure, the feeling of not being good enough, not being enough at all.  The overwhelming feelings of “if only I were more like her…”

This week’s lesson was all about how we as a society see women as body parts. We see her legs, her eyes, her smile, her perfect hair, her great stomach…we don’t see the person as a whole being, as a soul. I am guilty of picking apart others, but more than that, I pick apart myself. I assume what others think when they see me.

While running my 6 mile run on Friday, I saw these 3 cute Moms with their little babies. I was at mile 5 and had hit a wall. I hurt, I was tired, my form was awful and I just wanted to be at home with Elliott and Libby, not out running. I saw them approaching and immediately the negative self talk started, “I bet they think you are single or without kids because you are running in the middle of the day. They probably think you are fat with no reason, fat single girl. Their tummies are all flat, look how young their babies are.” I got that far and stopped myself. I remembered what I had learned the night before in my class – no woman was born to be picked apart.  Then I added, even me.

This week will not be any less busy than last week, but I am determined to get my body work done. I am finding what is most important, what my soul needs to thrive. Doing my body work, reading my scriptures, playing with my children, running…those are the most important things. My other wants and desires can wait a little bit. Finding what needs to be done versus what needs to be done and can wait a bit – this is the trick.

Sometimes I slip and fall, but the important thing is that I get up, dust myself off, and keep going.

*I was given tuition to Body Restoration from Brave Girl’s Club.  All words and healing are my own.