Do With All Your Might

My stitches are not pretty, rarely are they straight.
Sometimes pattern pieces don't match up because I cut them wrong.
Nobody will like that because of all the mistakes I made.

Negativity. When it gets to rolling around in my head, it has a giant snowball effect. It keeps getting bigger and bigger and it seems like I can't do anything to stop it. It tells me that my creations are not good enough. That I'm not skilled with my hands. That I'm not good enough.

I've been struggling with this for a week or so after I made a bib for Jake and didn't like how it turned out. A special person told me that the mistakes are only visible to my eyes and that I should be proud of the things I create. Once I let that sink in a few days, I sat back down at my sewing machine and made four more bibs and tried a new project. Let's just say there were still mistakes but I'm not focusing on that. I made something for my little peanut. That's awesome!!

Ecclesiastes 9:10 "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..."
This verse helps me find the beauty in my mistakes. It tells me not to care about the crooked, uneven stitches. You don't have to be a perfectionist, just find something you love doing and give it your all. Appreciate your talent. Know you are good enough.

57 Days

There are 57 days until my baby turns one.

57...

While this fact is hard for me to accept, I have to appreciate the time I have with him today. Sometimes I get so caught up in wishing Jake on to the next new thing, wishing away his childhood. "I can't wait until he can walk." "I can't wait until he can talk and communicate with us." "I can't wait until he can play outside with us."

Tyler and I have decided to stop wishing away the future and start finding happiness in the moment we are in. I'm happy my baby can't walk yet, that means he still needs me to help him get somewhere. I'm happy with the way my baby communicates with me, even though sometimes he just cries and I then have to figure out what he needs. I am happy that he loves playing inside with his mama, one day he may prefer playing with someone else. I am happy that he eats everything we put in front of him, one day he may decide he only wants macaroni and cheese or vanilla wafers at every meal.

Can I just go back to when he was this little and experience all of his milestones with the mindset that everything is on his time?

Jake one day old

Jake four days old

Jake one month old

Love27, ash

Happy Anniversary

Marriage is one of the greatest blessings from God. It is a choice everyday to put someone else's needs above your own; to love them regardless of their faults. I have a man who does that for me. He is so giving and without him I would have nothing. I would not have this great love. I would not have a healthy and beautiful child. I dare say I wouldn't have this much love for God without him.

Easter Family Picture 2013

He makes me want to be better.
Do better.
Love better.

June 6, 2009 was our day. The day we promised to love, honor, and respect each other no matter good times or bad. There have been so many good times but there have been bad times too. That's when you choose to love each other, make your marriage a priority. We aren't perfect at this game but we are both trying very hard and I think that makes all the difference.

             After the I do's                                       Leaving for the honeymoon

Here's to my sweetheart who loves me despite my faults and chooses to be happy with me. I don't know what the next 80 years holds for us but I can't wait to find out with you by my side!

Love you 27 Tyler Hughes!

Love27, ash

Thankful

Today I took peanut to the park and we both had a blast! It was his first time to swing and he loved it. Here are a few pictures of our fun day!

When we got home he barely finished his bottle before his nap so I know he was worn out!

As I was pushing him on the swing, I started to think about how blessed I was to have this little person from God. 

I had to pray. 

I had to thank God for trusting me to be his mother. 

I had to thank God for giving me a wonderful man to be his father.

Taking time to thank Him for your blessings doesn't have to take a long time. I think just knowing you appreciate them is enough for Him.

Love27, ash