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A few weekends ago, my family was in Nashville for a competition in which my daughter participated.  We tried to make the most of the trip by hitting some of the tourist spots like the Opryland Hotel (pics of that to come!)  My mom drove down from Kentucky to spend the day with us, since Nashville was a closer drive than the regular 7 hours she would travel to our home.  The kids asked if we could go to the Opry Mills Mall, and we thought, Why not?   Let me tell you, I felt like a regular country bumpkin after visiting that place. It was unreal.  The crowds were unbelievable and the stores.  Oh my, the stores!!  I used to be able to shop ’til I dropped, but after having kids I’m just not used to shopping in a “real” mall, especially in the part of Tennessee where we live.   Trying to keep both families together and happy the entire time meant that I didn’t get to do any real shopping; mostly we just walked around and looked in the doorways as we passed.  It wasn’t exciting but it was great to spend time together.  To be honest, I’d rather do the bulk of my shopping online. I find great sales at stores like Tea Collection because the deals are so hard to beat.  For example, from 4/22 through 4/23 Tea Collection is offering 20% off everything during their Friends & Family Sale. This is a great time to stock up on twirly dresses, colorful tees and sweet baby items for summer.  They have the cutest stuff for boys, and it’s not the run of the mill style that I see everywhere.  We’ll also have to stock up on Tea’s new sporty selection of swimsuits for our little splashers since we opened the pool today!   Even though I enjoyed walking through the mall, online shopping in my sweats is much easier and less crowded.

The hotel where we stayed was full of families attending a cheerleading competition.  Those moms were up at the crack of dawn, as were we, with their dolled up girls.   I can’t tell you how frumpy I felt sitting there in the continental breakfast area with my still-wet ponytail and no-makeup face.  Peer pressure can be a powerful thing, and I felt it at that moment.  Why haven’t I cared enough about those crow’s feet or laugh lines?  I thought I’d never need eye cream but here it is.  My eyes are showing it.  So I am more determined than ever to start using my eye cream on a regular basis.  I have this little pot of miracle stuff from Ageless Derma; it’s been a chore to remember it daily but I’m trying to.  Haven’t seen a huge improvement yet but as they say, 38 years on, 38 years off.  Well, they don’t say it but I am trying to keep it in mind.  The cream comes with a little pump at the top so it dispenses a small amount without having to dip your fingers in.  Although it might not seem like enough, a little goes a loooong way.  Just dab it on the corners of your eyes and go.  It doesn’t have a strong scent, so it works for my sensitive eyes.  I also like that this pot of cream is pretty generous.  It will last a long time.

Julia Roller is another mom who knows that life changes after children. Just as I found that shopping wasn’t as easy (or sometimes not as fun), Julia shared her New Mom experience as it related to her spiritual life in Mom Seeks God.  This short book was definitely something that new moms will appreciate, especially in the way that Julia lays it all out on the line.  Now, I went into it thinking it would be like a devotional. Instead, it’s more like a memoir of Julia’s first couple of years as a mom with a few reflection questions sprinkled in.  After the first couple of chapters, I was ready to move on beyond Julia’s descriptions of her day.  However, I understood the parallel she was trying to draw between the mom’s relationship with her child and the Lord’s relationship with his children.  She’s funny in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way and her stories will make you nod your head with a smile.  I could totally relate to what she said, and that’s a good feeling when reading a book.

What do moms seek in the seasons of their lives? Sometimes it’s just the hope of a day when we can be in the bathroom alone for five minutes.  Just kidding….kind of.  It differs for everyone, but for most of us our children come first every time. Learning to balance life with baby, life as a working mom, frustrations with husband/wife roles, and figuring out how to have a social life is seriously difficult when the baby arrives.  Julia struggled with keeping her personal relationship with Jesus on top of things while everything else took second place to a runny nose.  I remember the moment that I realized my day revolved around poop, gas, and what my daughter had eaten that day.  It was a new life for me.  Although I can’t say that every moment was sunshine and rainbows, it was certainly a wonderful experience overall.  And believe me, it went by far too fast than I care to admit.  Julia’s book is a reminder that this, too, shall pass, and of the importance of the moment.  Two minutes of prayer well spent is better than five minutes staring at a blank TV screen.  I’ve done my share of that while nursing, too.  For those moms who battle their sense of worth, this book is a blessing.

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