And A Happy New Year

Welcome 2016! I am hoping for great things this year! I could go on and on about goals and reflections but I will keep it short ;)


2016 we will face some big challenges and changes, but I am hoping to keep a positive spin on things around here! I am excited to celebrate Benjamin turning 3 soon, Eloise will be 1 before we know it, and the twins will be off to Kindergarten! I don't even want to talk about it.

I have taken on some new projects over the past few months and I'm hoping to grow those projects and push myself out of my comfort zone. I'm hoping it will all work out but we shall see ;) I'm a little nervous to invest in some things but i know all you wonderful people will support me.

I know this, because you guys really all pulled through to make the end of 2015 super awesome! I didn't post about this much on my blog but thanks to friends and family near and far we put together some pretty awesome NICU baskets! We put together 15 gift baskets for families at the NICU the twins were born at including baby toys, clothes, gift cards, snacks, hygiene items and a keepsake book to deliver right before Christmas. We also got a cookie tray and a ton of drinks from local businesses, so big thanks to Ritchey's Dairy and Mamie's Cafe and Bakery in Martinsburg, PA! I used to scoop ice cream at Ritchey's so it was awesome to have them help us out with this! We made the kids walk and it took our triple stroller to lug everything up to the NICU. While we couldn't deliver everything personally to the families, I am sure we made a lot of people really happy with our gift baskets and it wouldn't have been able to happen without everyones donations so really, I couldn't thank you enough!

Overall, 2015 was pretty awesome, despite some little bumps in the road. 2016 has some bumps in it too but I'm hoping and praying for some big things this year for me and for all of you!

So Happy New Year and if you get a minute, say a prayer for our family as we go through our little bumps this year.

Real Life vs. Blog Life

We have been reading a great book in my mom's group this year. It's called "No More Perfect Moms" by Jill Savage for anyone interested in picking a copy up. But in reading it, we were discussing how moms today hold themselves to a different standard because of social media. Because they don't want people judging them, they don't want people to see their messy house, but let's be honest, the picture of me ripping my hair out and Ben laughing maniacally on the floor isn't really one most people want to see. Or maybe you do.

Nor is me doing the laundry very picturesque.

But that's my life.

So my question is. Why do mom's judge each other based on the little snipped of a life you see on a blog or on Facebook? Why do we feel the need to quietly compete over the prettiest dinner even while juggling 3 kids or the perfectly decorated and picked up house with a newborn? That's just not real life.

Blog picture:

From Corrina Marie Photography. Obviously, my children always sit still, next to each other and smile.

Real Life:

quite different.

Blog Picture:

Clearly, my children are always cute and hugging and getting along. No, that's false.

Real Life:

Blurs. Always blurs.

The point is, it's easy to blog about the perfect dinner you cooked...for the first time in 6 months. Or the adorable moment when your kids are hugging...right before they kick each other and run away. It's not how life is every moment, or ever day, or even at all this week...or last. The hugging picture was from this weekend. Win. And they didn't kick each other and run away, but Jackson did almost fall in a hole bigger than him. But I hope you guys don't read this blog thinking I am the perfect mother with perfectly well behaved kids. Because that's just not the case...at all. Or read any blog thinking they have perfect kids, perfect husband, perfect family, perfect jobs, etc. Everyone has their life behind the blog. And it's easy to take those precious few seconds and piece them together into a facebook or blog post. But real life is messy and I hope you all enjoy the mess that is your life and the precious seconds your kids are hugging and the hysterical laugh of your daughter as your son almost falls in a giant hole. There is a lot more happiness in the mess and not stressing and comparing ourselves to everyone else in the world.

Ok, end rant of perfection. I will try to share the bad as well as the good. And hope you will share your bad too with your friends! Because there are no perfect moms or perfect kids.

If you have Periscope, go check me out on there for some real life scope action ;) @emilytara