Abundant Life & Love

last weekend, we took the kids out for a starbucks walk (because walking anywhere else just isn't worth my time) and promised Baylor the freedom to jump in all the puddles on the way home. The rain here has been non-stop so his hopes were high. He and Belly had the time of their lives and took their new found liberty very seriously.

I will tell you this...while it brought both kids immense joy to run and jump through a billion puddles and get absolutely drenched from the waist down, it's arguable that it made me feel just the same. Letting my kids explore, doing something purely for them, and giving them the freedom to just be kids makes me feel my best as a mom. There's no distraction, no work, nothing that I need to turn my head to. I realize this isn't realistic every minute of the day,  but it's become my new mission to be more aware of cultivating these experiences. To give our kids memorable moments and an abundant life. It's a way for me to practice love... to make our kids feel important and confident, to show them we're watching and their wants matter to us.

Collin and I have always approached our marriage with a "what can I do for you" mentality, knowing that if he's keeping my needs a priority and I'm keeping his, then we should both  be taken care of, without having to take on the "what do you do for me?" score-keeping mentality. It's simple...it's love. The beauty of it is this:  it can be applied in so many aspects of our lives, including parenting. If we show our kids that type of sacrificial love, where we're willing to do things for them, and expect that they're willing to do things for us... we all win. The goal is that they learn that love language, that they learn mutual respect, and can reciprocate as they grow.  #bestdayever

Raising kids is no joke and we're simply doing our best over here to show them love, the best ways we know how. Of course, there's no more beautiful picture of love than that of Jesus Christ, who loves us unconditionally, without fail. His grace flows like a river, and while we don't deserve it, we're given life, and life abundant.