Time Management, or lack thereof.

Time management can be such a bitch.

Between two little kids, a husband, a full time job, and trying to maintain some sanity while getting dinner on the table 7 days a week (with help in the form of takeout sometimes, obvi) - I've got no time to blog. I haven't been able to find the time to sit down and channel my thoughts at all, actually.

It feels like you always have these bigplans in life - I'd love to have it all - work/life balance, a perfect relationship with my husband, two well behaved kids who sleep through the night...

Fat chance Katie.

So I decided to figure out when I can carve out a little "me" time - and I think I've found it. {Insert squeals of joy here}

So cheers to the next phase...

Weekend Recap

Do you ever have one of those weekends that you didn't know you needed, but looking back - it was exactly what the doctor ordered?

I had one of those this past weekend.

A few weeks ago, my mom mentioned that she was bummed out that she wouldn't get to see us much this summer. You see, my oldest brother is expecting a new baby (squeee!!!) in August, and she would be spending time with them to help out with the new baby and family. Add in a few trips planned to visit family around the US and some committments back home, her school-teacher summer vacation was busy, leaving little time to make it to Minnesota, save for the one long weekend already in the books.

So I decided that an impromptu (sort of.. it was still planned a few weeks in advance, but as impromtu as you get with two kids and a job) trip to Michigan was completely necessary. Plus, a lot of family, my dad and brother included, hadn't met Brennan yet, so it was the perfect excuse to book a flight and get out of dodge.

So Brennan and I packed a bag and headed out on Thursday after work! He was a dream on the flight home, sleeping through most of it, and I even got a quick snooze on the plane too! A quick shout out to Delta Airlines - every time I fly with a baby, they do everything they can to make it easier. From lending a hand with baggage, to changing seat assignments to give Brennan and I more space during the flights, they really are pretty darn great.

Neil and Evelyn stayed home and had a daddy-daughter weekend, and it sounds like they had a blast. The beach, the water park, pizza and a movie night - I'm pretty sure she was in heaven all weekend, and so was her daddy. 

Friday morning, we were up bright and early - the time change didn't seem to affect Brennan one bit. We spend the day hanging out at my parent's house, relaxing and catching up. Brennan took his first dip in the pool, and got lots of snuggles and kisses from Grandma, Great-Grandma, Uncle Steve, Papa and Aunt Sandy. It was fun to have some family and friends drop by to meet him too. Luckily for everyone, baby B is super laid back, and was happy to just let everyone hold him and love on him. Thankfully, Grandma Carol was able to drop by too (love having parents and in-laws in the same town) to get some QT with her littlest buddy.

Saturday was another chill day spent hanging around the pool, swinging in an airplane swing (Brennan, obviously. I observed and took 234923545 pics) and eating all the home-cooked meals I could handle. That is one of the {many} perks of being at home for the weekend - I don't have to cook at all. My mom and dad are always so sweet about making sure I just get to relax and enjoy my time there. They truly show their love by serving others, and I couldn't be more grateful.

On Sunday, my mom, Brennan and I packed up and headed a few hours away to Sterling Heights to meet B's other Great-Grandma. It was so special to see them together, and just watch her love on our sweet baby B. I couldn't have married into a sweeter family, and am so glad that Grandma Anne got to meet our little guy.

B also started rolling from tummy to back while we were visiting Great-Grandma! So fun! He has been rolling from back to tummy for a few weeks now, then getting pretty mad when he can't get from tummy to back, so I'll be glad when he masters rolling the other way over the next week or so. So cool to watch babies develop - insane how fast they grow. Wish me luck as he becomes mobile - something tells me he won't stop moving!

We also dropped in to see my sweet friend Sarah and her family while we were in her neighborhood. It was so fun to see her kiddos and funny to see how much life has changed. From college and parties to families and kids - what a difference a few years makes.

Once we were home, Brennan and I spent the evening soaking in all the family time we could, and Grandma Carol and Papa B dropped by to say a quick goodbye too. Baby Brennan sure knows how to draw a crowd. I get it, his smile is simply infectious.

This morning Brennan and I packed up and jetted home.

It was a weekend that refreshed my heart and recharged my soul. I sure do miss my family and wish we could live closer, but there is something to be said for soaking in the short bursts of family time we get. It makes me appreciate the time we have together.

Being Needed.

I recently had a long conversation with my sister in law, about everything and nothing - just one of those conversations where the topics flow from religion to love to work to terrible TV shows and everything in between. Somewhere within the conversation, I realized the answer to something that I've been struggling with for a long time. Being needed.

Everyone wants to be needed. In fact, I think we all need to be needed. Some people need to be needed more than others - it fills their "love tank" and makes them happy. One of my best friends is like that - she loves to be needed. If I'm being honest, I love to be needed too. It makes me happy to get a text from a friend asking me how to best shush and comfort their baby. I love to feel the sweet tiny hands of my toddler around my neck, when she comes in for a hug and asks me to read her a story in the evening. I love when my husband opens one sleepy eye in the middle of the night and asks me to just get the baby, because he just can't this time, even if it's his turn.

But tonight, I realized something I wish I would have realized a long time ago. We are needed - but perhaps not in the way that we want to be.

I married into one of the best families in the world. I remember on my wedding day, sitting while getting my hair done, watching my soon-to-be husband's little sisters, sitting together, talking and giggling about something, and thinking to myself how excited I was to finally be getting sisters. And not only was I about to get two sisters, but they were two of the most special people I'd ever met. I couldn't help but think about how I'd hoped that they would call me and tell me about their lives - how I'd get to help them through situations like break ups and friend drama, and how they would call me to tell me all the great news in their lives too - landing dream jobs and getting engaged. Looking back now though, that isn't how it unfolded. I found out about engagements via text message pictures of a gorgeous ring, and about break ups from my husband. They call each other about their joys and hardships - because they are sisters, and that is what sisters do. They let me in on their lives, talking about wedding plans when they come to visit, discussing job interviews and how to start a conversation with their parents that they just aren't sure will go over well, but they don't need me like I envisioned they would, and even though the relationships aren't what I expected as I sat there getting my hair done on my wedding day - I'm still needed. It's just not the "need" that I'd dreamed about on my wedding day. I'm needed, but as their sister in law. They know that I love them, and want the best for them, and that's enough.

I married a man who is fiercely independent. I think that he would say the same about me. We rely on each other heavily, but that independence has made us need people less. You see, Neil and I have figured out how to successfully care for our family within the walls of our family. Of course we need help sometimes, and have found ourselves a network of friend that I would consider family within our town that helps when needed. They are there to help when we need a hand with daycare pickup. They know the bedtime routines in our house and are willing to lend a hand when we are all together. And we know their kids and will lend a hand whenever we can - we bring meals to each other when times are busy and seem impossible. We offer to babysit when a spouse is out of town and maybe you just.need.another.hand.

On the flipside, having kids and living far from family has made me need my family more. I need them to love and care about my family, and I feel a strong urge to create as many memories and strengthen bonds as much as I can possibly cram into a 3-day weekend, or week-long holiday trip.

I watched my mother in law when she was in town for a visit recently, and just like me, she was struggling to find her place. She wanted her visit to be filled with purpose, make our lives easier for the short amount of time that she was in town, and was searching for every way to make that happen. I was desperate to ensure that Neil and I had created an environment where our kids would be able to spend as much time as possible with their grandparents, making memories and just having fun. But instead of being able to relax and really enjoy the weekend, I found myself edgy and on guard. I knew why I felt so annoyed, but wasn't sure how to express myself. Our need to be needed wasn't aligning.

I needed her to sit on my couch and laugh and joke, and tell me about her job stresses. I needed her to play with my kids, snuggle them, read them books and make memories. I needed her to get a pedicure with me and go shopping with me.

But I also needed her to respect the boundaries I've set for our kids. I needed her to know that mealtimes are done in a specific way in our house and be okay with living within those perimeters for a few days, even if you don't always agree with them. I needed her to know that we love to sit with our kids during meals and share the laughter and hear the funny conversation, but I also needed her to respect that we eat as a family, and don't give special treatment to our toddler just because she tells us she is hungry 10 minutes before meal time - she eats when and what we eat.

So tonight, after settling into bed, I find myself unloading all the thoughts swirling around in my head. I realized that we are all needed, perhaps just not in the way we want to be needed. As time carries on, relationships change, and perhaps one of the best ways to love those around you is to carefully examine the relationship, and understand how the other needs you.

I recently read an article that stuck with me for a long time. I even sent it to my husband to read, since I couldn't get it out of my mind. In the article, a mother writes about her mother in law - how her mother in law used to spoil her kids like crazy in so many ways, and it drove her crazy. But then, sadly, her mother in law passed away, and she realized that he kids didn't miss the gifts and the relaxed schedules, they missed her. They missed her grandmother. It hit home. I thought about my mom and dad, and how they were trying hard to make memories with their grandkids. That they wanted to make their time with my kids as special as possible, because they needed to cram as much love into three days as possible. Same for my in-laws. I realized that I need them to be needed, if that makes sense. I want them to make memories with their grandchildren. Not the memories that I want them to have, but their memories with their grandkids. The gifts that grandparents bring when they visit - the things that they know mom and dad probably won't buy. The silly toys that get busted out of their package as soon as possible, because they need those memories too. Baking in the kitchen with grandma, playing out in the sandbox with papa. The good stuff, right?

Right then and there, I made a vow to myself to just allow them to be needed to. I don't need to be everything to my kids. And I need to stop worrying so much about schedules and mealtimes and bedtimes - I know I'm a good mom, and they know I'm a good mom. And maybe sometimes, it's okay to need them a little bit too.

Think Happy, Be Happy {Blog Hop}

Happiness - it's something we all strive for, hope for, and work for. Some people never seem to achieve it, no matter how hard they try. I think that finding happiness is harder to find now more than ever. Social media makes it easy to compare our lives to picture perfect images of other's lives, we take on more commitments than ever before while trying to find balance, and we just can't ....stop.

I'm guilty of it. Daily. My baby shrieks instead of cooing. My toddler is sassy and tells me "no!" more than yes, and my husband and I don't get weekly (or shoot, monthly even) date nights. But making up those situations are moments. And moments are where I've found my happy.

Within every bad day, there are good moments. Good moments just waiting to be discovered, realized, and remembered. Once I started finding the good moments, my whole mindset shifted and I felt happier.

Sure there are moments where there are tantrums and sassy kids, but the sweet moments of changing doll diapers and cooling off (already cold) coffee are the ones I'll remember.

Sweet moments between sister and brother, and sweet baby smiles.

Our first photo as a family of four <3 p="">

The best daddy in my world

It's the moments that I'll be looking back on in a year, and after my kids are grown and gone. The days are long, but the years are short - so very true.

This link party was created as a way to create some inspiration and happiness as we begin our week. It can be hard to find the happiness in our day to day, and I believe it truly does help to take a second to find the positive. Please take a second to visit all of my wonderful co-hosts who will be sharing this link party as well!

• Kristen of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
• Kristen of Blissfully Insane
• Autumn of Our Blended Home
• Corianne of iCorianne
• Jessica of Kozy and Co
• Liz of Lizz And Co
• Kristen of Love, Lipstick, and Pearls

And then there were four

It's been eight weeks since we welcomed son into the world.

8 weeks.

It seems like it's gone by in a flash, and yet, it feels like he has been here forever. Just as I knew he would, he is the perfect addition to our family, making us four in number, five if you count the dog (which we should, given her larger than life size and personality). He has made my heart double in size, giving way to the love I have for my first, and adding to the untamable love a mother has for her children.

It's been eight weeks. And in those 8 weeks, I've felt like something has been missing. I've been missing a place to call just my own, and have been racking my brain as to where to find such a place. Then it dawned on me - I've got an used chunk of the interwebs that I claimed for myself a few years back, but never actually sat down and started typing. Perhaps now is the time.

It's been 8 weeks - and this feels so fresh.

Evelyn is 1 year, 11 months (because let's not rush time and say she is 2 quite yet!), and Brennan is, you guessed it, 8 weeks.