JoyDrops

6/13/22

I’ve posted on my FB page before a JoyDrops or two about having littles and treasuring up the little things. Today, as I was scrolling through Instagram looking for some decorating inspiration for our new home, I happened upon @thepaclibar.dwelling . I LOVE her neutral decorating ideas and her insta is just beautiful! One of her reels asked the question, “is it just me or does anyone else feel like once they clean up something that it instantly attracts little people with all of their wonderful toys?”  Yup…you guessed it. This newly empty nested momma was brought to tears.  All the moments of all the messes came rushing back, and I instantly missed them. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t miss them in those moment they were actually happening- I actually couldn’t wait to have a bed that wasn’t bunched up by little bottoms jumping on the freshly flattened comforter- but now…what I wouldn’t give for some bumps in the perfect…

I think that now, especially, since we are selling our home and it has to be “ready to show” in a moments notice, I am reminded more of how the mess is missed.  In fact, just this past Friday we had most of our big kids home for a combined birthday party. I used to stress about the house before parties, my big kids will even tell you that I turned into hostzilla the day of any gathering at our house…and that was basically because I didn’t want our mess to be the talk of the town so each and every time we went on a “show the house” cleaning boot camp! I know they hated it, my attitude and the cleaning, even more than I hated my attitude and the cleaning! If only I could keep the mess clean everyday…If only I had taught my kids to be little cleaners instead of mess makers! if only… I know my big kids will tell you they like the no stress momma better- I sure do… So, it’s my mission as a momma who’s nest is now empty and SPECTACULARLY CLEAN, to share my wisdom with mommas who are in the midst of the moments and the mess. 

I commented to @thepaclibar.dwelling that as a recently empty nest momma, I am REALLY missing some mess…I hope that the mommas of the littles reading this will treasure up the moments and the mess- each and everyone of them. My gram used to tell me, “leave the dishes until they’re in bed, it’s the time with you they need. If you must do the dishes, put them on a chair right in front of you and let them help! The mess will always be there Laur, the babies won’t! Treasure up the moments and the mess…

So mommas, let the legos lay, keep the kitchen till later, lay on the floor and play barbies with your babies, make the racetracks on the family room floor and zoom to the left over and over and over with them! Don’t miss the moments for the mess now. Soon, in a blink, the air hockey table will be in perfectly placed stillness and the K’Nex will be kept in plastic bins hoping for little fingers to put them together one more time. Treasure up each and every one of those moments and the messes. There’s joy in each one. You’ve got this momma! 

joy drops…

scrolling instagram and taking a chance at leaving a message and finding I’ve helped encourage a young momma, who, in turn ends up encouraging me more than she knows! 

memories of the moments and the messes…so many memories

realizing that the memories are in the moments and in the messes and that I will always have them- no matter where we are living 

and…finding encouragement today in the memories…I’ve treasured up so many and have so many many more to come!

Jesus is faithful every single moment and in every single mess…