Well, we’ve entered 2024 with a BANG! As previously recorded, our trip to Savannah was beyond amazing. After returning home, I traded historic homes + fresh seafood for dirty diapers and nap schedules. My friends, Megan and John, went on a (much needed) trip together for a few days and they trusted me with their babies.

Is it a lot of work? YES. Do the kids ooze more love than I can handle? Also YES. Every day, Meg and John would FaceTime to see the kids (sometimes more than once). Every day, John would ask the same question. “Andy, how are you doing?” Every day, I said the same thing. “I’m good! Everything is going great!” He 100% didn’t believe me. It’s true though. Don’t get me wrong. At forty six, I don’t want to be the mother of a toddler and twin one year old boys. But joining them on their journey through this season of life has been such a blessing!

What I want to tell John + Megan (and other parents in the same season of life) is this…

Soak up every single second of the chaos. Thank God for the stinky Diaper Genie. Ignore the toy-stained living room. They grow up. Too fast.

One morning you’ll wake up and they’ll be seventeen and twelve and you’ll have no idea how (or when) it happened. Your kids deserve the best YOU. After bathing in that chaos 24/7, it’s okay to give yourself a break, mentally + physically. One morning, Linen and I were in the kitchen getting breakfast. “A-un-dy…” (she uses three syllables to pronounce my name) “… I miss my mommy.” I hugged her. “I know you do, and your mommy loves you very much. She also loves your daddy very much and sometimes they like to go on dates and do fun things together.”

She smiled.

If you have people in your life who love your children well, book the trip. Go out on the date. Prioritize your relationship. Your children will grow up and thank you.

At the end of each day, I was acutely aware of my age. Another reminder of how fast time passes. I’ll be fifty in four years. HOW CAN THAT BE?

I don’t make resolutions, but I do plan to be intentional with my time in 2024. Kicking off the year in Savannah and then taking care of three sweet babies was the perfect way to begin this new chapter in my life!