So here I am. It’s 5:00 a.m. and I’m up, on my computer, with my coffee.

This is a routine I started about a month ago. Back in January, I told y’all about my friend Beth who inspired me to start waking up early. So I started waking up at 6:00 to make time for writing blog posts and responding to emails. And then I’d do my quiet time and my Bible reading.

Then Crist and I started going to the gym. And those classes begin at 5:30 or 5:45. That’s early. But I realized I’d have to get up even earlier if I wanted to make that happen and write my blog posts and respond to emails.

So that’s been my new normal. And I’ve really enjoyed it.

I was really excited when I got to BlissDom because the wonderful, hilarious, and relatable Jon Acuff spoke about the importance of being selfish with your time. But being selfish at the right time.

It’s totally fine and normal that I want to blog. And it’s normal that I want to correspond with friends and blog readers via email. But I don’t need to put my children and husband on the back burner because I’m trying to get these things done.

It’s great that I want to exercise. But my children really dislike the nursery at the gym. So I can’t go to the gym with them. And if I want to go to the gym I need to do it in the morning.

But this is about more than just crossing things off my list. And it’s more than about fitting things into my day.

It’s about doing things for myself during a time when I can really focus on myself. No one else is up. I’m all alone. I can think, I can pray, and I can breathe. I get to see the sun come up and I get quiet moments to reflect.

I’m not watching the clock or worried about anything else going on at the house.

This all sounds a little “kumbaya,”  I know, but I’ve been looking for these quiet moments for a couple of years. And here they are. And I don’t even need a babysitter to get them. I don’t even need to make a plan to get them! I just set my alarm for a little bit earlier in the day and, for two hours, I have the whole house to myself.

By taking care of the things on my daily wish list early in the morning, I’m able to spend the rest of my day serving my family. I’m able to relax when I’m down on the floor playing with my boys. I don’t have a to-do list running through my head.

Instead of running to the computer while they nap, I can prep dinner. Instead of blogging when the boys go to bed, I can sit with Todd and we can talk about our day.

And don’t even let me get started on the personal benefits I’ve gained just by deleting Twitter from my phone a month ago. Not to mention the benefits my children have received from this.

At BlissDom, Jon Acuff really reinforced all of these ideas for me. Except he was hilarious and so great with words.

Because we’re all entitled to having passion and finding our passion. I just have to make sure it’s not at the expense of my family.

I love that I have this little bit of time to myself every day and I can do whatever I want with it. We all deserve the chance to cultivate our hobbies. I can’t believe that this is the time of day that I’ve chosen to cultivate mine, but so far it’s working.

Welcome to Toddler Town.

It’s loud around here. And lately it’s loud because strong-willed, spirited, hilarious Hudson is screaming. He screams at Hayes. He screams at Boudreaux. And he screams at Fiona.

None of us are a fan of the screaming. It’s not a flattering sound. It sends my blood pressure through the roof. It makes Hayes cry. And it turns Hudson into a little tyrant who seems to be running this house.

And that’s not what we want here. Our 2.5 year old isn’t prepared to run this house. But he sure is loud.

In addition to being loud right now, he’s not the most obedient toddler on the block. We’re working on it and it definitely has gotten better. I’ve become more aware of rewarding and acknowledging his good behaviors so he knows to repeat them.

But when it comes to the screaming and the tantrums, we’re in the midst of a discipline nightmare. I’m not a discipline expert at all. I’ve gotten a few emails asking how we discipline Hudson and I’ve honestly avoided those emails like the plague. I’m not at all equipped to offer advice on this topic.

We’ve tried so many things. We’ve tried the thump on the hand. We’ve tried spanking. And we’ve tried the “1-2-3 counting” thing. None of these methods work for Hudson.

He asks to be spanked when he misbehaves. And then he laughs about it. Not working, right?

My biggest struggle has obviously been consistency- if you couldn’t tell. But I don’t want to keep disciplining him in a way that is ineffective.  I know different things work for different kids and different personalities. And it’s all about knowing your child and how he is going to respond.

In the last week or so, I’ve really embraced the time out chair. Hudson is social. He loves to be with everyone and loves to be the center of attention. But when he has to be removed and he is forced to sit in a room by himself and be quiet, it hurts his little feelings.

Taking him to time out and having him sit there for about 3 minutes (because that is an eternity to him at 2.5 years old) breaks his heart. It humbles him and it makes him calm down and come back to the other room with a better attitude.

When he comes out of time out, he’s usually sucking his thumb and has his little head bowed. I squat down to his level and give him a huge hug. I tell him again what he did that got him put in time out and now, without prompting, he always apologizes to me, to Hayes, or to Boudreaux and Fiona.

The most important thing to me, at this point, is being consistent. If I discipline him for a certain behavior one time, I need to make sure he is disciplined for that behavior the next time he does it. And he will do it again- but hopefully not too many times!

During Bible study today, we talked about the importance of discipline and the Biblical truths behind it. And that it is about love. I have to remember to keep my own emotions in check and remember how much I love him even when he flops himself on the floor because I told him “no.”

Really, this is all about love, protection, and trust. I want to protect him from hurting himself or someone else. I want to help mold him into a boy who will be a good friend. And I want him to know that he is loved and that he can trust us.

I hope that the time out method is the one that sticks for us. But I have a feeling that as Hudson grows and changes we’ll have to come up with something else for him.

Dear friends. Help me. Help each other. How many discipline methods did you try before you found the one that your child responded to?

Hey, y’all!

I’m not sure how many of you are new readers, wonderful girls I met at BlissDom, or if you’ve been reading Blue-Eyed Bride since before my mom even read Blue-Eyed Bride.

1. I am wife to Todd and mom to Hudson (2.5) and Hayes (9 months)

2. I love Jesus and want to serve others and tell others about Him. But I’m not perfect and I am so thankful for His Grace.

3. I am a list-maker. I love making lists. I used to be a major control freak, but having two little boys changed that quickly! But golly, I still have to make a list every single day.

4. I love to write. And edit. And it’s a shame I do all of this on a computer screen with a keyboard because I sure do love a red pen.

5. I wish I was better at taking great photos (or taking photos, period) and I wish I had more time to be crafty because I really do like to craft.

6. I love clothes and love marking pages in gorgeous magazines of things that I want. Isn’t one of the greatest activities to go through and build fantasy shopping carts on all of your favorite retailers’ websites? But I usually don’t buy them because I remember that by noon I have been spit up on or drooled on and it’s just not worth it.

7. I used to plan events for a living, but now I stay at home with my boys. (I’m still not used to saying “boys.” Wow.) I love to throw a birthday party, baby shower, wedding shower, or even help someone with a wedding. It’s just in me to create and find ways to be creative. I don’t miss very many things about my old job, but I miss exercising my creativity and coming up with fun ideas.

8. I love to cook. I love to eat. I’m trying to finish up losing the rest of the baby weight. But all the recipes I love to make don’t make that easy. Fortunately, there are so many great blogs that make it easier to find delicious things to eat that are also healthy.

9. Through my blog, I like to tell you what really happens here. Without throwing anyone under the bus or telling you the nitty gritty details of our latest argument. But I write so I can remember how I felt when something big or small happened. It helps me to get it all out there.

What do I want to be?

I’m not sure, but this question pretty much exhausts me. I have spent so much time over the last few years thinking about who I want to be. And I’m done with it.

I am who I am. The most important relationships and roles in my life are enough for me. And God’s grace is enough for me.

Too much time has been wasted on comparing myself, my looks, my wardrobe, my home, my talents, and my story. Isn’t that crazy? It’s such a time suck and it drains me.

But I’m done with all of that. I’m tired. I am who the Lord intended me to be and that’s all I can be. And it should be enough for me!

So, if you’re new here… welcome!

If you’re not new here… welcome back!

Last week, I packed up and drove 7 hours (alone! yay!) to Nashville for my first BlissDom conference. I wasn’t really sure what exactly to expect, but I had heard from other bloggers that it was lots of fun.

I had previously attended BlogHer in NYC in 2010 and enjoyed my time there. But I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that my favorite part was being in NYC with some of my dear friends. And I’d be lying again if I didn’t tell you that we skipped most of the conference in favor of exploring the city.

BlissDom was different. We were secluded in a massive hotel in Nashville without the desire to escape.

I attended with women I knew, women I wanted to know and women whose blogs I hadn’t yet read, but definitely do now. The sessions were exciting and not so specific that people felt alienated. I think everyone in the room could find a way to apply the speaker’s words to his or her blog.

As cheesy as it sounds, I came home feeling inspired. The sessions really inspired me to keep on writing. Keep on telling my story. Because I do this for me and I do it to vent, share, and keep memories.

I was also inspired by how many other gals were feeling the same exact way regardless of her blog’s general niche. The speakers and the side conversations with girls whose blogs I love (and now I completely admire these girls) encouraged me to move forward.

I feel energized and ready to go. I also feel busy and slightly overwhelmed by the notes I took, the things I want to change, and the things I want to try.

The best part about BlissDom? Aside from the amazing girls, the talented speakers, and the yummy food eaten in Nashville? I came home eager to love on my whole family and make the most of every moment spent with Todd, Hudson, and Hayes. I couldn’t wait to get home to them. Almost every single speaker I heard at BlissDom reinforced the importance of marriage and family.

And my favorite speaker reinforced the importance of faith.

This weekend was exactly what I needed and I’m so grateful for the opportunity I had to attend. I’m home and I’m ready to focus on my family and tell our stories.

(And set aside designated times each day to tell the stories without letting it interfere with my time with them.)

So I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing. I’m just telling our story. Because, as someone said at BlissDom, we are story tellers.

A big, huge, thank you to Dr. Smith’s for helping me go on this amazing trip!