Erin Akin Carroll

praying for your husband

Filed Under: Faith

Aug282012

I have to say, I am thankful the weekend is over. The weekend is over and Todd is back home.

Every year, Todd goes on a guys’ trip with his law school friends. Each year they choose a different destination that is close to where one of the guys lives and they play golf. I think they play something like 72 holes in three days. It’s a lot of golf, but they love it. And this is when of my favorite traditions. Because even though the wives don’t tag along, I love that Todd makes time every year to see his good friends and that they have this tradition that helps them all get recharged.

Almost all of them are dads now and I heard there were a lot of funny stories about how all of their lives have changed in the last few years as their families have grown.

While he was away, we just did our best to stay afloat. We didn’t have any plans, but I tried to give us a good mix of busy time and down time. Because too much time in the house with two little ones can get a little hairy.

And we really did okay, but there were just some rocky moments. The moments where I snap at Hudson because he disobeyed me for the fifteenth time. The moments where I think I’m going to lose my mind because Hudson is back-talking me while Hayes just walks all over the house and tries to get into everything.

I took the boys to get haircuts. Hudson tolerated it and sat pretty still, yet still ended up with a choppy haircut. And Hayes absolutely lost his mind. He loathed the entire hair-cutting process. But still ended up looking pretty dapper.

But we played with RC, PC, and Nana a lot. We went to Krispie Kreme and the park. When they went to bed, I ate a Reese’s peanut butter cupcake and watched The Hunger Games. We had a good weekend in the end, and I know it’s good for me to have the boys by myself for a few days at a time a few times each year.

It’s times like this, when I’m alone with them for days at a time, that I realize how truly grateful I am for my husband. I am grateful for him all the time, but when I really am able to see how much his presence alone “saves us” all each day, I am even more grateful. He is our glue in our little family of four, and I need that glue because lately I’ve been becoming unglued quite a lot. (If you haven’t read Lysa’s book, you must!)

Knowing every afternoon that Todd is coming home from work just gives us all a little bit of excitement about the end of the day. Daddy’s coming home and everyone gets excited.

And, way too often, I use the time that Todd gets home to just unload. I tell him about the things the boys got into. I tell him about how the dogs barked at everyone who walked by and woke the kids up. I tell him about the pushy salesman who came to our door and wouldn’t go away. I just unload. And I unload on a hard-working man who, no doubt, had his fair share of “stuff” going on all day.

While Todd was away, I recognized even more the importance of praying for him. We have a lot going on these days, and as we talk about selling our house and moving into another one, I can only imagine the pressure he feels as the sole provider for our family. There’s pressure to be the leader in every single way, including the spiritual leader.

He does so much for us all, but loving us is what he does best.

Hudson absolutely pushes me to my limit because he’s with me all day. And each day I know that when Todd gets home, the day is going to turn a corner because he is so excited to see his daddy. And I love that it’s that way. I wish that Hudson and I didn’t butt heads as much, but it’s just because I’m here with him all day.

I’ve talked before about my struggling prayer life, but lately I’ve just been praying for my husband. And praying that God is going to give him the wisdom and courage to lead us through each family decision and each bit of change. I pray that he is often recharged and is blessed in his relationships and blessed by his work.

I pray that he has a teachable spirit and shows signs of leadership at work and at church. I pray that he seeks the Lord’s will first in the midst of pressure from everyone around him, including me. There are so many moments when I make a suggestion and Todd knows it’s just not the right thing, and while he wants to please me, he has to tell me why what I want just isn’t going to work.

We’re thankful for Todd.

My other prayer is that I always show him the respect that he deserves. He is a loving husband, a wonderful father, and I couldn’t ask for more from the spiritual leader of our household. Our kids adore him and we miss him when he’s away. We’re glad he’s home!

How are you praying for your husband?

bravery and confidence

Filed Under: Faith

Aug272012

In the car last night, I was having a conversation with a friend about what has happened in the last three plus years.

Gradually, day by day, since the fall of 2008, a little piece of the old me has been replaced with a little piece of the new me. It’s motherhood. I lose sight of so much of what I used to be, because so few things are the same as they were before the fall of 2008, when I found out I was pregnant with Hudson, our first baby.

To use the word “lose” seems a little wrong, though, right? I’m not the same person, though I wrote a blog post or two a couple years ago insisting that I was the same person. But I’m really not. How could I possibly be?

With the introduction of motherhood to our lives, we truly learn about unconditional love. We know what it really feels like for our hearts to break. We know the feeling of all-consuming love that keep us up at night and cause us to sneak into our kids’ rooms just to smell their clean hair and hold their little hands.

With Hudson, I was just absolutely clueless. And pretty darn terrified. The night before he was born I was flooded with emotion and didn’t sleep a wink. I had no earthly clue what we were going to do.

And then Hudson taught be how to be brave. He needed me, and I knew that my love for him could pull out all kinds of bravery. I was scared, but I could do it. I wasn’t going to freeze up. I was going to do what needed to be done, even though I was terrified and didn’t know what I was doing.

Then my sweet little Hayes. Hayes helped me find confidence. This time? I did know what I was doing. I didn’t lose sleep over his arrival because I was afraid. I cherished my sleep!

He showed me that I could multi-task and keep my cool.

Hayes showed me that with confidence comes the reminder to slow down and soak it all in. I already knew how quickly the time flies, but my little Hayes was going to stay little as long as possible.

There are many, many moments in the day where I’m not soaking it all in and where I don’t feel confident- or even brave. I want to throw in the towel and find a place to sit by myself for a few quiet minutes. There are moments when I do forget that time flies and I find myself wishing time away until they are more self-sufficient and scream a lot less.

But with each day, I learn a new lesson. Aside from bravery and confidence, I have to remember to stop and let the moment pass before I react.

photo by Sarah Lyn Photography

Hudson has the hard job of being the one that helps me learn. He’s the one that helps me conquer my fears. He’s the one that makes me extra emotional when we butt heads or when he makes me so proud I could burst. He’s the one that will run out in front of traffic first because he refused to hold my hand. He’s the one that will say a bad word first. Each first for him is also a first for me. Because I really just have to figure all of this stuff out every day as it comes.

And maybe this is why I cherish every little thing with Hayes so much. Because I’m more confident in myself this time, and I remind myself to just breathe and take it all in.

Just as each baby is different, I’m different, too. And my relationship with each of them is completely different.

And there’s just no possible way that I’m the same person that I was four years ago. I see less and less of the “old Erin” each day. And I am so thankful for these boys and the sweet lessons they’re teaching me.

Weekend Reading

Filed Under: weekend reading

Aug262012

Every week I “star” posts in my Google Reader that I loved and want to go back and read again. And after sharing a few of those posts on Twitter, I decided to share a handful of my favorites from the past two weeks with you. Next week I’ll come back and do it again but try to limit it to just the previous week.

35 things I’ve learned in my 35 years by Simple Mom

The Soundtrack of Our Lives by The Nester @ (in)Courage (after my post about what the music of 1995 means to me, I loved reading this post)

I Turn 30 Today. Here’s what I’m going to do about it. by The Dirty Martini Diaries

4 of a Kind by The Tiny Twig and {Our Adoption} Boy or Girl? by House of Rose (These are two very positive, content posts about being a boy mom. And y’all know how I love being a boy mom.)

And then I knew I’m not done yet. by I Love You More Than Carrots

The Little Blue Pill by Tales of the Trees

If you have a post you think everyone should read, please share it in the comments. I know we’re all always looking for inspiring posts and it’s a great way to find new blogs, and new blog readers.

Family Road Trip Tips

Filed Under: Organization, vacation

Aug242012

Family road trips can be a bit overwhelming. When kids are involved, you just never really know what to expect. Gone are the days of taking a quiet drive with your honey as you take turns listening to your favorite music, and stopping at fun local stores and restaurants just because you’ve got all the time in the world.

No, on family road trips, we’re pretty much at the mercy of our kiddos, their needs, and their schedule.

When Hudson was a baby and a young toddler, we used to fly everywhere. Hudson and I frequently flew to see my mom and dad in Dallas, and we had that whole process mastered.

But when Hayes came along, the idea of flying with two babies– alone– just seemed like too much. And too expensive. So we started driving. In Hayes’s short little life, we’ve been on at least five 12-hour road trips. And they’re not all that bad.

I wanted to share our tips with all of you that have young children.

Cue the Vacation “Holiday Road” theme music, Griswolds…

1. Set up a special toy bag. If the oldest child can reach it, that’s ideal. But if the front seat passenger can reach it that’s good, too. Pack the toy bag with some fun new toys and old favorites. We like to bring sticker books, a Magnadoodle, the boys’ favorite animals, and favorite books. Little ones just need something to hold on to and chew on. Older ones need something very hands-on. We also pack puzzles for when we arrive at our destination. We put all of the small toys and small pieces in Ziploc bags so everything stays together and nothing gets lost. I love the Thirty-One Large Utility Tote for holding our toys in the car.

2. Prepare your in-car entertainment. We have a portable DVD player that we have hooked up to the back of one of the front seats. We prefer to play longer Disney movies so we’re not constantly trying to switch out the DVD. And my boys love all the music in the Disney movies. We also bring the iPad, and have some kid-friendly apps downloaded and have also downloaded some of their favorite movies and TV shows. We also listen to some of our family’s favorite songs. Our boys both love music, so we like to keep music on hand that keeps them happy.

3. Set up a little diaper station. We bring our regular diaper bag on the trip, but for the actual road trip, we set up a station in the back of our SUV. You could also do this in the front seat of the car when you stop. Sometimes there is a dirty diaper and there’s not a clean restroom for diaper changing. I actually love the Thirty-One Organizing Utility Tote for this purpose. We pack it full of diapers, a pair of clean underwear, and a change of clothes for each boy. And it holds a big container of wipes. The portable changing pad fits in the bag, too, so we can just change a quick diaper in the car. We also bring the small portable potty for this reason. You just never know when someone needs to go.

4. Bring the comforts of home. Hudson is attached to his lovie and Hayes sleeps with a lovie and a certain pacifier. This are my boys’ “sleep triggers” and instantly make them feel comfortable. They go to sleep so quickly when they have these little comforts. I also bring a little blanket for each of them, so they don’t get too cold when they nap. And we bring Hudson’s pillow for when we arrive at our destination. Fortunately, their carseats have large side impact protection padding that gives them a nice little pillow.

5. Don’t forget the snacks. We pack a bag full of snacks. We bring “clean” snacks like crackers, oatmeal bars, cookies, graham crackers, and Goldfish. Just things that they can eat without making a huge mess. And for road trips, I’m not overly concerned with packing healthy snacks. I just want to keep them happy, and quiet. I also pack a few very large bottles of water so we can refill sippy cups as often as needed.

6. Food stops and sanity stops. Stop as often as your kids need. We always build in time for extra long stops. We know we’ll need more potty breaks than usual, and we know that when they need lunch, they really need lunch. We try to stop at a fast food restaurant with a playground so the boys can run around and burn off some energy. If we have to spend an hour for lunch just so they can get their wiggles out, that’s okay. Another one of our favorite places to stop is Cracker Barrel. We can always count on a decent meal for our kids and we can count on clean bathrooms.

7. Time your trip around your kids’ schedule. We always try to leave immediately after breakfast. This way they are full from breakfast and they’ve been awake at least an hour. We know that we can get at least three hours in on the road before we have to stop for lunch. And then we know that after lunch they’ll be fed, full, and tired. Then we can count on a good, long afternoon nap. But if it’s clear that our kids are just over the trip and aren’t going to tolerate it another second, we try to be flexible. If we need to stop for the night and finish the trip the next day, we’re prepared to do that. Which leads me to my final tip…

8. Pack strategically. If you are planning to stop halfway, pack one overnight bag that has a change of clothes and pajamas for all of you. It will need all the toiletries and whatever you need for one quick stay at a hotel on the way to your final destination. We pulled up very late one night to a hotel about halfway to the beach. I unloaded the boys and Todd grabbed the one bag we needed. Make sure your overnight bag is easy to access from the rear of the vehicle.

What tips would you add to this list?

*Thirty-One Gifts did not sponsor this post, I just absolutely love their bags and never go on a trip without these bags. I have many friends that sell Thirty-One and I have ordered quite a few bags over the last two years. They really are the best.

Road trips aren’t bad at all if you’re a preschooler who hollers out that you need to go potty. And if your brother is snoozing next to you in his car seat, your daddy will take you into Burger King to get a milkshake and a crown.

«Previous Page