Hello, my dear readers. Can y'all believe it's June? We are more than half way through 2015! So many big things have happened so far for our family this year. Laine turned 11 and entered the tween years and finished the 4th grade. Riley turned 5 and finished Pre-K. Taylor turned 2 and is talking so great. And Alex turned one and learned to walk. James and I will soon celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary! AND I'll start back to college soon.
Now that you're all caught up on our family, getcha a cup o' joe and pull your chair up. I'll wait...Back? Okay. Today, I want to talk to you about good ole peach jelly. Most any kind of jelly tastes purely delish on a fluffy biscuit or a just popped up piece of buttered toast. But, if you spread it too thin on your biscuit or toast, it just won't taste as good. You have to make sure to spread it all over, am I right?
Life. Love. Family. Such powerful words. Add in words like schedule, sports, homework, errands and boy does that first word become hectic. Life becomes so full of schedules, and to-do's that it can become overwhelming at times. By time homework's done, you sling supper on the table and go through the "Sit up and eat", "Eat your veggies", "It's not nice to make faces", "Stop pestering your brother/sister", and any conversation with your spouse is met with confused looks because they can really only hear every other word of what you're saying. Clean everyone up, clear dishes, baths/showers, play time and bed for everyone. You walk, zombie-like to the couch and sit down, both exhausted and feeling accomplished that you made it through another day and that everyone went to bed happy.
Doesn't sound familiar? Ha! I bet you have some ocean front property in Arizona you've been trying to sell, too. Meaning? You're kidding yourself. Maybe not every day, but some days you feel tired and wonder how you managed everything through out the day that you did. Through all the hustle and bustle of every day, if you don't take a breather, you can spread yourself too thin. Life just isn't as sweet that way. It leaves either you or one of your precious family people feeling neglected. You need to recharge. You need to take time to have a bubble bath (lock the door or you'll undoubtedly have little people coming to the door :) ), read a book, sit down and read a fabulously written blog --I know a good one--, call a friend, write a letter or card to someone (Please Google if you've forgotten what those are), have a date with your spouse.
I'm the world's worst at recharging or taking a break. And truly, I find myself totally exhausted by the end of the day. I feel like my family is happy at the end of the day, but it's important for me to be, also. The saying "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"? Well, how can you set the tone for a happy home if you're running yourself too ragged to be happy yourself? Case in point, my sweet parents offered to keep our two little boys for a little while to allow me and Hubba Hubba some time alone. Our two oldest, Laine and Ri are visiting their father in Mississippi for the summer. At first, I was really having a tough time at the thought of the little boys being gone because we already miss our two oldest so much while they're gone. My mom, ever so lovingly said, "You're letting them come spend time with their grandparents and aunt, not selling them off to gypsies." My beautiful mother always has a way of snapping me back to my senses with her pearls of wisdom (May I be half the mother she is...I will have accomplished something phenomenal). So, here we are, enjoying time together and I'm, gasp....recharging. Sleeping late, taking naps, catching up on laundry, posting on my blog, chatting with friends and family, going to lunch with my sweet friend, Myra, redecorating (Boy, is Hubba Hubba happy about THAT...insert sarcasm), just having me and us time.
Does it mean I'm a bad mama? Heck no! Does it mean I don't love our children? Heck heck (two "hecks" intentional) no! It means I love them enough to want to be the best me possible and to make sure to keep the flame going with the person that loves me more than I could have ever imagined I could be loved. When kids see Daddy and Mama happy and in love, it evokes the feeling of security and gives them a sense of peace. We are missing all four of our little rays of sunshine like cray-zay, but when they all come back home, we'll be even more in love and we'll be even more ready to tackle our parental tasks better because we've had a little recharge.
We are like the peach jelly and our family/life is the warm biscuit or toast. If we spread the jelly (ourselves) too thin, our biscuit or toast (family/life) the jelly won't be a sufficient amount. When this happens to our family and our life, everyone suffers. Your family and friends are very important, but don't forget about that other very important person ---YOU. Recharge without feeling guilty or without worrying about if it fits into the busy schedule. You and your precious family will be happier because of it.
Thanks for reading.
Peace, Love and Peaches,
Karen E. Hall
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| PEACH JELLY | |
To make juice, cook peelings, seeds and peaches in water. Strain to make 3 1/2 cups peach juice. Pour into a large saucepan and add 1 box Sure-Jel. Bring to a hard boil and pour in 4 1/2 cups sugar. Boil about 2 minutes or until 2 drops slide together to make a big drop. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.
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