The Calm Before the Storm
The first rodeo was this weekend and I was absolutely giddy! Cory has been to two rodeos without #teamhazen as we have indulged in our first baseball season. I feel rested and rejuvenated. This year, I was intentional about “the calm before the storm.”
A couple of years ago, I felt super defeated, deflated and overwhelmed come August (just in time to start school, yay)! I realized that in order to have a joyful heart in the fall, I needed to prepare better before the rodeo season. Here’s some of the intentional actions that I take, just in case it also helps you to prepare for the “storm.”
Food….ugh…..a big task. I cleaned inside and out, I combined bags and containers, I restocked low items, and I even bought new containers to condense and make our food routines run smoother. I had a friend come over (bless her heart!) and look at my space with new eyes. We rearranged our cabinets to make it more efficient.
In a fast pace life, efficiency is key! No time to waste trying to find an ingredient or run out of snacks. Organizing doesn’t just help us run smoothly, though. It makes for a happy mama in the home which is the goal to be able to serve my family with a joyful heart.
I was intentional about decluttering. I made a list of a couple small areas to declutter. My office samples and demos, my hair products, the boys shoes, charging cords, my books, our medicine cabinet, my vitamins, my old t-shirts.
Small areas. Manageable tasks.
All for the purpose of having less, so it takes less time to manage. Time spent in one area (finding things out of place, putting away too many toys, fussing with the extra) is time spent away from another (rodeos, quiet mornings, visits with friends, horse rides).
I also was intentional about filling up my cup in lasting ways. Sure, I like face masks, and massages. I pamper myself with both frequently, but they are fleeting to me. Just a temporary fill.
Filling my cup for the long haul is spending time with our Lord.
Praying intentionally, studying, and having conversations with friends to gain more understanding. Filling my cup for a lasting full is pouring into my #teamhazen relationships. I love spending intentional time with each of my boys. We do movie dates, sure, but we also run errands together, plant our garden, read books, or lay in bed 30 mins before the brothers join us.
Same goes for Shug. Being intentional with him in the season of life that we are in looks like not pulling away from him during a hug to do dishes faster. It’s holding him until he lets go. It’s sitting with him on the couch right after dinner instead of putting it all away. It’s getting up early to gather the horses and sort bulls, or calling each other first when we get into the car.
Putting God first, then Shug, then the boys. In that order. It makes me a more joyful wife and mama. Out of that order, I struggle.
As we left for our first rodeo I felt encouraged, ready and
Joyful.
-Victoria
