Singly Ever After

Pick and choose your battles. This can be with any issue. Sometimes I look back at how critical I was of my kids’ behavior and think who really cares about that now? Or I see how I stressed and toiled over a clean house. Does it really matter at the end of the day, or year, or lifetime? Some things are simply not worth the effort.

Your kids could be part of every activity possible. But let this soak in for a minute: whatever talent God gave your kids will be perfected regardless of what you do. Be selective. Do not stress yourself out and struggle with a crazy schedule to try to get it all in. You will miss things. They may fight you. It is all ok. God has an amazing way of making things happen if they are supposed to.

Whatever you are doing, whatever is going on just slow down. Take a big deep breath and realize you are right where you need to be. Even in the hurt. Even if it looks bad. Even when you feel alone. God sees you and has a plan for both you and your kids. Believe me when I say His plans are much greater than even what we can dream! Remember that whatever stage of life you are in, whether you have a baby, a toddler, or teenagers, this stage will not last forever. Enjoy each special moment you can.

One of my best memories is what we called snuggle time. Every night before bed my kids would sit on my lap and I would read to them. Just for a few minutes. It was important for them to have that physical touch. It was also important that I shut off all the distractions and just had a few minutes with them. Now bed time is a short chat and we pray together.

So here is another one of my secrets.... cook ahead and freeze! You will find a few of my recipes will be at the end of the book. I did this so that if you find one you like you can tear the page out and use it. Find a friend to cook with you. This makes it a fun social activity and helps you and the other person, while combating that ever present loneliness too! Even something as simple as frying up ground meat then freezing it made life easier. I can also tell you that if you do it this way, you will have less dishes to do in the end. This is a real motivator for me!

This practice has evolved over time. It began with simply cooking my meats when I brought them home from the grocery store. I would fry up ground meat and package it in freezer bags according to how much we would eat in the average meal. I frequently bake a whole package of chicken breasts. Just season them, and they freeze beautifully. In the summer, I grill a bunch of chicken breasts and freeze them. That fabulous grilled flavor tastes just as good coming out of the freezer.