Thankful Thursday

This week I find myself slowly refreshing my mental state from last week & prepping my brain for the next. I have much work to do: editing, housework, small furniture diys, meal prepping/macro counting, workouts, etc... but most importantly, I have my daughter. What? Yes, My daughter is work. She's a handful, she's a tough "task" that I to complete on a daily. However, she's the greatest "work" or "task" of my life. Hallie is both my husband & I's joy in our daily experience of this world. I don't view her as an object or a material thing, I view my daughter's life as a mission in its' own right. Making sure she is always happy, healthy, & learning all that she can. It is my goal & mission to get her through this wonderful & crazy journey called life & eventually, her Soul will venture back to her Heavenly Father.

Now, don't let my phrasing mislead you. Hallie May is everything in between my chores, errands, & business obligations. She's so much more than how I simply phrased it above. The journey I take with my daughter everyday, is an honorable yet sometimes exhausting one. But why? Well, motherhood is more than cleaning up chicken nuggets off the floor. Motherhood or being in any sort of relationship with another human of personal significance takes an enormous amount of nurturing, patience, & discipline all while the rest of your life is happening around you.

We've all heard it before in songs, books, & other resources....it's the little things. That the people in our lives & the journey throughout our lives are what really matters when it comes time to go Home. It's true. It's so dang true, but that doesn't change the fact that sometimes we lose sight of that & become focused on other stressors. Sometimes it's so hard to not cry or punch a wall because balancing all of it & dealing with our priorities constantly shifting is SO STINKIN' HARD. That's okay. It really is; we're only human.

We can put all the motivational signs in our houses or on the backgrounds of our phones all we want, but the truth is, we're all going to get stressed out & make mistakes anyway. Being a mom has taught me so much about this ongoing cycle. This constant cycle of our mindsets, circumstances, & priorities changing. This is why they say happiness isn't destination.

My baby girl has shown me what the meaning of love, patience, & happiness is. She doesn't realize how much she has & will continue to help me grow as a human everyday. She's helping me to understand life & making me a better mama all the time. I'm thankful. I'm so thankful for this life & for my little family. Just yesterday I was a naive 17 yr old kid who quickly fell for a boy who became my husband & father to our baby girl. We've built such an incredible life full of so many memories & opportunities we never thought possible & we're just now 25. God has shown us Grace & given us so many things whether or not I remember on a daily basis. Cliche or not, it's the little things.

-Emily

**Photographer: Jessica Billings Photography

**Editior: Emily Lollar Photography

#thankfulthursday #thankful #hallie #lollarfamily #novemberpost #family