This morning, as we drove the boys to school, Richie in the back seat right along with the rest of the crazies, everyone singing along to The Beatles (my absolute favorite band), reading family scriptures, having family prayer, and then shouting our “I love you’s” back and forth as the boys piled out of the van and bounced joyfully into the world. . . I was filled to overflowing with gratitude and joy.

We’ve worked so hard, Richie and I, to set up our lives intentionally. Early in our marriage, we sat down together and decided upon staunch priorities surrounding what we wanted our life together to look and feel like. (NOTE: It’s no surprise that the majority of those goals centered around the kind of life we hoped to be able to provide for our children).  I’m so happy to report (to myself more than anyone else) that despite pitfalls, roadblocks, discouragement, and outright failures (yes, plural), we’ve remained committed to the things we deemed (together) to matter the very most. Case in point the ability to drive the boys to school—together—in the mornings, and the luxury of picking them up—together—in the afternoons. This is a small example of a bigger picture reality we have worked so hard to achieve.

Not to say that we’ve got it all perfect. We still have SO (so so so so so SO) far to go, but we’re on the right path—the pathway toward our intentional life, and it is so absolutely energizing and fulfilling that my heart nearly bursts with joy just thinking about it.

Intentional living will look different for everyone, but friends, do the work to get clear (about what you want your life to look like) and then get busy (creating the life of your dreams). You CAN do it, and you’ll be so glad you did!

Allow me to leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Ms Karen Lamb: ”A year from now, you’ll wish you started today.”

xx,

N

 

Good morning. Good night.

“You look awful!”

He steps in to get a better look.

“Like, (perplexed pause), you look like you are about to die!”

He leans in even closer.

But before he can find a way to further articulate his horror, we both burst into side-splitting laughter.

“This is what I need him for,” I think, as I look down and realize that I’m still in my pajamas at 7:30. . . PM.

There is a pile of wrappers that used to contain the canister full of dinner mints that have sustained me all day long.

This was . . . a day. Ya know? And if I’m being totally honest, I’ll say that I have a lot of days like this. I’m not the mom who wakes up and has her make-up on before she gets the kids out of bed in the morning. I’ll never be that mom. I wish I were that mom. But guess what? Reality: I’m lucky if I get my make up on before our semi-annual family photo session, forget the drop off line at school. And that’s ok with me. (Sort of. . . . Well, most of the time. OK. A good percentage of the time. Like say, 35%.)

On days when I’m feeling particularly spread thin and frazzled, I remind myself that I’m a part of something. Something that matters. In fact, I’m a part of a lot of somethings that matter, and I get to live them out every day, with my entire soul. That means something to me. It really does. So yes, I’m still in the stars and stripes that I put on at 10:30pm . . . yesterday. And no, I’m not ashamed (I’m a little ashamed) to be admitting that out loud. (Actually, you know what? I did it on purpose. It makes going to bed again a cinch.)

______________________________

Dear, sweet, strong, brave, bat-freaking-crazy, zombie face Natalie,

Every day, as you break up fist fights between your children, stop and look at them (but not for too long, or there will be blood). Stop and really look at them, and remember that they are yours. You made them. And you get to keep them, forever. That’s a something to be proud of. 

As you look at the pile of dishes that is stinking up not only the kitchen but is sneaking it’s way into your living space as well, remember, you survived on dinner mints today because you wanted to, not because you didn’t have enough food to eat. You have a kitchen full of dishes and a pantry full of food to put on them. Why you chose to subsist on dinner mints is a mystery of the free world. But every girl needs to keep a little mystery in her life. So, good on ya! This is all a something to feel very grateful for. 

When your husband tells you you look like the walking dead, wrap your arms tight around his neck, because if it weren’t for him, you would drive yourself right into the ground with how hard you work every day, and you know it. His love and hilarity are the solitary reasons you stay sane and keep your head square upon your shoulders. That is a something to cry tears of joy about.

When you are starting to doubt the wisdom of your 3 month long email strike as you see unanswered messages spilling out the front door and onto the neighbor’s lawn, remember— each one of those emails (except the stupid ones from Living Social and K-Mart) represents one of God’s children that you get the absolute honor of loving on for a few measly minutes of your big bad day. That is a something you need to appreciate as a gift. That is a something you need to remember to love.

When you are losing your mind trying to coordinate all the logistics of your crazy-beautiful life, just look around at all the SPECTACULAR people who are constantly rising up to help, to encourage, to support and to sustain your efforts. YOUR life is FILLED TO OVERFLOWING with not only somethings but someones who love you fiercely. . .far more than you deserve.

 

Above: Discussing Metta (loving kindness) Meditation with Mom after a particularly hard night.

 

 At the end of a long day of hustling like your life depended on it, when your 10 year old asks you to come and not only listen to him practice his drums, but sing vocals for him as well (WHAT?!), remember, migraines.are.awesome. (That’s not a something. It’s just torture, by the way. But it is evidence of a life full of love and belonging. . . and THAT is a something you could never live without.)

And when you didn’t get dinner on the table, and your house is nearing disaster status, and your laundry is taking over the bathroom, and said bathroom smells like number one, and you are exhausted on a cellular level, and despite going a million miles an hour—all.day.long—you really aren’t sure what you even accomplished . . . remember, you have opposable thumbs, and that is neat.

Hang in there, sister. Your life is beautiful.

xo,

Self

PS Want to join me in an upcoming something that I’m incredibly proud to be a part of? Come see me and two of my most treasured and respected friends (Tamara Lackey and Jen Bebb) in Brooklyn, Nashville or LA for a day of encouragement, straight talk and practical, sustainable application that is sure to get you from where you are now (10:45pm in yesterday’s pajamas?), to where you truly want to be (10:45 pm in yesterday’s pajamas, but eating ice cream too??).

All joking aside*, this event is not to be missed. Find (real) information here: What If Conference | The Day Camps.

*Note: this is my last scheduled speaking engagement of 2013.

click here to open post Oct 26, 2012 | posted in parenting | 22 comments

Above photo from beautiful cousin Nicole and her darling Baby Dash. Halloween, 2011.

I introduce to you. . . the Great Pumpkin!

Every year, on Halloween night, the Norton boys bag up all their Halloween loot and leave it out on the front porch for the Great Pumpkin. Once the the boys are in bed and the house is quiet and dark, the Great Pumpkin emerges from the darkness and sizes up said offering. If he deems the sacrifice sufficient, he takes it with him and leaves some long awaited toy, of one kind or another, in it’s place!

I know. I know. Y’welcome.

Great Pumpkin Tips:

1. If you’re worried about the kids being on board, make it optional. Chances are, they’ll be so curious about the surprise, they’ll be all over the idea. If not, when siblings get their presents, they’ll have at least learned their lesson for next year!

2. Let the kids each pick 5-10 of their favorite pieces of candy to keep! “Live a little, mom.”

3. You could always have the Tooth Fairy come pick up the loot instead of the Great Pumpkin! That’s a pretty practical mythical creature to use in a case like this. . . She could leave money, just like she does for teeth. . .

4.  Have the kids write a letter to the Great Pumpkin, the way they do for Santa for an extra touch of festivity!

5. Parents! Be sure to dig through the goodies and hide a stash of your favorite treats before the Great Pumpkin shows up and walks away with all that deliciousness. . . ;)

Happy Halloween!!

**This was originally posted on October 31,2011. It appears here as a revised copy of the original post.

Summer Bucket List Challenge!

Sincerely, what greater memories do you have from your childhood than those of summer fun?? Sure, Christmas is great, birthdays are a blast, but SUMMER?? It can’t be beat. Otter pops, starry nights, the smell of campfire, sleeping in, staying up late. . . oh. I could go on for days.

This is why it’s so vitally important to me to make summer GREAT for my family. I’m completely committed to making this summer a time of family togetherness, bonding, love, healing and rejuvenation. This is MY time. The rest of the year, my boys spend 6 hours, every.single.day, away at school. They go to an excellent school, mind you, with exceptional teachers and friends, but they are outside of my  . . . um . . . bubble of motherly adoration, love and protection?? for SIX hours a day! I see summer as my time to love on them like ca-razy, to remind them just how special, amazing and downright AWESOME SAUCE they really are. (Not that this kind of loving-on-ing is reserved exclusively for summertime, obviously not, but this is my chance to make the love and praise and sense of absolute belonging totally INCESSANT. And I plan to!)

The Norton family has joined The Happy Family Movement’s Summer Bucket List Challenge and this is our list!

I’ll be posting an Instagram image every time we complete one of the items on our list (NatalieNorton on Instagram or follow on the web here). If at the end of the summer, July 31st for us (I know, right?!), you notice that we’ve missed something on our list, email me at aloha@natalienortonblog.com, and the first 5 people to call us out will get a $25 iTunes gift card from yours truly. How’s that for committed?!

Want to participate in The Summer Bucket List Challenge with the Norton’s, the Solar’s and other awesome families across the globe? It’s easy, enter here (the Solars are giving away all kinds of exciting prizes all summer long)!

Once you’ve entered, join me in posting all your shenanigans on Instagram, be sure to tag your instagram photos #summerbucketlist and at the end of the summer, I may just decide to feature my favorite image(s) here on the blog. . . I may even decide to give one lucky family an exciting little gift. :) Lots of ambiguity here, no? I guess it’s all dependent on just how exciting all y’all decide to be! Prizes, should there be any, will be awarded for fun and creativity. . . it’s not about crazy pants activities, expense or being elaborate. I’m all about simplicity, real life and HAPPINESS!

Enough talk! It’s time to fight against TV, video games, the internet and even friends (we all know we compete with our kid’s friends for their attention ALL.SUMMER.LONG). I hope you feel as empowered as I do to  get out there and make this summer your best yet!

You fill up my senses, like a night in a forest.
Like the mountains in springtime, like a walk in the rain.

Like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean.
You fill up my senses, come fill me again.

Come let me love you. Let me give my life to you.
Let me drown in your laughter. . . .

Let me lay down beside you.

Let me always be with you.

Come let me love you; come love me again.

Thank you, John Denver, for writing the words of my heart. Truly one of the most beautiful songs of all time. Also, you should know that sometimes I pretend like you’re still alive. I’m equally fond of imagining you in Heaven, friends with this guy. I’m fairly certain that the two of you would be a great fit.

PS. Lincoln, you were DETERMINED that I get a picture of you doing a handstand in the water. As you can see, your determination almost paid off. . . sooooo cloooooose.
PPS.Thank you for hosting us Grandma and Grandpa Great. We sure love you a million.
PPPS. Rediscovered this tonight as well. Oh my. Tears (and a standing ovation of my heart) every.single.time. So much in this world to be inspired by. Everywhere you look.