I will say that 2015 was the best year of my life. For two very cute and precious reasons...
I guess when you have children, you become more aware of the time that escapes you. Considering the boys are now 8 months old, I look at them every day and ask myself, "Where did my little babies go?" They are growing up so fast, and already making big strides in their growth. Landon and Nathan can both stand and crawl, are excellent eaters, grant me many nights of sleep because they sleep through the night (I probably jinxed that now that I said this), and of course, make Mike and I so happy. It is truly instant love when you have a baby, and each day when I come home from work just gets better as they are excited to see me. All the changes that have come to our life have been things more interesting. Some for the better and some, well, just different. We roll with the punches and look forward to the future.
But, I have learned many new things this year that have open my eyes to this new time in my life.
1. I am a mom, but I'm not Super Mom.
Being a mother was and still is a learning process. I don't have all the answers, but I do what I feel is best for the boys. I can't tell you how many times I've asked myself a question out loud just because the pure thought of figuring out the answer baffles me. I'm sure if the boys could communicate with me, I'd be better able to figure out what they need in those moments of crying. But, I do what I can, and do what I know. However, the sense of pride I have in myself knowing that I do all that I can to raise two happy little dudes in the best way I know how is rewarding.
2. There's never enough time for anything.
This revelation pertains to two things in specific:
A. My blog.
I'm putting it out there - House Of Jeffers isn't my first priority. I still love blogging, I love writing, and I absolutely love playing dress up. But, I don't know many bloggers who have twins who also work full time. The days of going outside on a nice day to take photos has escaped me since my sons are my absolute priority. Their needs trump anything that is going on in my life. I have tried my hardest to sit down at the computer and pen interesting posts with visuals - but I haven't done a good job of it. I'm often tired from work, and then, have responsibilities for the boys that need to be addressed. By the time it's bedtime, I'm exhausted. Or, on the days when the weather does cooperate and I can go outside, something comes up where I can't pack the boys up to take photos. Maybe when the boys are at the point where we can take them for walks and do more things with them I'll have more opportunities to carry on with the blog like I want to. But for now, I have to fit House Of Jeffers in when I can. However, to compensate for the lack of posts here, I've been upping my game on Instagram at House Of Jeffers - where you can find me anytime. A small compromise, but still, an effort I"m trying to make.
B. My social life.
Um, what social life? Listen, I'm well into my mid-30s, and not that life is over, but I'm not interested in going out and spending money on things that I don't need, nor, do I need to go out partying since I'm married. But, the free moments I had for girl's night out are few and far between. I've had to miss out on lots of things and that's okay. It's part of being an adult and being a parent that I signed up for. I can only complain so much considering my family goes above and beyond to watch the boys when social engagements come up. My husband and I try our hardest to maintain as much of ourselves and our hobbies as possible, but parenting takes a precedence to anything else we have going on. Not many people can understand that, and may be mad at me for it. I can only say that when they are in my shoes, they'll know what I mean.
3. Being a mom doesn't mean I have to give up who I am.
The mom bun is not part of my style routine. I don't own a velour jumpsuit. I still wear heels.
I still put on my makeup, do my hair and of course, pick out an outfit to wear that says "Jen", but a stylish mom-version of her.
Not all aspects of being a mom are glamorous, but that doesn't mean I have to rough it every morning in order to get the boys ready. Getting myself dressed and pampering myself in those small moments makes me feel like I'm more ready to take on the day. So while I might not get out of my PJs till 12 on a Sunday, when I do, I look like my normal self.
4. At the end of the day, nothing else matters except for your family's happiness.
Listen, things don't always go the way I plan. People sometimes turn out to be jerks, and let you down. But compared to what's going on at home - it's all trivial b.s. that will work itself out. As long as the people I love are happy - who cares about anything else? If you can't control it, don't waste your time worrying about it. That mantra is something I preach but don't always practice, so I have some catching up to do in 2016.
But, 2015 was amazing. I loved every minute of it, and I hope you did, too. If not, you can always start over... and January 1 is a great place to start.
Have a wonderful, happy, amazing and adventurous 2016!
