It’s been a horrible few weeks..to say the least, (I know there are days, weeks and even seasons) like this sometimes in our lives, but boy…this one has really got me down!  I am trying to find the “lemonade” in it all…realizing that even in the hard times that we can find joy and learn and grow!  So here are a few things that I’ve learned in the last few weeks..

Flexibility is really a must!  .I recently read a quote that said “blessed are the flexible as they shall not be bent”  I have tried to lean on that…knowing that the more I learn to “go with the flow” the less things will bother me and I will be less stressed!

Finding the quiet!  My daughter (the sweet thing that she is) came to me last night and said “mom, a bit of advice from Dr, Makaley…you need a hot bath” she was right!  I needed the time to settle my mind, to just escape from all the crayness.  For me the hot bath with peppermint oil was a must, but for you it may be a drive in the country or a walk around the neighborhood.

Heathy Eating:  I am so reminded of how garbage in means garbage out, and when life is stressful, we need more than ever to eat food that gives us fuel.  The last few weeks I’ve been running hear and there, putting out many fires and I was eating like crap, and it wasn’t helping anything, I had little energy to deal with all the “fires’ and so I made a commitment to eat better (clean) and it has helped a lot!

Find the fun:  This weekend (through all the nutso…and when I say that you have no idea) but it was beautiful here in NC and we decided to go for a fall drive, to a fall festival in Asheboro and it was so much fun, our family needed it, though there was a lot of grumbling on the way (we were all stressed) the way back was full of laughter and good times because we had some good ole fashioned fun together!

Perspective makes all the difference:  In the last year or so we have had some very hard things happen to our family…things that would rock our world to the core, but a few long months removed, it was the best thing that could have happend to use…our perspective has changed (as hard as it was) and so now, while my life is in one of those seasons…I am trying to remember that perspective will help me get through it all!

So not that I’m not okay, I am!  It’s just been a very difficult season with a lot of circumstacial things that are beyond my control (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, two broken teeth, my husbands MD has gotten worse) So I’m trying to take my own words and daily (sometimes minute by minute) remember them!

Switching gears big time!  I had this awesome family session (well many awesome family sessions) at the beach this year…this session was one of my favorites!  The light, the colors, my favorite beach and this gorgeous family with all this love!  Thank you so much M family for being such amazing clients!

First, just before their session I managed to catch this shot!