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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / inspiration / for fun / Crazy town, two friends and sunshine.

Crazy town, two friends and sunshine.

January 15, 2014 · 2 Comments
Filed Under: for fun, friends

whitley-family-gussy-sewscustom family illustration by my dear college friend, Lisa of My Little Buffalo

Whoooo. It’s kinda been crazy town over here. The mister has been working lots of hours lately (like 60/week) and so Max, Bauer and I have been trying to hold down the fort on our own. We are only kinda succeeding ;) Our part-time baby sitter has been on vacation, so I’ve been juggling all of the home/work/baby stuff solo. It makes me appreciate having a hubby to share life with even more! I can get by on my own for a little bit, but we’ve been pushing an entire week of crazy so I look forward to his work slowing down a little (hopefully?). I guess I didn’t realize how tired I’ve been, until two nights ago when I went to bed at 9:30pm and got out of bed at 7:30am… a total blessing. I knew I was exhausted and any work I attempted to do that night would be poor, unproductive work. So to bed I went!

I’m so thankful the weather has been absolutely gorgeous for about a week now — think 80’s and bright blue sky! I even dug out my flipflops for our walk today. Whenever Zack works a lot, or I have a lot of work myself to do, I’ve found getting out of our apartment for a bit helps so much. It keeps my focus on being productive when at home but I have the freedom to relax and adventure out when we leave the apartment. I’ve been researching free activities in our neighborhood that we can walk to and I’m super excited about what I’ve found so far.

For Christmas we received a few Starbucks gift cards, so grabbing an iced tea during the late morning/afternoon and sitting outside to drink it has been a real treat for me. Bauer and Max love the extra attention, too. There are so many restaurants and shops where we live, it’s a great walk getting there. AND! Once we get home both boys usually crash for a nap :) Bonus!

Yesterday one of my favorite friends, Joanna, came by with her daughter to play with Max while I checked a few things off my to-do list. It was so amazing. She even brought homemade cookie dough to bake in my oven (!) and Bauer may or may not have ignored even command to stop stealing the baby’s toys. Joanna’s visit was another blessing.

Zack and I have been praying hard, trying to be even more intentional and specific and receptive of what the LORD wants to share with us. I want to do more than just read a quick devotional in the morning, so I’ve been trying to linger on the verses and pages longer. It’s been really rewarding to see some of the difficulties settle down that life likes to throw at us :) Ya know?

And then also recently, another one of my favorite friends, Lisa (we met at Central Michigan University because our now husbands were roommates), sent me these two illustrative portraits. Do you just melt over how cute Maxwell looks? His blonde hair is starting to get so wavy and dare I say… curly! I kiss his sweet little head about 50 times a day. And then there’s Bauer. Lisa captured his cute-but-naughty personality perfectly. Zackary is looking as handsome as ever, and I just love seeing my pink moccasins on my feet. This family illustration is so special to me. It’s a great showcase for two parents who are working their dream jobs with a baby crawling around their feet, and a pup desperately trying to hide from the baby. Ha! Our lives right now may be a little crazy town but we are all healthy, happy and Zack and I are madly in love. (Eww, right Max?)

So. Deep breaths. :) I’m so specifically thankful for Joanna and Lisa who have blessed us this week with their gifts. And also for the posts I’ve read recently over on Edie’s blog… they are amazingly encouraging.

What act of kindness could you do for a friend this week? :)

bauer-gussy-sews

Save 10% on your entire order with My Little Buffalo using code GUSSY10.

 

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2 Comments
Filed Under: for fun, friends

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Comments

  1. Katy says

    January 15, 2014 at 3:56 am

    Bless your handmade heart Maggie!

    My neighbor is a stay at home mom with twin 4 yo girls and 1 yo boy. I am very intentional about having coffee with her once a week. I was in her shoes not too long ago. A couple weeks ago we made 22 freezer meals each together. It was so much fun.

    Being intentional is so important in building relationships.

    Ps. 80 & blue skies. So jealous!

    Have a beautiful day.

    Reply
  2. www.muxi.org says

    March 25, 2014 at 8:41 am

    Hi there would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with?
    I’m planning to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a tough time making a decision between
    BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design seems different
    then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique.

    P.S Sorry for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

    Reply

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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
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maggiewhitley

JOY in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨

maggiewhitley
Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect o Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect on the moments I’ve felt my mind spinning, my emotions swirly, it’s almost always when I’m not feasting on the word of God. Not that reading scripture is the cure for anxiety —no! Rather, it’s hard to worry when we’re worshipping.
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#womenintheword #wearethehomemakers #scripture #dailyintheword #titus2woman #healthylifestyle #mentalhealth #anxiety #anxietyawareness
Current backyard status: stunning in wonder ❄️ Current backyard status: stunning in wonder ❄️✨
A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is hot, and the whisper of a page turning. ♨️☕️📖 // We are breaking from school this week, my plan is to read a lot, walk a lot, and rest a lot. How about you?

#mothersofinstagram #tea #winterreading #hygge
I fought every internal comment I could think of a I fought every internal comment I could think of and took my kiddos for a looooong walk today before dinner. ❄️✨ There’s just so much work required to raise children! I’m feeling like a tired lady. But sunshine & fresh air are good companions to keep around. 

We came home and I made “the best dinner ever”. Max specifically announced, “it’s so great you’re launching new meals to the world”. LOL— kids! 🤣👏🏻💓
How about a little Wednesday night introduction? 😘Social media sure has changed over the years and we don’t always SEE who we’re following or remember WHY we’re following certain accounts. 

So, hello! As you can gather, my name is Maggie ;) 

I started writing online (almost 13 years ago) to share the handmade products I was sewing. My shop was called Gussy Sews. ✂️👛I love the community that has grown from sewing & sharing online.

Let’s FFW to today: Zack and I live in Michigan and have four young children (2 boys & 2 girls). I slowly left the handmade industry and walked right into homemaking, homeschooling, and encouraging women through writing. 💕📝

Motherhood has been very hard on me. (And not just because of how close in age our four children are.) It’s been hard for me because I fought for years to accept that *it’s supposed to be hard*. 

I mean, how do you effectively teach another person to know and love the Lord? Bc that’s how I think of motherhood: a calling to nurture others by studying the One who nurtures me. So I gotta make the first move: study the Bible and seek Him first. As my friend Autumn reminded me, vulnerability births transformation. 

(I’ve had to be really vulnerable!)

So, yes motherhood has fully transformed me. But even more so, Christ has fully transformed me. My list of “all that He’s done for me” is off to a beautifully long start.

Something else I want you to know about me: I stalled for years before acknowledging I have anxiety and depression. It’s hard to talk about this because of course this isn’t forever “my hardship”, but rather because acknowledging this means to heal I have to work through some really difficult things. ✨

But my friend Jesus walks alongside me. He’s already done a mighty work in my heart, including helping me process my anger in healthier ways. I’ve also adopted a heart for sisterhood, mothering, and Titus 2 mentorship.

Sometimes our greatest losses are our greatest gains? That’s what I’m clinging to!

How about you? Tell me something about yourself so I can get to know you on a deeper heart level. 🖤🖤
How do you play in the winter? // We had a really How do you play in the winter? // We had a really great time visiting family in northern Michigan. On my blog I share a few ways we played outside, plus I describe a memorable childhood game ❄️☃️. Did you play it as a kiddo?
We had gotten a bit lazy with our rhythms: screens We had gotten a bit lazy with our rhythms: screens in the morning (HGTV), playtime before lessons, and not enough quiet time after lunch. This made for a really, ummm, unenjoyable learning experience. 

But today! Today we reset the rhythm, and we have had a much happier home & time learning together. 👏🏻
Visit my stories for a quick message from ME — t Visit my stories for a quick message from ME — think outside the box in terms of how you view the definition of “motherhood” 💓😘 (also: look at my little friend, she’s sooooo snuggly)
It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hop It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hope to bundle up for another family nature walk, knowing the fresh air sweeps out any & all frustration, inviting inspiration inside. ✨That’s something we all need more of.
seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming the Laundry Beast (as a family of 6). Who wants the inside scoop? ✔️🧺👏🏻
Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomo Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomorrow :) small celebrations like this are very life giving! PS. thinking of starting a zoom book club — I need more sisterhood in my life. 👏🏻📖
The house is quiet. The heat is on. The pages are The house is quiet. The heat is on. The pages are turning. The tea is calm. 🖤☕️🧺📖
Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his ful Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his full costume and laser blaster and of course the Buzz action figure he flys around 🌟💚💙💨someone has discovered a superhero crush! #joyinmotherhood #slowmornings #surprisedbymotherhood // Landon @ 2.5yo
Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to read this year. Plus my reading goal for the year. And a few practicals ways I fit in reading as a mama of four young children & homeschooling them. Basically, all the good stuff ☺️💓📖 #maggiewhitleydotcom #readersofinstagram #read #readmorebooks
It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the fu It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the furniture as we took the tree down Tuesday midday. Def one of my fav things to do.🎄👋🏻 We made it through our first week back to school since mid-December! It was rough to begin but ended with high fives. ⭐️✏️This morning I zoomed with a mama friend and I’m impressed with the many topics we covered. Sisterhood is sooooo necessary! ☕️👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏼

Just a few cheery memories from my week! How about you?
Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activiti Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activities. I finished my last book moments before 2020 ended, which brought my started list to a close. Small joys add up to big joys ;)

What are you reading this year? Currently?

How many books are you planning to read? What’s your goal?

I’ll share what’s on my list for 2021 soon as I received some nice titles at Christmas. 📖✨🤍
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