MINE!

Iz loves to hold onto things really tight - toys, food, car keys, expensive Iphones, machetes (ha - just kidding....making sure you were awake) - and say "MINE!" Really, it comes out as "muh" or "mum mum." But, the action of holding it close to her is very clear....dang girl...she knows what's HERS!

I am queen of BUTS. (Not queen of Butts...I have no butt - really - it's non existent. Jeans fit me weird. Heard of apple butts and pear butts...nope...I have a pancake butt)...anyhoo..back to the other BUT...

How many times do we make up excuses:

"I'd like to BUT ______"

"I need to BUT _______"

"I should, BUT _______"

And more so likely than not, the BUT is a valid BUT. Lately - the BUT - is Isabelle related, exhaustion related, you know....the normal mom BUTS.

I just worry that we are going to BUT ourselves to death, blog mommies, and realize that we are sacrificing a lot more than what we really need to be sacrificing.

We are all so used to putting our families first - the needs of our kids, our husbands, our jobs - first - that we BUT ourselves into a corner where we're stuck all alone with a person you no longer know. The person who once had dreams, had goals, had aspirations, had clean clothes, had washed hair - but the BUT of our lives forces us to lose so much of ourselves.

I know how important the needs of a child (a real kid and then the big kid aka husbands) in our lives are. I'm not talking about neglecting them...I'm just talking about putting you - and - me first for just a second.

I'm pretty convinced I don't do it - because after I give myself a break to get my hair did, or after my shopping spree for clothes I really did need, or to just sit and do absolutely nothing - I feel guilty. Guilty because - for some ridiculous reason - I feel like me time should have been spent with Iz or Craig, the money on my clothes should have been spent on diapers (instead of Iz using the super duper absorbent maxi pads they gave me post baby), and the time I zoned out to watch a show for 30 minutes should have been used to finish a chore left half done.

I'm at a point where my me is mommy and wife. My baking business - Zen Baking Company - has been a great outlet for me to use my creativity and though it's work - time for me to get back to something I love - and that's creating, baking, and making things for people to enjoy.

But, if I didn't have Zen....I'm not sure what I'd have that was MINE. I used to love taking cooking classes BUT they're at night and it's too much effort to drive out to Dallas. I used to love going and trying new restaurants - and do it up right - dress up, heels and all, a glass (or bottle) of wine - appetizer, entree, dessert, BUT - it's a lot of work to get ready and dinners get expensive. I love to read BUT I don't have the time.

But...

Find a MINE - blog friends. Take a few moments to get to the heart of who you are again. I know that I've given so much of me to everyone - my cute kid, my loving husband, my wonderful family, and my awesome friends - that I've forgotten the things that are mine - just all about me.

And give yourselves the chance to enjoy your MINE - without guilt, without apologies.

Take a cue from the cutest kid I know....and find your MINE once again.