Relating Through Weakness

Today started out like any other. We were preparing to go to church, which is a process in and off itself, especially with a child {or children} in tow. Y'all feel me on that? Thankfully though, my husband was home this morning and able to occupy Emerson, allowing me to get myself ready without much distraction. We managed to get out the door, slightly late but that's not unusual. I literally am never on time. I try SO hard, but I fail nearly every outing. We were getting in the car and everyone was happy, then the next thing I knew the tears were flowing. Not from Emerson, not from Trey, but from me. C'mon, Chelsea pull it together. My husband and I argued over something so minor the entire way to church, to the point that Emerson started yelling in the backseat {in hindsight, it was probably her way of trying to get her two cents in as a reminder that she was back there}.  We got to church and I refused to go inside because by this point my makeup was running and it was obvious I'd been crying. Trey took Emerson inside and I drove around listening to praise and worship music, partly because that calms me + brings me peace, and also because I felt guilty for not going into church. Should I have gone in? Probably, yes. Should we have parted ways right there in the parking lot AT CHURCH? Maybe not. But you know what? We're human. I'm human. We have a great life and we are generally pretty happy go lucky, but sometimes, well sometimes, life gets the best of us. Our pride and selfishness get in the way. We argue. We fight. We disagree. We cry. We walk away {not very far} sometimes. Then, eventually we apologize. We pray. We realize the magnitude of our actions {whether great or small} and we reprioritize accordingly. Why am I telling you this? Chelsea, that's pretty personal, don't you think?

The answer to both questions is this: yes, it is personal and I'm telling you because that's just me. What you see is what you get. I like to be raw, honest, real. I stumbled upon a quote recently that read,

"People relate more to other people in their weaknesses, 

not in their strengths." 

That really hit home with me because while I love capturing and sharing all of the goodness and hilarity that accompanies parenthood, our marriage, home, family, etc, I also love the freedom and vulnerability that comes with being brutality honest and real with others. From the beginning, I've always been honest about our marriage and the struggles that lie within. I've been honest about my battles with my postpartum depression and the effects it had on every aspect of my life. You know, maybe more than you care to, about how motherhood has changed me both for good and for bad. You've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I like that though. It brings me great joy to share in life's journey with you for better or for worse. Granted, we aren't married or anything, but heck, we all are doing life together and if you ask me, life can sometimes be a whole lot harder than marriage. Sometimes. ;)

All of that to say, that just because our morning wasn't something I'm proud of or willing to repeat, it doesn't mean that our entire day was ruined. Sometimes God uses something upsetting to open your eyes to what's right in front of you. Sometimes God works in mysterious ways. We managed to spend the afternoon with my parents enjoying a good meal, some outdoor time {even though it's literally hotter than hell outside, I'm pretty sure}, and we even managed to get some good mommy and me pictures of Emerson and I. As I was scrolling back through the pictures earlier this afternoon, it just reminded me of the importance of saying I'm sorry and not holding a grudge; of forgiving and yes, often forgetting. It brought to the forefront of my mind the grace that God extends and the grace that I'm called to extend to my husband and my daughter daily. In those moments this afternoon, while chasing Emerson around the yard, getting the dog out of every shot, and battling the extreme heat, I realized that my husband and my daughter are my world, and that I have a choice in not letting our bad experiences ruin all of the good ones. Because at the end of the day, today was a good one and I will always remember the memories we made in this field of green.

And because I cannot keep these to myself, I wanted to share some of the shots that my husband, Trey was able to capture this afternoon of our daughter Emerson and I in our matching LulaRoe Nicole and Dot Dot Smile dresses. Also, beneath these photos, you'll find an exclusive deal for my readers! You don't want to miss out!

 They are a soft yellow with a blue, green + pink floral print. They are incredibly comfortable and flowy. I actually really love the twirly-ness {you like that word?} of them, and so did Emerson. These dresses were so graciously provided to us by my friend Rachel, who is a former co-worker of mine and a fellow mama. She is one of the strongest women I know and her devotion and passion to achieve her goals is unreal! She is hosting a LLR party tomorrow night {Monday, 7/25} on Facebook and she's offering 15% off using the code ThriftyChic15 to anyone reading right now! These particular dresses come in many sizes, colors, and patterns. If you're a girl mama, you do NOT want to miss out on this opportunity. I mean, let's be real, they're only going to let us dress like them for so long. Am I right? Take advantage! Click HERE to visit Rachele's party page.

I hope you've had an enjoyable weekend and that it has given you much needed rest to tackle the coming week. XO!