2014 Reflections

This past year has been a big year for the Tomberlins. And this post won't be a good summation of that year but some big things that are sticking with me from 2014. 

On Being A Mom
I'm a few days shy of completing my first full calendar year as a mom. Being Nolan's mom is one of the greatest joys of my life. But it's certainly not always easy. Those evenings when Nolan wants nothing but to be held by me while I need to cook dinner. Or when he doesn't like the meal I just made. Or when he closes his eyes while I'm trying to correct him-- those moments don't feel magical and beautiful. They are trying and annoying. What is beautiful and delightful is knowing Nolan feels safest with me. That we've cultivated a relationship that is unique and special and ours. 

I've learned in this year of parenting that most moms are doing the best they can. And all of us are trying to get this thing right. So when my friend tells me their kid goes to bed at 9? Cool. That's probably what's best for your family. My kid needs to be in bed at 7:30 for everyone's sanity. You only feed your family organic food? Right on. That's what's best for your family. You don't spank? You do spank? You don't let your kids have sugar? You still feed your 18 month old during the night? You think naps are overrated? Right on, Sister! You keep doing what's best for your family. 

I've been the recipient of critical statements about some of the choices I'm making as a parent. While I can still be offended at times, I usually remind myself that we're all doing the best we can. I have such greater compassion and grace and understanding for all of the moms and dads trying to figure out what's best. And of course everyone's best choice for their family looks different. But you won't find judgement here. Only grace. 

On Being Adam's Wife
Man, 2014 provided so many growing opportunities for our marriage. Moving across the country. Living with my parents. Job hunting. Moving again. Church hunting. It's been a wild ride. I actually wrote a post early this year about how marriage is hard sometimes. Our marriage felt hard at times. Thankfully, the bulk of 2014 was really, really good for us. I felt like more than any other year (all 3 of them), we were a team. I know this may sound ridiculous, but something about that 2 week road trip across the country made me fall more in love with Adam. 

I have strong opinions and convictions. Duh. I'm a Rodriguez. I often don't mind blazing the trail when it comes to those convictions. This year, I had real practice on submitting to Adam. On letting Adam lead our family as the head of our household. On choosing to listen to him and follow him. Even when I disagreed with his decision. It was hard for me to surrender this decision to the Lord and trust His leading in Adam. And it's still been hard to not look back on that decision and wonder. But even if this instance of submitting led to a decision I didn't like, I know affirming and respecting Adam's leadership is important. I do want him to feel confident that where he goes, I'm going too. 

On Looking For A Church
Oh my gosh. Let's talk exhaustion. We didn't have a church we were plugged into in Seattle. We left one of the most unchurched regions of the country and came to the land of churches aplenty. Yet here we are, 8 months after arriving in Georgia, and we've still not settled in somewhere. I feel strongly about not being a consumer, walking into churches with a checklist to see who will best fit my needs. Because that's not what the Church is. 

I have a whole bunch of thoughts on church but this isn't the time or place to start that conversation. But it's one of the things that really sticks out to me about 2014. I feel like we've been wanderers. We're ready and eager to commit and settle in with a body of believers, but the searching has been such a struggle. And it's WAY worse with a kid. He's going in and out of different nurseries. Like a champ, I might add. But it's so important to me that we find a church and get plugged in. 

We went to a baptism service recently. Everyone getting baptized was 7-12 years old. All of them made introduction videos about why they wanted to get baptized. ALL of them made a reference to one or both of their parents being influential in their faith decisions. And most of them talked about someone from church who also played a role in their decision. And I want that for Nolan, Simba, and all future Tomberlins- a church family that's coming alongside Adam and I as we do our best to point our kids to Jesus. 

On Being Back Home
Leaving Seattle was harder than I thought it would be. When I agreed to Adam's pleas and logic to move, I was pretty burnt out. Leaving seemed mostly inconsequential. I pictured us moving back to the south and finding ourselves perfectly happy in every sense of the word. Okay, no, not perfectly happy. But it would surely be a quick fix. Turns out, I missed the life we established for ourselves in Seattle. And adjusting to life back home took time. 

Finding balance between two families who love us took effort. Life without coaching was weird and foreign. Being in transition for so long was tiring. BUT having family (lots of it) around us has been amazing! I take great delight in seeing Nolan's budding relationships with his cousins. As in, he's obsessed with them. I love that he knows his grandparents and feels safe with them. I appreciate dinners at our parents' houses. I know I have eager babysitters within our families. Moving back was a good thing for our growing family. And I'm thankful to be so dearly loved by both sides of our family. 

2014...
was a good year. I got to celebrate my baby's first birthday AND find out another baby is on the way. I had the best time driving across the country with my best friend. I only got on an airplane once the entire year. ONCE. I eat Chick-fil-a about once a week, and I hope that never stops. I had an amazing week at the beach with my family, cousins included. My team won FCC Nationals. There were a lot of good things about 2014. It's hard to believe that we're really about to cross into another year. That we really lived life here in Georgia for 8 months to be the bulk of 2014. Crazy.

I'm thankful for what 2014 held for us. 
The good, the bad, the hard, and the wonderful.

I'm excited for 2015. 
Tomberlins party of 4, here we come! 

Delighted

I should be packing because we are moving. We're moving into an apartment exactly 7 months after arriving in Atlanta. 

But.

Yes, there's a but. 

Today, I got to experience one of the moments that felt like God stepped into my ordinary just to be with me. And it felt sacred. And holy. 

As I've been looking for the gifts God's giving me each day, I've started noticing them more. That's kind of the point of the 1000 gifts challenge, I do believe. As you name them, count them, and receive them, you start noticing your big God dwelling in your small days. In full disclosure, I wouldn't say that this processes has been a quick transformation. There are days that pass when I fail to see the gifts right before my eyes. 

But today, I had a few minutes of raw beauty that won't be adequately summed up in words. But I don't want to forget for me. So I can look back and remember. 

Nolan's been having some particularly frustrating toddler behavior, but he truly rocked it at the store today. ROCKED it. We came home to much needed outside time for my boy. 

I wish I could describe what fall does to me, but it really does awaken something inside of me. It reminds me of God's faithfulness and creativity. And I as I sat outside by the pond in my parents' neighborhood, my heart was already full. Then my feisty boy went running down the hill and off to find rocks all by himself. A fun activity that would normally require my presence every step of the way because he is in that clingy-ness right now. 

That little man came running up the hill so excited to see me sitting there, watching him, smiling at him. The wind blew those crazy curls of his, and he laughed into the crisp air, delighted with himself, with me. And on his face I could see the assurance and confidence that he is loved by his Mama. 

I teared up looking at him in those moments. He repeated this over and over. And each time he'd run up that hill and get to the point where I was back in view, his eyes would dance with joy, his belly would release little boy laughter. 

I sat and basked in those moments. I knew I was sitting in a moment where God was drawing me to Him. 

And I sat in those moments, receiving Truth. 
I delight in you, too. 

Me? Now? Like this? 

I looked out on the water and let my heart just be in this moment. 

I breathed it in. 

I'm delighted in by my Father. 

I wanted to doubly freeze time. I wanted to stay with Nolan in those moments. To watch him be wild and free. To see him be confident that he's loved and adored and safe with me. And I wanted to sit with Jesus in this most ordinary of moments to hear Him whisper again, I delight in you. So I, too, can be confident that I'm loved, adored, and safe with Him. Because I am not always so certain. 

I think I can write this one down for more than just 1 gift. 

These Days

I know that I have some inner tension that would love the opportunity to work itself out here, but I have been exhausted. Pregnancy will do that to you. Nolan's nap times have become my nap times. I trust that I'm going to escape the fatigue soon, so I have hopes of returning to my space again. 

But life with my boy goes on, and there are things that I'm loving right now. So, I must log them somewhere as not to forget them. 

Nolan's happy place is outside. On the day pictured above, it was especially windy. Nolan loved it. He was so confused at first, and he'd freeze to watch the affects of the wind. I love seeing his delight for nature. Also, the way he says outside is so stinkin' adorable, I can't help but give in just about every time that he asks. 

Nolan will sign, "please." He's gotten very good about signing it when he's asking for something. He knows how to sign please, more, and all done. Some times he just can't figure out how to get his message across, and he ends up signing those 3 signs over and over in frustration. 

One of my current favorite things about Noles is the way he backs up into our laps. Sometimes he'll start walking backwards a good 5-7 steps before he needs to, but then he'll plop down as close to our laps as possible. It's so stinkin' cute. He recently stopped giving kisses anytime I asked. One day I randomly said, "Nolan, can I please have a smooch?" He eagerly came at me with lips ready to kiss mine. He pretty much only gives kisses if they are referred to as smooches. 

Nolan will often come up from behind me to give me a hug or play with my ponytail. Which I LOVE when people play with my hair. So, sometimes I will ask, "Nolan, can you play with Mom's hair?" It usually lasts 7 seconds. I'll take it!

Nolan can be pretty hit or miss at meal times. If he likes what he's eating, he'll devour it. Otherwise, he can be a real treat. I do not love this Nolan feature. There are  many times that Adam has to relieve me at dinner because Nolan knows how to push my buttons. As in, he'll be defiant. Meal times continue to be a sanctifying time. 

The above picture would be his wink. My dad taught him how to wink at the dinner table one night. He did pretty good the first night, and since then, it's evolved into an exaggerated blink. But it's still cute. 

Nolan's growing, a little too fast for my liking some days. Knowing we have another baby on the way has changed how I look at Nolan. A part of me is sad to see the days of just the two of us go. I want to hold him longer and smooch him more. I want these days to be awesome because our lives will never be the same again come April. I anticipate them getting better, but for my little buddy, it might take some time for him to agree with me. So, when he hugs my neck super tight, I soak it in. As he pats my back, I notice and smile. A baby on the way is so exciting for us, but I'm living in the present, cherishing these days. 

It should be noted, I do not cherish the bad behavior. I mostly just imagine what it would be like to deal with it while holding a newborn. Oh man, it's going to be interesting. 

Life with Nolan is full and tiring and sweet and crazy. Toddlerhood is very different from babyhood- full of opinions, attitudes, unbridled laughter, silly antics, and some grumpies. But I think my toddler rocks!! 

If only I had known...

Dear Me One Year Ago,

You've had that baby of yours for about a month now. I know. He's the cutest baby you've ever seen. Even the pouty lip is adorable. Here are some things you should know, Mama.

The schedule you're working so incredibly hard to implement and maintain, it's worth it!! The pay off is huge. People are going to call you rigid and crazy, but you're going to have a baby that sleeps and enjoys a predictable schedule. You and Adam will also sleep, so hang in there. The schedule works out big time for you and the little man. 

The unsolicited advice strangers, relatives, and friends are going to offer? Repeat after me: Smile and nod. Yes, it's gets annoying. Yes, people are offering advice all. the. time. But the intentions are good. However, you know your baby better than anyone else, so always keep that in mind. Sometimes you'll hear good advice, too. Don't chuck it all out the window. But don't let it get to you. They aren't offering advice because you're doing something wrong; they're offering advice because they care. 

That sweet husband of yours has NO IDEA what you're going through right now. Nolan's life isn't dependent on Adam. He's not recovering from a traumatic birth. He is absolutely clueless to the millions of emotions and thoughts you experience in an hour. Give him grace on grace on grace. He's not leaving dishes undone because he wants you to do them. He's not on his iPad because it's more attractive than you are. He doesn't notice the kitchen you cleaned because he's completely smitten with the cutest baby you both have ever seen. He's not ignoring the fact that this is hard; he just literally has no way to fix it, so he feels helpless. Oh, and don't micromanage him. So what if he does things a little differently than you do. Don't sweat the small stuff, sista! 

You are going to have a love-hate relationship with the swaddle. I wish I could really prepare you for this, but I can't. 

There's going to come a stretch of a few weeks where you let Nolan get in bed with you from 6:30-7ish so you both can sleep a little longer. You're going to worry if you're creating a bad habit. DON'T worry. Enjoy it. Cuddle your boy. Savor the feeling. You won't believe how soon the dude will refuse to sleep on you [and you will be very sad about this]. You're going to switch to formula and feel totally insecure about your decision. DON'T feel shamed. Nolan's healthy. He's happy. He drinks formula? So what. You're both going to be okay. 

You're going to be able to rock your dream wardrobe- athletic clothes- all day, everyday. But guess what. You're going to enjoy the days you take the time to get dressed in actual clothes. They will be few and far between. But those days are necessary. Sometimes you're going to need a reminder that you didn't always wear pants with an elastic waist. 

Now, listen. You need to get in a Moms group. This mom gig, it really goes better within community. Being isolated and not connected with other moms is going to be really, really hard. So, that schedule I encouraged you about? It's good. But it's also flexible. If you have to compromise your schedule one day a week to get in a group, DO IT!! You need the relationships with other women. You need other women to Amen your hardships and celebrate your victories. 

You're going to have moments when you are completely overwhelmed by how much you love your little boy. And in those moments, remember God's entrusted him into your care. He's an amazing gift, but he's not yours. Be grateful. Be prayerful. But be surrendered, too. Everyone will be telling you how fast it all goes, so treasure these times. You will have hard days. You won't want to treasure those. That's okay. You'll get to start a new day. 

Take more videos of your baby. Rock him a little longer once he's fallen asleep in your arms. Ask Adam to take pictures of you and Nolan; it's not going to occur to him to do that (again, it's not personal, so don't take it that way). Enjoy this year, Mama. You're going to love being a mom! You're going to be thrilled and humbled and lonely (at times) and elated and filled to the brim with joy. There will be some hard parts of the journey, but Marissa, you were made for this! 

Keepin' It Real, 
Me 

There seems to be an overwhelming amount of bad things in the news lately. With the speed and volume of which news is reported, it's easy to become desensitized to the content. Not to mention, there are biases and agendas in almost every article, one can be distracted by those things instead of the issues at hand. 

The ISIS crisis, the ebola outbreak, the mayhem in Ferguson-- these are all lives we're talking about. Not just numbers and statistics. The situation in Iraq and Syria makes me so incredibly sad and sick. When I think about those moms and dads over there feeling helpless in protecting their children, I want to weep for them. I don't know the desperation, the violence, the hatred they are facing. I cannot fathom trying to survive. I cannot possibly guess what words and emotions fill their cries to God. I can often plead nothing more than, "Lord, please have mercy." 

At church on Sunday we sang the song Forever by Kari Jobe. It's a good song. It talks about Christ defeating death forever. Forever. And that forever He is lifted high. And I think about all of the heartbreaking situations all over the world. I think about mamas holding their lifeless children. I think about villages wiped out by disease. I think about empty bellies that haven't been filled in days. I think about the oppressed, the forgotten, the enslaved, the dying, the captured. And I wonder how hard it would be for them to sing those words. 

The Lamb has overcome, like the song says, but we are certainly waging war against darkness. And it seems to be getting darker. And heavier. 

But Jesus lives. The cross happened. There will be an end to all of this. 

I desperately want to see the Light start suffocating the darkness. I know Who is victorious. I know how this story ends. Oh that Jesus's name would be lifted on high! That the hope of glory would rise like the sun. That hearts would turn to Jesus. 

My heart is heavy. It leaves me wanting heaven to invade Earth. 
Jesus, come. 

Happy Birthday, Nolan

My Most Loved Noley Poley,

It's your birthday, baby boy. You are a fresh faced one year old. You've grown and changed so much in the last year that I have a hard time remembering your littleness. Last night I spent time looking at pictures and videos of your tiny days, and my heart ached a little at how hard it was for me to recall your baby babble and sleepy stretches. Everything about your baby self was just so captivating. 

And now. Now you are crossing over into toddlerhood. You're walking and shaking your head no. You're exploring everything. You have opinions about what you want to eat and what you absolutely do not want to eat. The growing and changing may be slower than it was in your first year, but it's definitely still happening. 

You've also grown and changed me, Nolan. This first year of yours was my first year of motherhood, too. God's used you to shape me, refine me, and love me. Your tiny self brought me to my knees, humbled and surrendered before our Big God. Your smiles and laughs brought me inexplicable joy. Your desire to be near me, to be held, has me wanting to draw close to my Savior. Your absolute trust in me has challenged me to wholly trust Jesus. 

As you cross into toddlerhood, I can't help but realize that you're going to require a lot more parenting in the coming days. Your daddy and I are going to be training you, guiding you, and hopefully pointing you to Jesus. I'm praying that you grow to be a man of integrity and respect. That you are a leader among leaders for the way you follow after Jesus. That you are generous and kind. That you are noble, just like your name means. 

Last night as I gave you your bottle before bed, I couldn't stop the cascade of tears streaming down my face. I don't think I was sad. Okay, maybe I was a little sad. But I'm just so grateful that YOU came into my life. I'm so thankful I get to be your mom, and that I get to spend hours and hours with you each day.  You are a joy bringer with that adorable smile and belly laugh. You are a delight to love and cuddle. You are so fun, so curious, and so silly. You never tire of outside or playing with balls and balloons. You are very much a little boy. 

But those 2 minutes after each nap and every morning, when you wrap those Noley arms around my neck, weaving your fingers in my hair, and resting your head against mine, face to face...I live for those minutes. I will always love you, baby boy. There's nothing you could do or say to change that. 

Happy Birthday, big boy!! I'm thrilled and honored to celebrate your life. 

Love, 

Your Mama

PS. I know I'll NEVER let you forget this, but I was in labor for literally 72 hours with you. Three. Straight. Days. Worth every second of it. 

Creating Legacies

The combination of having a child and living so close to family has caused me to really think about the things I most value and if I'm living in such a way that it will be obvious to my children. Adam and I both came from loving, whole families, which is becoming more and more rare these days. We get to watch and learn and reflect on the legacies being created right before our eyes. 

One thing that I highly value and appreciate about my parents is their emphasis on whole family time and vacations. We've been on some pretty awesome family vacations- Hawaii, Costa Rica, Cancun, Tahoe. But the weeks at the Florida and South Carolina beaches are just as memorable and meaningful as the more extravagant ones. 

When we first moved to Atlanta, my mom worked at my dad's store to save money for us to go to the Grand Canyon and Colorado. How self sacrificing! That was our first ever big family vacation, and it was awesome. I still remember my sister on the airplane asking, "Are we about to blast off?" 

Because these vacations aren't about seeing cool places (but it's really a fantastic bonus). They're about creating family memories and strengthening the bond we have with one another. These vacations were obviously easier to pull off when we all lived at home. But my parents have continued to make it a point to get all of us together for family vacations. And I love it! 

We just had a weekend at the lake with everyone after also having a week at the beach in May. Nolan's budding relationships with his cousins makes me ridiculously happy. A full house filled with chaos makes me almost giddy. I recognize that my love for family time is part of what my parents are passing down to me (hopefully my siblings as well). Being intentional about coming together is something I highly value. And it's something that's been modeled to me for much of my life. 

It's caused me to think about what we're living out for Nolan right now. What is he going to notice that is especially important to us that could potentially become especially important to him. As we're praying about our next steps, I hope we realize we're living out a legacy. Adam and I have been examining how we're using this life, how we're living out our faith. We say we want to live Jesus centered lives, but what does that look like? It's prodding good conversations and pushing us to action. I'm thankful for that. 

I'm thankful we have parents who are passing on legacies that are worth so much more than riches. I'm hoping we can be faithful with what's been deposited into us as we sow into our children the things that really matter. 

But for real, this cousin love makes me happy!