Hi Janelle Gibbs! Welcome to the blog on this Wednesday!
Hi Laura! Glad to be here.
Can you tell us a little bit about the picture you sent us?
Although you may not be able to tell, this picture was taken by a friend at our place. I love the sunshine and the smiles.
What a beautiful family you have, and so special to have such a great picture taken in your own yard!
So do you wear any other hats in addition to your [big, gigantic, hugely significant] Mom Hat?
I am a barre instructor at the YMCA. I love teaching and I love working out, so it’s the best of both worlds! Also, my DIY blog is a fun, albeit sporadic chronicle of my “perfectly imperfect” projects.
My husband and I also have a “mini farm” as I like to call it. A horse, chickens, rabbits, goats, dogs, cats, pigs. Caring for the animals teaches the kids responsibility and diligence. Plus it’s fun to have all the critters around!
It was always a dream of mine to publish a children’s book. Soon after my oldest was born, I wrote “Country Fun”. It includes stories from my childhood and lessons learned. My second book, “Cow Trails and Ponytails” is in the works!
Well, I know first hand what a great barre instructor you are as I attend (usually) weekly and then walk around like an 83 year old for a few days afterward. And I just love your first book. Can’t wait for the second one!
Tell us about your kids.
Josiah (9) loves legos and reading, Jenna (7) loves frogs and singing, and Joy (14 mo.) loves food and kitties!
Ah, boys and their legos! And while I don’t have any girls running around my house, we have our fair share of singing and kitty-loving too! What is a recent mom win you experienced that took time and perseverance to accomplish?
One of my kids is prone to being a “Debbie downer”. She is very creative at finding something wrong with any situation, meal, outfit, day, toy, etc. The other day, I was tired of the negativity, but instead of correcting her (as would have been the norm) I decided to talk to her about Proverbs 17:22, “ A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” That verse gives such a powerful mental picture to me! On the one hand, Mary Poppins with her spoonful of sugar comes to mind. Singing, dancing, joyful. The crushed spirit drying the bones part makes me think of a frowning skeleton walking around. Sad, melancholy, dry. We had some fun with that. And guess what? At the end of the conversation with my downcast daughter, she was laughing! Mom win! 🙂
I’d say! What a great way to show her what it says is God’s word about the power of her attitude! And that’s and image that I’m going to think of the next time I’m feeling that urge to complain rise up (which happens more often than I’d like to admit!) Can you share a mom win you’d text your best friend?
An ode to taking care of yourself as a mom… (I actually did text this to my sister as we are in a bit of a fitbit competition. ?):
Well 14 years and 3 babies later, I can still wear my $28 jean skirt I bought in San Diego on our senior trip! ?? I remember at the time thinking it was a huge deal to spend that much of my own money on a brand new skirt!
That’s hilarious! And good for you for fitting in said skirt! All those barre classes have paid off! Anything else you’d like to share to encourage other moms like you today?
God made me the mom of my kids on purpose! He’ll give me the wisdom and strength to raise them! Even though sometimes I wonder if I can handle it, I know God is right there with me, leading me with gentleness and showing me the way.
What a great reminder. Thanks Janelle. We are looking forward to hearing your voice a bit more often here on the blog!
As a mom, you may not have qualified for the Olympics, but you certainly deserve a spot on the podium in our eyes. There are no “perfect scores” in motherhood, but if you had a discipline breakthrough, managed a meltdown, or found time in your day to pursue a dream, then we want to take a moment and celebrate alongside you. Even the little “victories” add up to be big wins in the long run; so let’s champion each other. After all, we’re on the same team. Click here if you’d like to be featured one Wednesday in the future!