• Raise & Shine Blog
  • Hey Sis, Try This Blog
  • Welcome
  • Search
Menu

Raise & Shine

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Wake up. Grab Coffee. Shine. Repeat.

Your Custom Text Here

Raise & Shine

  • Raise & Shine Blog
  • Hey Sis, Try This Blog
  • Welcome
  • Search

Wake Up.

August 30, 2015 Rachel Nevergall
wake up

Wake Up. I was struck by these words nearly two years ago.  A brief mention of a bible verse during my weekly bible study. 

Wake up...and let Christ shine on you. Ephesians 5:14

I wrote it down. I printed off a cute little sign. I put it by my bed. I thought I might change out the verse as others struck me. But I never did.  This one just kept speaking to me. And for different reasons at different times. And then I had a journey. Follow me for a bit.

I am expecting. I am sick. I am tired. I am uninspired. I break my foot. I am angry. I am humbled. I am enlightened. I want to change my attitude. I am nesting. I want more. I want to feel alive. I am scared. I pick a word. I keep it secret. I am SO BIG. I fall in love all over again. I am tired, again. I survive. I am energized. I am enlightened, again. I am ready to share. I wake up.

Wake up. My One Little Word® for 2015. (Okay it's two words, but who's counting?) It’s all over the interwebs. But if the idea is new to you, here’s the basic concept as first described by Ali Edwards. Each year you pick a word to “focus on, meditate on, and reflect upon” as you go through your day to day. A life vision if you will. Ooh boy. If you know me well you know I am all about a good theme in my life.  This was right up my alley. Between a rough pregnancy, the upcoming challenge of caring for a new little one, and generally feeling uninspired in my life, I was experiencing all of the feels. And by the end of 2014 I was longing for something to re-energize me and inspire me in the next year.

But I also knew 2015 was not going to be the easiest for me. I didn’t want to set up too many expectations for myself when I was about to expend all my energy into the physical needs of an infant and the emotional needs of a toddler. I loved the idea of setting daily creative goals, health goals, and even potential career goals. But woah, Rach. Slow down. Maybe all I should really expect of myself this year was to get out of bed every morning. That was enough for me this year. Just Wake Up.

At first, Wake Up was quite literal. With my first time in the world of postpartum, I felt blindsided by the exhaustion. It was nearly debilitating. But with the second, I had the gift of experience and foresight. This time is rough, but it is brief. Each morning was new, no matter the day or night before. A chance to start again. Drink coffee. Wake up. That is all.

And then slowly, as my head cleared a bit, the fog subsided, the sun crept up a little further over the horizon, Wake Up took on more meaning for me. I decided I wanted more areas of my life to be awakened. I wanted to be awakened to my children, to be present more and celebrate their growth. I wanted to awaken more of a creative habit, in the form of old favorites as well as new creative ventures. And I wanted to reawaken my love, my gift if I am brave enough to admit, of the understanding of child development. Once upon a time in the land of no children, I made a career of supporting families with young children. That life fulfilled me, inspired me. And if this was the year of Wake Up, perhaps I could awaken that part of me as well.

And then there is a new love, one I am a little shy to admit. I love writing. I have blogged for two years now and each time I opened up my computer and pressed publish, I had such a feeling of pride and contentment. But unless you live off the grid, you know the world wide web is not short of bloggers. I was embarrassed to take my writing as a serious venture when the internet is saturated with talented artists who make a true career of what I could only maybe call a hobby.

But Wake Up, I said. Wake Up to the idea that if something brings you joy, something fulfills you, something allows you to shine, then why can’t you take it seriously? I haven’t felt dedicated to my writing lately because I lacked a direction. My day to day of raising  two young children should be enough, right? That was my job, at least it is what I would tell my daughter, ever watchful of her parent’s vocation. But maybe the greatest example we can set for our children is caring for ourselves. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to not just Wake Up, but shine.

So here, each morning, with coffee in hand, I will Wake Up, and I hope you will too. Raising will come differently each day. Obviously, I will talk specifically about ways I am raising my children. I hope to raise up others through my ideas and insights. But more specifically, I will talk about what it means to raise up myself. This might be through my creative projects, new passions, and honest discussions. And hopefully through all this we can shine just a little bit more each day.

So let's Raise & Shine. Won’t you join me? Now that you know where it all began, jump right in to my (sorta-kinda-as-often-as-I-can) regular sharing of thoughts on the blog right here! 

← Back to School and Goals
IMG_5992.jpg

Hi there! I'm Rachel.

I believe each morning is a fresh start and I believe hot coffee is step one. 

It is here that I celebrate each day as an opportunity to seek the creative inside both our children and ourselves so that we can all       raise and shine. 

Learn More
If I showed you the sweet picture of the hairstyle I gave her for crazy hair meets Valentine’s day, would you also believe me that I don’t remember when she last bathed?

If I shared the fun crafty Valentine we made for his class would you also believe me that my house looks like a fraternity house at the end of a raging party?

If I show the darling babe all snuggled up under my chin that makes my heart burst with unspeakable joy, would you also believe me when I say parenting three is the hardest thing I have yet done in my parenting life?

Sometimes in these little squares, I have so much fear that I might post something that makes someone’s heart shrink a little bit with guilt or inadequacy. I worry you will think I am something you are not and that will make you feel smaller than you deserve to be, when in fact I struggle too. So much.

But then, if I keep quiet, not only am I not allowing myself to show you exactly who I am, how I like to love on my people, and what just makes me happy, I am thus not leaving space for you to do so as well.

If these things brings you joy, too, hurray. If something else does, I celebrate you. And if you aren’t in a space of joy, I’m sitting her with you too. And sending you ❤️. Never alone.

This has been my struggle for years. I saw self care as (by my)self care. And it seems it only got harder and harder to care for myself as I fought to be alone.

And so I’m trying something new. I’m learning to find the peace I need in my day right along side them.

So I move WITH them in tow. I read to THEM, as long as it something of MY choosing. I pick up a paint brush too when they paint.

And hopefully all this togetherness is teaching them what matters to me and my day too.

Shared on the blog today how I practice my *What Feels Right* list from yesterday when I can’t be alone.

What’s your go to care strategy when your little ones tag along? I test as a Highly Sensitive Person. 🙋🏻‍♀️Anyone else?

I like to think of myself as a noticer. From the way the snow sounds when it hits the ground to his sweet sigh as he nestles into sleep in my arms. I feel it all. And I mean ALL.

This can be a beautiful way to look at life, but it can also be EXHAUSTING.

But I decided to start using this skill for the better. I started to pay close attention to my day to notice patterns of when I feel off and when I feel right.

My list is not revolutionary. It is nothing you don’t already know to be true. But sometimes we need to really acknowledge the simple ways we can manage our days to feel joy, to feel peace, to just feel right.

Sharing my list of What Feels Right on the blog today to maybe inspire you to pay attention to your own list.✨Now your turn...What Feels Right to you? Yes his sweatshirt is on backwards. Yes this happens on the regular. It’s become his signature look. But the important thing is he got himself dressed and no one had to use their angry voice!

I am quite excited to introduce a new series on the blog today called ☀️Raise your Mom Game☀️ It’s a way to share the great ideas learned from regular, cool, smart moms (and dads) like us. I believe parents are super heroes with powers to battle the everyday parenting struggles. And they are willing and happy to share these with fellow superhero parents so we can all win.

It’s not about the quick fix, because none of us are broken. We just sometimes need a fresh perspective to tackle familiar challenges in parenting, another play in the playbook, tool in the toolbox, option in the portfolio. Am I giving you enough metaphors here?

Today, I go first with my big frustration in getting kids dressed. I feature two great ideas for both of my kids from fellow parents @kelseywilliams and @ladderica. And I filmed one in the stories so go check it out. After you read the post, of course 😉. And remember, this is a village. So please share with me how you are Raising your Mom Game. And what helps you Shine.☀️ “...I make so many beginnings there never will be an end.” Louisa May Alcott

She opened up 6 crisp white books, completely blank, exactly as she asked them to be, for writing down her own stories. Obviously I was thrilled to grant this Christmas wish. It wasn’t 5 minutes later that I turned around to find her set up at the dining room table, pen in hand, words flowing to the book. “Now you realize these are special, right. You can’t throw them away and start over if it isn’t just as you want it to be.” “I know.” Barely glancing up. Back to work.  Her confidence and self assurance just taunting me.

She has no trouble diving in. She doesn’t worry about where the ending is taking her. She doesn’t hesitate and doubt herself along the way.

She just BEGINS.

It is with this same resolve that I choose to take with me throughout this new year. To not hesitate with my step one. And to not be afraid to be new at something.

Last year I explored being enough. And with that I determined, there is also enough time, space, energy to take more step ones.

To BEGIN.

Introducing my 2019 word of the year ✨BEGIN✨ on the blog today.

A month in and I already love where this word is taking me. My skin is still soft from the humidity of Texas, and my heart, and stomach, are full in the way only a winter escape can bring. But it feels right to be home. It feels right to see snow softly falling in February. And to be all piled up together as a family again. ❤️❤️❤️ You know that welcoming feeling you get when you go home to mom and dads?

They make you your favorite meals. You take comfort in the familiar space. You just feel so warm and loved and cared for.

We got that welcomed feeling when we made it back to our old home in Austin town this weekend.

We had all our favorite meals, barbecue, tacos, queso, more tacos. Memories flooded us around every corner, date nights, family adventures, milestones crossed. And most importantly, we got to feel loved by “family,” or rather the friends that became family when you needed it most.

This is how it should be when you make a place a home, no matter how short the time was in your life. It should make itself a little home in your heart and always open its arms wide to you when you come back.

So glad we will always have Austin.

And tacos. 🌮 Confession time... I sometimes daydream about being a mom of just one baby.

Not that I don’t love each and every one of my kids more than my heart can even find words for, because obvi I don’t even need to clarify that for you.

It’s just that this multiple and different needs thing all at once is very very hard on my brain capacity. And also my heart.

I sometimes dream of a world where I get to have each of my babies one day at a time. And then we all come together for one big epic fun filled Sunday as a family of five. Wouldn’t that be fun??!! But then I see the oldest reading a book to the middle. Or the middle tickled with himself at how he can make the baby giggle. Or there’s the epic family snuggle sessions in the king size bed before someone, all of them, demand breakfast. And then I remember we are right where we need to be and who we need to be with.

But also sometimes it’s super fun to just be with one. We snuck away together with our baby to a place that still has a piece of our heart, Texas. And while I miss the other two, it feels like a gift to enjoy that stage where it’s just you and me and a baby makes three. I can hardly remember him that tiny, but I’ll never forget when she started reading to them. 📚 Reading creates strong memories, doesn’t it. “For some it’s a physical place in which I remember reading. The beach, the hammock, the couch under a blanket. For others, it’s a place in time. A difficult pregnancy. A foggy newborn stage. A challenging stage of parenting. And for some, it’s a moment that I realize is one of a momentous milestone. Like seeing her read a book for the first time. Or reading our first chapter book series together.” Eighteen Memorable Book Moments in 2018 on the blog today. The answer to snow-mo and other FOMO related cases (see last post if you are confused 😊) ?? Be a noticer.

As promised, I shared about my process of creating a Reverse Bucket List on the blog today.

You don’t need a fancy planner, a complicated system, or even a lot of time. You just need a photo storage system of your choice, a few questions I list in the post, and a couple of minutes to do some thinking.

It’s my own way of doing goals and reflection. But I would love to see what you learn too. So I’m creating a hashtag!! Tell me how it works for you with #raiseandshineandnotice 🥳
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away”
— Pablo Picasso
Featured
Feb 13, 2019
Practicing my *What Feels Right* List When I Can't Be Alone
Feb 13, 2019
Feb 13, 2019

Powered by Squarespace

Blog Header Design by Rachel