Not Enough Hours In The Day

I've said this to my husband a million times.

You can do anything you want. You just can't do everything.

If you know Jon at all, you know he's pretty passionate about life and SO afraid that he's going to miss out on something cool or fun that he commits himself to way too many things. That's when I usually step in as the boring/nagging wife and remind him that he needs to prioritize.

So why can't I take my own advice? Why do I feel that, as a mom, I should be doing EVERYTHING. Because, honestly, it's completely exhausting thinking of all the things I could/should/want to be doing as a wife and mother. Those who know me best know that what I really wanted to be in life was a mom. And now, here I am! So, not only do I feel like this is the most important time in my life. I also feel like it's going to be the best time in my life, and I don't want to miss out on anything. Did you get all that? I wish I knew how to say it better.

Anyways, I just can't figure out how to do it all. I feel like the majority of my days are spent wiping (counter tops, floors, dishes, noses, hands, faces, bottoms ...), planning meals/preparing food, running errands, doing laundry, emailing/blogging, and making sure my kids have something fun to do each day. I just can't seem to fit anything else in. I never thought I'd say this, but my current fitness goal is to squeeze in a measly three workouts each week -- and lots of times I can only do two! There are so many other things I want to be doing, but there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day!

Here's a sampling:
1) Actually do something with all the pictures I take. Organize them. Frame them. Order photo books.
2) Plant/tend a vegetable garden
3) Read -- for pleasure and for professional development (i.e. parenting books) :)
4) Decorate my house ... or at least get some things put up on the walls
5) Plan some sort of lesson/project/fun educational activity for Tanner each day
6) Do a Bible Study
7) Create some regular time for myself
8) Add some new/more exciting meals to my repertoire

And those are just the things that are popping into my head right now. You should see how much I come up with when I'm driving in the car or laying in bed at night. And then there are the things I already do, but want to be better at, like disciplining more consistently, eating more healthfully, etc.

I have friends and acquaintances who seem like they are able to do everything. They are organized, their houses are spotless, they are so thoughtful and remember everything. So what am I missing? Perhaps just a little bit of patience and perspective. Those friends of mine may seem to be doing it all, but when I take a step back and really think about it, I doubt they're really doing everything. Let's face it, it's been a busy year! After all, if I plan a little bit in advance, I just might be able to get that garden together by next year. And in a few years, when Jon is done taking classes, maybe then I'll get to do that Bible Study. And what if I made it a goal to finish just one photo project each month ...

I guess it's not the end of the world if I can't fit everything in at once. I guess that's the way life/motherhood is. You do what you can, when you can. And try not to feel guilty about the rest.

I mean, we can't all be Donna now, can we?