Hello from Guatemala!
I’m so excited to be here! For several years now, our church has been sending groups of teens and youth leaders to remote areas to do ministry work for children and youth. Many mothers take their children to these events and then just stay there. So it was a focus of our church leadership to send some mothers to be with these mothers so they could feel seen, pray for them, and encourage each other with them. So I’m going to come here with three other moms from church and do it next week. I’m so grateful and humbled to be here!
This is a bucket list experience for me. Many of you may know that David was adopted and born in the country, but he is Guatemalan. I care deeply for his mother and since we adopted him, I have wanted to travel to Guatemala and see where his family is from. To be able to do that and serve the women of his country of origin at the same time is a truly amazing experience.
I’ll be sharing all about my trip next week so stay tuned Follow us on Instagram. We share daily updates here. It was amazing!
Before I left home, my family celebrated two birthdays this week!!
Happy 4th birthday to my baby boy, Mika! You are the sweetest gift to our home and a constant source of laughter, kisses, and hugs.
You often run up to me, hug me and say, “Mom, I love you!” And it melts my heart!
I loved watching you step into new things this year. They are attending kindergarten, being potty trained, learning their ABCs and basic addition, and learning lots of songs, poems, and poems. You have an insatiable love of learning and an excellent memory. I love that from an early age you hid God’s Word in your heart and had a desire to honor Him with your life.
It makes me so proud to see you being so kind to David and always looking out for and protecting him. God knew that He needed you as a brother and advocate. Also, it was so touching to see how much you cared for the cute baby girl that we babysit every week. You can now give her the bottle yourself and you have a very caring heart for her.
You are so loved by all your brothers and the joy you bring to them is so nice to see.
You often ask me to tell you the meaning of your name, and I love that you remind us that we are concrete reminders of who is like God. We are so humbled and grateful for the unexpected surprise gift in your life.
We love you so much, Micah Timothy Payne!! ❤️❤️
(See more photos in my birthday post to Micah on Instagram!)
And happy 19th birthday, Caitlin! I loved watching you show off your talents as you went to beauty school this year.
You learned the skills very quickly (I knew you would!) and became a great stylist and colorist! On a weeknight, I’d love to have someone share their kitchen highlights with me (with permission!) on a whim. I’m really looking forward to seeing her graduate and get a job at a salon in September.
You always tell me how to make my hair better and what products to use for it and I am so happy. Plus, you’ve inspired me so much this year – and they’ve all been awesome! It’s great to have a live-in stylist who takes care of everything from clothes to hair.
You have a great relationship with your younger brothers and I love how you always spend time with them and do everything you can to make them feel noticed and special.
You have also been so helpful and spent countless hours babysitting our family and others since we have been watching over our baby girl.
This year, we have also seen you navigate some difficult situations with maturity and grace. I am so proud of the woman you are becoming and how much you care about others and have such a compassionate heart, especially for those who are suffering.
You are truly a gift to our home, bringing beauty, laughter, and joy into our lives. I’m looking forward to seeing what next year will bring! I love you! 💕
(See more photos in our birthday post to Caitlin on Instagram!)
This week I received the following question related to parenting teenagers.
good morning. I’ve been following you for years. Are there any Christian books you can recommend to parents to help them cope with the transition to parenting young adults?My very own miracle baby this side of heaven turned 18 and graduated this spring. He is taking a gap year and will be living with us until he attends Bible college next year. We have always homeschooled and he has always been a very friendly person and we have a very strong bond. But I’m really struggling with this transition and don’t know how to do this gracefully and with balance, where and what limits are appropriate to set, and when it’s appropriate to let go. Also, my heart is breaking. We were struggling with infertility. I’m grateful to him more than I can express, but I never wanted an only child. A lot of big emotions come up. thank you.
Thank you very much for this question. First of all, you want to acknowledge the sadness you are experiencing. This is sadness! You are entering a new period of transition, and there are many things you are leaving behind that make you want to grieve.
But there’s also a lot to look forward to! So I encourage you to look for gifts and goodness while still giving yourself space to grieve. You don’t want your child to feel like, “Mommy isn’t excited about what’s going to happen.” So be excited with them and give yourself space to grieve.
And I also encourage you to ask yourself what this space that you may not have had space for before will do for you. Do you have children, another woman, or someone else if you still have the heart to raise them? God is calling you to take that energy and channel your God-given instincts into nurturing it. I would really pray about it and ask God what the next season is for you and what He is calling you to.
I believe one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is to slowly let go as they grow. To give them more and more responsibility and agency over their own lives, and to teach them how to ask for help instead of always thinking they need our help. When your children are still under your roof, give them the right opportunity to make mistakes and failures so you can work through failures, challenges, and setbacks together.
If we always go out of our way for our children and take care of everything so that they don’t struggle, we are doing them a huge disservice. Because we’re not giving our kids the ability to build the muscles they need to have wings.
So whether your child is 8 or 18, ask, “What can I hold my child responsible for and responsible for when he or she is about to be ready to do so?” And start giving them ownership and encouragement in that direction.
Encourage children to ask for help when they need it, but when they do ask for help, make sure they can ask questions to encourage problem-solving.
I think many mothers try to be overprotective and micromanage because they have a hard time letting their children grow up and are unknowingly afraid of the future and their children’s growth. Their identity is so firmly etched into their children. They often develop dysfunctional, codependent relationships with their children in the name of “keeping them safe” or “protecting” them. This process of slowly letting go and choosing to grieve the change and then be excited about it and take advantage of new opportunities for yourself will help you. and your child Every time I step into a new life stage.
We see most of what we’re looking for. If you look for good things, beautiful things, and gifts, you will find many around you. ❤️
May we have the eyes to see God’s goodness in the worldly. 💕
Beauty brand liter sale! Salon Liter products only $17.98! (Redken, Kenra, TIGI, Paul Mitchell, CHI, and more)
For a limited time, beauty brand is hosting them again popular liter sale Save up to 70% on popular salon brands! Choose from over 400 items including CHI, TIGI, Biolage, Paul Mitchell, Redken and more.
Plus, use code 22371 at checkout to get an extra $5 off select liters over $24.98 (select liters marked on the website). these are Professional hair care brands at amazing prices And more, be sure to get it before it’s gone!
*SUPER HOT* Sam’s Club Membership Deal — only $15!
Want to buy a Sam’s Club membership? Now… Get a 1-year membership for just $15!
this is huge Discount off regular price of $60 Hot Sam’s Club member discounts and lowest prices in months!
With dues increasing to $60 on May 1st, now is a great time to lock in your price.
Valid until July 5, 2026.
What’s the best thing to buy at Sam’s Club? If you are over 30, check out this post Can’t missthe best deals to buy at Sam’s Club, compiled based on suggestions from readers!
In case you missed it — links from recent weeks:
- 10 Genius Side Jobs for Teens — Most teens only hear about mowing the lawn and babysitting…but there are so many other creative things out there. (And the pay is high!) How they make money! This giveaway offers job suggestions that will help teens develop important skills and earn a lot of money this summer.
- Free summer bucket lists for kids — Looking for fun activities to do with your kids this summer? (And all on a budget?!) Download your free summer bucket list with 100 ideas for frugal fun.
- No out-of-pocket costs when you hire a registered dietitian + My honest review about Nourish — Do you want to make healthy changes to your eating habits but don’t know where to start? Are you struggling to reach your health goals or are you feeling overwhelmed trying to reach them? I’ve been there too, and my experience with Nourish was truly life-changing. Check out this post for my full review and best tips for getting the most out of your nutritionist appointment.
- French Toast Casserole and Baked Scrambled Eggs ($10 Dinner Idea) — You’ll love how this French toast casserole is loaded with crunchy cinnamon topping and quick and easy to put together. Baked scrambled eggs cook quickly at the same temperature and balance out the sweetness of the casserole.
- my favorite nonfiction book — As many of you may know, I am a huge fan of books and reading. Making reading a priority, even just a few pages a day, can make a big difference in your life. These are 14 of the best nonfiction books I’ve ever read. I hope you love them as much as I do.
Source: Money Saving Mom® – moneysavingmom.com
