Thriving In Motherhood Podcast

Darla Trendler is the mother of four teenagers who has come to be confident in who she is as a mother.  She believes that she is equipped to give her children what they need from her and acts (and prays!) accordingly.  Darla shares some powerful moments in her motherhood journey where she learned to be true to herself, realized she needed to act if she wanted her circumstances to change, and decided that she was going to be a priority as a person again.

Juanita Denninghoff is the mother of six children ages 11 years to 7 months old.  She has experienced many seasons of motherhood from her husband being gone for six months at a time with the military to earning her masters degree and now nearly completing her PhD.  Through these and many other experiences she has grown closer to God and learned to rely on him as well as be totally honest with him.

This week we discuss another aspect of living your vision for the year: identifying and overcoming distractions that prevent you from being your best self.

This is part two in a series about creating and living your vision for the next year. In this episode I outline the tools and spreads I use in my planner to help me be intentional about making my vision happen. Check out the show notes at thrivinginmotherhood.com for a description of all the elements and links mentioned in the episode.

In this episode I share how I create my vision for the upcoming year. Having a vision is an important element to thriving and recognizing your growth in every season of motherhood.  It is an powerful exercise and tool to help guide you intentionally through the next year no matter what your circumstances are.

This week I talk about a revolutionary break-through I've had with letting go of should statements. Should statements gave me a false sense of improvement and a whole lot of guilt, not to mentioned narrowed my choices down to two.  By changing "I should" to "I would like to", I uncover my priorities and then make a decision.

Sherilyn Rasmussen is the mother of six children ages 13 to 25.  She learned as a young mother to work with her children's God-given personalities and not try to change them to be something they weren't.  Although being a young mom didn't come naturally to her, it is something that she worked hard at and now her family is truly her greatest joy.  This past year she led her family with faith after her teenage daughter was in a car accident and had injuries that required surgery as well as a traumatic brain injury. 

Meagan Wilson is the owner and founder of Whole Family Rhythms, the place to come to for support, resources and information about conscious, connected parenting inspired by the earth and seasons and above all else your own core family values.  In this interview she shares her own experiences in motherhood, from defining moments of how they chose Waldorf education as part of their family culture to sharing how she copes with messes that come from having a screen-free family.  Meagan's growth is happening slowly over time as she has been raising four children, the oldest who is now ten and the youngest three and a half.

This episode shares stories of growth from three mothers, Andrea Ware, Aimee Spencer, and Andrea Tate. Their stories of growth range from improving relationships with children who are very different from them to learning to be silly with their kids. 

Faith Ralphs has experienced the greatest pain that a mother experiences with the death of her first two sons shortly after they were born.  She now experiences the great joy that comes with being able to raise her daughter and share their lives together.  Today Faith shares her journey through these defining moments in her life and some of the things she has learned along the way.  She also shares a few tidbits of her knowledge about eating healthy and a basic step we can all take in the right direction to improving what we eat.

Kayla Rasmussen is the mother of two little boys who knows what it's like to live a life of transience.  She and her husband have lived in Texas, Africa, Illinois, and now Washington D.C. in just a few short years.  Through this experience she has learned a lot about herself and her need for different relationships in her life.  She is learning how to make friendships quickly and shares some ideas for how to do that (easier said than done!).  Because of her honesty with herself and seeking resources and tools, Kayla is truly thriving - growing! - in motherhood with the challenges and circumstances of her life.

Cammie Smith is the mother of three little boys and a licensed marriage and family therapist.  She shares research-based principles and practices that lend to a healthy marriage as well as most common reasons for marital tension and how to improve marriage.  Cammie's motherhood journey is intertwined with her area of expertise and she shares her experience and tools that she uses to actively improve herself while facing the realities of motherhood.

Brinn Bagely Chipman grew up in a mountain valley and has since made her home in 6 different countries, with travel to and around many more in between. Something in her comes alive facing the unfamiliar and unknown, trying to understand the earth and all her people. While grieving through the loss of two babies during pregnancy, she and her husband decided to recommit to living a life of adventure with their two young girls, which now looks like adventure schooling. Today's episode delves into Brinn's empowering story of growth.

Suzanne Cook is the mother of eleven children.  She shares her journey of faith and how her trust in God developed over time.  She talks through her growth during financial difficulties, pregnancies, and the death of her mother and brother while she had young children.  Suzanne's message is one of hope.

Katie Larsen is a mother to three little children and she shares her growth and transformation through the different seasons of motherhood.  She describes the period of humble surrender that occurred after a challenging pregnancy and parenting in a way that she knew wasn't what it should be.  This episode is full of incredible paradigm shifts that had me taking notes throughout the entire interview.  

Linsey shares her experiences in motherhood going from being a masters student with one child, to a full time stay-at-home mom with two children, to a business owner and developer of games with three children.  She believes in teaching her children to be independent as well as creating a strong family culture.  These two priorities have helped her navigate these different seasons of life confidently without guilt.

Kristen Shaeffer is the mother of five very different children - from each other and her.  She shares how she has learned to parent, love, and enjoy the different personalities in her home.  She also talks about how some of her interests and passions have developed while she has been a mother.

Korea Tabor is the mother of four children, including almost two year old twins.  She was a teen mom who not only graduated from from high school but also earned her bachelors and masters degree.  She shares some pivotal moments in her motherhood journey and how she learned to let people in and not "block her own blessings" from God.

This week's episode is all about taking a few moments to reflect on your own recent growth as a mother.  I share a few of my own recent epiphanies of growth relating to how I view my day, getting stronger in the physical work required, how I deal with sleep, and doing more of what I love with my kids - all with the hope that you will recognize your own growth.  Next week we'll be back to another interview with an amazing mother!

Elise Powell is a mother to three children who always has a entrepreneurial project in the works. Today she shares part of her journey to becoming content with her role as a mother as well as discovering her need find a new way to measure her growth and accomplishments.  This interview is full of wisdom about investing in your kids now and experiencing joy in the moment as well as looking to the future and seeing the potential for their family.