Preppy Girl in Pink is such a fun blog to visit! Kristen loves being a mom and you can read that in her wonderful posts about her family. I so enjoy visiting to see what her family has been up to and Kristen’s wonderful insights on motherhood.
Kristen is also an amazing commenter. I love getting to read what she has thought about one of my posts. We are blessed with the opportunity today to get to comment on one of her posts today on Pause Life for a Moment.
I have to tell all of you that I was honored when JDaniel4’s Mom invited me to participate in “Pause Life for a Moment”. I wish I would’ve known about blogs when my girls were younger because a blog like this one, makes it easy to pause life for a moment with your children. There are so many fun ideas on this blog that I always try to make them a bit older for my own girls or I make notes for when I have younger kids over to our home.
My New Year’s resolution was to actually slow down, show patience and focus on my family more. So many times we let life get in the way of fully living. I looked up one day and my girls were older than I knew and needed me less. My heart reminded me that our time together doesn’t have to be about need, it can also be about want.
I started thinking about a family project. I knew that if we could come up with something that we all loved doing that we would reap the benefits for years to come and that it would always give us reason to pause life for a moment.
I wanted us to do something big…something that would take a lot of effort for us to make happen. I wanted something that would bring us together and keep us close…close in our hearts and close in our thoughts. I wanted it to be something that we all didn’t need but would want.
We talked a bit about a few different ideas but the one that came first and the one that kept coming back to us in our discussion was a very large butterfly garden. We will begin to break ground in just a few weeks and we decided on an island that we have in the middle of our driveway that has never truly shown its full potential.
When we talked about what we could do as a special family project, a butterfly garden just made sense. My girls have always loved butterflies because their Great Grandmother (whom they called GG) loved them. She had them in every room of her home, wore them on her necklaces, and always pointed them out to my girls when we were out and about. When their GG passed away, there was a butterfly that seemed to watch over the burial service from a headstone close by. My girls (and I, truthfully) believe that it was GG’s spirit. Since then, butterflies are a connection that they hold close to the fun memories and love that they shared with their GG.
We plan to not only pause life for a moment when spending time with our girls planning out and planting our new butterfly garden but also when it is completed. We want them to see the beauty that can come from the soil. We want them to smell the fragrance that can come from a budding flower. We want them to hear the music of the butterflies flapping their wings. We want them to pause life for a moment and not only be reminded of their GG but their life right there at that moment. We want them to give thanks for the time that they are allowed for true reflection and peace as a family.
We want them to learn how to pause life for a moment when they are young so that when they are older it will become a natural thing, not something they have to put on their calendar like a dental appointment. We want them to know that with just a short amount of time in a place that is surrounded not only with beauty but created with love that there is always a safe place to land…just like this garden will be for a butterfly.
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What a beautiful thing to do with your girls. And the idea that everytime you step out your front door or pull into your driveway you will be reminded of it makes it even better.
Though if I am being truthful butterflies kind of freak me out- but that is just me.
Enjoy doing this as a family!
Heather, you just made me laugh! Butterflies freak you out 🙂 Maybe you can visit our garden some day and see it through a different perspective. We’d love to have you!!
What a wonderful view this garden will be!
I love this idea for a family project! How fun – and you all will enjoy it year after year!
We are very excited! We have a great friend in the neighborhood that is amazing with plants and is helping us with our plant selection. We are trying to use all native plants. It should not only be a lot of fun but a beautiful way to pause for a moment.
Lisa’s boys would love watching the butterflies!
Thanks again for having me on your blog today! I think this is such an important thing for all of us to focus on. In our world today, with instant and immediate results, it seems we have forgotten how to pause for a moment. It is wonderful that we all have your blog to come to not only for the reminder to pause for a moment but different ideas on how to actually do it.
I feel so blessed to have you sharing this wonderful project here today.
What a great idea, and how perfect now that Spring is here! Take lots of photos and enjoy all the time spent together as a family working on this fun garden project.
Thanks, Jeannine. That’s a great idea! I will try to get some before, during & after shots and include them on my blog. It would he a great way to share it all.
I am looking forward to viewing the pictures too.
A butterfly garden is such a nice thing to make! It will bring memories for a long time. You’re so thoughtful 🙂
Thanks! I know you are close to your grandmother so you can totally see how this all comes together with nature and family to help us pause life for a moment.
Nature and family are such a wonderful combination.
I can’t think of a better way or place to “pause” life. The first thing I planted when we moved to our current home 3 years ago was a butterfly bush. I just loved watching it to see who would fly over for a visit. Have fun planting your butterfly garden and be sure to share pics when it’s ready!
Thanks! We can’t wait to add a few of those butterfly bushes. We have one that is outside of our dining room window and it is such a treat to peak in on nature while we eat.
I had a butterfly bush in my yard when I lived in Virginia. It was wonderful to watch the butterflies flit around it.
Girl – I love you. What an awesome idea 🙂 Just awesome. Here is what I love: You are now a SAHM. You rock! (I can’t believe this… I started this comment at 9am – and got distracted. I was right behind Lisa!
Thank you! I hope this garden will be all that we imagine it will be. Maybe one day, you can even see it in person 🙂 xoxo
She is truly awesome!
This is such an awesome idea. I would love to someday have a butterfly garden at out home. I would love to see the boys chasing them- and would hope against hope that they would remain gnetle and learn how to appreciate their beauty without harming it. What a fun family you must have 🙂
Thank you! My girls have always loved critters they have found outside but the connection made with butterflies has been very special. I know this is going to be a great way for all of us to spend time together and focus on the important things in life.
I hadn’t thought about this benefit! What a wonderful way to work on caring!
What a fun idea! Your girls will love this! I bet your flowers will also attract some beautiful hummingbirds which is my mom’s favorite. Have a great time!
Thanks! I hadn’t even thought about hummingbirds…how exciting would that be to have them stop by?! We are all very excited to see what this garden will bring to all of us.
I think this garden is going to be popular with a wide variety of creatures. What fun!
Kristen – so beautiful. And what a great idea. My oldest is on Spring Break next week and we are going to the conservatory here and their butterfly exhibit – she loves it and I love to see her joy when we visit.
We actually got the idea after I went through the photos in our computer and found all of both of my girls’ smiles while in other butterfly gardens. We are so excited! Have fun with your daughters next week! Thanks for coming over!!
I hope have a blast at the butterfly garden!
What a beautiful idea, Kristen. Butterfly gardens are just beautiful.
Thanks so much, Leigh. We are doing our research and picking out our plants. It is a lot of fun so far. My youngest loves to get dirty so the planting part should be a lot of fun 🙂
It will be such fun to watch the butterflies.
Such a beautiful post, and lovely idea!
I love how the garden will not only bring you all closer, but also provide opportunities in the future to work together. And,, it also serves as a reminder for someone very dear to you all. Beautiful.
You are so right. What a wonderful family memorial!
My girls are always pointing out butterflies and saying, “There’s GG, looking over us.” I know this garden will bring her to life in their hearts and memories.
This is such a great idea for a family project and encouraging “pausing life for a moment”. Look forward to hearing how it progresses and seeing pictures too!
I bet her family loved doing this project.
We break ground the week after Easter. I will be sure to post some pictures as we go along. We are so excited to get this project started!
I love it too. It will be fun to follow this project on her blog.
I love this idea. Watching butterflies is so peaceful. And warm. I’m sure you will all enjoy this time together!
Thank you! There is something very special about butterflies. They are so incredibly delicate but are still so strong.
That will be a magical addition to the outdoors and to your memories.
I totally agree! It will be a wonderful place to sit and watch!
nice idea:)
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I really like it too.
What a great idea! I can’t wait to see pictures! And what a nice way to honor GG. 🙂
I think we all a dying to see the pictures!
Oh my, love this. It truly captures who you are, how you love, and how you “do” family. Love.
I totally agree! This has Kristen written all over it.
such a fantastic idea!
I love it too!
Great idea! Can’t wait to see it finished! Have fun!
Fun is the right word! I think they are going to have a blast!