{rockstar mom} Leah Cianciola // stay at home mom extraordinaire

Meet rockstar mom Leah!  (You may remember her from that delicious strawberry freezer jam recipe I posted last month).  Leah and I have been good friends since practically birth.  She is a tall drink of water, full of sunshine, beautiful lady, and I'm downright proud to call her a friend.  She is such an inspiration for me personally.  Her love for her family, her thirst for God's written word, and don't let me forget she is one modern Betty Crocker (or maybe I should say Martha Stewart?).  The lady does it all from homeschooling, gardening and canning to cloth diapering, sewing, and home renovations. Somehow she still finds a little time for herself, her relationship with her husband, and her relationship with Jesus Christ.  Alright enough from me... go ahead and say hi to Leah.

Hello my name is Leah and I am a stay at home mom to three adorable children. Jude- 4 years old, Ruth or Ruthie as we call her-2 years old, and Simon- 1 year old.  I feel  honored that Lauren asked me to write, 'How do I do it all? Through family, faith, self and everyday living'

 

Let me rewind a little bit. I met my husband on e-harmony about 6 1/2 years ago. We will be married for six years in September. No he was not the one who still lived with his mom and was secretly on e-harmony and no he was not the one who only believed in King James version Bible only and he was also not the one who worked on "gage' doors for a living (yes the man spelled garage as gage, ha!). Basically, he wasn't the stereotypical creep chatting it up all day online. He was the funny man with the nice smile and was totally on fire for the Lord! We met in January, were engaged in May and married in September. Yes, a very short dating and engagement period! :)  He is my best friend and I love him very much!

We bought our first home 2 years ago on a 2 acre lot with a beautiful fenced in yard for the kiddos. We have 18 chickens, 1 Pyrenees puppy named Madeline, apple trees, raspberry bushes, strawberry patch, raised garden beds and tons of flower beds. Yes, it is a lot of work to maintain but I really try to get the kids involved with me. They help feed the dog, water the garden when in season, pull weeds and help with whatever I ask of them to do. I enjoy picking strawberries from our yard and making freezer jam. (check out Leah's quick and delicious recipe!)  

How do I get the kids to help me with chores? Ha, well I sometimes give them candy, some money or allow them to watch a little show. (I don't allow the kids to watch very much T.V. and when I do it is very limited as to what they can watch. I want my kids to have a passion for reading books, playing outside or learning something new.) But I usually tell them that they are old enough to help out with mommy and that I am getting them ready for when they get older and are on their own. I was raised with having responsibilities and I want to pass that on to my children. 

I absolutely LOVE flowers, the brighter they are the better! When I see a unique colored flower or a different named flower, I buy it and put it in one of the flower beds.  The previous owners did a great job with the flower beds, but all the colors they had were green, dark green, and light green. I have been adding color when I can. I guess you could say my creative side comes out in my flower beds and the inside of my house. I prefer bold and daring colors in the house. The colors consist of bright yellow, red, blue, purple, jadeite green and sherbet orange.  With the two acre lot my favorite time of the week during the season is mowing the grass! I anticipate getting on our zero turn so I can have mommy time. Ha, I laugh when I think that mowing the grass is mommy time :) 

 

 How do I find quality quiet time with the Lord as a mother of three? I get up around 6 am, before anyone else is awake. I would also recommend a book to read on having a quiet time with the Lord in the morning, called 'Shopping for Time, How to do it all and not be overwhelmed' by Carolyn Mahaney,Nicole Whitacre,Kristen Chesemore, Janelle Bradshaw. This book is a great motivator to get up early before the family does and spend time with the Lord!!  When I have a quiet time with the Lord it is so beneficial in my relationship with my husband and with my children. As I seek the Lord out in the morning I pray that he will remind me of what I read in God's Word and help me to show my children the love of Christ. When I get frustrated or upset, because things are not going my way, so selfish I know, I realize this is not about me, but about how I can show the love of Christ to my husband and raise my children to love Christ someday as I do.