Supermom Series II: Christina Rushton

Throughout this holidays season I will be featuring inspiring women in a series I like to call the Supermom Series. (This is the second time I have run the series. Find the first HERE.) I love doing this series because it gives us a glimpse into the lives and hearts of other women and moms. To see how they do it. To see what makes them unique and inspiring. And to see some of ourselves in them, and hopefully grow in the process. Every Monday through January I will have a new "Supermom" with my to answer a few questions.

Christina Rushton from The Rushton Family Archives is with us today! She's darling, she's talented, and she's real. Her super cute Etsy site, Design Crush, is found HERE. So without further ado, here we go. Do you remember the questions?

What inspires you? :: Where do you find it? :: How do you live it?

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I must admit when Lyndsay asked me to write a post for the Supermom Series I was scared! I had already read the posts from last year’s series and felt completely unqualified to participate. I made a mental list of why I would have to decline. For giggles, let me share: First, I’m no good at housework. Second, I raise my voice more than I’d like. Third, I let my kids watch Yo Gabba Gabba. Fourth, I spend way too much time on the internet. I’m sure there’s more but after some thought I came to the conclusion that I may not be the only mom who would confess to such transgressions. After some encouragement from my mom and husband, I accepted Lyndsay’s invitation hoping that someone might benefit from what I would write.
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From a very young age, I remember my mom creating. She would wrap cardboard in batting and fabric to make a frame for my grandparents. She made me outfits with matching bows and always helped me add an artsy flair to those boring science projects. My mom inspired and encouraged me to be creative and it was by watching her that I saw the giddiness that comes from making something with your hands. I fell in love with that feeling!

These days, for sure, my 3 daughters are my inspiration. After the birth of my twins I fell into the rut of feeding and changing and cleaning and sitting around. Having an older daughter and newborn twins who were just 23 months apart really wore me out. Yes, I was happy in the grand scheme of things but man oh man I was a real grump. It took way too long but eventually I realized that my grumpiness was out of pure boredom. Nothing I did was for me only. Once I rediscovered my love of creating and fed my need to do so, I started to feel better about myself and finally viewed my role as a wife and mother in a more precious light. The work I do at home for my girls and for my husband is indeed work, but I know it’s more important than anything. I don’t want my girls to see me as just a mom, but a good mom, someone they look up to and want to emulate. Not just because at home “Mom Is the Boss”, but because they know they can find joy by following my example. I love that my girls see me sewing and sweeping, dressing up and dusting. I hope they learn that there are many facets to being a woman.

In addition to crafting and sewing, I started blogging and found that putting together clever words and pretty pictures was like therapy for me. It was during one of my blogging/therapy sessions that I learned about a mother named Stephanie Nielson. I was so intrigued that I read her entire blog and was awed by the way she lived her life. I have a mini print hung in my kitchen that says, “Live Your Beautiful Situation.” This is exactly what Stephanie was and is still doing. Whatever your situation, LIVE IT. If you’re going to be a wife, be the kind of wife that finds happiness in pleasing her husband. If you’re going to be a mother, be the kind of mother that teaches and adores and spends time with her children. If you’re going to have a house, make it a home and fill it with things that you love. In an effort to live my own beautiful situation, I’m doing a little project on myself. I started it over a year ago but I didn’t mean for it to take so long. As often as I can, I do a “Nie Thing” that for me is a “New Thing” and document it on my blog. You can see how it’s going here. It’s a silly project but while doing it I’m reminded to be grateful for my simple life and beautiful family. If I’ve learned anything from Stephanie Nielson, it’s to have gratitude for all things.

My recent experiences have also reminded me that because I’m a woman I’ve been blessed with “divine attributes of love, compassion, kindness, and charity” and that “no matter what our individual circumstances are, we all have the opportunity to edify and nurture others.” (Feed My Sheep, Ensign, Nov. 2007) The tools I need to be a good mother I was born with! It’s my responsibility to use them. Most days I just wanna kiss and squeeze my little girlies. Other days I wonder what the heck I got myself into and I’ve got to dig deep for kindness and compassion.

I know I am far from perfect. As I write this, my house is a mess, Yo Gabba Gabba will eventually grace our tv screen, but my girls are happy trying to feed me plastic food from their play kitchen. Happy girls! That to me is a successful afternoon! Every day I start over, try to forget yesterday’s annoyances, remember who I am and do my best, even if I can’t do it all.