low key

Thanksgiving this year was great. It was super low-key (note: it was us, my parents and my sister and that's it) but it was relaxing and yummy and we had a wonderful time nonetheless. Food was eaten. Laughs were had. Cards were played. Football was watched. Snuggles on the couch were perfect. It was a great holiday.

Today my parents took off for the weekend and we are having a low key day at home. Jeff is currently outside mending fences for the cows. The older kids are upstairs playing on their (new) mini-Foosball-table and Fischer is quietly taking a much needed nap. I just got off the treadmill (I ran 6 miles today making my total for the month {if I don't end up running again in the morning} over 60 miles - my "shortest" run was 5 miles and most of them were logged outside pushing the stroller - I'm pretty proud of myself!).

We're looking forward to dinner and cards with friends tonight and I'm taking the kids to the movies tomorrow while Jeff goes hunting.

These are my favorite kind of weekends. No alarms set. No stress. Just lots of down time, hugs, laughs, and relaxation.

{I feel that for the sake of transparency it should be noted that from the time I started typing this post out the the end of the last sentence the baby woke up crying, the older kids got in a fight, I had to dole out one spanking and put two kids in time-outs... Just keeping it real.}

The morning felt rushed (they all seem to somehow) and I was scurrying around getting lunches in backpacks, eggs and toast into the kids, making sure teeth were brushed and trying to look each of my amazing children in the eye to get a solid, "I love you!" in before they started their day.

I was feeling pressure. Pouring Jeff's coffee in his to-go mug and pulling his lunch out of the fridge for him to take to work. Changing the baby's diaper. Re-heating my coffee (again). Helping Jack tie his shoes. Zipping up coat zippers. Trying my best to remember to smile.

Then Jeff just stopped me. He turned me around so I was facing him and pulled me into a hug hold. The kind of hug that lasts more than just a quick second. He whispered in my ear, "You are such a good Mom. You are an amazing wife. Thank you for loving us so much."

Sometimes that's all we need.

A gentle reminder that all the little things we do matter.

That we are making a difference.

Sweet words can go far and I'm thankful for the moment that my husband took this morning to fill my heart with encouragement.

(Last night at dinner...) 

Natalie: "If we have any more kids in our family will it be through adoption?" 

Jeff: "Yes."

Carter: "So if you have a baby, we'll just put it up for adoption and think about it for a while and then maybe adopt it again?" 

Me: "No, if we adopt it will most likely be from another country. I'm not going to have any more babies in my tummy." 

Carter: "Oh, I see...you got neutered. . ."

one and done

Jeff and I decided to quit coffee. 

As of this morning I was one day dry.

That lasted until this afternoon.

I love coffee and going without it for 24 hours just reaffirms how much my life is incomplete when I don't have it. 

It missed me - I missed it.

I told Jeff I was quitting the quitting nonsense.

We're both sane people again.

This is the end of the tragic-with-a-happy-ending story.

I heart coffee.

 photo credit

photo dump

Yes, this is all I have. Pathetic, I know. . .

food and friends

At the last minute yesterday Jeff and I decided to take our friends up on an offer of a potluck and game night.

We rushed through our list of chores, I threw something semi-edible together, threw the kids in the car and off we went.

I am so (SO! ! !) glad we made it happen. Last night was a total blast! There were 4 families there (with a grand total of 16 children. . . ) - the kids played flashlight tag outside (we also had a movie going inside for them if they wanted to do that instead) and us adults played cards until nearly the wee hours of morning 11pm.

We laughed so hard I thought I was going to pee my pants and Jeff and I learned a new game called "Hand and Foot" - and I don't mean to name names or anything, but someone totally won (ME).

After the semi-rough weekend, laughing and having a great time with good friends is exactly what I needed. 

are you a great mom?

As Natalie was reheating pizza in the microwave I heard Carter say to her, "Talie, you're going to be a great Mom when you grow up."

I'm not sure how I feel that being able to use a microwave is one of the prerequisites to being a "great Mom" but at least I have no doubt that (in Carter's mind) I'm totally rocking at the whole Mom thing because let me tell you, I can use a microwave like no one's business. . . : )

. . .

It is barely noon and I've already shot cows with a BB gun while chasing them down our freakishly long driveway (trying not to throw up in the mean time).

Today is not my favorite day.

{Mama needs a weekend away.}

I "kneed" to chill

In the middle of the night I woke up with horrible knee pain. It hurt as I would bend my leg it but would be fine once it was bent all the way and then if I tried to straighten it again it would hurt like crazy while straightening it and then be fine once it was all the way straight.

I couldn't even sleep because I was trying to figure out how I "injured" it. I did a strength training workout yesterday (but not a new one or one with heavier weights or anything) and then ran 2 1/2 miles in 20 minutes (which was a first - it was a bit quicker than usual) but still nothing I would have thought would cause such an injury.

Either way, my mind went out of control worrying (uselessly) about how it would impact my workouts the rest of the week and I almost woke up depressed over it.

I was determined to just rest today and see how I felt in the evening. I was "over it." I would just move on.

So why did I eat candy in the middle of the day (and feel like I was going to puke because of the sugar I'm not used to?) to "numb out" my frustrations (if you will)? 

This is not good. My life (and emotions!) will not revolve around exercise and/or injuries. I'm made for so much more than that. I love being healthy and fit and able to run and play with my kids and do all the activities that my weight held me back from before - but I will NOT let not being able to workout give me a negative attitude.

So there it is. Out there. My declaration that my identity is not found in my body's abilities to exercise nor is it found in the way it looks and/or feels.


Okay.

Thanks for the outlet.

{That being said, I think I'm coming down with a stomach bug that may or may not have attributed to my emotional state. Just as a little disclaimer. I'm not normally this dramatic over such petty things.}

coffee and conversation

I know I've talked about this before, but I am so thankful for "my girls" (no, not those girls, you sicko) - my Bible Study girls.

In my (almost) 33 years of life I have found that it is imperative to have a few really close friends. The kind that you can just plain be yourself around. No pretending. No walls up. No judgment. Just you. Completely accepted and loved just the way you are.  

Those kind of friends.

I'm blessed to have a bunch of em'. Even more blessed to have so many that are fellow SAHMs (stay at home moms) so we can meet every week and share a meal, prayers, tears, faith walks, parenting issues, life struggles - everything and we can do it freely and without fear.

Those kind of real friendships are (dare I say?) rare these days and I cherish and appreciate all of mine to the fullest.

{This post brought to you by an amazing afternoon spent with some awesome women over coffee and deep life-changing conversation. God is good. All the time.}

the way things work out

After dropping the kids off at school I got home and immediately started cleaning the house (to put off running, I thought). I vacuumed, did dishes, cleaned the main bathroom, finished up some laundry, and made a couple of phone calls (see how much I look forward to running?).

When I didn't think Fischer could hold open his sweet little eyes one moment longer (at about 10am) I put him down for a nap (which is the only time I can run on the treadmill during the day). Once he was out (which took about the same amount of time as it took for me to get my running shoes on) I hopped on the treadmill and ran for one hour (7 miles).

I pulled my ear buds out and step off the treadmill and the phone rings. It's Jack's teacher saying he's not feeling well. I talk to Jack. She was right, he's not feeling well. So I tell my Dad (who has just come in from doing barn chores) that I'm headed up to pick up Jack in case Fischer wakes up in the 10 minutes I'm gone.

Sometimes it just works out like that. Feeling rushed to get stuff done in the morning (chores, my run, it all felt rushed this morning) but right now I'm so thankful for that. I'm thankful that as I'm sitting here on my bed typing this out, my (almost) 6 year old is snuggled up next to me under my heated blanket about to fall asleep and all I have to think about is him. I love being available for times like this. There's no place I'd rather be.

I rushed around and got stuff done - not that I wouldn't just take the time to spend with him hadn't I done that, but it's just an added blessing that it's done - and I thought it was because of my run, but it was just God's way of working it all out so I could enjoy loving on my sweet boys today in a clean house with my workout finished. Just a gentle reminder that He cares about the little stuff too.

I'm thankful today for that.

Did you realize it's November already!? Wasn't it August. . . yesterday?

Anyway, time is flying by as usual and life doesn't slow down for nothin'.

Halloween came and went - we had a great time at the Harvest Party at our church - a nice weekend at home and now it is Monday.

Again.

Already.

Soccer season is over which is fine with us since the rain has come and settled in for the winter it seems. My outdoor runs with the stroller are probably limited now, but I sure enjoyed them while I could. On Friday Jeff was home so I got the opportunity to go running with my friend (my running partner friend) and we pounded out 8 miles in 71 minutes. I'm pretty happy about that! It sort of makes me wish the half marathon was in February instead of in July since I (finally) have confidence about being able to actually do it! ;)

Fischer is getting sick again. Actually, in all honesty, he's been sick for a few weeks, but now we can tell it's the RSV crap that sticks with em' for months on end so we're settling in for the long haul. We've already broken out the humidifier, made the eucalyptus essential oil chest rub, and have his crib mattress set to an incline. Poor lil' guy. Hopefully it will pass quicker this year.

Natalie and Jack both have birthdays towards the end of the month (on the 20th and the 21st) and we've been planning for that. So far they haven't complained about sharing parties - they've just come to the realization that they need to agree - which is great for us! :) This year they each get to take a friend to the gymnastics open gym and then we'll pick up pizza and have their party with those friends plus our family (extended) that evening followed by a sleepover. They're pretty darn excited (and I'm excited that it came together so easily). I just can't believe they're going to be 11 and 6.  That part hurts my heart a bit, I'm not gonna lie. . . 

So anyway, you're officially caught up. Now I can make the standard, "I'll try to keep you updated more often" statement before I close.

{ CLOSE }