Week 12 Around Here {2019}

Getting... outside! Finally! Hooray!  The temperatures have risen, the snow has (mostly) melted, and we have started walking to school again. It is the best!  Carly keeps telling everyone, "Me and Wyatt are just so glad the snow is melted!" Haha! You and everyone else, girl!!!
I myself was walking back into the garage one afternoon this week and took a deep breath of the fresh, warmer air and thought, "We made it through the long, dark winter," which sounds dramatic, to be sure, but which felt authentic in the moment.  There were times (like last Tuesday when they called yet another snow day) when I wondered, truly, if winter would ever be over.
Josh is equally thrilled with the change in weather and has been outside playing catch with the boys everyday after school.  My heart bursts with love for him when I see him being the dad I always imagined when we were dating, throwing the ball to our boys, shouting encouragement to them... I am sometimes in disbelief that we have three growing sons, all such spitting images of him.
{Swoon}

Dealing... with lots of mud along with that melted snow.  But honestly, I can't be too annoyed.  If muddy shoes and a dirty floor means the kids are playing outside, I will deal with it!

Reading... and finishing Down Came The Rain and The Lost Man, and starting Becoming (on audio) and No Exit, which I got from Book of the Month.  It sucked me in from page 1!

Looking... back at pictures of baby Wyatt, and finding one of him nebulizing as a toddler. Oh, he was just so delicious! What I wouldn't give to go back in time for just one day!!

Excited... for baseball season for the boys.  Josh will be coaching the twins, and I'll be in charge of getting Wyatt to and from his team practices & games.  They are all three very excited and eagerly practicing everyday.  I am so proud of them!

Watching... the movie Lincoln for date night with Josh (and his brother Samuel who came for the amazing pizza... seriously, Josh's pizza is the real deal!) and being blown away by how good it was.  I told you last week I listened to Sally Field's book In Pieces, and in it, she talks about getting the role of Lincoln's wife in the movie, which made me want to see it (it came out in 2012).  I checked, and sure enough, it was on Netflix, so I decided we should watch it for date night.  Josh and I were captivated.  I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but the rest of the movie was really fascinating and on point.

Loving... Josh for taking the boys four wheeling on Sunday at his parents' land.  They had so much fun (as evidenced by the amount of mud on their snow pants & coats) and I very much enjoyed the break.  I got to shower in peace while Carly watched PJ Masks, and then I got to go shopping with my friend Shana at a resale event here in town. I found TONS of cute clothes for Carly for super cheap, including some cute swim suits so she can have a variety to choose from while we spend our entire summer at the pool.  (Have I mentioned I am over winter???)
I dropped Carly off at my in-law's land Thursday and whenever I am there, I just can't get over the wide open sky.  I took a picture Thursday morning, it was so gorgeous.

Hosting... some neighbor boys for a few hours Saturday and dying (!!!) when their little brother took off his boots to come in as well when his dad was dropping them off.  I told his dad that now he had to let him stay as well because I'm a giant softy, and we just couldn't tell him no. So he stayed as well, and he and Carly played SO well together. They melted my very heart!!

Finally... taking down the Valentine's decorations and putting up Easter ones.  I am normally never one to leave decorations up too long, but I just have not been motivated in the home decor category lately, as laundry alone seems to be filling my time, but February got away from me this time.

Walking... the kids to the park on Saturday after the neighbor boys left, and it was so nice to get out of the house for a while.  We walked, then played at the school playground, and walked home again.  It's a nice walk, nearly a mile each way, and it makes me so grateful for where we live.  After that we watched Zootopia for movie night and I made pizza & cookies for the kids.  It was a quiet evening, except for one brother's misbehavior and that was nice. (Parenting... it just doesn't take a vacation, does it?)

Praying... for my friend whose little brothers' funeral is coming up this weekend.  We grew up with Zach, from his toddlerhood, (he was the cutest baby!) and it's unbelievable that he is gone.  My heart is with you, Marquez family.  May God comfort you during this time.
Sidenote: if you're unsure what to do for someone who has lost somebody, Laura (who I follow on Instagram) always says "Just DO something", so following her advice, together with my friends, I ordered Emily a necklace that has Zach's name on it.  I wasn't sure it was the right thing to do, but it was something to let her know that I was thinking of her, and that I saw her pain.  This is where I got the necklace, and they were awesome to work with.

Thankful... that Carly has transitioned from her crib to her big girl bed (the bottom half of Wyatt's bunk bed) like a champ.  When I decided to transition, it was a quick, spur of the moment decision based on the fact that Josh's brother had a desk for us, and we needed to make room for it, which meant moving our desk into Wyatt & Carly's room (for Wyatt), which meant getting rid of the crib.
I felt confident about the decision, until I got home from an errand and saw the crib disassembled in the garage with her soft pink sheet still on the mattress.  Then I got all emotional about it.  I've had a baby in a crib in my house pretty consistently for nearly ten years.  Over a decade of having a child in a crib.  And POOF! Just like that, it's over. 
I am trying to embrace where our family is now, and not spend too much time looking back wistfully, but the ending of certain stages is always hard for me.

Inspired... by how much our Orthodontist loves his job.  The twins got braces this week, and they got to put on each other's brackets (!!!) with the help of Dr. Feller.  It was hilarious and amazing!  They did a great job, and I was so proud!!
They look so handsome and grown up with their braces on, I can hardly stand it.  This first phase will last a year and we will go from there.  For now, they are pretty sore and not eating near as much as usual, poor guys! But Josh and I have assured them that their teeth will adjust and soon having braces will feel normal.
In about two weeks (after the spacers have time to work) they will get wires on the top braces as well, and then they will be sore all over again... but I haven't told them that.  No need to further dampen their spirits!

Buying... new lamps for our new bedside tables and LOVING them! They are super cute but (stage whisper:) they're just from Walmart!
I also bought some spring flowers to plant along our white picket fence- daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths. I can't wait to add some color to our yard after months of white & grey!

Receiving... a care package from my grandma this week that felt like a warm hug.  She sent me two scarves, a bunch of notepads and a puzzle from some of her friends for the kids and I to do over spring break.  She also sent the cutest quilt with flowers & polka dots for Carly that she got from an auction. I love it!

This made me laugh:

#truth

***

And I loved this reminder:

{follow MHN here}

Week 11 Around Here {2019}

Enjoying... Friday night on my own while Wyatt & Josh ran out to the land to get Josh's dads truck so he could make a dump run early Saturday morning.  I made a pizza and watched Ben is Back, which I had borrowed from Redbox.  It was super sad, but really good, and heartwrenching to watch as a mama.

Adoring... the picture my mother-in-law captured of Josh & Carly on the 4 wheeler last week.  Josh said she was totally digging it, yelling, "Go four wheeler, go!" the whole time.  Our little daredevil!

Spending... Saturday with my crew on my own, as Josh was at the land working on Samuel's car with him.  We enjoyed movie night with homemade pizza & cookies (yum!) and it was a nice, mellow day.

Walking... to the school playground in the sunshine (finally!) with my sister and her kids on Sunday when they came into town.  It was so great to take a walk after months of being stuck inside for my workouts, and the kids had so much fun together. (They always do!)  I couldn't believe how big my niece has gotten- I haven't seen her since before Christmas- and was really happy to have everyone together!

Enduring... one more snow day- seriously- on Tuesday this week.  We got over three more inches in the night, and I was honestly in disbelief.  We had the neighbor & her 5 boys over for a playdate, so that helped the morning go by quickly, and I gave the boys all haircuts, which was much needed.  Then the boys played outside and I went to the dentist where I had my permanent crown put in, but with no pain meds.  I'm not sure why they didn't give me any pain meds, they just said they tend not to with permanent crowns... but let me tell you, there was a lot of cement-scraping-off on my tooth nub, and I was in a LOT of pain.  Whoooo! I was SO glad when that stinking appointment was over, let me tell you!!!

Reading... The Life You Longed For and Down Came The Rain, and listening to In Pieces by Sally Field, which I believe should be required listening for every woman.  She is so profound in even the smallest slices of honesty about her life, it's amazing, and I love how she doesn't make anyone out to be a "good guy" or a "bad guy", but allows for shades of grey (something I am terrible at)... it's just so human.  Through her story, she revealed things to me about my own life.  How most things aren't "right" or "wrong", but often fall somewhere in between, and how many times, people are just doing the best they know how, and we can't fault them if they don't know better.  It was a beautiful book, and I loved it.
I gave up reading Maid... Everyone else who read it loved it so much... but I just didn't get into it.  I struggled to identify with the main character, and when Josh saw how long I'd been reading it without making any actual progress, he offered to "get rid of it" for me. Haha! "No one would have to know," he joked.  That was what finally convinced me to put it down, DNF.

Loving... our new bedside tables (I'll have to take pictures next week!) that we got after making do for 2 years with the ones we were given when we moved here.  The new ones match our bedroom furniture, look great with the new flooring, and have three drawers, which is awesome.

Indulging... in self care Wednesday during nap time and watching an episode of This is Us (are you watching it? It's so good right now!) and then taking a nap after lunch.  It felt so good to take care of me, and it turn my anxiety down, which had been creeping up on the dial.  (Sleep always helps tone my anxiety down.)

Attending... the movies Thursday with my girl Megan (hey!!) to see Five Feet Apart after reading the book.  I did not love the book, but to be honest, I only read the book because I knew I was going to see the movie.  And actually, they wrote the movie first, then developed the book from the screenplay.  (Kind of backwards from how it is normally done)
Anyway, even though I only gave the book 3 stars, I LOVED the movie (sobbed like a baby throughout) and highly recommend you see it.  It was such a great way to bring awareness to Cystic Fibrosis, which is actually what they thought Wyatt might have when he was hospitalized in the PICU with status asthmaticus last year.  I follow a girl named Katharine with it on Instagram (she's a fellow BOOK LOVER!) and she has taught me so much about the ins and outs of the disease.  They are so close to finding a cure, which would impact so many people.

Taking... Carly to the doctor on Friday when she just wasn't herself after a bad fall that injured her hip.  I wasn't sure if there were internal injuries; if she was coming down with a cold; or if she was just behind on sleep, but she was NOT acting like herself, and it had me freaked out.
Because I didn't see the fall that injured her hip, the doctor ordered an x-ray, which Carly handled like a pro, and we were relieved when it came back fine.  In the end, I think she was coming down with a cold & cough, as Wyatt came down with the same thing a few days later, but boy was she miserable for a few days!!

Kicking... myself for forgetting to schedule more counseling appointments.  I knew I had scheduled quite a bit out, and then suddenly it was March and I had no more appointments scheduled. Dang! So I will go the next month without seeing my counselor.  I am nervous about it, but I have more appointments scheduled starting mid-April, so hopefully I can make it until then.

Awaiting... next week when the twins get BRACES!!! Our local orthodontist (Feller Orthodontics) is amazing (love him & his family) and worked with us to get our insurance to approve the boys' braces, and now we are ready for Phase 1!  I am so excited both for the boys to have more handsome smiles, and to have safer mouths.  Right now, their side teeth stick out, which puts them at risk for getting knocked loose, so they will be much safer once they are all aligned!

Flaunting... my new purse from my friend Shana.  She saw how sad & old mine was, and gave me one. So sweet!  I love it!!

Treating... myself to Starbuck's on Thursday morning before hitting the grocery store.  It was so nice to sit and drink a mocha while reading before running my errands.  Then I was able to get groceries without Carly, who was spending the day with Grandma, and listen to my audiobook while doing so. 

Receiving... my Book of the Month order and feeling thrilled to get No Exit, The Dark Lake & Queenie in my box.  I think I will dive into No Exit next!!!

I laughed when I read this one:

(thanks for sharing Januari & Julie!)

Tiffany at the Gray Gang shared this quote on Instagram,

and I loved it so much, I wanted to share it as well:

"My child isn't my easel to paint on

nor my diamond to polish.

My child isn't my trophy to share with the world

nor my badge of honor.

My child is here to fumble, stumble, try and cry.

Learn and mess up.

Fail and try again.

Listen to the beat of a drum faint to our adult ears.

And dance to a song that revels in freedom.

My task is to step aside.

Heal my own wounds.

Fill my own bucket.

And let my child fly."

-Shefali Tsabary