This was our week on spring break from school. I wasn’t quite sure how the week was going to play out. I didn’t know if the kids would rack up 450 hours on their electronics or if we would have friends, that were also staying home for spring break, to play with. It actually ended up that some of our best friends were staying in town and we had activities planned for every day!

We had a great time bowling, swimming, going to the movies, and exploring KC, but I think I am ready to have a few hours to myself. [Read more…]

This week my Friday Gratitude includes 2 people that have inspired change in my life (at least for this week). I am very grateful that I was in the right place at the right time to hear and read their inspiration.

I don’t know if it is the little changes that I have made or nature’s hints that spring is right around the corner, but I am feeling lighter and brighter lately. Maybe it is because winter is ending? Maybe it is my Friday Gratitude posts? Whatever it is, I’ll take it!

Here are 5 things that had me feeling all sorts of grateful this week:

Signs of Spring

Although it is snowing today, I keep seeing signs of spring that make me oh so happy! This week we even have had a few warm days that had me setting my toes free in flip flops.

[Read more…]

After a week of 78 ice storms, 4 days of no school, and a round of strep that could be described as the image you DON’T want to see when you google “strep”, I am grateful that we all survived!

The week may have been crazy, but there were some really sweet and wonderful moments mixed in! Here are my moments of gratitude for the week:

Saturday Morning

A normal morning for me looks like this…

As I wake up to the sound of my alarm I can feel that half of my body is teetering on the edge of the bed because the other half is being warmed by the little person that has scooted too close. As I try to open my eyes I am off to wake up Maddie and start our day. For the next hour it is a whirlwind of making breakfast, cleaning up breakfast, attempting to wake Kyle without inducing tears, making beds, picking out clothes, re-picking out clothes, styling hair without inducing tears, yelling “we have to leave in two minutes” – for 10 minutes, and then searching to find everyones shoes. Sound familiar? I’m guessing a lot of Moms go thru this same routine every morning.

Even on Saturdays I usually wake up with anxiety-producing thoughts of everything that needs to get done running thru my head.

Not this past Saturday! I had the most peaceful morning. I got to wake up 100% naturally. No alarm, no children in my bed, no sun glaring in my window.

It was a bit of a rainy morning making the light in my room a cozy haze of dull gray. I drifted in and out of sleep for about 30 minutes. My bed was the perfect temperature, not too warm, not too cold. As I finally woke I snuggled under our new blanket that still has that new soft feel and let my body sink into the softness of my mattress. I enjoyed every minute of laying there in peace. I actually had a smile come across my face.

I was so grateful for a chance to wake up in pure peace and bliss on Saturday morning.

Birthday Party & A New Experience

About two weeks ago my daughter, Maddie, turned 10. Usually for her birthday we will have a family dinner with all the aunts and uncles and cousins and then a small family celebration with just mom, dad and brother. This year we decided that she could finally have a (small) friend birthday party.

Where we live it is pretty common for people to have big birthday parties at places like painting studios, waterparks, gymnastic gyms, or pottery cafes. Growing up in small town Iowa I was used to birthdays being  cake at a friends house and a few games in the back yard. Things have definitely changed.

[Read more…]

Wow what a week! This is always one of the busiest weeks of the year for me. We have a birthday, Valentines Day, crafts abound, parties, multiple parties, family dinners and volunteering at school. Not to mention all the regular old life stuff!! Even though it was busy I had a lot to be grateful for. Especially all the LOVE during this week ♥

Here are 5 4 of my happiest moments: (Oh man…I didn’t get around to writing the 5th. It was a BUSY week to say the least!)

My Tribe

In college it was so easy to make friends. It was like you had an automatic tribe. I had an amazing group of friends. We lived together, played together, and stood beside each other no matter what! Most of those ladies are still in my life today and I am so thankful for them. As time has past we have all ended up in different parts of the country. Now our time together is over text, phone, social media and the occasional visit. Which I always cherish!

[Read more…]

I’m struggling a little bit to write my intro this week, it’s been a long day of parenting. So instead of sweating it out I’m going to keep it short and sweet.

It was a great week- I got to spend time with my friends and I posted some really good recipes! Here are 5 more things that made me grateful this week:

Love Letters

The other day I stopped at our mailbox to get the mail for the day (read week). When I hopped back in the car Kyle said “do I have any cards in the mail?”. Of course he didn’t. Writing letters and sending cards is definitely a lost art. Not to mention when this happened it was the end of January when NOTHING is happening and there was no reason for him to receive any mail. I said “Well, no buddy, the best way to receive mail is to send mail.”. So we decided he would send a card to his little friend in Arizona, we’ll call her P.

[Read more…]

Well hello there February!!!! Long time, no see.

We did it, we made it thru January. In my opinion it is one of the worst months of the year. You have the let down from the past two months of holiday excitement. It is ridiculously cold and everything is brown. At least in February we have Valentines Day, the Daddy Daughter dance, and Maddie’s birthday.

I am definitely looking forward to March. That is when I feel like we have really made it thru the winter and we are staring Spring in the face! We’ll finally have a few warmer days, which means friday afternoon happy hours and time with friends. The flowers begin to peek thru the dirt and the trees start to show a haze of green. I will welcome those days with open arms!

I am going to fill this post with summer flowers to give us all a little winter boost!

Here are a few things that got me thru this last week in January, gratefully: [Read more…]

Wow, this past week was busy but great! Full of birthday parties, family activities, school, extracurricular activities, and doctors appointments. As I am writing this I have to say that I am thankful I did not have anyone home sick this week. Since Christmas break I have not had the kids back in school for a full week. We have either had someone sick, recovering from surgery (tonsillectomy), or at home for a snow day. I think we are finally on the upswing!

I am loving my gratitude journal project. It really makes me take the time to stop and be thankful for ALL the things in my life, not just the big exciting things. I hope you are able to “stop and smell the roses” with me, or in the case of this week “stop and smell the humidity”…. read on : ) [Read more…]