Currently...

It has been ALMOST TWO YEARS since I wrote one of these bad boys; so, I thought maybe it'd be time to write another one. :) Currently, I am living the #momlife

But also, I am currently...

Loving...home decor changes. Friends, my hub and I have had some of our current furniture for 14 years. And it shows: outdated and stained and well-loved and in need of replacement. It was time for an update! Not to mention, one of our living areas just did not have enough seating (as in, when friends or family would come over, people would have to sit on the floor). Enter my dear friend, Emily, creator and owner of Bolick and Prince. She came up with a beautiful design plan for a couple different areas of our home, and we are currently taking her beautiful suggestions and making them our own. We've been purchasing furniture (on a related note, Wayfair, Birch Lane, and Hayneedle, you have my money-saving heart) and a big paint job will also be happening over the next couple months. While we are still waiting for some pieces to come in, and still need to purchase some decor and artwork, we are loving the transformation of one of our rooms so far! More details to come as we finish up the updating, but for now, a quick sneak peek:

Before: Old furniture. Too small rug. Not enough seating. Etc. 

During: So long, furniture. 

After. New furniture. Re-location of a rug we already had. Now, seating for six instead of three.

Reading...Church of the Small Things, an awesome book my LifeGroup ladies and I are reading. Have y'all heard of Melanie Shankle? She is the author of it and other well known books, including Sparkly Green Earrings. She is very down-to-earth and funny and charming and relatable, and it is a fantastic book! I highly recommend reading it for fun or alongside a group of your girls to promote some awesome discussion.

Waiting for...several appointments for Bella to arrive. I was able to get one that was originally scheduled for the end of May pushed up to next month thanks to this momma's desperate pleas and a very kind-hearted nurse, but there is another appointment that won't be happening until September. Siiiiiigh. I know, I know. All in God's timing. Adoption has definitely taught me so much more about being patient.

Excited about...a couple of big, fun trips we have coming up later this year. One will be sans kids and one will be all about the kids, and I am equally excited for both. Yeehaw! Bring on the fun, 2018! 

Trying to...enjoy cooking for my family. That's a bold-face lie. I'm not trying at all. I wish I was. But I just don't love it and it is at the very, very bottom of my priority list right now. At this stage of our life, when things are just crazy and busy with all of our therapy and appointments and stuff, as long as we are sitting down together as a family each night and there is food on everyone's plate, that's the best I can do right now. And I am okay with that.

Think I'm joking? Nope. Rotisserie chicken courtesy of Harris Teeter along with canned succotash and 90-second rice, all served on paper plates. 

Working on...consigning! I am participating as a consignor in a BIG children's consignment sale for the first time ever. It may seem silly that I am just now doing this seeing as how I am now 8+ years into this mommahood thing, BUT I also have a boatload of younger nieces and nephews whom I have been lending our clothes to for years. But finally, it's time for me to start selling some of our stuff so that I can pay for the new clothes my children seem to outgrow at lightening speed. So, I just consigned a few of the things Harrison outgrew and a ton of the girly clothes Bella outgrew. While it took some time to launder, iron, prepare, tag, and hang the items, I'm excited to make a little money to put toward our Spring/Summer kiddo clothing needs. :)

Enjoying...this GORGEOUS weather we are having this week. Temps consistently in the 70s in February? Heck yeah! My active, outdoorsy crew is loving it!

Using...Several beauty products I absolutely swear by. Two of my faves? Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector. Swoon. Although I typically get about 8 hours of sleep each night, I still look tired more days than not. #momlife BUT this stuff is magical and makes me look all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when I'm actually feeling more like...tail. ;) And then, there's Queen of the Fill, that my dear friend Jenna introduced me to. I don't go a day without wearing it. It is the BEST tinted eyebrow filler, especially for someone like me with extremely sparse eyebrows. 

Wearing...my black slip-ons almost daily. A girlfriend was wearing the same pair and I fell in love; so, I immediately asked her I where she got them so I could copy her! She got hers from Nordstrom Rack. My "in laws" got mine for me for Christmas at Macy's. Love them! AND another girlfriend had on an army green pair earlier this week that looked almost identical to my black ones, and she got hers from Target!

Planning...Bella's 3rd birthday party. Yes, Harrison's is before that, and my hub's the day after, and yes her birthday isn't until May, but Harrison is doing a father-son camp out in lieu of a party, and my hub is going on a guy's deep sea fishing trip for his birthday celebration; so, I am focusing on planning Bella's birthday party! Seems crazy? Yes. But hear me out: THIS WILL BE THE FIRST REAL BIRTHDAY PARTY SHE HAS EVER HAD. So, my girl deserves a mountain of a celebration, which is what she will be having. We will likely keep things low-key the next few birthdays after this, but for this first one of her being home with her family, we will be celebrating our little girl big time. So, I've started planning: the theme's been selected. The brainstorming is well underway. Her birthday dress and shoes have been purchased. A few decor items have been bought, too. It is ON. 

Singing...Hillsong United and All Sons and Daughters. I love listening to their music at various times throughout the week, especially while getting ready for church on Sunday mornings. I immediately feel calmer and more prayerful and more thankful. 

Needing...to let go of grievances and grudges, give out forgiveness and mercy, offer more grace and less judgment, and remember that I am a big ol' sinner, too. 

Listening to...Harrison sing the sweet songs he learns at church each week. Talk about melting a momma's heart. His precious voice, the precious words. Melt.My.Heart. 

Learning...to rely solely on God's plan, even when things feel hard and dark and never-ending. Our family has hit some big time bumps in the road lately. Massive pot holes, really. No, craters. We have hit some life-altering craters. One after another, it seems. The craters just keep on coming. I don't know why they keep coming nor when they will stop, but I know that Jesus' plan is better than my own, and I need to put my trust in Him. But seriously, Lord, enough with the craters, please. We could use a big ol' happy and peaceful break from them. 

Doing...lots of Barre3, which keeps me sane some most days. It's an hour of "me" time that I get to use to push myself to the limit amongst amazing, strong, supportive women. Want to join me for a free class? Let me know! I promise you will LOVE it, and I will LOVE having you there! No bonus or kickback for me if you join me - I'd just love to have you there. <3

Wishing...time would slow down and also speed up. Slow down because it's already almost March which means my kids are growing at warp speed, and I don't like it one bit. Speed up because I'm ready for the aforementioned craters to be way behind us, no longer even visible in the rearview, and it is going to take time and patience to get there. 

Dreaming of...summer. When I get so much more time with my kids, when we get to spend days on the beach with people we love, when you can almost always find us at the pool, when we drown ourselves in icecream and Pelicans sno balls, when we have planned days and unplanned days, when we stay busy seeking out adventure and stay lazy keeping cool inside. <3 And also? I'm dreaming of the weekend. Just a few days to go! :)