Cheers to the Weekend, So Long March Edition

Well. Hellooooooo 3-day weekend! Woot! And yet, don't you hate when you wake up at 4:15 am (!!!!) with no alarm. Bleh! BUT the kiddos are off from school today, and we have BEAUTIFUL weather forecasted today and tomorrow; so, if you need us, we will all be outside from now until forever. Amen. 

This was a pretty low-key week so not a whole lot of crazy fun to share, but here are a few things we are saying CHEERS to as we welcome in the weekend: 

Gamers. We love sports. Period. End of story. Oh, and I am just a smiiiiiiiiidge competitive; so, I am loving all these spring sports games my kiddos are having multiple times a week!  I love cheering on my kiddos and my friends' kiddos, and it is all just so FUN for this momma! Does it make the week nights crazy? Absolutely. But I still love it!

Banks' baseball team is now 2-0-1 (this week's game ended in a tie!). He also got to sub in with the Titans travel baseball team again last Saturday; so, this kiddo has been seeing lots of time on the baseball field and loving it. 

Raleigh had her second flag football game last night (Go Cowboys!), and this time the whole fam was able to cheer her on since we didn't have any conflicting practices/games. Guys. This girl is killin' it so far this season! She gives it her all on that field - staring down those boys and running as hard and as fast as she can down the field. It is SO FUN to watch her do her thing! She also had parent observation week in dance this week, and I am so excited about her upcoming recital. :) 

Harrison had his first game last weekend and did GREAT! He made two outs at first and had a great at-bat. Can't wait to watch him play in person tomorrow since I had to miss last Saturday's game. He loves being on a field just as much as his big brother!

And Bels is just along for the ride. I cannot wait for the time to come to sign her up for sports. She is going to be a rockstar out there, I just know it! <3

Women's conference. If y'all saw my post from Wednesday, then you know I was in the front row of the struggle bus last week. So let me tell y'all, the women's conference I attended Friday/Saturday in Charlotte via our church could not have come at a more perfect time. There is SO much I intend to share from last weekend, but that's going to take an entire post (coming soon!). Let's just say it was life-changing and life-giving, and I have already put several things into practice in my life that I learned from it. So, so, so very thankful for the words spoken, the tears shed, and the treasured time I got to spend with a dear friend. <3

Book rec. I decided at the start of the year to make it a goal to read two books per month all year. So far, I am 3 for 3 this year, and am planning to dive into my next book (which is already selected and comes highly recommended!) next week. But before I do, I have to tell y'all about the book I just finished: It is now one of my all-time favorites: The Glass Castle. So, so good. AND I found out they turned it into a movie a couple years ago with a fantastic cast. There is no way the movie will be as good as the book, but I am definitely planning to watch it soon! Also, remember the last book I loved, Where the Crawdads Sing? Well, Reese Witherspoon is now producing it into a movie! So pumped!

Murder mystery grill out. I know y'all have likely seen these murder mystery kits all over  the internet these days. Last year, some friends and I decided we wanted to give it a try (and yet, we are STILL trying to find a date that works to get the thing scheduled!). In the meantime, my hub and I already had a grill out on the calendar with several other couples. So us girls, and our workout buddy hubbies (they've been working out together at 5:00 am every weekday for nearly three years now!), made plans for the get together, and then someone suggested we turn it into a murder mystery cookout - ha! Y'all, it was so fun. I seriously cannot wait to do it again. So, if you have ever considered doing one with friends, do it! It's so easy: just order the kit online and then you are able to download all of the necessary documents needed to carry it out, assign characters ahead of time so everyone can come dressed in the appropriate costume attire, etc. So fun! Can't wait to do it again!

And that's it y'all! We've got a busy but fun weekend ahead with beautiful weather on the menu. Can't beat that! I have so many posts I want to share; so, hopefully more to come soon! <3

The Grass is Greener

Last week, I cried for two days straight. 

Had you seen me during that time, you would have seen swollen, tired eyes filled with tears, on the brink of another meltdown. I felt discouraged, disheartened, angry, frustrated, overwhelmed, lonely, uncertain, and, well, sad. It was a HARD week, one that followed months of endless hope, unanswered prayers, and stressors anew. 

Sometimes, I feel like I live my life holding my breath, waiting. And I try, I really truly try, to wait well. Because there's growth and change and strength and courage that build in the waiting. I know that. And sometimes I wait well. But sometimes? Sometimes I don't. Last week was one of those 'I don't's. 

I share this today because life is hard. For everyone. At different times. For different reasons. Life.Is.Hard. When we find ourselves in one of these valleys, it is hard. 

And when we are in the valley, it can feel very lonely and very isolating. We look around and see nothing but dried out grass and barren land. Which is crazy, because the view used to look so much greener - where now everything looks brown and dead, it once was lush and abundant. We then do what rarely helps: we compare our withering valley to the views around us. And in fact, when we look up from our valley, we see mountains. We see the beautiful, flourishing, bright green grass cascading down the mountains and then notice that, wow!, everyone we know is standing on their blooming, thriving, mountainous land. We lower our eyes and see, again, our perishing, impoverished valley. It hits hard then: Their grass is greener than mine. 

Growing grass takes time. We must plant the seeds, cover them with nurturing, life-giving soil, and water them regularly. It's that last part, I think, that can sometimes end in drought. Because often, we have many seeds we are trying to plant and help thrive - in fact, sometimes we have too many seeds - and so, we aren't able to fully care for each seed. And sometimes, we're so focused on nurturing so many different seeds that we fail to notice that our watering cans have, in fact, run dry. It happens, then: our grass begins to brown, it depletes. And, again, we raise our eyes and see the lush mountains and wonder, how do I get there? My can is empty. Everyone's grass is greener than mine. 

But here's the thing: our grass is greener where we water it. 

We don't have enough water to fully nurture every seed that makes it's way to our palm. Sometimes, we have to let some seeds go. Perhaps when the next growing season arrives, there will be more time and soil and water to cultivate those seeds, but that time is not now. We have to select and choose which seeds to plant, nurture, and water. And even then, our watering can will run dry from time to time. But that's when our people show up, extra watering cans in hand, ready to dig into the trenches with us and help our grass not only grow but grow green and flourish. 

Here's the beauty of it all: with time, patience, hard work, nurture, and care - with extra watering cans at the ready thanks to the village that stands behind us - one day, we look up and notice that those patches of grass we have poured into are the most beautiful, life-giving greens we've ever seen. We no longer look to the mountains to compare our view to theirs - we've got everything we've ever needed right in front of us.  

And God was with us, all along, scattering seeds and nurturing us, right in the midst of the valley. 

I've walked among the shadows;

You wiped my tears away,

And I've felt the pain of heartbreak,

And I've seen the brighter days.

And I've prayed prayers to heaven from my lowest place,

And I have held the blessings,

God, you give and take away.

No matter what I have, Your grace is enough.

No matter where I am, I'm standing in Your love.

On the mountains, I will bow my life

To the one who set me there;

In the valley, I will lift my eyes to the one who sees me there.

When I'm standing on the mountain aft, didn't get there on my own;

When I'm walking through the valley end, no I am not alone!

You're God of the hills and valleys!

Hills and Valleys!

God of the hills and valleys

And I am not alone!

-from Hills and Valleys by Tauren Wells

Top 3s

How's this for a random post for a Monday? I told y'all I'd be sharing a full post today, and here it is. Something easy and breezy to start the week. :) I saw a fellow blogger do this and thought it'd be fun to share some of my current Top 3s. Here we go: 

Favorite Binge Shows

Schitt's Creek
Friends
The Office

Favorite Movies

Fried Green Tomatoes
Steel Magnolias
The Patriot

Favorite Trips

China <3
Cabo San Lucas
Portugal/France

Favorite Books

The Nightingale
Where the Crawdads Sing
Comparison Trap

Favorite Places to Eat Locally

Blue Taj
The Roasting Oven
Lee Cafe

Favorite Cosmetics
Rodan+Fields Radiant Defense
Becca Eye Brightener
Queen of the Fill

Favorite Holidays

Christmas
Thanksgiving
Birthdays ;) 

Favorite Subjects in College

Psychology
Biology
Dance

Three Things I Always Have in My Purse

Gum
My Notepad and a pen
My cellphone

Three Typical Morning Breakfasts

Overnight Oats
Lightly salted rice cakes with almond butter, honey, and cinnamon
Eggs and sausage 

Favorite Things to do with My Hub
Friday night couch nights
Date nights at new restaurants
Adventure dates/trips

Favorite Things to do with My Kids

Cheer them on in their sports/activities
Go to the beach/pool/be outdoors
Snuggle on Friday family movie nights 

Places I Still Want to Visit

Italy
Hawaii
St. Lucia
(Bonus: New Zealand/Australia) 

Favorite Workout Activities

Barre3
Running 
Free weights  

Favorite Social Media Outlets

Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest

Favorite U.S. Cities 
New Orleans
Austin
NYC

Favorite Local Places to (Clothing) Shop
Page 6
Katyloo
Broadcloth

Favorite Places to (Grocery) Shop
Aldi
EarthFare
Harris Teeter

Favorite Family Traditions

Annual beach trips
Friday family movie nights
Sunday morning breakfasts

Favorite Women's/Couples Bible Studies

Comparison Trap

Seamless

Love and Respect

Favorite Family/Parenting Bible Studies

Loving Our Kids on Purpose

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World
Restless
(Bonus: The Best Yes; Present Over Perfect)

Podcasts
Your Move by Andy Stanley
For the Love with Jen Hatmaker
S-Town
(Bonus: Criminal; Serial)

Favorite Bible Verses
James 1:27
Matthew 5:15-16
Psalm 46:10

Favorite Me Time Activities

Barre-ing

Reading and writing
Baking

Favorite Accessories
My right-hand ring (four bands, one of each with the birthstone of my babies) 
My engagement ring/wedding bands
Fun earrings

Favorite clothing style
Athletic and activity-friendly
Girly and ruffly
Super duper comfy

Reasons I blog
Virtual scrapbooking
Connecting with others
Sharing my faith and God's plan for my life 


Okay, that's probably enough for now. :) Anything I need to try out that I didn't list in my Top 3s? 

Cheers to the Weekend, Spring Sports Edition

I know, I know. Another one-post week. I actually had another post all cued up and ready to go, but to be honest, it was a really tough week 'round these parts. Really tough. So, I am saving that fluff-filled post for next week and am just going to focus on what we're saying CHEERS to this week/end to brighten my spirits and welcome in Spring:

Flag Football. Spring games have officially arrived! Let me start by sharing a little about my Raleigh Jane, who ROCKED.IT.OUT. in her first ever flag football game last night with two TDs and an awesome defensive play, too! She's been practicing hard during her twice weekly practices and last night, got to put all that hard work to use during Game 1. She is a proud Cowboygirl, and I loved seeing my girl do her thang on that football field. Go Raleigh! Go Cowboys!

Teeball. Unfortunately, Harrison's first teeball game of the year was rained out last Saturday #boo. Fortunately, he has another game bright and early this Saturday #yay. Unfortunately, I'll have to miss it #boo Fortunately, he'll have his own cheering section in the rest of the Lu Crew. #yay Since his game was cancelled, and the rest of our fam had plans that afternoon, he and I snuck away for a quick Momma Date. <3 Love him so much!!

Kid-pitch Baseball. And then there's Banks, who subbed in with one of the awesome, local travel baseball teams in a tournament last weekend. I was SO proud of him. He had one friend on the team and had never played in a kid-pitch game, but he stepped in and contributed, and the team ended up bringing home the championship! Without a doubt, my favorite moment was in Game 1. He had struck out twice and was in tears. My Bankster is super, duper intense competitive, loves playing sports like no other, and wasn't used to repeatedly striking out - this kid-pitch stuff is a whole different ball game, we quickly learned. He was disappointed and told me he felt embarrassed in his own performance. So, I went to the dugout to encourage him, and then the awesome coach went over and spent time with him, lifting his spirits and giving him some tips. Next at bat? Two balls. Two strikes. In comes the pitch and.......THWACK!!! The ball goes sailing through the air, earning Banks a double. I could immediately see his confidence boost and could feel the smile on his face. It was awesome. Go Banks! And Go Titans!

And then, he had his first two rec games of the year this week, on Monday and Thursday nights. He took the mound as the starting pitcher, and I was so proud of him - I know he was nervous but as the innings went on, his nerves fell away and his pitches become faster and more accurate. And then last night? The kiddo hit his first ever grand slam. Have I mentioned this kid loves nothing more than being on the field? As of today, our Riverdogs are 2-0. Way to go, kiddos! Keep it up! Love this sweet team. <3

Daddy-Daughter Dance. In non-sports-related news, last Saturday was the annual Daddy-Daughter Dance, and while Raleigh and her Daddy have gone the last three years, this was Bella's first time to go! And they had so much fun!! <3

And that's all I've got in me this week, y'all. A dear friend and I are headed to our church's women's conference today and tomorrow, and then my hub and I are headed to a little grill out tomorrow night. ;) Should be a fun weekend that concludes with yard work and family time on Sunday. Just what the doctor ordered. Here's hoping for a great weekend for all and better week for my Lu Crew and me next week. Be back Monday with my fluff-filled post. :) Have a great weekend!

Cheers to the Weekend, St. Pat's Edition

The last few weeks have just been chock full of some extra things going on throughout my days, but I am determined to get at LEAST one blog post out per week because (1) I love to write, (2) I am trying to maintain this virtual scrapbook the best I can, and (3) this serves as a little "me time" and I refuse to give it up. :) 

All that being said, can I first give a big fat CHEERS to the gorgeous weather we've had this week?! Here in the Mill, it has basically rained for 8,957 days straight. But not this week. No siree Bob. We had beautiful sunshine and temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s. And all the mommas said, AMEN. And what's a sure sign that Spring is just around the bend? When my driveway looks like this, and there are simultaneously 10 sweet kiddos playing in my backyard. LOVE IT: 

I will say, though that the cold and rainy days were actually put to good use around here. Last weekend, all of the kids' rooms, as well as the playroom, were deep cleaned and re-organized, with boatloads being taken to charity and the rest being taken to our trashcan. ;) I still have a few more spaces I'd like to organize and purge before Spring officially arrives, but we have definitely made good use of our rainy days over here. But still? Bring.It.On., sunshine. We have missed you so! 

A few things I'm saying CHEERS to this week/end:

Kindergarten or bust. As of Wednesday, my smart, hilarious, sweet, athletic little peanut, Harrison, is now registered for kindergarten. And can I get a huge round of applause for the fact that all FOUR of my babies will be at the SAME school next year?! Woooohoooo!!! 

250th Barre3 class. I forgot to mention this exciting milestone last week, but I was so excited when I walked into one of my usual morning B3 sessions and learned that that day marked my 250th class at Barre3! I had met the same milestone at Pure Barre a couple years ago before switching over to B3, which means I have banked over 500 barre classes over the last few years. I share that to say, PLEASE JOIN ME for a barre class anytime! Y'all know I won't promote or share anything I don't whole-heartedly believe in. Barre is the reason this momma o' four is sane. I shared this on Instagram after hitting 250 B3 classes last week and thought I'd share it again here because it is just so true:

When I think of Barre3 Fort Mill, I think of LIGHT. I leave every single class feeling inspired, strong, and full of light. This morning, I was surprised to learn I had reached a milestone of 250 classes at B3 - those 250 hours have brought more friendships, inspiration, joy, strength, and LIGHT into my life, and I am so thankful for the sanity saver that is my Barre3. They gifted me with a bracelet to commemorate the milestone, and I was told to choose one from a number of options, each with different sayings. As soon as I saw the words, I knew which one was mine. Barre3 Fort Mill, thank you for being my light. I will do my best to spread it around. 

So, please, let me know if you ever want to join me - no benefits for me for you joining, aside from the enjoyment of your company (and your first class is free). <3 Join me, won't you? You will LOVE it. 

Junie B. Jones. Last Sunday, Raleigh and I joined my sister and my niece to see the absolutely adorable play, Junie B. Jones, which was put on by the cutest, most talented young cast and sponspored by the best orthodontics practice around, TLOrthodontics. ;) Such a fun afternoon with some of my favorites. <3

The spontaneous parent. I am the organized, scheduled, routinized parent. I keep us in line and on time. But thank goodness for my hub, who is the spontaneous ying to my scheduled yang. He is so fun. And last weekend, after being stuck indoors yet again thanks to the aforementioned never-ending rain, he declared we needed some family fun. Off to Dave & Busters we went! I am so thankful for his OCD-less, ready-for-fun, no plans-needed personality. :)

And that's that, y'all. I still have several posts I intend to write (one serious, one fun!) but just need a little extra time to get it done. So, hopefully they'll be coming soon. For now, the weekend has again arrived. Yahoo! And it'll be a fun one for my Lu Crew: Raleigh is going to a girls-only event tomorrow morning and then she and Bella will be whisked away that afternoon to the Daddy-Daughter Dance with their daddy. <3 Meanwhile, Harrison has his first teeball game of the season bright and early tomorrow morning! He scrimmaged at practice earlier this week, and while he may be the littlest peanut on the field, the kid has QUITE the arm: he launched two beautiful, perfectly thrown, fast balls from near 3rd base straight to 1st. Go get 'em, sweet boy! We'll be cheering loud and proud! And Banks has a special weekend, too: while we have opted out of any travel ball for our kiddos, he was asked to sub in this weekend for a local travel team who has a player with a family emergency and can't make the tournament this weekend. So, Banks will be a temporary Titan this weekend, with two games on Saturday and two on Sunday. And he is PUMPED. Go Titans! 

Have a great weekend, y'all! Hopefully you have a little bit of this:

And a little bit of this:

And Happy St. Patrick's Day, to all! Remember to wear something green on Sunday. ;) 

Cheers to the Weekend, TGIF Edition

Bless.It.All. 

Sheesh, y'all. This was just one of those weeks, one where I constantly felt stressed and pulled in a million directions and as if my brain had 6,572 tabs open at one time. It was just TOO much. I found out my graduate institution is SHUTTING DOWN, effective immediately. Enter panic by my graduate school friends and me. For this momma, who fully intends to re-enter the clinical psychology/neurospychology world in the near future, I spent hours consulting with peers, waiting on hold with my grad school's IT department, re-establishing my grad student account portal, and repeatedly attempting to request sealed transcripts be sent to the South Carolina and North Carolina psychology licensing boards, etc., all before the program completely shuts down...today. Yikes, y'all. Talk about STRESS.

So, I am oh-so-thankful to see the weekend arrive, one with few scheduled plans and lots of family time penciled in. <3 On that note, just a few quick things I'm saying CHEERS to as we whole-heartedly welcome in the weekend: 

Greenway Gala. Last Saturday, I got to spend alllllll day with my girls, getting all glitzed and glammed by a super talented hair and make-up artist. It was so good for the soul. And THEN, our handsome fellas arrived and it was off to my most favorite event of the year: The Greenway Gala (and for this, our fourth year at the gala, I opted for a short dress, which was so fun to dance in!). 

This year's theme was the "Greatest Gala on Earth," and it was, hands down, the best gala to date. The decor was amazing, the food and drinks were delicious (with virtually no lines all night!), the band was so fun, and the company was not to be beat. We had so much fun and cannot wait to do it all again next year! 

So long, teeth. We are losing teeth left and right 'round these parts. In anticipation of Banks getting braces, and at the recommendation of our amazing orthodontist (did I mention she is my beautiful and brilliant sister, Dr. Whitney, of Tripp Leitner Orthodontics?), he had two teeth pulled this week and will have two more pulled next week. He's got some adult teeth coming in at funky angles, so we needed to get those suckers out so we can get some braces on! Banks was very nervous going in but was so brave and did an AWESOME job throughout the appointment. Also, I'll spare y'all the photo, but his were the biggest teeth I have EVER seen. :0

Spring sports. Annnnnnnd Spring sports have officially begun. Our current practice schedule? 

Monday: Baseball for Banks. 

Tuesday: Flag football for Raleigh. Tball for Harrison. (same time, two different locations). 

Wednesday: Dance for Raleigh. Baseball for Banks

Thursday: Flag football for Raleigh. 

(And soon, Saturday Tball games for Harrison). 

Shooey. Busy? Yep. But I LOVE it and cannot wait for the games to begin! 

And that's all I've got in me for today, y'all! Thanks for the great feedback on my Amazon Prime post earlier this week. It will now become a regular monthly post, and I already purchased several of the items y'all recommended (with several more in my cart, ready to go). I LOVED reading what y'all wrote and recommended! 

We are ready for a weekend filled with a little Habitat for Humanity volunteering, a Momma date with Rals to see a local play, and some church, workouts, and downtime in between. Have a wonderful weekend, friends! Here's hoping you get into some kind of fun shenanigans. ;)