Cheers to the Weekend, Spring Edition

Oops. I didn't make time to blog this week because we were enjoying the GLORIOUS, GOD-SENT, SPRING WEATHER pretty much 24/7. I mean, 70s and 80s and plenty of sunshine? So long indoors! 

Anywho. Here's what I'm saying CHEERS to as we welcome in this Daylight Savings Time weekend:

Grown-Up Prom. Last Saturday was one of the most fun days I have EVER had. From start to finish, it was just an absolute blast. It started bright and early Saturday morning, when I met two other girlfriends to get our nails done. I then hit up a Pure Barre class before heading to the mall to grab a new clutch and pair of shoes. A couple of hours later, I met another girlfriend at a local salon and spa to have our hair and make-up done before heading home to put on a BEAUTIFUL gown. 

I then headed over to another girlfriend's house, with five other friends, where we snapped tons of photos a la prom style before heading out to meet our hubbies, who were an hour into a bourbon tasting and waiting for their dates to arrive.

Why all the pampering and fuss? Especially for a girl who hasn't had a manicure in WELL over a year (two?) and hasn't had her make-up professionally done since her wedding, almost 12 years ago? Well, it was all for an awesome cause: the first annual Greenway Gala, a fundraising event with all proceeds benefitting our local greenway.

It was SO.MUCH.FUN. Just the best night!!!! We ate and drank and bid (and won!) in a silent auction and then spent hours dancing to the absolute best band. I seriously cannot remember the last time I had so much fun with my hub and so many amazing girlfriends. We are already counting down 'til next year!!!

And for those who were so sweet in complimenting my gown, THANK YOU! Want to know a little secret? The beautiful, fully sequined, rose gold Badgley Mischka gown is not mine. Nor does it belong to a friend or family member. Nope. I rented it through Rent The Runway! Have y'all heard of this and/or ever used it? It is the best thing ever! Bascially, you pay a fraction of the price of the gown to rent it for a few days. You select your size (and a back-up size in case your size doesn't fit once it arrives) and both arrive a day or two before your event. You then ship it back a day or two after the event in the packaging it came in. Easy, peasy and SO fun to be able to wear something so special! Actually, nine of us used this awesome rental service for the gala, and it was just a blast getting all glitzed and glammed in all of our different gowns! RTR has all kinds of dresses, from daytime to formal, as well as accessories, jewelry, etc. How cool is that?! You can bet your bottom dollar this is my new go-to place anytime I need a special and fun dress!

I was also ecstatic to wear Reece Blaire jewelry to the gala. One of my dear friends, Emily, is the Reece in Reece Blaire and was so, so sweet to accessorize each of the girls in our group with gorgeous jewelry for the gala. And, in AMAZING news, Reece Blaire will be available in Belk stores later this week!!!!! Some pieces are already available online (although some have already sold out!); so, be sure to check out the stunning jewelry!

Life Groups. We have been with our couples Life Group for 2.5 years, and it is truly one of the best decisions we made since moving to the Mill. We dig deep and get real and support and love and trust one another. I am so, so thankful for these people. 

Girls Night Out. Remember how I just said that Reece Blaire will now be available in Belk? Well, last night was the official launch, and my girlfriends and I went to the special event to support our amazing girl and then concluded with a yummy and fun dinner. My heart is full. 

Flag football. Banks has his first game of the Spring tomorrow, and we can't wait to cheer on the Yellow Jackets for another awesome season. And needless to say, he is PUMPED!

Gorgeous weather. Yep. This deserves two mentions in this post. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: My Lu Crew thrives outdoors. We are happiest when we are active, whether it be exercising or dancing or sport-ing or, well, anything that keeps us moving! We have been counting down the days until consistent, Spring-like weather arrived and this week was it! Needless to say, we pretty much lived outdoors, shooting hoops, having playdates, doing nature observations, and just generally playing to our hearts' content. 

And that's about it for now! I hope your week was great as well and that your weekend proves to be the same. Have a good one!
 

Cheers To The Weekend: Hello, March! Edition

Hip, Hip, Hooray! It's Friday! Here's what I'm saying CHEERS to this week/end: 

To healthy 4-year-old girls! Raleigh had her 4-year well check last week. Anyone who has a 4+ year old knows this is a ROUGH appointment, as there are shots and fingerpricks involved. Because we are flu-misters (rather than flu-shotters), she hasn't had shots in awhile (at least, none that she can remember). So, just as it was with Banks, I knew this would be a rough appointment. And so, just as it was with Banks, my hub accompanied us to the appointment so that he could help calm his baby girl's nerves during the finger prick/shot administration. The good news is that (1) she is healthy and thriving, continuing to be long and lean and doing great, (2) I didn't cry during her shots [I may or may not have cried during Banks' 4-year shots], (3) she cried briefly before recovering quickly, and (4) no more shots will be needed until she's 11, God-willing. We celebrated with sprinkled donuts for lunch before she passed out on the way home.  

To awesome church series. Last weekend, our church concluded a four-part series about honoring your spouse. Our senior pastor, David Chadwick, and his wife, Marilyn, lead together during the four weeks, and it was really great to leave with such tangible, applicable ideas to better honor our spouses. I am very much a contemporary, applicable church service kind of girl, so this one was right up my alley.  

To happy toddlers. Harrision is now forward-facing in our car. It is so fun to be able to look back and see his smiling face. And the boy loves to sing more than any child I know; so, it's fun to watch him rock out in the rearview while driving along. 

To improving health. Despite being happy to be forward-facing, Harrison has had a nasty cough all week, one that's cut his nap time down to pretty much nil and kept him up in the middle of the night. A trip to the pediatrician yesterday confirmed a nasty ear infection and resulted in a prescription for a strong antibiotic. The only upside to illness? Naps on momma. Heaven sent, I tell ya. 

To inspiring friends. One of my closest friends here started a charitable movement to create "blessing bags," which are bags filled with toiletries and other supplies to hand out to the homeless who come up to cars during red lights, etc. Well, once our elementary school heard about her awesome idea, they jumped right in, having every student create a hand-written note for over 150 bags, which were filled with children's items. Earlier this week, Banks and I accompanied my friend and her sweet oldest daughter to Levine Children's Hospital to deliver the bag. It was an amazing experience, and I am so proud of both my friend, Jenna, and our school for rallying around her idea and our community. <3

To a great first basketball season. Banks concluded his first basketball season last night. It was AMAZING to see the progress that he and his teammates made over the season. Just awesome! He really loved playing more than I ever thought he would: In fact, every day when he gets home from school now the first thing he does is go in our driveway to shoot some hoops. And while his inaugural season has come to an end, I have no doubt he'll be back on the court next year! And now, our focus turns (back) to flag football. Whew!

 Baller. Go Hornets!

Cute Fan #1

 Cute Fan #2

Swish!

To miracles. I will never forget the night my phone rang. When I looked down, I saw that one of my sisters was trying to FaceTime me. Not uncommon, except that it was almost 9:00 pm on a weekday, which was a little unusual. I answered the phone to see...a positive pregnancy test. I will not say exactly what words came out of my mouth (this blog = curse-free zone), but I will say it was one of the greatest, and most wonderfully amazing, shocks of my life: my sister, Jessie, is pregnant. My sister, who battled secondary infertility and went to the ends of the earth to welcome her baby boy into the world (after giving birth to my niece three years earlier with no problem); my sister, who nearly had to abandon her dream of having more than one biological child; my sister, who went to every length to have my nephew, who put her body through you-know-what-and-back to get him here; yes, THAT sister, is pregnant. Miracles happen, y'all, and all with God's perfect timing. My niece/phew, who is due to arrive later this year, is one of them. 

To super duper fun weekend plans. I cannot WAIT until tomorrow!!!!! Can.Not.Wait. Eeeek!!!

I hope you have something fun up your sleeves, too! Have a great one! 

 

Currently...

It has been over a year since I wrote one of these posts. So. I thought I was overdue for a fun lil' update. 

Currently, I am 

Loving...the tease of Spring weather. We have had a few BEAUTIFUL days over the last couple of weeks which, for our active Lu Crew, means lots of time outside riding bikes, playing basketball, drawing with chalk, playing with neighbors, and soaking up the sun.

Reading...The Best Yes By Lysa Terkeurst. I read a chapter per morning, during the quiet time my hub and I share from 7:00 to 7:30 am. It's always a good indication of how good I think a book is based on how much underlining and dog-earing I do. And let's just say my pen has been busy and my pages have been folded many a time.

Waiting for...answered prayers. And, well, answers.

Excited about...this summer!!!! Eeeek!!!! I absolutely LOVE the summer, when we can spend the majority of our time outside, whether it be poolin' it, beachin' it, or just seeing where the Vitamin D days take us. I have already signed up my littles for a couple of fun camps and am so ready to have so much more time with my rising 1st grader. Come on, May! We're ready for you!

Trying to...stay patient while waiting for answered prayers. :)

Working on...buying clothes for myself, not just my babies. I am horrible about buying for my own wardrobe, yet my children's closets are full. While I have certainly become more interested in quality over quantity as I've grown older, both are lacking in my closet at this point. Time to do a little shopping for Momma. Anyone want to do it for me?

Enjoying...Pure Barre. Yes, still. It has been over a year since I started, and I still love it just as much! I have never had an easy class--if anything it's gotten harder! I still curse under my breath during certain portions of the class (e.g., 90-second planks while doing all kinds of crazy positions during it [e.g., stay in plank but float your right arm; then your left; then your right leg; then your left; now tuck...]; it's nuts, I tell you). As hard as it is, the women are amazing, the results are worth the burning and shaking, and it's a great excuse for some much-needed "me" time several times a week.

Using...my Rodan + Fields self-tanner to brighten up this pasty skin for some super fun weekend plans. Good Lawd my translucent skin needed some color. Maybe yours does, too? This stuff really works AMAZINGLY well, with no streaking. Let me know if you want me to grab some for you. :)

Wearing...the beautiful right-hand ring my hub gave me within the hour of our Harrison being born. He designed it and had it made as a special gift for both our 10-year anniversary and as a celebration of our three babies. It contains each of their birth stones, and I just love it so much.

Planning...my baby boy's second birthday celebration. Tears all around over here. I'm not ready, and I truly feel like we JUST celebrated his first birthday with a fun and festive milk and cookies party. :( But I do love a reason to celebrate, and kiddos' birthdays are my favorite. While we are planning something very small for our little fella, I think he'll have a great time. :)

Singing...at the top of my lungs, I mean belting it out, when I'm alone in my car. So. If you pull up beside me and see me jamming out, know that I think I'm a much better singer than I actually am and that, no, private shows are not available at this time.

Needing...to remember to forgive, forgive, forgive, even when feelings are hurt over and over again and it feels hard to do. Jesus, take the wheel.

Learning...to use my Silhouette Cameo in different ways. I have made a couple of fun projects and can't wait to make more over the next couple of months! I'm always open to fun suggestions and/or requests, if you have any. :)

Listening to...Let It Go being sung over the baby monitor. Only not by Frozen-loving Raleigh. Nope. By Harrison. Ha! Have I mentioned the kid loves to sing?

Wishing...I didn't have such a hard time with my babies growing up. Sometimes I think I struggle with this more than the average bear. While some may celebrate toddlers being potty trained (no more diapers!), kids being moved out of their cribs, and beach times being more relaxing and less active as a parent, the thought of these things actually makes me sad. :( Ugh. Growing up is hard...especially, when you're the parent.

Doing...lots of cheering for my Banks! From basketball to football, I am definitely one of those mommas who loves to cheer loud and proud for her boy!

Dreaming of...the sand in my toes, the salt in my hair, a cocktail in my hand, and the joyful cheers of little ones running up and down the beach. Come on, summer! I'm ready for you!