Spring Break 2019

We had such a wonderful Spring Break together as a family, and I wanted to re-cap it here for memory's sake. We packed in equal parts fun with relaxation and truly enjoyed our week. Here's how Spring Break 2019 panned out for us: 

Day 1. Day 1 started with a half marathon for this momma! 

I ran my first one back in October and was excited to do it again in Charlotte's Racefest. I wrote this on Instagram and wanted to share it here, too, because being a momma isn't easy and I am inspired by so many amazing mommas out there: 

Lots of hard work was put in between the nooks and crannies of mommahood over the last few months - I ran this one for US, mommas, and thought of each of the inspiring mommas in my life when the rain and hills tried to take me down. So, thank YOU for your inspiration, mommas. 

 

I beat my first half-marathon time by 10 minutes, running a :40-second faster minute-per-mile pace than I did in October. My goal is always the same: just run the whole thing. But I was definitely pleased with my PR and was thrilled to not only cross that finish line but to also spot my favorite people on the planet rooting me on at Mile 10 and again at the finish line - my Lu Crew. <3 We ended the day with rest and family time...perfect. <3

Day 2. Our second day of Spring Break was filled with church, a hair appointment for a little "me time," and a Top Golf double date to end out the day. It was my first ever time to Top Golf, and it was SO fun!! I cannot wait to go back - it was good fun, good food, good drinks, and great company. <3

Day 3. This day was supposed to be one spent with my childhood best friend. Unfortunately, one of her sons woke up with an ear infection and strep throat; so, the day's original plans had to be cancelled. Instead, I took my s{quad} for a little TCBY for lunch (Bella loved the gluten-free, dairy free edition she got to enjoy!). Then, back at home, Raleigh lost another tooth! 

And then, my hub and I surprised our big three with a trip to Carowinds for the evening, where we took on our favorite rollercoasters, including the Fury and the newest one, Copperhead Strike. So.Fun.!

Day 4. Day 4 was meant to be a fun one involving Putt-Putt at a new (to us) mini golf place; unfortunately, Bels didn't get the message. She was overly tired and ended up scream-crying for 16 of the 18 holes :/ #threenager #theREALbehindthehighlightREEL 

Luckily, my Big 3 didn't seem to mind one bit and they had a blast! We came home, napped, woke up happier, and cooled off with some sprinkler action, ending the day on a high after our rocky start. 

Day 5. It was time to pack it up and hit the road for Nana and Pop's on Spring Break Day 5. My hub had left early that morning for a business trip to Atlanta, so we met him in Aiken later in the day. For the last few years, my hub, my father "in law," and Banks have spent a few Spring Break days at Pop's favorite place: his lake lot. He has a really nice camper there and they spend several days fishing, staying overnight in the camper, enjoying each other's company, and making the sweetest memories. Well, this year, Raleigh and Harrison were old enough to join in the fun! About an hour after we arrived to Aiken, they were back in the car and on the road to Pop's lake for a couple days of fishing fun. 

Day 6. Meanwhile, Bella, my mother "in law," and I hung around Aiken for a couple of days, just us girls. And we had the BEST time - our little Bella just relished in all the Momma/Nana attention, and my mother "in law" and I just so enjoyed each other's company - so many heart-felt, beautiful conversations contained in the walls of that home. It was definitely a special visit. 

Day 7. Our fishermen and fisherlady returned back to Nana and Pop's early this day to beat some nasty storms that were coming through. We spent the rest of the day and night just relaxing at Nana and Pop's, enjoying our time together and our restful visit!

Day 8. It was time to head back home to gear up for Easter! We arrived home, unpacked, got laundry washed, and accomplished our main goal for the day: dyeing our Easter eggs! We spent a quiet night at home in anticipation of our last day of Spring Break...

Day 9. ...Easter Sunday! He is risen! The kiddos awoke to find their Easter baskets filled and their dyed eggs hidden all around the backyard. We headed to a beautiful service at our church and then enjoyed a yummy Easter lunch with dear friends at their home. <3 The day ended with knocking out several projects around the house as we prepared to head back to school.  

And now, only seven weeks separate us from summer. Although it's hard for this Momma to head back to the reality that is the school year, this past week was an awesome reminder of the summer fun that lies ahead. The countdown is on... :) 

Cheers to the Weekend, Spring Break Edition

HIP, HIP, HOORAY!!!! Spring Break week has officially arrived as of 2:25 this afternoon! It was quite a busy week for this bunch, and if you want to know how desperately in need of a break I am, keep reading...

A few things we're saying CHEERS to as we welcome in the weekend: 

Clemson Tigers take the field. The last time we watched our Tigers take the field, it was in California, as they took down Bama and brought home the Natty #GoTigers. ;) So, we were thrilled when my hub spontaneously suggested we head to Tiger Town on Saturday to watch the Spring Game. We've never been to the annual Spring Game, but after Harrison's teeball game was cancelled, there was no stopping us from hitting the road! It was the most BEAUTIFUL day for some football, and we just loved seeing our Tigers on that field again. <3

Sister dates. The night before, my sister, brother "in law," hub, and I headed to a brand new, absolutely delicious restaurant here in the Mill and had the most FANTASTIC meal. Local friends, if you haven't already, hit up Spice in Kingsley immediately. My hub had the Pad Thai, I had the Green Curry, and we both basically licked our dishes clean. SO good.

Spartan Race. Also last weekend (it was a busy one!), my kiddos and I headed to Concord, North Carolina, to cheer on my hub in his first ever Spartan race. It was muddy and hard, and he did awesome! We were cheering loud and were so proud of him. Go Daddy! 

Rain --> free nights. We had two days of heavy rain at the start of the week, which lead to three days in a row of cancelled sports practices - unheard of this time of year, amIright? We took full advantage and squeezed in an extra Family Movie Night. As I wrote in last week's post, I am trying to slowly introduce my kiddos to some of my favorite family movies from when I was a child. This week, my hub had the perfect suggestion, one that I had left off of that list: Dennis the Menace. If you know our sweet Harrison, you know that his nickname is DTM (aka Dennis the Menace) and suits him perfectly. Remember, this is the child who hopped on our friend's golf cart and managed to drive it into our bushes, while his buddy giggled alongside him like a real life Bonnie and Clyde. Oh, DTM. You are one of a kind. And the kids LOVED the movie! 

STEAM performance, Take 1. This week was also Banks' 3rd grade STEAM performance. He did great with his little speaking part and then made this momma cry when he, along with all of the adorable 3rd graders, concluded the show with "A Million Dreams" from The Greatest Showman. Just so sweet! 

Girlfriend time. Two other special events went down with girlfriends this week, and I just loved them both. The first was a Girls Night Out at a local venue with all proceeds benefitting my good friend's incredible foundation, The Gordon Owino Heart Foundation. We love this family and love the incredible work they are doing in honor of their beautiful ,amazing son (who is just one of their four beautiful, amazing kiddos). <3 

Two nights later, my girlfriend and I headed to a follow-up event from the Made+Known women's conference we attended a few weeks ago (that prompted the re-initiation of my "Mom-ing Through Faith" blog series). There is just something about a room full of incredibly honest, incredibly authentic women that lights my soul on fire. <3 

#MomFail. Okay, you guys want to know how desperately I am in need of a break? At the start of the week, we invited one of Raleigh's besties to join her for "Bring a Friend to Dance Week" at her dance studio. We arrived right on time to pick her up - both girls were SO excited, giggling and chatting the whole way there, adorned in their sweet dance attire. I dropped them off with a, "Have fun, girls!!" and proceeded to drive to the nearest gas station to fuel up. As I stood there pumping my gas, my phone rang, at which point I answered and heard the sweet receptionist from Raleigh's dance studio on the end of the line. It was at that point that I was gently informed that it was NOT, in fact, "Bring a Friend to Dance Week." That week is actually three weeks away. So, essentially, I dropped my daughter off to dance with an extra buddy in tow, who then had to sit in the room and watch the rest of the girls practice for their upcoming recital. OOPS. Spring Break, this momma is ready for you!

With that said...HELLO SPRING BREAK!!! I'll be kicking things off with a bang bright and early tomorrow morning, running my second half-marathon, right down the road in Charlotte! My goal is the same as last time: run the entire thing. Beating my previous finish time would be an added bonus. All prayers appreciated for no injuries, speed and endurance for the duration of the 13.3 miles (because they decided to tack on 0.2 extra miles to this race...whyyyyyy???) , and a little fun along the way! Also, can you pray for no rain? Because the forecast isn't looking as promising as I hoped it would. Gulp. Here goes nothing...

Other than that, for Spring Break we've got some fun plans and some travel plans and some friend plans and some family plans and some no plans and some Easter plans, and I can't wait for all of it! 

I'll be taking next week off from the ol' blog to focus on time with my Lu Crew but will be back the week after with at least three posts, maybe four if I'm feeling extra blog-gy. :) Have a fantastic week/end, friends!  

Mom-ing Through Faith: On Being Authentic

A couple years ago, I wrote a weekly series on this blog called "Mom-ing Through Faith." Every week was a different topic related to mom-ing and wife-ing and friend-ing and living as a momma with faith. I loved it - writing it, sharing it, reading the comments, engaging in the discussions that followed. It was awesome. <3 I wanted to bring it back but am also working hard not to pressure myself to do things that cause stress. So, while I am hoping to have these ready to share weekly, it may be that it's every other week, or every few weeks, that these specific posts appear. 

That being said, I am feeling lead to bring that series back. And I want to start today. 

Over the next few weeks, I want to share some things I learned and loved from the women's conference I attended through my church a couple weekends ago, which was called Made+Known. It was, hands down, the best women's event I have EVER attended. I laughed, I cried, I learned, I sang, I prayed, I soaked in every second, I did not want it to end. I just could not get enough of what was being shared in that space. So, I thought I would use the first few posts of this revitalized series to summarize some of the key points I took away from the conference. Some of what I am writing here is summarized information I took from several speakers who gifted us with their incredible knowledge over the weekend. One such speaker and teacher that weekend was Jess Connolly. 

Jess was the invited speaker, who traveled from Charleston to speak to us that weekend. She is about my age (late 30s) and also has four kiddos. She grew up in Charlotte but now lives in Charleston, and she and her husband just planted a new church there. She has several books out and, while I cannot attest to her current publications as I have not yet read them, I have pre-ordered her newest book (set to release in September) and am basically counting down until it comes out, just based on the description of it alone. And how about this title: You Are the Girl for the Job: Daring to Believe the God Who Calls You. Ummmm...I'll take a big side of YES PLEASE. Jess was hilarious and engaging, authentic and vulnerable, honest and direct. I loved every second of her sessions. She, along with our (former) senior pastor's wife, and several other guest speakers, taught us so much over that beautiful weekend. 

For this week's post diving back into my "Mom-ing Through Faith" series, I thought I'd start with something that's been heavy on my heart lately: Being authentic. Gulp. Ready? Here we go: 

In our current culture, where so much is dictated by social media, authenticity can often get lost in the digital world, I think, for several reasons. For starters, we often showcase our best selves on social media. What was a tantrum not five minutes ago is now a picture-perfect family photo. "Look at that PERFECT family!" we all declare jealously while oogling over the photo. BUT on more than one occasion, I have heard stories of what actually went down versus what was portrayed on social media, and the difference in the REAL vs. the REEL is staggering. 

I've seen others who filter and edit themselves or their families or their lives so much on their social media accounts that they no longer look like their actual selves/families/lives. And that is exactly when that devil-made comparison trap works it's hardest to ensnare us. "If only I...[insert area where you insecure]...as well as her." The filtering of social media, and the absence of the REAL in favor of the REEL, can really highlight us voyeuristic viewers' flaws (Raising my hand high here, y'all. This is so me). Which, admittedly, leads me to either sink into an envious hole of comparison or, often worse (and often simultaneously) start judging: Now presiding, the Dishonorable Lindsay Lu, here to think snarky thoughts about others. (Have I ever mentioned I am a big ol' broken sinner in need of some serious Jesus in my life?) 

And then there are social media relationships versus real, actual, live relationships. Don't get me wrong: I think social media can be a beautiful venue for relationships to develop or to be maintained. BUT I believe it is real-life, actual, face-to-face human interaction where those relationships can truly grow and flourish. In the rush of our day-to-day lives, it's easy to rely on social media for connection. But I don't believe God intended our connections to take place behind a screen. I think He wants us to gather; to love, support, encourage, share, and just be with one another, in person, not online. 

At this point in my life, when 40 is just around the bend, I am absolutely craving real, genuine, authentic relationships. I want to dive in and dig deep. I want to hear about your day but I also want to hear about your heart. 

And you know what? Every day, after school (okay, most days, if I'm being honest here. Sometimes I am tired or distracted or think I'm too busy), I ask my kiddos about their days. I want to know their favorite and least favorite parts of the day; I want to know how they made someone else feel happy; if they noticed anyone whose feelings were hurt; if there was anything that upset them; if there was something that made them happy. In short, I don't want the surface talk. I want to know the depths of their days. I want them to be real and authentic with me. And guess what? 

God feels the same about me. 

He wants me to be real, not reel, with Him. As was so eloquently stated at the conference, Living a life where we can't be real with God is one without authentic joy. In other words? Don't be fake with God. Don't pretend to be someone you're not when you're with Him. Be genuine. Be authentic. He's ready for it. He doesn't need a social media filter showcasing the day's highlight REEL. He wants the REAL. 

I was listening to a really powerful podcast by my favorite pastor, Andy Stanley recently (his podcast is called Your Move by Andy Stanley, and it is awesome!), and it changed the way I pray. What I learned from his podcast was reiterated during the women's conference: I need to be REAL in my prayers. God already knows what's in my heart. So I don't need to sugarcoat things with Him. I need to get REAL with Him. 

And so, now, I do. If I'm disappointed or angry, if I'm sad or frustrated, if He's not answering my prayers when I want him to, doggone it, I let Him know how I feel. It's not polite and it's not edited. It's raw and it's real. It's authentic and it's genuine. It's vulnerable and it's honest. And I've never felt closer to Him than I do after those chats. God wants us to be authentic. He's reading and waiting for it. 

Lastly, two other points that were made with regard to authenticity during the women's conference that I wanted to mention before closing out this post: 

Grace is better when we acknowledge that we are known by God. He sees us. He knows us. He knows our good, our bad, and our ugly. So, why try to pretend with Him? Why make surface prayers when He knows what's really in our heart? Why not dig in and dig deep? He sees our flaws and He loves us anyway. Are you ready to get real with God real quick? Make this request: God, tell me what I'm doing wrong. Yikes. That's a tough thing to ask. But who knows, it just may change your life. Because something else I learned during that conference? Things born in hiding cannot thrive. 

A REAL, authentic, genuine life is better than a REEL one. I know I'd rather my kiddos share their real thoughts and feelings with me. I'm pretty sure my own Father wants the same of me. 

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2. 

Cheers to the Weekend, Hello April Edition

Well, April has arrived and with it, a snowy day on Tuesday?! Say wha?! Yep - we had some big ol' snowflake flurries on April 2nd, which were capped off by a beautiful, warm, sunny afternoon. Spring in the South, you are one of a kind. 

Anywho, we are happy to welcome in the weekend, which after rain today, promises to be beautiful and sunny and perfect for outside play - hooray! Here are a few things we're saying CHEERS to this week/end: 

Friendships of old and new. I just have to share this sweet picture one of my girlfriends captured of our boys from earlier this week. These boys were two of each others' first friends here, having moved here to the Mill only a few months apart and not knowing a soul. They have remained the best of friends over the 6+ years we've known them, and it's been so special to see them on the same baseball team again this year, having been on their first team together back in 2013. I just love their friendship (and the one I share with that momma friend, too). <3

My girly tomboy. Raleigh Jane, the sugar-and-spice of our family; the nurturing heartbeat of our crew who also knows how to push a button or two. ;) I should have known that she would love football as much as she loves performing. It is just SO her to love both things equally - dainty but tough, that's our girl. Case in point? She had dance photos on Wednesday and then rocked it at her football game last night. Atta girl. Love her so!

Old school movies. Almost every Friday night, we stay in and do a family movie night - we've done it for years now, and I just love starting the weekends that way. I know as the kiddos get older and more obligations arise, things will change and transition, but for now, we do it every time the weekend allows. The last two weekends, instead of an animated movie, I have brought back some classic 80s and 90s movies from my childhood, and the kids have loved them, namely Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and The Sandlot. They've also seen A Never-ending Story, Home Alone, The Goonies, The Little Rascals, Harry and the Hendersons, and Annie. 

I compiled a list of other movies from my childhood I want to show them over time, and thought I'd share here (1) so that I would have it documented when brainstorming movies, and (2) in case you want it, too! Still on my list to show them? Willow, The Mighty Ducks, Problem Child, Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire, E.T., The Karate Kid, My Girl, Troop Beverly Hills, Back to the Future, The Addams Family, Free Willy, Adventures in Babysitting, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, and Drop Dead Fred. Any other 80s/90s classics I'm missing, fellow Gen Xers? 

Wacky Wednesday. Harrison's preschool is studying the letter "W" this week, which made sense that it was "Wacky Wednesday" a couple days ago. This kid and his big personality just kill me. Just don't tell him he's hilarious: he hates being called that for some reason. :) 

And that's that! We have a pretty laid-back weekend ahead, aside from a double date night tonight, Harrison's teeball game tomorrow, and my hub's big Spartan race on Sunday. Otherwise, we'll be living our best Spring life outside. Yeehaw! Have a beautiful weekend, friends! 

Loving Lately...

I love hearing what other products and services people use (and speaking of, I have another Amazon Prime-ing post coming soon! I am loving that new monthly series and ordered several of the things y'all recommended with several others waiting their turn in my Amazon cart). 

For today, though, I wanted to share a few other products and services I've been loving lately that aren't just restricted to Amazon Prime. These are all over the place! And as always, I will not share any products or services unless I have used them and truly recommend them. In fact, there are a few different products/services I am trying out as we speak and hope to be able to share more about them soon - just need to make sure they are working as well as I think they will. :) That being said, here we go: a few things I am loving lately and thought you may, too: 

Vitacost. Have you guys heard of this? For the last six weeks, Bella has been on a strict diet and supplement regimen to address some health issues and vitamin deficiencies that were detected during a series of blood, urine, and stool assessments. A very kind friend (thank you, Ellen!) pointed us in the direction of vitacost.com, which is an AWESOME place to find vitamins, supplements, foods, beauty and personal care, etc., at fantastic prices. No kick-back for me here! Just wanted to share the love for those who may be on a similar wellness journey and looking to save some money when menu planning and/or ordering supplements. With the amount we are using these days, I'll take any price reduction I can get! :) 

2ULaundry. Can I gush about my hub for a moment? As I documented in this lil' ol' blog last week, I have been having a bit of a rough time lately (aka driver of the struggle bus), feeling overwhelmed and frustrated and discouraged, all of which finally caught up to me a couple weeks ago. It was a really hard time for me. But my hub, my partner through it all, has been alongside me every step of the way and surprised me last week with an awesome service to try out to ease my stress for this week: It's called 2ULaundry. Which meant that, on Monday morning, I stuffed as much of our dirty clothes as I possibly could into the bags that the company had dropped off to us on Friday. I filled every nook and cranny of those bags with every single piece of my four kiddos' dirty clothing from the week. This means  there was not a single dirty sock left behind. All of it was stuffed into the provided bags, which the company collected on Monday. And then Tuesday, just 24 hours later? Every single piece of laundry had been washed, folded, and dropped back off at my house. GAME CHANGER. 

While I actually don't mind doing laundry, I will say that this was such a treat to have this week. And I will definitely use the service again, particularly during especially stressful times of the year (hmmmm....end-of-school madness anyone?!). ANYWHO, I absolutely LOVE this company and would LOVE for you to try them and would LOVE for you to use this code: https://www.2ulaundry.com/join-me/Clay/ref_id=/Luton1195. You'll save, I'll save, and we'll both end up with stress-free, clean laundry. Win-win! :) 

Protein energy balls. This awesome family in our neighborhood just started selling the most delicious, filling, healthy, gluten-free, protein-packed energy balls. JBird Snacks offers free local delivery but also ships nationally, for my non-local buddies out there! As stated on their website, Jbirdsnacks.com, their "protein balls are made from simple, high quality ingredients to create the perfect taste and texture. A balanced protein blend satisfies your hunger and gives you the energy you need now and later." They have three flavor options (vanilla, chocolate chip, and mint chocolate), and I can personally attest that all three are divine! Check them out - I promise you won't be disappointed! In fact, I just ordered more two days ago and they were delivered same day! 

Running tools. I don't think I've mentioned on here yet that I'm running my second half marathon next weekend! I've been training since January and am excited to get Race #2 under my belt. That being said, I wanted to share two things that have helped me SO much during the training/race process: The first is the app called 13.One. You can personalize it with your own training program, putting in the date of your race and then following the training plan it suggests as closely or loosely as you choose. It also tracks your miles, course, and time as you run. 

The second is a product called UCan, which is a powder I mix with water and drink about 30 minutes before my long training runs. It's a "slow release complex carbohydrate that uniquely delivers steady, long-lasting energy" throughout my run that does not contain sugar or stimulants. I used it when I ran my first half back in October and will definitely be using it again next weekend! We buy ours from a local running store but it can be found online, too!

Books. I am doing well so far with my intention of reading two books per month this year. My March reads were The Kitchen House and The Glass Castle. And y'all...they are both absolutely FANTASTIC. I am giving each a solid 5-stars (not sure what rating scale I am referring to, but know that it's 5 out of 5 stars ;) ). Next up, I am diving into Next Year in Havana with my book club and already have several waiting in the wings after that! Will report back on those at the end of April. 

Bloom Lash & MedSpa. My sweet, sweet friend, Amber, owns and operates this amazing business here in our sweet town. Local friends, I could not recommend her and the services she provides in her beautiful office any more highly! I saw her several weeks ago to have my eyebrows tinted and am doing it again next week before I soon take the plunge for microblading (see the brow before and after below!). Amber is the kindest, sweetest soul and is truly so talented at all she does! Be sure to check out Bloom Lash & MedSpa on Instagram and Facebook and book your treatments today! Maybe I'll see you there :) 

Have a great Hump Day, friends! And please let me know of any products/services I just have, have, have to try!