This week I spent hours immersed in baseball! I really love it! Watching Cyrus play his best is one of my favorite things as a mom.
Friday night’s game was long and cold. I’m so glad I brought extra jackets for everyone and 3 super warm blankets. I needed everything!
One of the highlights of the week for the younger kids was this deal they got on Kinder Joy Eggs (no longer available). When I saw the package, I could have heard a scream coming from my house!!
If you do your chores with a good attitude, you will receive it every day after school. Let me just say it was a huge motivator!!
I love this little area of my closet. I never knew organizing this place would make me so happy!! (I got a wall hanging with embroidered books on it and am planning on making one to hang on the wall. You’ll see it sitting on top of the plants!) See before and after photos here.
Kirsten was very excited to wear her rainbow and cowgirl costume as it was pageant day at her school. The unicorn and shoes were rainbow, the dress and hat were cowgirl, and she came up with the idea and executed it all herself.
I signed up to do a 10k on May 30th with Kathryn and some of her friends. I quickly realized that this was a whole new world for me and I needed to be properly equipped. So David, Jesse, and I went to Fleet Feet on Thursday to have my feet scanned and fitted for running shoes that would fit my feet.
I was really impressed with Fleet Feet!! The free consultation was very educational and the scan of my feet and gait was very interesting. Additionally, it helped me find the right socks, shoes, and insoles for my feet.
David was really interested in the whole experience and wanted to be right next to me!
As a girl who couldn’t run more than a half mile as a teenager, I’m so excited to have been able to run two miles this week without stopping multiple times. It’s encouraging to know that every workout at the gym is definitely helping you build strength and improve your endurance.
My plan right now is to run in the mornings on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, attend my favorite strength training class at the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and go for a long run outside on Sundays. And we will be closed on Saturday. I might tweak it a bit, but for now this is it!
Micah doesn’t have preschool on Wednesdays, and he doesn’t have an interview on Wednesday this week (he normally has an interview on Wednesday, but he had an interview on Tuesday instead). So I ended up getting some work done while watching a truck show with this guy. I love slow mornings like this!
Six years ago this week, we brought our medically fragile little boy home from the NICU. I was 35 weeks pregnant with Kirsten at the time.
That cute boy will change our lives forever. Raising him, walking with his mother, loving and caring for him for eight and a half months in her place was one of the hardest and best things I have ever done.
It broke me. It marked me. And I’ll never be the same again.
Giving him back to his mother after eight and a half months of loving him on her behalf was the most heartbreakingly beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced. It devastated me and I cried many tears for months because of it.
And yet…when I look back, I see God’s hand in all of it. I truly believe that if we had not said yes to fostering him and then had the privilege (and heartbreak) of seeing him reunited with his mother, we would never have said yes to David.
Our little boy in the NICU prepared us mentally and gave us a lot of experience in learning how the health care system and foster care system work: how to use the state insurance system, what is covered, who to call, and how to advocate. This is a very complex world, and I gained months of practice and experience that would be of great help to me when, along with David, I was thrown into a world of severe disability and malnutrition, and when I needed immediate medical help from a number of health care providers as soon as I was dropped off at the door.
Not only that, but our little boy in the NICU fueled our desire to tell DCS that we wanted to say yes to caring for children with severe disabilities and medical needs. This wasn’t even on our radar before. That’s also why DCS thought to call us when David needed a foster home.
Plus, that little boy in the NICU opened our hearts to loving birth moms in a whole new way. It allowed us to walk with David’s mother in a completely different way. I was able to step up to bat for her, fight for her, and do everything in my power to make sure she was noticed, cared for, and respected.
The little boy from the NICU is now 6 years old and thriving with his mother. We are so proud of both of them and honored to have been a small part of their story.
Many people also wanted to see the Walmart dress I bought to try on. You can check it here — and here are links to them all, as well as tons of other dresses under $25 each.
Here are some quick and easy on-the-go meals we’ve been making over the years.
I am officially a Costco member! We just went yesterday and took advantage of this great deal to get our membership! On Wednesday, we’ll share more details about what we purchased and some of our initial thoughts compared to Sam’s Club.
I received library books this week — bodyguard Catherine Center and take my hand Written by Doren Perkins-Valdez. Have you read any of these?
Books I finished reading this week
I finished Know Your Communication Type by Jason VanRuler this week. I recently had the opportunity to interview him on my podcast, and it was a really powerful episode for me personally (ending in 2 weeks!) and I can’t wait for you to hear it.
His book is a great resource for anyone who wants to improve their communication skills, especially those who want to improve their communication skills with those closest to them. I found it very helpful in understanding myself better and improving the way I communicated with Jesse.
what i see
I’m still watching When your heart calls And season 11 is currently underway. We’re getting close to the finish line! We hope to have it completed by the end of April!
I also introduced it to the children. Movie UP Everyone loved it this week too. Except for the part where, as Micah said, “Grandma dies.”
what i hear
My best friend Olivia sent me. Listen to this podcast episode about friendship. Although it felt a little out of place at times, it included a lot of good points about friendships and made me think twice about who I’m invested in and how I’m showing up for them.
This week’s podcast episode: A trip to Denver with Jesse Chaperone.
I accidentally took a few weeks off from podcasting, but I’m back. Overall, the most accurate description of my life these days is “fulfilling.” With older kids in and out of the house and multiple trips over spring break, there were few quiet moments around here.
This week, listen to Jesse and I do something we haven’t actually had time to do yet. Sit down and process. all It happened in the last few weeks. We talk about our whirlwind travels, including a father-son ski trip to Utah with Silas, my church retreat, and a school trip to Denver that Jesse chaperoned. He calls it “the most servant-oriented trip I’ve ever taken.”
Of course, but life was do not have Slow down after your trip. In fact, we walked straight from the airport to the memorial site for the three men whose lives were tragically taken. One of them was very close to our family. That loss really hit our daughters, and all of us, deeply.
For the most part this episodeHowever, as mentioned above, it focuses on Jesse’s time serving with students at the Denver Dream Center. Hear how they hike in the mountains by day, work in downtown Denver by night, share meals with people experiencing homelessness, and connect with people rebuilding their lives after incarceration. Hear Jesse share and reflect on some of the conversations that happened there. Moments when the goal wasn’t to “fix” someone, but simply to listen, remember their name, and recognize the humanity in front of them.
Jesse and I also discuss how even the smallest choices can shape the direction of your life (for better or worse), and how courage is a lot like doing things that feel strange, risky, and unsupported. Sometimes the most meaningful moments come when you choose to step outside of the safe little space you’ve built for yourself and do the thing that scares you the most. We hope you enjoy this heartfelt conversation with Jesse.
Listen to the podcast episode here.
In case you missed it – this week’s post
easter basket ideas for kids— Whether you have a curious toddler, a busy toddler, or a hard-to-wow teen, we’ve put together Easter basket ideas for kids that are thoughtful, fun, and actually worth adding to the basket. And it’s easy and affordable!
Kielbasa Sheet Pan Dinner ($10 Family Dinner Ideas) — This easy sheet pan dinner roasts kielbasa, potatoes, and your favorite vegetables all together in one skillet. It requires minimal preparation and minimal cleanup. Paired with the crispy bread of whole wheat French bread, you’ll have a complete and satisfying meal that will satisfy the whole family.
22 Easy Easter Dessert Ideas — These desserts are easy to make any time of the day, yet special enough to celebrate.
Finally, if you need a laugh, Look at this.
Source: Money Saving Mom® – moneysavingmom.com
