Weekend Update

We finally got a "relaxing" weekend here in Plankerville and I have to say I'm feeling quite refreshed as I type this on Sunday night.  

Yesterday morning kicked off with a fantastic run with my running buddy who is moving to Texas this week.  I'm so sad that I'll be losing her but I'm looking forward to our virtual running dates and can't wait to hear what her future has in store for her.

With my workout out of the way, it was time to feed the boys love meter a little with a trip to Lowes for one of our favorite Saturday morning activities...

...they made some pretty cute alien robot puppets.

We ran some errands, had some downtime at the house, and tackled some chores with the rest of day and then got to spend our evening out on the town having a blast with some great friends...

...nights like this one don't happen nearly often enough...

...and Jen, it was a great idea to split up the guys and gals...

It was so much fun to catch up, eat some yummy food, drink some yummy drinks...

...and spend time with great friends...

...I'll spare you the dance floor photos...haha....but I'll let you know it was a fun time.  

We had a lazy start to our day today and spent the entire day around the house which was completely fine with me.  Our entertainment included some sidewalk painting...

...bike rides, pool time, a movie, a great Piyo workout, some delicious BBQ ribs, and quality time with my kiddos and husband...pretty much perfection if you ask me.  Now I'm feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the week.  Bring it on!

Books Books Books

After a fantastic day yesterday, I got to end it all with a lovely night out with my book club.  I LOVE my book club!!  I love our discussions, the different perspectives and insights, getting to know some friends better, the night out to take a break from reality, all of it!  Even a book we disliked led to a fantastic discussion.  I'm already looking forward to our next get-together to discuss...

I'll let you know what I think.  By the way, I just finished my other book this morning while I got in my cardio on the elliptical and HIGHLY recommend it...

I'm a sucker for memoirs and this one didn't let me down.  Check it out ASAP!!

In other book news, today's story time features were...

The boys and I love this one for it's great rhymes and  Marc Brown's fantastic artwork.

We love pretty much everything by Margaret Wise Brown...especially this one since it involves fire trucks...and fat ladies being rescued...heehee.

I continue to be blown away by our great turnouts despite how ridiculously hot it is outside.  I'm truly grateful for everyone's interest and support.  We love our story time friends!!!

Besides story time, today's other adventures involved a trip to PetSmart, which is always a hit thanks to the rodents and fish we get to see, a quick stop at Big Lots for their cheap coconut milk which I ADORE in my coffee, and a trip to the gym for some upper body work and cardio.

We returned home in time for a play date with great friends and a bonus visit from another friend who came bearing iced coffee, chocolate milk and munchkins...oh and an adorable dog too.  We had a little bit of heaven at our house this morning.  It really is the little things in life.  We're blessed by some amazing friends and I hope I never take them for granted.

Nap time for the boys today has involved lots of surface areas for me...mowing and vacuuming to be exact.  (Thank goodness by boys can sleep through the vacuum.)  Now it's time to veg out a bit before it's back to being Mommy.  

Jam-Packed Days

Our days have been jam-packed lately...just the way I like them when I'm trying to keep myself distracted.  We've spent some time playing outside in the new castle our lovely friend and neighbor snagged for us from another neighbor's trash pile...

They're so awesome that they even put it together for us.  We owe them!  It's a huge hit with the boys.  While outside, we've been playing with the bubbles alot too...

...this is their favorite bubble wand.  They love to remind me that I'm not very good at making bubbles. It's pretty funny.

We got a chance to go bowling yesterday morning...

I had no idea how much fun the boys would have doing it.  Those ramps are fantastic and they boys had a blast lugging the balls around and pushing them down the ramp.  So cute!!!  We'll definitely be doing that again soon.

The arcade was a huge hit too...

...we didn't even have to put money in for the boys to be entertained. I know that won't last long...I'll embrace it while I can.

Lunch with friends was fun too...

...they were too busy eating to look at the camera.  

Yesterday, the boys got new jackets from Daddy...

... they are a huge hit!  Too bad it's too hot to wear them right now.  Or at least I thought so...Colton wore his ALL afternoon and was then thrilled that he could unzip it and take it off himself.  Such a big boy...rosy cheeks and all.  

This morning, I got in a HOT, SLOW run with my favorite running buddy.  I'm glad I was able to check that off the list.  Summer running is torture but I'm glad I have a buddy to help get me out there.  After breakfast, we hit the road for some errands and scored some $6 swimsuits at Old Navy...

...now if I could just convince the boys that swimming is not torture...hopefully this weekend will be helpful since we have lots of fun in the sun planned.  

After our errands were done, it was time to tackle produce day.  Now my fruit drawer is beyond stocked with pluots...

...they are SOOO darn good!!

While sorting, I managed to drop the wooden cutting board onto my toe.  This is not going to be pretty poolside...

...I hope it stops bleeding soon.  I have a feeling my toenail is going to be saying adios and I'm not too happy about that.  So much for a pedicure...trying to count my blessings that at least it's not broken.  I am such a klutz!

Time to prop it up for as long as I can until the boys wake up.  Might have to make it a movie night tonight. :-)  I'm sure the boys won't mind.  

Things are Looking Up

Here are just a few of the things that happened over the past couple of days that are putting a little pep in my step...

• I got to have a spa day with girlfriends which included a massage, mineral pools and 4 hours poolside.  I'll spare you the photos of me in a robe or a swimsuit :-)  It was glorious!!  
• My boys had a fun-filled day while I was at the spa compliments of more amazing friends.  It's the longest I've ever been away from them and it was great being able to relax and not worry.  They were in GREAT hands...including this amazing dog :-)

• My yard got a complete clean-up compliments of a wonderful friend while I was at the spa--everything is trimmed and a HUGE weight has been lifted off my shoulders!

• We got have some really yummy food and fellowship at a friend's Father's Fay celebration.
• We all got LOTS of sleep.
• We all had LOTS of fun in the sun...the boys are starting to love swimming again, thank goodness!

• Wake-up times and FaceTime chats didn't coordinate well with church times so I watched the church service I missed last week from my church's website while the boys played and I lifted weights.  It's nice to have a back-up plan when getting out the door just doesn't work out on Sunday morning.
• I finished this fun, easy read...it was entertaining.

• I am still going strong on my Whole30 experiment.  I'm on day 21 now and feeling great!!  I've been having lots of eggs, fresh salads, avocados and berries.  Today's salad was a new one...spicy olives mix, tuna, avocado, a fresh tomato, and sundried tomatoes in olive oil all on top of romaine--DELISH!!!!!  I had some lovely apricots today as well.  

• We had a relaxing start to our morning before heading to the gym.  I split my hour between the stepmill, elliptical, and treadmill--all cardio since I had done full-body weights yesterday.  It felt good to sweat and get started on my book club book, And the Mountains Echoed,  which has a very interesting start...

• My biopsies both came back benign so I can rest easy again.  Darn moles!!!
• Oh...and our pool timer is FINALLY fixed compliments of yet another wonderful friend.  I don't have to remember to go out there and flip the switch twice a day...yay!

I seriously feel like I'm myself again and I definitely didn't feel remotely like myself last week.  I am so grateful for all of the amazing people in my life who have been my support system these past months.  What would I do without you???  It takes a village and I think I've got the best village in the world.  Hopefully I don't slide down that slippery slope I got caught on last week ever again, but if I do, it sure feels good to know I have friends I can count on if I do.  God is good!!!!!!!

Ugh, Sunday.....

What is it about Sundays??  They seem to be the roughest days for us to get through.  Maybe my expectations of having a relaxed care-free day set me up for disappointment.  Who knows?!  I just know Sundays haven't seemed to go my way lately.

On the other hand, our our Friday evening and Saturday turned out to be pretty fantastic.  Friday night we made it to the park and had the run of the place.

Their favorite features of the park are the truck they can drive and the whale...

They also like to sit on the bench and wait for a train to come by...

As soon as they hear the whistle, the find a good spot to watch from.  While waiting, we snapped a happy photo...

...and at last the train came by.  SCORE!

On Saturday, we got a early morning chat in with the man in our lives and a little bit of coloring on the chalkboard which gave the boys messy hands...

...before hitting the pavement for a quick run to the gym where I tortured my upper body for quickly with this circuit...

I completed each superset 3 times and rested as little as possible.  I tried to go heavy with the weights too.  Afterwards, we hit the road to run back home.  It drizzled a bit on the way home which was a welcome relief from the heat.

We cleaned up quickly and headed to this guy's first birthday party...

The mustache-themed party was pretty funny and we're glad we got to be a part of it.  I always love a kid-friendly opportunity to catch up with my friends.

On the way home from the party, we stopped at another friend's house for some play time and lunch.  Thank God for all the wonderful friends we have in our lives.  It was so much fun to catch up with them and we had the BEST afternoon.  Needless to say, the boys passed out as soon as we got in the car to head home...

I drove around for over an hour, sipping on a frappuccino, before deciding to go for it and meet a friend to watch the Preakness and the helicopter ball drop at a golf tournament that is near and dear to our hearts.  I was glad we got to be a part of it for even just a little bit.  

The boys love the helicopter until it got close...

...then they decided to take refuge in our arms.  Thank goodness our good friend Maureen was there to help give cuddles...

We love her!!!

We all slept quite well after that busy day.  Maybe all the fun we had yesterday explains the craziness of today.  Perhaps the boys are going through full-time entertainment and cuddles withdrawal??  All while I just want some downtime...not a good combo!

After a rough start to the morning, we did manage to make it to the late service for church this morning.  Here's an example of how our morning was going...

Me: Colton, get down from that chair.
Colton: No.
Me: Mommy is in charge.  You don't say "no" to mommy.  You need to listen and obey, ok?
Colton: Yes.
Me: Who's in charge?
Colton: Jesus
Me: Silent...trying not to laugh while thinking, yes, you're right...but next in line is Mommy.  He gives me a run for my money.

Apparently, they continued their naughty streak in Sunday School class this morning too.  I NEVER get complaints about the boys but it turns out this morning they were wrestling each other in class, fighting over a toy.  It was not our morning!  

We usually run errands while we're already out and about so we hit up BJs for some replacement sunglasses since we crushed a pair with the stroller last week. We also got a couple of snacks while we there.  

Next, we swung by Target and scored some deals like these shirts for $2-$3 each...

...and the boys favorite fruit bars on clearance...

...and some almonds for me, also on clearance, that were too tempting to pass up.  We all know I love my coffee...

We were spent at the end of that trip and headed home to recharge.  We refueled with some leftovers and now the boys are napping and I'm zoning out with this blog for a bit, realizing that in the grand scheme of things, this day wasn't sooo terrible.  Nothing like getting a little perspective when you finally have the opportunity to.  Sometimes I just get so caught up in the moment.  Hey, I'm human...

Yeah, the boys might have fought A LOT this morning, and I may have lost my cool and yelled at them, but I still love them and I know they love me.  We have a God that loves us even more than we could ever imagine and forgives us when we mess up....phew!  We are blessed beyond measure and hopefully this nap will be just what the doctor ordered and the boys will wake up refreshed and less irritable while I will have recharged enough to be able to have patience with them.  

On another note, happy graduation to my littlest sister, Leah!  I'm bummed I'm not there with you today and am SO proud of you for following through on your goal.  I can't wait to see what your future has in store for you.  We love you!!!!!

The Easter Bunny!!!!

We had the BEST day today!  After a later than usual night last night, we all slept in and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before getting ourselves ready to head down to the Gardens mall for some fun with some of our very dearest friends.  We shopped, enjoyed a yummy lunch and met the Easter Bunny.  There were NO tears, which is a HUGE accomplishment after several failed attempts with Santa and another scary episode with the cat in the hat.  The boys actually LOVED the Easter Bunny.

Mason was the brave one to go first and give the Easter Bunny a BIG hug...

...so Colton figured it was safe to venture closer as well...

We even got them both to sit on his lap... 

...and even managed to get some smiles out of them.

My favorite shot is Mason with his tongue out...his signature look!  I love Colton's candid smile as well.   I can hear him saying "cheese" when I look at it.  

Here they are with their adopted big sister.  We love her like she's our own flesh and blood.  She is such a blessing to the boys and loves them SOOO much! We love her just as much back!

It was such a treat to get to share this special day with her and her mom.  They are a true gift from God to our family.  God is GOOD!

I had the luxury of being treated to a Bobbi Brown makeover which was a great treat as well.  Talk about feeling pampered!  I learned some good tricks fromt he pros.  It was an all-around fantastic day!

We got home in time to have a quick play date with our friend before it was time for the bedtime routine.  They came bearing water balloons and the boys couldn't have been more thrilled...

Colton especially got a kick out of them.  

After bedtime, ANOTHER friend stopped by bearing a bottle of wine and a lovely candle.  It was great to catch up with her without having to juggle the kids at the same time.  I love impromptu visits like that.

Tomorrow we get to look forward to my parents' arrival.  I can't wait for them to get here.  I think they're just as excited as we are.  Hope they make good time and can get here before the boys' bedtime.  

Today was a great reminder of how blessed we are and how God truly does provide for ALL of our needs.  He's pretty amazing!