Amy Scott's Thoughts

I wasn’t paying attention at the beginning of the summer to how many weeks were before us. Now that we have crossed the halfway mark and there are only five weeks left to summer, it’s starting to feel like time is picking up speed. I know five weeks will disappear in the blink of an eye. I want to be intentional with how we spend them.  Things been so wonderful so far. I want to keep that momentum going!

July has felt very out of routine. The first week had the holiday in the middle of it.  The second week was VBA and the last two weeks have been swim lessons. Swim lessons have been a fantastic opportunity for Owen. Because we got the earliest class, I would take Owen or Owen & Graham to swim lessons and then we would race off to your next morning commitment. We’ve had 3 play dates this week all happening right after swim lessons. It’s been a busy pace, but worth all the fun! And because Owen did so well and enjoyed swim lessons so much, we are adding another session to our summer for the next two weeks. It mix things up we are shooting for the evening sessions. And if all goes as planned, Graham will be signed up for the guided discovery class where he and an adult (me the first week, Jeremy the second week) will be in the pool getting used to the water. Graham is way more timid about water, so I think this will be a good chance for him to get his feet wet (pun intended).

This week we had a play date at a local creek, we had my MOPS & MOMSnext group over for a s’mores night, we had out of state friends over to see the house and a play date with the cousins! So much good stuff! And if that week didn’t sound exciting enough, you should hear about our weekend before that.

Friday we did our final Day Out with Thomas. We took Owen when he was two and he loved it. Now it was Graham’s turn to be delighted by a ride on Thomas (even though he was a part of the last ride, but he wasn’t even a year old, so of course, he has no memory of it). Owen loves trains and he had a good time, but this trip really was right up Graham’s alley! Graham even got to pick lunch at Panda Express which is a favorite of his that we haven’t gotten to recently. Owen has decided that he isn’t as into Panda now, so we’ve gone less. The last few weeks have been good for Graham. While Owen is busy in the mornings, Graham has been having one-on-one outings and adventures. Jeremy even took Graham to run an errand with him recently and apparently Graham just chattered away soaking up the time to be the only kid. It reminds us how important is for both kids to get time to be independent of each other.  But back to Thomas, it was a hit! Super fun and a great memory. We made it home in time to attend a wedding at the church. I’m always nervous about taking kids to a wedding, but the boys did better than expected. Saturday we did a major shopping day. Jeremy needed clothes for kids camp, we needed to come up with outfits for upcoming family pictures and we needed all the pantry items imaginable. We joked that Walmart and Costco had to close after we left. We bought all the things. After so much running around, the boys and I stayed home on Sunday to watch a bulldozer work on my parent’s property. I felt bad about missing church, but the kids were fascinated by the bulldozer and I was just grateful to not have to leave the house after so much activity. I needed that down day before heading into this week.

I often share with you what Owen is up to because he is the big kid that gets to go out and do the more impressive activities, so I wanted to share with you a bit about Graham before I wrap things up. Graham “loves” things these days. He is often sharing what he loves with us. He loves hotels, he loves his friends, he loves food. Lots of a love coming from Graham. He got to be a delivery boy with Grandma earlier this week. He brought flowers to Nana at work and helped deliver a cake to be served at our local mission’s lunch program.  In the last month, he has mastered his balance bike and zips around like a pro now. He is still my silly kid. At nap time I have check on him multiple times because he is having such a party with his stuffy buddies. We’ve also had the realization in the last month that Graham snores. We knew he did when slept in the van, but after our time at the beach we realized he snores all the time. At one point on our beach trip, Owen said he couldn’t sleep because Graham was snoring too loud!

Okay! That’s the update for now! We have just a few days left in the month and our plans include checking a few more things off of our summer family challenge and some family time before sending Jeremy off to kid’s camp for the week. He leaves on Sunday. This is the one week of summer I try to forget that it is coming. Just block it out!!! My way of coping with Jeremy’s absence is to fill the days so they go fast.  And now with the addition of another round of swim lessons, I can say without a doubt that our days will be packed full! Plans every morning, plans every evening. Stayed tuned!

Our new fire pit! We love it!

When you have family working on the railroad near you then you must stop by and say hi. My railroad fans loved the quick visit.

Don’t let the tense smile worry you, all Scotts had a great time at our Day Out with Thomas!

Day Out with Thomas

Day Out with Thomas

Graham is full of personality!

Blanket Fort

Blanket Fort

Blanket Fort

When your a boy mom, you spend the whole morning watching a bulldozer flatten piles of dirt….

Creek play date on a hot day. Perfect place to be!

Childhood at its finest!

MOPS & MOMSnext S’mores Night

My heart is so full to have a backyard filled with fun, friends and food!

A visit with Tennessee friends

Today was fun day at swimming lessons, so Owen got to play in the little kid splash section and then his class went into the deep end and he got to jump off the diving board!

Owen has been all smiles in the pool this week, so it’s perfect that he has all smiles on the swim skills he accomplished! Level 1 here we come! 

The sign of a really good play date… or a natural disaster! 

I was talking with a friend last week about how after moving into our house, I’ve been keeping my eyes out of the “next” big thing. I have my usual things – like MOPS & MOMSnext, my UBAM book business, church, kids, family… So far nothing “new” has come up. And truthfully, while it feels odd to not have a big thing hanging over me, it’s been a nice respite from the pace and the stress that our last few seasons of life have brought. Right now my main goal is just to make this summer the best summer possible for my kids. It doesn’t seem like anything to put on a resume and that’s okay. Making summer great for my boys has been such a joy to me. I’ve been seeing posts on Facebook about how we only 18 summers with each kids. So with Graham at the age he is now, that means I have 16 left total. And this one, this one is going to be one for the record books. Part of that is my boys being old enough to experience and appreciate more activities. It’s also because I made a to-do list before I decided to the summer family challenge, so with the addition of the summer family challenge, I’ve been able to be goal-driven (right in my element there) and all the to-do lists items are fun, so what’s not to love? Each week we have new adventures. Summer is half way over and if the the second half is as awesome as the first then are in for a treat and the best summer ever!

Some of our recent outings include bowling for the first time as a family. The boys loved bowling. We might have a new family favorite activity. Owen would go bowling every day if we let him. We celebrated another family birthday – we’ve had lots of those over the last month and a half. I love having the cousins all together to celebrate and play. Such good memories! And our current adventure is daily swim lessons this week and next week for Owen. He is having a blast and he is all smiles in the pool!

Owen graduated to a big boy bike with training wheels! 

My kitchen helper

Graham had to sit out a round of bowling once the fries arrived! He couldn’t be parted with them. 

Trying to get a family picture, but Graham wasn’t feeling it.

WOW! Bowling is fun! 

Gotta line up the shot! 

This little stinker wouldn’t stay in his class, so he joined me in children’s church… where he brought me a basket full of baby dolls. Not sure what to make of that! 

Splash Park Birthday Party

A super hot day calls for a chair in the shade 

Pink frosting to celebrate the ballerina of the family! 

Swimming Lessons Day 1 

Swimming Lessons Day 1 

Daddy even came to watch the first lesson and hang with Graham! 

Swimming Lessons Day 1 

Excited for Day 2 

This time Grandma came to watch and play with Graham! 

Super jazzed the teacher let him slide down the turtle!

The beginning of July is full of lots of celebrating for our family. We have the Independence Day holiday, my dad’s birthday and Jeremy & I’s anniversary all in the span of a few days. And on top of that, we celebrated my Grandma’s birthday in the middle of that as well (even though her birthday was at the end of June). It made the week one giant party.

We celebrated my dad’s birthday over the course of two days. We had my immediate family all together on the 4th so celebrated with everyone then. We also couldn’t ignore Grandpa on his real birthday, so we celebrated a bit that day too. Owen loves blowing out the candles on birthday desserts, so two celebrations meant double the candles. For the 4th, we dressed the boys in matching Old Navy red shirts and let them buy a small amount of fireworks. We aren’t really into the concept of blowing up our money, so our display was small, but the kids enjoyed it. Of course, we had sparklers and pop-its as well.

We brainstormed lots of different options for celebrating our anniversary, but truthfully, with a July wedding date, our anniversary is always right around a major church event, so our minds are busy in other places. Also, our anniversary was on a Sunday, so church takes a up a good chunk of that day. We decided on a movie and dinner locally on Friday. Jeremy loves the Marvel superheros and he mourned the fact that he hadn’t seen the newest Avengers movie yet, so that made the choice somewhat easy (I’m not too into the dinosaur option… I’ll leave that for DVD). We went to the Olympic Club in Centralia where they have couches and chairs instead of traditional movie theater seats. This was my first time visiting and while I enjoyed the experience and the movie, I’m just a smidge too short for the seating there. I need that sloped set-up a regular theater provides. Short person problems. Because building the house took up so much of our free time over the last year, our “dates” have been few and far between. Even though it wasn’t a fancy way to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary, it was nice to do something on our own without the kids. We laughed and talked at regular volume and enjoyed a meal where we didn’t have to share what was on our plates. I’m so blessed to have Jeremy by my side through all the ups and downs of life! He’s the best!

Saturday was a fun day spent at Mt. Rainier. My grandma loves the mountain and it was her choice for a family gathering to celebrate her 85th birthday. The boys enjoyed riding their bikes around the picnic area and hiking down to the rushing river to throw rocks in it. We had lots of a good food and good conversation. We ended our time with a drive up to Paradise to explore the visitor center and find snow. My sister and brother-in-law where able to make it to this gathering. It’s a special and rare treat to see them twice in one week. Like a said, it was a week of endless partying!

Now we’re into VBA week! This is Owen’s first VBA and he is loving it. Jeremy and his team are creating an awesome environment for kids to have fun and learn about God’s love. Graham and I are getting to be one-on-one buddies again just like the school year. As much as I was worried about Owen being home all summer, I have quickly adapted to having him around all the time. I miss him while he is away, but I know he is having a blast so it’s all good. Graham wishes he could to VBA as well, but he is too young. I’m doing my best to make sure he has a good time while brother is away. Yesterday, Graham and I went to a MOPS & MOMSnext play date in the park and today I spent part of the morning building him a giant train set in the living room. He is having a good time despite feeling left behind. His VBA days are just around the corner.

Here are some picture highlights from our party week!

Gotta keep the littles busy –  painting bird houses. 

Happy 4th of July! I don’t own any red, by the way… 

Aren’t they just the cutest?

Celebrating Grandpa! 

Movie date with my hubby! Happy 12 years! 

Hanging at the mountain with the birthday girl

We found the river

This kid! So cute, so cuddly. 

I think he wishes his mouth was bigger 

Enjoying some family time

MOPS & MOMSnext Park Play Date 

My Trackmaster creation! I am an engineer! I also can follow directions. 

Last year, Jeremy introduced the Summer Family Challenge to our church. It’s a booklet packed full of things for families to do together over the summer. It’s a mixture of activities, reading, praying, Bible memorization and community involvement. All of the challenges have a point value that can be tallied over the summer. The families with the top three point totals at the end of the summer win prizes. With a three year old and a one year old last year, I didn’t feel compelled to participate. It seemed a bit above their age range. And truth be told, because Jeremy is the children’s pastor, our family can’t win any of the prizes, so that also wasn’t motivating.  But this summer is different. After a year of preschool, I felt like Owen and I could use some inspiration to stay busy this summer. Some of the challenges listed in the booklet are things we would already do, but I’ve also found it very encouraging to try some new things this summer. The challenge has been officially going for a week now and we’re daily checking things off the list. We have until Labor Day weekend to earn points and turn in our booklet. I realize that just like last year, we can’t win the prizes, but I told Owen that if we are in the top three, I will get our family a prize as a way to celebrate. Not sure what that prize will be, but I have until September to figure that out… that is if we win.

Below are few pictures of the challenges we’ve completed so far.

Ready for the Summer Family Challenge!

Running through the sprinkler

Making a homemade pizza

Our homemade pizza – I was super nervous about how it would turn out since I’ve never made pizza dough from scratch before, but it was super tasty. Despite my kids munching on the pepperoni, cheese and olives while assembling the pizza, they would not eat the pizza once it was baked.

Homemade Popsicles

Homemade Popsicles

Having a picnic

Going to the zoo

Going to the zoo

Family Game Night

It’s a warm day here and the boys have been enjoying the new pool that Jeremy got them on Friday. We’ve been going full speed ahead this summer –  partaking in all kinds of fun activities. To balance our busy weeks out, we’ve had a few quiet days around the house on Fridays where Jeremy is home to do projects outside with the boys following along like little shadows. I’m able to catch up on the housework. I’ve even been able to read a few books. It’s been a good balance. Instead of detailing all our adventures, I’ll share the pictures below. Hard to believe had so much summer fun already and it’s not even officially summer until Thursday!

Weekend projects

Our favorite train park with friends

A park birthday party for Cousin Carson

Carson’s birthday party

Hands On Children’s Museum 

Hands On Children’s Museum 

Visiting GG

Visiting GG

Suckers after buzz cuts. This was Graham’s first and probably last buzz cut. His hair is a little too thin. 

Cousin Bennett’s park birthday party

Cousin Bennett’s park birthday party

Taking selfies with Pastor Jeannie on a MOPS night. Owen might have taken 336 (not all with Jeannie) while I cleaned up after MOPS. 

Wrapping up an awesome MOPS & MOMSnext year with these ladies! 

Grandma’s birthday. Owen is always ready to help blow out the candles! 

Cupcake making and decorating

Magic Painting

Snuggles

Friday morning waffles – my little helpers sampling their work. 

First one in the new pool

Owen loves homegrown snacks from the garden. 

Family day in Portland

Watching Cousin Brinley perfom

Father’s Day

Father’s Day

Father’s Day

Helping around the church 

God works in crazy and unexpected ways. My last blog was about the unofficial start to summer with Owen’s last day of a preschool behind us. It was about my hopes and fears for this summer, this new season that is upon us now. And in the midst of wondering how this summer will turn out, God decided to kick start our first week of summer with a bang, a total shock, a surprise. I’ll get to that more in a second, but let’s build up to it.

Memorial Day weekend was blast. We enjoyed dinner with Nana & Papa on Friday night. The boys played in their grassy yard (oh, how I miss grass). It was nice to visit with them and enjoy a meal together. Saturday, we hosted a MOPS & MOMSnext BBQ at our house. Including adults, kids and babies, we had 34 people at our house. Most of the fun was spent outside in the yard. No one seemed to mind the dirt. We just enjoyed our time together and we had plenty of good food. I’m learning and growing through hospitality. At one time I would have said having people over was my least favorite thing ever. But I’ve changed. God has changed my heart. I now truly love opening the doors of my home and Saturday left me tired, but also really happy. Sunday, I decided to have a quieter morning. I skipped the first gathering at our church and opted to tidy up the house after the BBQ and watch Pioneer Woman, do a little laundry. Owen has taken to going to church with Jeremy early, so that leaves just Graham and I to quietly get ready. Getting one kid out the door is delightfully simple. I love it. Graham and I made it to church and then everyone came home for naps. I napped as well and then settled in to read a good book on the couch. I was feeling all the holiday weekend vibes. And then the phone call came. The unexpected surprise…

My parents had left Sunday morning for week at the Sunriver Resort (south of Bend in Oregon). They were attending a conference there for my dad’s work. When they got their keys, they realized that they were given a 1300 sq. ft. 2 bedroom, 3 bath condo to stay in for the week. Since they had so much extra space, they asked if we could work it out to come down and join them. I have never gone away on a trip with less than 24 hours notice before. I spent the rest of Sunday in a scramble to prepare for being gone. I had MOPS to get covered and I had a bunch of play dates and summer plans to reschedule. Really awesome timing though – I had no book parties scheduled last week, I had just cleaned the house, the laundry done. I was totally set to be gone. I moved all my plans for last week into this coming week and I was ready.

On Monday morning, Jeremy (who was able to take vacation time) and I loaded up the boys and made the drive down to Sunriver. Since the condo came fully equipped with a kitchen, we met my parents at Walmart in Bend to do some grocery shopping before heading back to check out the pool and then go to dinner. We spent the rest of our week having lunch out and then making dinner ourselves. We had many adventures in Sunriver and Bend. We went to the High Desert Museum, Lava Butte and the Lava River Cave. We swam in the pool and hot tub every day, Jeremy took the boys golfing on the putting course, we went to the playground every day, walked all over the resort, threw sticks and rocks in the river, I finished my book and thanks to the full size washer/dryer came home with suitcases full of clean clothes ready to unpack. Simply put, we had an amazing time. A total surprise, out of the blue blessing. It’s been a long time since we took a week off to be together as family. It was the first trip we’ve really been on with no agenda or expectations. Each day was a gift. God gave us a vacation. The boys got t-shirts from the resort. Jeremy got a mug. I brought home three pine cones from resort. A totally free souvenir, but a powerful visual reminder that God is the giver of good gifts, that he shows up unexpectedly and blesses our socks off sometimes. I placed my pine cones on the window by my sink. I will see them every day and they will stand as an alter to God’s goodness.

I’m pretty much beaming, glowing with gratitude for our fantastic week away. I had the chance to go out of town at the end of April to two different conferences. My kids were home sick which made it hard to be away from them and anything with a “schedule” isn’t a vacation.  I was just telling Jeremy two weeks ago that I’ve been day dreaming about travel. And then bam, a vacation was just handed to us. God is so good. I don’t expect to kick start every summer with a surprise vacation from God, but I will be thankful for this one. I will remember this blessing.

While I had reservations about our summer, this trip did wonders for my attitude. I am now filled up and ready for more fun. I ready to make more awesome summer memories. And this week will be packed full of good things as well. We have play dates, family birthday parties and I have dinner plans to reconnect with an old friend. These are good days. I love getting to invest in my family, into my friends, into my community. I am thankful for our Sunriver surprise and I am ready to share the love this summer.

Enjoying time at Nana & Papa’s house 

Enjoying time at Nana & Papa’s house 

Pure bubble joy 

MOPS & MOMSnext BBQ

Day one in Sunriver! Owen was so brave at the pool – jumping in and going under water! 

Poolside snuggles 

Braving the bunk beds! Surprisingly, no one fell out! 

Trying to get a family picture is always an adventure!

This kid is a fish! 

Hot tub time! 

Three slides, three boys 

Lava Butte

Visiting Lava Butte, but when you stand in front of the sign and block some of the letters, you get a funny picture! And very unintentional!!! 

Taking selfies in the cave entrance! 

Thankful for Grandpa & Grandma inviting us along! 

So sweet! 

Golfing adventures!

Saying good-bye to the condo

My pine cone reminders of God’s goodness

Today is our unofficial start to summer. It was Owen’s last day of preschool. He will head back next fall for another year in a new class, but for now it’s on to summer days. I’ve adjusted quite nicely to the quiet time that having Owen out of the house has brought. Graham is very chill on his own and I’ve enjoyed our one-on-one time together. Owen usually wakes up earlier than Graham from nap time, so that is when I get my one-on-one time with him. I will admit that I’m nervous about these summer days, all of us together. My boys are pretty good if I can keep them busy and out of the house. If we’re off on an adventure then they behave fairly well. Our down time at home tends to turn into endless fighting pretty quick. They often fight over toys or someone wants to do one thing and the other has a different plan. It is draining to constantly be stepping into brotherly battles. With this is in mind, I’ve made a list of things I want to do this summer with the boys. I have about 10 outings/events thought out. And then of course there will be play dates with friends and visits to the park. I hope I can keep them busy and occupied. And I hope I have the energy I need to keep up with it all! I also plan on using my book rewards through UBAM to stock up on activity books. Owen and I created a summer crafts Pinterest board after nap time yesterday. I’m optimistic we can survive the summer and actually enjoy it as well!

I wish I had a victorious potty training update to share with you. This week we’ve had more time around the house, so I thought it was the perfect time to start potty training Graham. I was wrong. While we had some progress, the truth is Graham doesn’t want to potty train. The rewards don’t motivate him. I decided to hold off for now. I’m not sure if I’ll try again this summer or wait until the fall. I would really like for him to be interested in it. The two days that we attempted it this week were a constant battle. So we’re off to buy another box of diapers this weekend when go out shopping. Looks like we’re not quite there yet. Each kid is different and potty training Graham is nothing like potty training Owen. I didn’t know I had it so good with Owen until now.

This weekend should be a fun one! On Saturday, we are hosting a BBQ for our MOPS & MOMSnext group. I’m looking forward to opening my home up to our group and having their families over. The yard is a bit rough and I expect a lot of dirt will get walked into my house. I’m mentally preparing myself for it. Hopefully good food and good company will make up for it. On Monday, I have a family BBQ to attend in the afternoon and then we have our regular MOPS & MOMSnext meeting in the evening. I expect attendance to be down because of the holiday, but that’s okay. It should make things cozy. We have a powerful DVD lesson on forgiveness. It should inspire some great discussion around the table.

It’s hard to believe that May is wrapping up in a week. To me if feels like it’s still the start of the month. The time in our house continues to be such a blessing to our family. The boys have loved having the grandparents as neighbors. Now that the weather has been warmer, we’ve been out walking and playing in the evenings. Grandpa & Grandma often join us. The boys don’t seem to mind the dirt and prickles in the backyard. Graham has already reclaimed his position has King of the Swing. That kid would sit in a swing for hours if we let him. Jeremy and I combined some gift cards and our own Mother’s Day and Father’s Day presents to get the boys a new play set. If I want to survive the summer and enjoy my time outside, I need the boys to have an awesome place to play. It should be arriving on June 12th and I’m curious to see how long it takes to put together!

That’s the beginning of summer update for us! I’m sure there will be lots of posts in the future about our fun summer adventures and how we keep busy during these long sunny days. I’m looking forward to making some memories and making it back to the fall routine again!

Loaded Graham up for a coffee date. Remembered snacks and toys, but forgot his shoes. 

While Jeremy was away at conference last weekend, Grandpa, Grandma, Auntie April and I loaded the boys up for an adventure day in Portland! 

Trying out a new donut shop

Enjoying a visit to Powell’s City of Books. I thought we would buy 2 books and instead we walked out with 5. The problem of being a book lover. 

Reading with Grandpa

Taking a power nap at IKEA

A wonderful McDonald’s dinner at our favorite park by the train tracks. 

Waiting in hopeful expectation for a train 

We almost left but a train finally arrived. And it was full of garbage. It smelled so bad but the kids were so happy! 

Watching the Royal Wedding with Owen… and a penguin. Makes sense, right? 

Have I mentioned my boys are wild?

The combination of an unmotivated potty trainer mixed with an overly enthusiastic older brother was a bit of a disaster.  

Such a good picture of these two! We were super happy to have Daddy home after being gone all weekend. 

Loving the warmer weather for walking our long driveway! 

Sharing one of my favorite childhood storybooks with Owen. 

Celebrating the end of the school year at Burger King! 

The difference a year makes! 

This last week I got to go to my first “Muffins with Mom” at Owen’s preschool. I really didn’t want to go to Owen’s preschool at 8:00am and eat a muffin, but I also didn’t want to supply my child with the scarring memory of his mom not being present at a Mother’s Day event. Despite the early morning, it was fun to see Owen in his classroom. The class performed a Mother’s Day song with a slideshow in the background. The moms were all present with a craft bouquet made of sticks, glue and confetti pieces. I felt very honored.

I’ve now celebrated 6 Mother’s Days if you count the one where I was pregnant with Owen. It’s hard to believe it’s been that many. Now that my kiddos are older, it’s fun to see what card they create with Daddy. This is the first time Owen has been able to sign his own name to my Mother’s Day card. He is getting so good at it! This year we celebrated Mother’s Day with lunch with Nana and dinner with Grandma. It’s a blessing to be able to share Mother’s Day with our families. The highlight for me this year was being to host the meals in my home. I didn’t really have time to make anything homemade or fancy with it being a church day as well, but I enjoyed yummy Mexican take out for lunch and  pizza for dinner. We stocked up on cake, pie and ice cream, so of course, it was a good day! Owen performed the same song he learned for school at church on Sunday morning. It was great to watch him sing and do the motions. Like a true paparazzi mama, I took lots of pictures of videos. We also took a fair amount of pictures on Mother’s Day due to our new selfie stick. I got it for MOPS since we had a selfie photo contest last night, but Owen took an instant liking to it and I’ve now created a selfie monster. The best part for him is the remote that detaches from the handle.

On Friday, I got my hair cut. It’s the shortest it’s probably ever been. I feel like I’ve fully embraced the mom hair cut. It’s so quick to style in the morning. I love it! I was heading to coffee with a mom friend on Saturday. I got there first and took a few selfies to check out my new hair… here I was sitting in my minivan, with my high-waisted jeans and mom hair… all I need now is a kid in soccer. I am such a stereotype these days. And you know what? I am okay with that. Except the soccer part. I’m not into soccer. Anyway, I’m loving my life with my wild boys. I love my mom friends. I love my minivan. All of it.

Even being a part of a direct sales business feels a bit like the mom stereotype as well. I’m still loving my book business. Facebook made some changes in April that totally change how I do parties. It has complicated things. Since I’m always on the fence when it comes to how much time I will give this business, I’ve decided to scale things back. My new plan is do one party a week. This will mean that my parties won’t overlap as much and let me just focus on one party a time. This should also free up my time for three important things – my kiddos, my hubby and myself. I often work from home when my kids are around. It’s all balance and while I don’t feel bad working in front of them, I just want to work less in front of them. I thought when I moved and got my own space that it would take my UBAM business to the next level, but instead I find myself wanting to scale back. I feel more drawn to quiet time during nap time. Because I have the perfect spot for it in my new big master bedroom – I’ve started doing yoga a few times a week. We had one of our steering team members lead a yoga session in March for Spa Day and I loved it. It totally calmed and relaxed me. I’m using YouTube videos and I darken the room a bit. It’s nice to take 20-30 minutes to slow down, take a deep breath and do something that I enjoy. It might just be a phase, but I really hope to work a few days of yoga into my week. I’m also enjoying my usual hobbies of reading, journaling and blogging.

And then we come to MOPS & MOMSnext. Last night was our last craft night and it was a huge hit. We made pens that look like succulents and we gave all the moms a Free Indeed theme magnetic notepad. We did a selfie competition to get some pictures of our moms having fun together. We got some great photos last night. Super creative! I’m proud to report that my group won the contest. We took our picture with mops and then my table leader provided us with Mardi Gras beads. It was a very classy photo! We have two more meetings left this year before we switch over to summer play dates. This year of leading of MOPS & MOMSnext has been quite the adventure and I get to do it all over again next year. I’m in the process of looking for a few new team members. I have two more roles that need to be filled. If you think of me, pray that this team comes together! As this year comes to close, I’m already dreaming, planning and preparing for next year. Our theme will be “Find Your Fire” and focuses on moms getting back to those inner passions that make us uniquely who we are. This year’s focus on freedom has been good. I can’t wait to see how our moms use this new found freedom to spark a wild fire in their lives.

And that’s me and this mom life in a nut shell. I want to say a special thank you to my hubby for all the ways that he supports me and cheers me. I couldn’t any of this without his love and encouragement. He has been working hard away in our yard so it’s a place our family to play in and enjoy this summer. He has watched the boys for me so I can attend coffee chats, MOPS and invest in relationships & ministry. He puts the boys to bed on nights that I have book parties. Most of all, he listens to me.  I process a lot with him. He is always my rock, my second opinion, the voice that tells me it’s going to be okay. I am so grateful. Motherhood is hard and sometimes I’m in survival mode, but he makes everything 100% better… so I guess I’m transitioning this into a Father’s Day post. Just kidding! All that to say, my family is a blessing. I feel loved and I am loving where I’m at right now. It’s been nice to re-evaluate my schedule and what I feel called to do. There is so much freedom in walking through life knowing your purpose. God is good!

Doing some homework

Spotted kiddo. Thankful that Graham’s allergic reaction has now finished. 

Owen’s preschool creation

Muffins with Mom

Muffins with Grandma & Nana too

Muffins with Mom 

Testing out the new selfie stick!

Got to celebrate my sister-in-law’s birthday with a big family dinner. Owen clearly looks like the party is for him in this photo. 

Super silly, but our first family picture in our new home! 

Trying to get a picture with my boys on Mother’s day, but Graham wasn’t having it. 

Graham face makes me laugh so hard! 

The best one I could get with both boys. 

Graham opted to cry on the other couch while Owen the Selfie King wanted to take more pictures with me. 

Singing at church 

Lunch with Nana

Dinner with Grandma

The winning “MOPS” photo! I love these ladies so much! Blessed to be surrounded by such great mom friends!

Our last MOPS craft for the year! Super cute! 

Okay. I know that having kids is an adventure. A crazy, wild adventure. In my last post, I shared about Graham getting strep and Owen getting a flu bug and ear infection. We’ve been squirting bubble gum flavored medicine in their mouths on a daily basis. Just because it’s pink and smells sweet, doesn’t mean it tastes good and kids will like it. On Sunday, I looked at Graham and told him he was done with 10 days of torture. No more meds for him. However…. when I changed his diaper on Sunday morning I noticed two spots that looked like his diaper had rubbed the wrong way in his sleep. Poor dude. We got dressed and took off for church. Then as Sunday morning progressed Graham broke out in a rash. We gave him Benadryl since I now keep it in his diaper bag after our walnut reaction this fall. Graham conked out for our annual vision lunch after church (aka business meeting). I was worried about how the kids would do staying late at church, but Graham was amazing… since he was drugged. Again, poor dude. Anyway, long story short, Graham is having a full on allergic reaction again. He is covered in angry, red, itchy spots. He has swollen bumps all over. Yesterday he couldn’t walk on his feet because they were too swollen and hurt too much. We took him the doctor yesterday afternoon and they gave use some additional medicine. He just breaks my heart with how sad he looks. He is really uncomfortable. We know he ate a new food Saturday night. It doesn’t say that walnuts were a part of it, so maybe he has another allergy as well. It’s time to officially get him allergy tested.

I feel like the kids have to keep up with each other. One can’t be more interesting than the other. When Owen got up this morning he couldn’t straighten his leg out fully, so he was limping around saying his leg hurt and he couldn’t walk on it. With some coaxing we were able to get him into the bathtub and that helped loosen things up. He was able to go to school. I asked him how his leg was doing when he got home from school and he told me it still hurts a little. I figure we can do another bath after nap time is over. Owen is also still taking antibiotics for his ear infection… So Graham gets cherry & grape meds multiple times a day and Owen is still plowing through the pink bubble gum ones. I feel like a nurse doing my rounds and keeping track of patient med charts.

All that to say, things are interesting around here. Keeping up with these kids is a bit insane at the moment. I’m starting to develop a “what’s next” mentality. Just as one thing wraps up another thing comes to take it’s place. Never a dull moment.

Other than keeping track of the little patients, we’ve had a big week of working in the yard. By “we” I mean Jeremy, his Uncle Dave, and the boys, even Grandma. Jeremy’s uncle came out last week and spread out the big pile of dirt we had and moved it around the yard. Then Jeremy took his riding lawn mower and spread the dirt out more evenly around the yard. The boys have been busy taking rides with Daddy on the lawn mower. The boys (and Grandma) have been active planting things in the garden. And the boys have gone fishing a few times now that’s in season. Jeremy and Owen took the family on a walk down one of the trails around our house. Owen led the way and was a total trail master. He is so comfortable walking through the woods. Graham asked to be carried most the time which I just viewed as a way to burn more calories on my little nature walk.

We’re still loving the play date/hospitality life! We’ve had cousins up and friends over. I was able to host my MOPS & MOMSnext Steering Team meeting at the house last night. This group of ladies has loved on me and supported through the building process. It was so exciting to welcome them into my home and show them the completed projected since they had heard so much about it. Friendship is a blessing and my heart has been so full as I have been able to open up my home to so many wonderful friends. Again, if you’re a local friend or family member and you haven’t been up to the house, consider yourself invited! I’m a party animal these days. The kids love showing off their toys and if you’re not scared of mud, we have a fantastic backyard to make a mess in!

Made French Breakfast Puffs for the first time. So yummy! I also made meatballs for the first time last week and did some Pinterest research for new meals this week. Wish me luck! 

Raising a baker!

Playing with cousins! 

We have tadpoles…

Doing tadpole research

Find the frog

Grandma got a Corgi-gig to put in her raised bed! 

Watching Uncle Dave move dirt around the yard and waving each time he drives by! 

A trip to the park! 

Going for a nature walk around our house

Pausing while the others admire the trees. 

Fishing. He is having a good time despite what his face might look like! 

Graham’s version of fishing

The beginning of the Benadryl haze for Graham

Putting the long driveway to good use on a sunny Sunday. 

Pulling Graham

Balance bike pro

Planting flowers, beets and pumpkins with Grandma

Now time to water