Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Back to Baby.

It’s Tuesday.  Beautiful Manda’s funeral will be held on Thursday and we are eager to celebrate her life and who she was and what she stood for.  Please continue to be in prayer for all of her loved ones.  I cannot even begin to imagine what those closest to her are going through, especially her husband, Aaron, and their children. I cannot imagine how hard it will be for those babies to grow up without their mother.  And I think those feelings have triggered something in me to want to go back and remember my own precious memories with my kids.

So, I’ve been going through my old blog (no longer published) and reminiscing/crying/laughing at my life back then.  Some of the posts are totally cringe-worthy.  I sound so young and so naïve that it’s just embarrassing.  (This is why it is no longer a public blog.)  But it is still there for me to remember in private.  There were 459 published posts and another 70 that I had started but never finished for one reason or another.  I love that I have them all there whenever I want to look back.  I am instantly taken back to that exact point in time and I hope that this blog will be the same (except maybe not as embarrassing.  Fingers crossed.)

I wrote the following blog post about 8 years ago.  My firstborn (Matthew) was 10 months old and I was a new mom, completely in love with her baby boy, completely loving her new life and completely exhausted.  I hadn't read this in so long but reading it today took me right back to that moment.  I know a lot of you will be able to relate so I wanted to share...
 ________________________________________________________________________

3:47 am. I am awakened by the whimperings of a squirmy baby on the video monitor next to my bed. I reluctantly roll over, click on the screen, and check out the status of my now 10-month-old son. I watch for a couple of minutes, listening to him start to cry and whine as he army crawls his way to every corner of his crib, flopping over several times to see if he can get comfortable, then deciding that, no, he most definitely, is not. I sigh lightly and look over to see if my sweet husband (of 4 years today) has awakened. I'm almost positive he is hearing what's going on but, like most nights, he's stayed completely still, with only the change in his breathing being the giveaway. I know this game too, babe. He finally rolls over and asks "Who's getting him?" and I say that I'll do it. "Thanks," he says, and drifts back to sleep, just like that. I throw back the warm covers and pull on my fuzzy robe as I quietly leave the bedroom.

Going into the living room I see Abby and Odie, our Jack Russell Terrorists, asleep on our new couches that we have adorned with old sheets so they don't get dirty. Defeats the purpose of showing off our new furniture, I know, but what can you do? I catch a glimpse of Odie, sleeping, of course, on the forbidden spot- on top of one of the back cushions of the couch. In a hushed but no-nonsense tone I tell him to get down. He raises his head to look at me for a moment before lowering it back down, heaving a deep sigh...and not moving one inch. I'm not in the mood for a fight so I leave him and head upstairs to my now sobbing baby.

As I quietly open the baby gate at the top of the stairs, I start to smile. Strange as it seems that hearing my baby scream sometimes makes me grin, I realize it's because he is screaming for me. His mommy.  And it makes those middle of the night wakings so much more bearable.

I enter his darkened room and am greeted by a tearful little boy standing up in his crib, knees bouncing up and down as he realizes I've finally come for him. I shut the door behind me to keep it as dark as I can and go to him. He reaches for me instantly and I pull him out.  He immediately stops crying, lays his head on my shoulder and wraps his legs around my waist. I stand there swaying with him in the dark, one arm under his tiny bottom and the other draped over his back, my hand smoothing his soft hair. It's moments like this that I realize what life is all about. It's moments like this that make me realize how incredibly blessed I am that I am able to be with my son every day and night.  I silently pray that I can give all of our future children this same devotion, day in and day out. But at this moment I find it hard to imagine ever being able to love anyone else as much as I love this precious boy.  

I take my little baby and we sit in the glider next to the crib, his arms and legs both tightly holding on to me, like a little koala bear. I hear the quiet sucking noise coming from his pacifier as he lays with his head on my heart. I realize that I don't want to move. I want to stay in this moment forever. I look down and can see the faint outline of his beautiful face and think to myself that in a blink, he will be too big for me to hold him like this. Or too big to WANT to be held this. He has grown so much and so fast in the past 10 months. Every milestone he hits brings both joy and sadness because I see that my little baby is going, going....only a short time before he is gone and in his place will be a little boy. Every day with him has been more joyful than I ever thought it could be. And it just keeps getting better.

After 30 minutes of silent rocking, I realize I actually do need to get back to bed. Reluctantly, I slowly stand, still holding the seemingly heavier child (now that he's sound asleep) in my arms and take the few steps to the crib. I stand next to it for a few more seconds, relishing in the sweet silence-just me and my sleeping son, and then finally lay him down. He rolls immediately over to his tummy, army crawls to the corner of the crib, and positions himself into his most comfortable state. Arms tucked under tummy? Check. Extra pacifier within reach and another in his hand? Check. Tiny tush pointing to the sky? Check Check. I back out towards the door slowly, hearing nothing but the whirring of the fan, open the door, take one more glance towards the crib, then silently close it with only a soft click. I head back downstairs, past Abby and Odie (who is still nestled into my new couch cushion) and climb back into bed next to my snoring husband.  As I pull the warm covers up under my chin, I click the monitor screen on one last time just to double check, smile to myself as I see that sweet baby boy sound asleep and then drift off myself as I gear up for another day as Mom.







SHARE:

Monday, February 27, 2017

Faith Over Fear.

"As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race and I have remained faithful." 2 Timothy 4:6-7 


This post is not what I had planned to write about today.  But last night, a mom, wife, friend, daughter and sister lost her third battle with cancer.  Her name was Manda Maxwell.  And she was incredibly brave and a true warrior for Christ.

I didn't know Manda all that well, so in all honesty, I don't even feel worthy of writing this post. We had just started getting to know each other when she took a turn for the worse.  But her life and her faith had an impact on me and if it might have an impact on you, I want you to hear about her.  She was the most inspiring person I've ever met.

Craig and I joined a new Sunday School class Manda and her husband, Aaron, were in a couple of years ago and have been getting to know everyone ever since.  Joining a new Sunday School class where everyone is so tight knit and obviously loves each other to pieces already can be intimidating.  Especially to someone like me who can be a little timid at first and just wants everyone to accept her. This Sunday School class and this group of girls (and guys) were a perfect fit for Craig and me though and I was eager to be accepted into their tribe.  They are fiercely loyal and love and support each other like crazy.  Manda was going through trial after trial it seemed and this group rallied around them and prayed for them and loved on them so hard.  It was quite clear to me that this was a tribe I wanted to belong to.  But hearing the prayer requests for Manda every week broke my heart every time.  It didn't seem fair.  But at that point, all I knew was that she had had cancer before and it had come back.  So when it was announced that she would be speaking at our church's Women's Coffeehouse I was so excited to go and hear her story.

Manda is in the back, with the short dark hair.
The night of the Coffeehouse, I sat at the table with my new friends/her best friends. This was really my first glimpse into what all Manda had been through and first time to hear her story. And her testimony BLEW ME AWAY.  I felt in awe of this girl.  Her faith was truly inspiring.  I loved hearing her talk about the miracles God performed in her life.  It was proof that miracles didn't stop happening once the Bible was written.  God still performs them to this day.  And her testimony was full of them.  Click below for our night at the Coffeehouse.  I am so glad this was video'd so we will always have it to share.

Faith Over Fear from Stonebridge Videography on Vimeo.

If you have some time, I urge you to listen to her testimony. It's about 40 minutes long so maybe listen while you are getting ready in the morning or driving to work (don't watch it though, just listen if you're driving!).  Manda left a legacy.  God used her faithfulness to reach people for Christ. I want to do my part in helping to spread her legacy in any way I can.

One part that stuck out to me was when she was about to go in to surgery for her amputation and basically started to have a panic attack.  Her friend asked to pray over her one last time before they took her away and she prayed for peace.  Manda says the only way she can describe it is that "a supernatural calmness just fell over me.  God's presence was right there-He was so real. And He was telling me just to take a deep breath and rest in His arms."  Those are her exact words from her testimony.  And as I was re-watching this tonight, I just kept thinking that if in her moments of panic before a life-altering surgery God gave her this sense of peace, then I have no doubt that God gave her this same supernatural calmness when He called her home to finally rest in His arms.

I pray that you listen to her testimony with an open heart.  I pray that you find the time to watch it.  Because Manda left a legacy and I want you to be part of it.


This is what Manda did. She didn't have the cure for cancer but she did have a cure for death.  And she used her situation to share her faith and the love of Jesus Christ with everyone she could so that they could someday be where she is now.  Manda lived out her faith everyday. And I am so thankful for it because I know how it affected me and made me stronger in my own faith.  I'll always regret that I didn't meet her earlier in life.  But I am thankful that I knew her even a little bit.

Please pray for peace and comfort for Manda's husband, Aaron, and her two children (Miley and Aiden) as well her parents.  And please don't forget to include her tribe.  Sunday School yesterday morning was a mess and I wanted to love on every single one of Manda's close friends because they are in so much pain as well.



Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die. And whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 
 John 11:25-26  





SHARE:

Friday, February 24, 2017

Friday Favorites #1. {2.24.17}


Well, I made it through my first week of blogging!  Thank you all for reading!  I hope you keep coming back.  I've had so much fun reading your comments!!  

Today I'm linking up with my friends Erika, Narci and Andrea for my first Friday Favorites!  Since my blog is officially 1 week old today, I think it should be my first favorite!  

For those just now finding me, here's an "about me" in a nutshell (boymom, retired NFL wife, Etsy shop owner, Christ follower, DIY enthusiast) and a rundown of the week.

Last Friday:  My first post.  A "Foreword" if you will, to my new blog and an introduction to me and my family. :)
Monday:  The other big part of my life!  My Etsy Shop!  #makermama
Tuesday:  A recap of our 3 day weekend.
Wednesday:  My first What's Up Wednesday!
Thursday:  Don't Make It Weird.  A post about one of my weird and a bit extreme quirks. ;)

ONE.  

So one of my favorite things this week has been my sweet 8-year-old, Matthew, who came home from school last Friday asking fo some new books.  I am a huge reader (ok, so "listener" is probably more accurate these days) so when my kids show interest in reading I am all over it.  We hopped on the computer and looked through Amazon together and he picked out 3 new books with only a little help from me.  They came in on Tuesday and he was a happy boy!

One was a book that one group in his class is reading right now called The Secret Zoo.  It's a series apparently and he was really eager to start that one.  He also picked out a couple of classics.  How to Eat Fried Worms.  (I still remember this book from when I was his age and the picture we had to draw of how we would eat a worm if we had to!)  And one other classic that kind of surprised me.  He picked out Where the Red Fern Grows but probably just because he loves books about dogs.  He said he wanted Old Yeller (it was shown right next to it) but I vetoed that.  He's a pretty sensitive kid and Old Yeller made me super sad.  So we got them ordered and then that night I started thinking about Where the Red Fern Grows and realized-DUH!!  It is SO SAD TOO!!!  If I remember right, one of the dogs gets killed by a mountain lion or something and the other one dies from a broken heart basically.  Is this right?!  Sweet Lord.  Should I sneak into his room when he's sleeping and steal it?  Ugh.  

So, this is him all happy with his new books. We'll call this the "Before" picture.


 Maybe I'll be around to snap a picture of him after the dog dying scene.  You know, after he goes into a major depression because bad things happen to sweet dogs.  Seriously, should I let him read this?!  I really don't want him to be sad!  My Mama Bear instinct is to protect him from pain and sadness, girls!  (Update:  So I just googled it and one of the things I saw said it is one of the 10 saddest books ever! Momfail?)

Moving on...

TWO:

This is one of my biggest FAVORITES this week!  I have been eyeing these booties for at least a month and finally pulled the trigger! They just came in yesterday and I think my feet are more comfy with them on than with them off!  They are ADORABLE and are ridiculously comfortable!!  Did I mention they are on SALE?


I ordered them in both colors because I just couldn't decide and figured I could make a decision when they got here.  Nope.  I have to keep both.  And I very rarely do that.   I DO know I'd be crying if I had decided later to get the brown ones too and they were sold out.  I don't even have pictures of them on yet they are so new but I'm hoping to wear them to church on Sunday so maybe I'll snap one then, These are so perfect leading into spring!  Fit true to size.  You won't be disappointed!!  Sizes are running out though, just FYI!  YES to this shoe, girls!!


THREE:

I have been dying to try these SugarBear Hair Vitamins.  I found them through Facebook I think.  They kept popping up in those annoying ads so I decided to scroll through the comments about them to what all the fuss was about and the comments were really good!! I want to say these are Instagram famous too but I can't remember which celebs are shilling them.



 Everyone was saying how long and thick their hair had gotten with them (yeah, we'll see) but they were also saying they were delicious.  I read through a LOT of comments and since they also had a 4 star rating on Amazon, I decided to give them a try. They came in today and y'all...I don't care if they make my hair super healthy or not.  They taste SO GOOD.  I wanted to eat 10 of them but they said I could only have 2.  :(  I don't think I'll be forgetting to take these every day!  I got a 30 day supply so we'll see if I notice any difference.  Go here if you want to check them out.  Yummm...definitely a favorite.  (On a sidenote, Craig walked in when I had these out on the counter and I made him try one.  He asked what they were and I said they're vitamins for your hair.  He thought this was absolutely ridiculous.  His exact words were "Hair vitamins?  Seriously?".  He is such a boy.)

FOUR:

These skinny stainless steel tumblers from my shop are fairly new and have been a HUGE hit with my customers--and me!  I love mine but always hope everyone else who orders something from me will love it just as much as I do!  I thought this review was so sweet!  (Sweet reviews are my favorite!!)  Anyway, I swear these tumblers are just as good as an expensive Yeti except these are sleek, less than half the cost, easy to hold and come with a matching straw. #score They hold 20oz of your favorite beverage and you can personalize them however you want!  A name, monogram, cute saying, a pineapple, whale, anchor, heart, frog...whatever!  I've got tons of cute patterned vinyl, lots of glitter vinyl and then, of course, the tried and true solid colors as well.  The tumblers are only available in these colors for now but I think they might be releasing new colors soon!  


ETSY TIP:  When shopping on Etsy via the app or mobile site, be sure to tap on ITEM DETAILS in each listing.  The way Etsy has their app set up, it is really easy to overlook.  It will give you the full description, all the ordering information you'll need and links to the other 2 colors.  I'll be doing a full Etsy Tips for Buyers post very soon.  ;)

I know.  I should really charge my phone.  But here's what the top of the listing will look like...

....just scroll down a little and click on Item Details when you shop on Etsy.  It'll most always answer any questions you have.  :)  And you can always message me (or whatever seller you need to) with all other questions!  You should also be able to find the turnaround time for that listing in the "shipping and policies" tab.
Other favorites from this week...

Love these gorgeous "Create Your Own" glitter dipped tumblers!  

 I made my first one these for my friend Brooke who is adopting a little girl from China very very soon!  Can't wait to meet Willow!
FIVE:

And of course, these 2 little boys are always my favorite.  They love each other so much and are as close as twins.  I thank God every day for telling me "no" when I prayed for a daughter.  He knew what He was doing and what was right for our family.  I could not imagine my life without my sweet boys.






Happy Friday!!  Have a great weekend!
SHARE:

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Don't Make It Weird. {FRIENDS Edition}

Hello Thursday!  I love Thursdays partly because it means that we are almost through the week and partly (mostly) because it is Grey's Anatomy and Scandal night!  Grey's has gone downhill the past couple of years, I will admit.  But I won't give up on it.  And I binge watched Scandal on Netflix awhile back and am pumped that I get to see more Olivia Pope!  #itshandled

But today, I wanted to share a little more about myself with you since we are all still getting to know each other.  ;)  I thought about doing a "25 Random Facts About Me" post but decided to hone in on just a few at a time.  Today, I'll tell you about this one in particular.  

We are all a little weird in our way, right?  We all have our little quirks that make us interesting and unique.  Thankfully, my husband is the main audience for my weirdness.  There's no one else I can be more myself around than him and he has always embraced the strange little things that I say and do that make me who I am.  

SHARE:

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

What's Up Wednesday!

What's up, Wednesday!?  I'm finding it hard to believe we are halfway through the week already but that's kind of how it always goes with those 3 day weekends, right?  This will be my very first link up and in all honesty, as of right now I have no idea how to actually "link up" soooo there's that...  #newbieblogger

I have been reading my girlfriends Erika, Shay and Narci's blogs forever so I'm excited I finally get to join in the fun!  I haven't really been preparing or documenting much though so my first time may leave a lot to be desired.  It'll get better though I promise!  



What we're eating this week:

Honestly?  Ugh.  Y'all, I hate to cook.  I've told my girlfriends this so many times but I LEGIT hate. to. cook.  I do it.  Don't get me wrong.  I just would rather be doing ANYTHING else. I'll get into why I hate this so much at a later date but let's just say a lot of it has to do with my 8-year-old being the pickiest eater ever combined with being the most stubborn kid ever PLUS having a major gag reflex that scarred him for life when he was a baby and learning to eat new foods.  What a mess. (Literally.  We had a puke bowl for him.  So bad.)  Yes, I'm that mom who makes at least 2 separate dinners every night.  Don't judge me.  

I'm also not the mom who has it all planned out for the week.  I am working on this, yall.  I know for a fact it would help so much because I actually have done it before.  Several times in fact!  And man, life is so much easier when you have a plan in place. I'll get there!  Here's what our week has looked like so far and what I plan on it looking like for the rest of the week...

Monday:  I had an actual plan.  It was going to be this amazing chicken and rice casserole I've made before.  But I COULD NOT find the freaking recipe anywhere when it was time to start cooking!! I looked through all my Pins on Pinterest.  I looked through all the chicken and rice recipes on Pinterest that I hadn't pinned.  I looked through Shay's cookbooks.  I looked through Paula Deen's cookbooks. I looked through my makeshift recipe folder.  It was gone.  I wanted to cry.  None of the others were what I was looking for.  And by the time I did all this it was 7pm.  So we had Wendy's.  #momfail  (I have lots of these.)

If you follow me on Instagram (@amandanall), you may have seen this picture I posted.  This was when I jumped on Pinterest to find said recipe and got super distracted immediately.  I AM going to paint my pantry door this color, though.  Yay for a new project!

Tuesday:  Taco Tuesday!  Mason (the 6-year-old who will eat anything, thankyouJesus) says I make the best tacos ever.  Little does he know it is ground beef with some Taco Bell seasoning in a flour tortilla with cheese and mild sauce.  I win!

Wednesday:  I WILL find the chicken and rice recipe.  

Thursday:  Possibly turkey sausage and potatoes.  I found this recipe on Pinterest that I've tweaked a little and we are big fans!  I use Butterball Turkey Sausage instead and a red onion and garlic salt.  I love garlic salt.

Friday:  Most likely a pizza night.  

Saturday and Sunday:  I can't even begin to think about it.  That's so far away!!  ;)



What I'm reminiscing about:

I've been going through a lot of my old pictures lately and missing my babies.  They have gotten so big so fast.  I miss being pregnant.  I loved being pregnant.  I miss holding a baby and rocking a baby and that sweet baby smell.  




My sweet baby Mason less than 3 months old.

This was before I left Matthew with a sitter for the first time while we went on a date night. 

What I'm loving:


Well, I definitely don't hate this gorgeous Texas weather!  70-80 degrees and sunny a lot lately.  I'll take it.  

What we've been up to:

Lots of outdoor playing for the boys, football coaching for the hubs (camps and private sessions) and glitter, paint and sawdust for me!  You can read about our weekend here.




What I'm dreading:
Attempting to lose 10 pounds of winter weight.  I have been so preoccupied with my first year of being at this Etsy business full-time that all extracurriculars have stopped for me.  And that included working out.  (Shame on me, I know.)  I am determined to knock off the 8-10 pounds or so that have crept up on me over the past year.  Unfortunately for me, this means avoiding my favorite foods and actually going to the gym.  Boo.

What I'm working on:

I usually have 30-40 open Etsy orders at a time so I'm constantly working on those. But other than that, we are HOPING to get the upper cabinets/shelves built to finish off our new dining room built-ins!  This wall used to be an entire wall of mirrors (4 giant mirrors to be exact).  I hated it when we bought the house but learned to live with it and then over the years just stopped seeing it.  And then Joanna Gaines inspired me to shiplap that bad boy so Craig and I did!  We also installed lower cabinets and then it all came to a halt.  This month, I want to add the upper half to it which will include rustic wood open shelves and closed storage on the sides.  And I'm still on the hunt for the perfect hardware for the cabinets.  


What I'm excited about:

This new blog!!  Why did I wait so long to do this!?

What I'm watching/reading:

My favorite TV shows at the moment are This Is Us, Chicago Fire, anything on Bravo (specifically Vanderpump Rules and Real Housewives of anything) and Fixer Upper.  And as a family, we love to watch Masterchef Junior.  I'm trying to talk Mason into becoming a chef so he can cook for me.  I am also a Bachelor fan.  I think it is more of a habit than anything else at this point.  It's just a trainwreck that starts out all ridiculous and then by the end you find yourself really rooting for that true love!  If you don't already read Sheaffer's Bachelor recaps, then you are missing out!!  They are the best thing I read all week.  She has a way with words, that girl!  She is so funny--like falling out of your chair, rolling on the ground, clutching your stomach funny.   

I binge watch everything on Netflix.  I've watched Gilmore Girls, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, Parks and Rec, Friends, One Tree Hill, Scandal, The Good Wife and I'm currently watching Glee.  I have LOVED LOVED LOVED every single one of these shows!!  I watched them all when they originally aired but binge watching them is so fun.  Right now it's Glee and I forgot how happy this show makes me!  I am a sucker for anything musical.



And what I'm reading... I'm reading a book called Not a Fan during my quiet time in the morning that I'll talk more about later.  It is a great book and talks about not being just a FAN of Jesus Christ but a true follower.  I highly recommend it and when I finish it, I'll be sure to post more about it.  You can check it out here though.  It also has a devotional to go with it.

On Audible, I recently finished The Woman in Cabin 10 and it was SO GOOD!!  If you loved Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, you will love this!  I thought I was so smart and had it all figured out but I was wrong!! These are all amazing books if you want a little mystery and suspense.  (And once again, if you don't have time to read actual books, please do yourself a favor and give Audible a try!  They have free trial memberships and everything.  I would be lost without it!  Check it out here!)

Which leads me to...

What I'm listening to:

When I just want to listen to music I turn on Spotify and love Lauren Daigle, Hillsong, Casting Crown, Big Daddy Weave...  I love my praise and worship music.  But obviously, I'm doing a lot of Audible/book listening too.  :)  Right now I'm re-listening to Bossypants by Tina Fey.  I'm sure this book is hysterical when you read it in the book form... but try it when it is read by HER.  She is one of the funniest!!  

What I'm wearing:

This should be where I share a picture of me in some cute outfit but I don't have any pictures of myself.  Whoops.  I'll do better next time.  I have been loving my new yoga pants I picked up at Nordstrom the other day though.  :) 

What I'm doing this weekend:

We don't usually have plans for weekends.  Weekends are all about having no obligations if we can help it!  Church on Sunday morning and probably lunch out afterwards.  Then it's time to play play play.  ;)

What I'm looking forward to next month:

I'm scheduled to sub twice at my old school in March and that's always fun!  (I used to be a PE coach and now I sub at my old school in PE every once in awhile.)  It's also Spring Break next month!!  We have no plans as of now but we'll see what happens!  Sometimes its more fun to have no plans at all!

What else is new:

This.  This blog is new!

BONUS QUESTION:  What is your favorite "can't live without" beauty product?

This one is hard.  I thought and thought about it and kept coming back to one of my favorite products. It is the Exuviance Daily Antioxidant Peel.  I found it at Ulta one random day when I was shopping for some new skincare products.  The sales girl talked me into buying this and even though I was hesitant, I trusted her and have LOVED IT ever since.  I very rarely find a skincare product where I can actually tell a difference. I buy my share of wrinkle creams, yall, but in all honesty, I can't ever tell a difference.  But this made my skin brighter immediately and gave me a glow that made my skin much younger looking.  Even friends commented on it!  It didn't dry my face out.  It didn't break my face out.  It is a great product!! I'm actually down to only 2 pads so I'll be ordering more today myself.  Let me know if you use it or try it!  



Thank you for stopping by today! Please leave me a comment and if you have a blog, let me know!  I'd love to make new friends!  

SHARE:

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Weekend Recap.

Three day weekends--we love you!!!  The weather started out AMAZING on Saturday but even when the clouds came and it cooled off a little on Sunday and Monday, it didn't seem to slow us down. The boys spent almost all of it outside running around with their friends for the full 3 days.

Craig was in Atlanta this weekend working a football camp so it was just the 3 of us.  This is his busy season and he travels a lot to work football camps all over the nation, mostly with Elite 11. This weekend was Trent Dilfer's QB Epic camp, though. They had a great turnout and a successful weekend!

{SIDENOTE:  If you have no idea what Elite 11 is, don't worry.  I had no idea either.  But Elite 11 is a series of camps that are held all over the country for high school quarterbacks.  They compete at these regional camps and then the best of the best are invited to compete in the Finale in Oregon at the end of the summer.  It's a pretty big deal for these kids.  ESPN airs the final week of competition and they participate in a 7-on-7 tournament.  Craig is one of my main coaches involved in Elite 11 and works closely with Trent Dilfer (former NFL Quarterback and now ESPN analyst) who runs the show.  If you want to know a little more about it, you can check it out here.}

Craig is in the front row, second from the right.  

Trent Dilfer pumping up the guys before the fun begins!

Backing up a little to Friday morning, we started it like this.  The end of Teacher Appreciation Week!  They were so excited to give their teachers these little personalized name signs I made for them!  (Can you tell they insisted on doing their own hair?  Whatever gets them out the door quicker!  I'm just happy Mason remembered to put on underwear...)


I worked on orders all day Friday with the windows open and my audiobook playing.  Do any of yall have Audible memberships?  If you love to read but can't find time to sit down to do it, try this!!!  I have been an Audible member for YEARS now and it is the best thing EVER for people like me who can't seem to stop long enough to open an actual book.  I listen when I'm working, when I'm folding laundry, making dinner, doing the dishes and especially when I'm driving alone.  I love chick-lit and have probably 300 books in my Audible Library now.  Most of the narrators are so fun to listen to and pull you into the story so quickly.  This weekend I finished Always Something There to Remind Me by Beth Harbison.  I love her books!  Easy chick-lit that puts me in a good mood and the narrator is awesome.  She has a ton of other books and uses the same narrator a lot of the time.  Can't say enough good things about Audible.

These were a couple of cute tumblers that went out.  Obsessed with my confetti cups!

When it was time to go get the boys from school, I gathered up my completed orders so I could drop them off at the post office.  After waiting in the carpool line for 15 minutes and finishing my audiobook, we took a little shortcut to bypass the insane after school traffic and passed by this little neighborhood playground we love.  We made a spur of the moment decision to make a pit stop and enjoy the completely empty playground in the 75-degree weather.  It was a perfect afternoon for playing outside!  These 2 immediately took their shoes off so they could slide down the slide faster and make the climb up the slide harder.  #boys  



Friday night, we ordered pizza, watched Pup Stars on Disney, and called it a night!  Well, they did.  I went through the downstairs picking up all the stray clothing that had been discarded in the past day or two.  This included (and I counted) 7 random dirty socks, 3 shirts, a pair of sweatpants that had managed to get under the couch and was thoroughly covered in dust and dog hair and a pair of underwear that was left hanging on the doorknob in the powder room.  Seriously.  I kid you not, folks.  And in case anyone was wondering, none of this stuff was mine.  Surely I didn't need to add that last part in.  ;)

I finally crawled into my bed and spread out with my own pup (Abby) and caught up on some Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  When the hubby's away...things get wild.  Haha.

Saturday was a little boys dream day.  Sunny, warm and a neighborhood full of boys ready to have some fun!  We live in a culdesac which is such a blessing so they are able to run around pretty freely out there.  We have amazing neighbors and the boys have 3 different houses they alternate between plus ours.  They had a great Saturday with the gang!

This is what happens when you leave an empty box unattended by the front door... My 6 year old is under the box while the 8 year old nails him with the waterhose.

 Everyone wanted a turn trying to spray Mason!



After awhile I made them turn off the water and clean up their mess (Mean Mama!) and they drifted to the neighbor's house and ended up in the hot tub.  


While they were gone, I attempted to tackle our sunroom.  We added on this sunroom several years ago with the best intentions.  However, it definitely has it's buyer's remorse moments.  It gets pretty hot out there in the summer.  And it is freezing cold in the winter.  The ground or house has settled and now the slider doesn't close all the way.  We've been waiting for over a month for a new one to come in.  It also leaks in one of the corners every time it rains and we've had the company out twice now to fix it...only to end up with it still not fixed.  Ugh.  We've also never really gotten around to decorating it the way we want.  We put our old couches out here when we got a new one for our living room.  They are a little too big and bulky and just don't fit right. They are on their way out and I'm going to be completely redoing this room very soon.  But on Saturday, I decided I needed to shop-vac the heck out of it and mop it.  (because, dogs...and kids)  


I didn't think to take a before picture but I should have.  The mess outside the sunroom is also in the midst of being organized so that won't be there much longer either.  I really want to turn this room into a game room with a ping pong table in the middle.  We shall see...  Having two older dogs who tend to pee on everything makes it really hard to have nice things sometimes.  A rug in here would get destroyed immediately.    

Sunday was spent a lot like Saturday only with a different hot tub, cooler weather and lots of clouds.  :)


We wrapped it up Monday with me working (it was a sign day!), Craig out doing his private QB coaching, Mason at a playdate all day and Matthew running around with his friends.  (When I say this, please know that I always know where he is.  He's not roaming the neighborhood unsupervised, I promise!  I just mean they like to house-hop.)

As much as I love weekends, I do love getting back to our routine too.  Tomorrow I'm hoping to ship out at least 15 orders which always makes me feel super productive.  And one thing I love is being productive!!  See you tomorrow when I link up to my first What's Up Wednesday with a few other bloggers including my friend, Shay, who I know you probably all follow and love already!  

Have a great day, friends!
SHARE:
BLOGGER TEMPLATE CREATED BY pipdig