Week 13: Looking Back on This Past Week + What I’m Reading, Listening to, and Watching!
This week is filled with hours and hours of baseball! My absolute favorite! Watching Silas out there playing his heart out is one of my favorite things as a mom!
Friday night’s game was long and COLD — so glad I brought extra jackets + three very warm blankets for everyone. We needed it all!
Another highlight of the week for the little ones was this deal I found on Kinder Joy Eggs (no longer available). You should have heard the squeals coming out of the house when they saw the package!!
They get it every day after school if they have good attitudes and do their homework. Let’s just say it was a BIG inspiration!!
I love this little space in my closet – I had no idea that organizing it would be SO much fun!! (I found an embroidered book wall hanging to make to go up on the wall – you can see it sitting on top of the plant!) See more before and after photos here.
It was Diversity Day at school for Kierstyn and she was so excited to put together a rainbow and cowgirl outfit. The unicorn and shoes were rainbow and the dress and hat were cowgirl – she came up with the idea all by herself and made it all by herself!
I signed up to do a 10k on May 30th with Kathrynne and some of her friends. This is a new world for me and I quickly realized that I needed to be fitted properly – so David, Jesse and I went to Fleet Feet on Thursday to have my feet checked and fitted for a running shoe that works well with my feet.
I am very impressed with Fleet Feet!! Their free appointment was very informative and the scan of my feet and gait was fascinating! Plus, they helped find socks, shoes, and insoles that fit my feet!
David didn’t have everything going on and wanted to be around me!
For a girl who couldn’t run more than half a mile as a teenager, I’m so glad I was able to run two miles multiple times this week without stopping – and it’s encouraging that all my workouts in the gym are definitely helping me get stronger and build endurance!
My plan – as of now – is to run on Monday/Wednesday/Friday mornings and go to the gym for my favorite fitness class on Tuesdays/Thursdays and run outside for a long time on Sundays. Then Saturday is a rest day. I might fix that, but that’s what I’m going with for now!
Micah doesn’t have preschool on Wednesday and I don’t have Wednesday interviews this week (I usually do interviews on Wednesdays but I did them on Tuesdays instead) so I got to hang out with the boy and watch the truck show and get some work done. I love a little morning like this!
6 years ago this week, we brought home a medically fragile baby boy from the NICU – when I was 35 weeks pregnant with Kierstyn!
That sweet baby boy can change our lives forever. Raising him and moving with his mother and loving and caring for him in her place for 8 1/2 months was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
It broke me. It marked me. And I will never be the same again.
Giving him back to his mother after 8 1/2 months of loving him instead was the saddest thing I have ever experienced. It hurt me and I cried so many tears for so many months about it.
And yet…I look back and see God’s hand in everything. If we had not agreed to raise him and then had the privilege (and heartache) of seeing him reunited with his mother, I truly believe we would not have agreed to David.
A little boy from the NICU set our hearts straight and gave us a wealth of information on how the medical and adoption system works – how to navigate the government insurance system, what’s covered, who to call, and how to advocate. It’s a pretty complicated world and I gained months of training and experience that came in handy when we were thrown into the world of severe disability and malnutrition with David and needed to get him immediate medical attention from multiple providers as soon as he was discharged from our door.
Not only that, but the little boy from the NICU ignited a desire in us to tell DCS that we would like to say yes to caring for a child with significant disabilities or medical needs. This wasn’t even on our radar before. And that’s why DCS thought to call us when David needed a foster family.
Additionally, that little boy from the NICU opened our hearts to our beloved cousins in a whole new way – one that allowed us to walk with David’s mother in a completely different way – to touch her, fight for her, and do everything we can to make sure she is seen, cared for, and respected.
That baby boy from the NICU is now six years old and doing well with his mom – we are so proud of them both and honored to be a small part of their story!
A lot of you have asked to see the Walmart clothes I bought to try on. You can check them out here – and there are links to all of them + tons of other dresses for under $25 each here.
Here are some quick and easy meals on the go that we’ve made over the years.
It’s official – we’re now Costco members! We just went yesterday and got our membership using these hot deals! I’ll share more on Wednesday what we bought and some of our first thoughts on the Sam’s Club comparison.
I picked up my library this week — Bodyguard by Katherine Center and Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. Have you read any of this?
Books I Finished This Past Week
I finished Finding Your Connection Type by Jason Vanruler this week. I got to chat with him on my podcast recently and it was a personally powerful episode (dropping in two weeks!) and I can’t wait for him to hear it.
His book is a great resource for anyone who wants to have better communication skills – especially with those close to you. I found it really wise to understand myself better and improve my communication with Jesse.
What I’m watching
I’m continuing to watch When Calls the Heart and I’m on season 11 — so I’m getting close to the finish line! I think I’ll have it finished by the end of April!
I also introduced the kids to the movie UP this week and they loved it – everything except the part where, as Mika said, “The old lady dies.”
What I’m listening to
My best friend, Olivia, kindly sent me this podcast episode to listen to. Although it felt a little all over the place at times, there were a lot of nuggets in it about friendship and it made me think a lot about who I invest in and how I show them.
This week’s Podcast Episode: Jesse Chaperones a trip to Denver
Even though we took a few weeks off from the podcast on purpose, we’re back, and overall, the most accurate way to describe life lately is “full.” Between spring break, older kids coming in and out of the house, and multiple trips stacked on top of each other, quiet moments were rare here.
Tune in this week as Jesse and I do something we haven’t had time to do yet: sit down and process it. everything that happened a few weeks ago. We talk about a whirlwind of trips – a father-son ski trip to Utah with Silas, my church retreat, and, of course, a school trip to Denver that Jesse led, which he described as “the most staff-oriented trip I’ve ever been on.”
However, life was like that not slow down when the ride is over. In fact, we left the airport and went straight to the memorial service for the three men who died tragically. One of them was very close to our family, and the loss affected our girls – and all of us – deeply.
The majority of this episode, however, as mentioned earlier, focuses on Jesse’s time working with the students at the Denver Dream Center. Hear how they spend their days hiking and their nights working in downtown Denver, sharing meals with people struggling with homelessness and connecting with people rebuilding their lives after incarceration. Listen as Jesse shares and reflects on other stories about the conversations that took place there such as times when the goal was not to “fix” anyone but to listen, read the words, and notice the humanity in front of you!
Jesse and I also discuss how even the smallest choices can shape the direction of life (for better or for worse) and how courage often looks like doing something unusual, dangerous, or unsupported. Sometimes, the most important moments come when we step outside the little safe spaces we’ve built for ourselves and choose to do something that scares us the most. I hope you enjoy this heartfelt conversation with Jesse!
Listen to the podcast episode here.
In Case You Missed It – This Week’s Post
Easter Basket Ideas for Kids – Whether you have a curious baby, a busy toddler, or a hard-to-surprise in-between, we’ve rounded up some thoughtful, fun, and basket-worthy Easter basket ideas for kids. And they are easy and affordable for you!
Kielbasa Sheet Pan Dinner ($10 Family Dinner Idea) – This sheet pan dinner combines kielbasa, potatoes, and your favorite vegetables all fried together in one pan – less preparation, less cleanup! Pair with whole-wheat crusty French bread for a complete, satisfying meal the whole family will love.
22 Easy Easter Dessert Ideas – These desserts are easy enough to whip up any day of the week but special enough to be perfect for a celebration.
And finally, if you need a laugh, please watch this.
