Thirty Flirty and Thriving!

Yesterday began relatively normal. I was looking forward to breakfast with Briana; she had called the night before & told me she was taking me out to breakfast. It's not like her to be so assertive, but, I didn't think too much of it & just checked with Ray to make sure it was okay.

She picked me up around 8:30 & we went to one of my favorite breakfast spots, First Watch. It was so nice, we'd never been able to go out alone together! My meal as delicious, even if I did have lots of left overs due to the limited capacity of my stomach right now.

After breakfast we left the restaurant and stood outside chatting for a bit. I was in no rush, but, Briana finally told me, "This is kind of awkward, but, we can't leave yet. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but, someone else is picking you up."

I was very surprised! I told her if someone else was getting me I was going to use the restroom first. When I came out Ray was waiting for me in the van outside - with no kids!

He told me he had dropped them off with Aimee & he had also loaded down with snacks - raisinets, junior mints, peanut m&ms & popcorn. We were off to the movies to see Iron Man 3! He knew I'd been dying to see it. The movie was at Citrus Park mall so I was able to stop at the Starbucks inside & use my free birthday drink certificate.

The movie was great & it was such a fun surprise date! We walked around the mall & went into New York & Co. to look at their huge sale. I found three tops that I knew would work well after the baby is born. I'm able to wear one now, which is a good thing because one strap on the shirt I was wearing broke during the movie! (I forgot that it had started to tear when I put it on that morning)

After the wardrobe chance it was time for lunch - I decided ice cream from Cold Stone would be the perfect lunch!

As Ray was paying someone walked up behind me & said, "Hi, friend!" It was Erin! I was really surprised because she was supposed to be at the beach. One of the busiest girls I know & I knew she had a packed day so I was extra surprised to see her.

After the ice cream Ray left & Erin took me to the salon for pedicures! She knows me so well. I hadn't told anyone, but, I'd been dying to go for a pedicure for months!

Aren't they pretty? They look like mermaid colors!

After the pedicures we went to Barnes & Noble to sit & chat & drink coffee. That's one of my favorite things to do with friends, I so enjoy one-on-one uninterrupted conversation.

At 5:15 we had to leave because some friends from church had been planning a housewarming party. They just moved in two weeks ago & I felt bad because I had planned to go to the store that day so that I could get them a housewarming gift.

When Erin & I arrived we were walking up to the house when the garage door opened & it was filled with my friends yelling, "Surprise!" They totally got me! I truly believed we were going to a housewarming party & wasn't expecting this at all.

Everyone made sure to have some of my favorite foods there (olives, cheese) & they cooked out 20 pounds of Brazilian steak! The best!!!

Not only did our friends open their home just two weeks after moving in, but, it was also our hostesses actual birthday that day! I definitely felt the love.

When it came time for dessert I was in for another surprise. Ray had bought a huge cake ("Princess cake" - coconut & pineapple) from my favorite place for dessert, Wright's Deli. It's the kind of cake where the quality is so rich that every calorie is worth it! (all of the photos are taken with my phone so they aren't the best quality)

Briana, on top of everything else she did to help with the party & my special day, also made a red velvet trifle. She's phenomenal chef - I'm not usually a fan of red velvet cake & even I thought her dessert was delicious!

As everyone sang "happy birthday" to me I seriously expected to hear, "Happy birthday, dear Mommy..." I'm definitely in full-blown mom mode at this stage in life!

It was an incredible day! I absolutely loved being surprised the whole time - it meant I had no expectations! I left the house for breakfast at 8:30 in the morning & didn't end up getting home until 13 hours later! My birthday expectations for this year had been...nothing. I was just going to be grateful for another day, especially knowing how insane everything is for Ray at work right now. This day just blew me away! And, it was the perfect fit for my personality.

All of the ladies at my party.

I'm so thankful for my wonderful husband, family & friends for putting this together! My actual 30th birthday is on Tuesday, this was a great start to my new year!

Challenge IV Training

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending Challenge IV training (the highest level in the Classical Conversations Challenge program) with Matt B., who came down from NC in order to conduct the training for us in Florida. (fun fact: in the course of our conversation he told me that he is from my neck of the woods, Zephyrhills. I was happy to be able to tell him this coming year we will now have a CC program in his hometown!)

Training is typically reserved for directors of those levels, but, as support manager, I was offered to attend the training as well. It wasn't until the day prior that I was able to secure a babysitter & I'm so thankful I was able to be there!

On my way to training I had to stop at Starbucks & use one of my gift cards to fuel up for the day.

It was a long but excellent day of training. I'm very thankful I was able to attend! All of my CC training is always so encouraging!

I arrived home at 5:15, with 45 minutes to spare before I had two hours of an online training to attend.

I'll say here that my babysitter for the day was Miss Esther, from church. I've heard tales of her going to young moms' homes & helping out but I had yet to experience that for myself. I finally decided to just ask her for the help & she lovingly watched the kids all day. Not only that, she showed up almost 30 minutes early, brought lots of fruit for the kids & a homemade lasagna for our dinner! And, she never turned on the tv for the kids - that's my kind of babysitter!

Mommy shower

Tonight was my "mommy shower" aka girls night out! So much fun! I still think this is the best idea for those who already have the things they need for the baby - every mom can use gifts just to pamper herself. My friends are incredibly generous & know me so well! (I see coffee and shopping in my future!)

We all met at Carrabbas for dinner. I had a coupon for a free appetizer that we all shared & of course I had my favorite, Chicken Bryan, for dinner.

After dinner we went across the street to Mimis for coffee & dessert & lots more fun conversation!

Here I am tonight, 33 weeks pregnant today.

I can't believe how fast the time is flying by! We're still so excited that the Lord has blessed us with another child to train in His ways. It feels like these verses are just for us:

Behold, children are a [a]gift of the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127:3-5

Pajama Party!

Last night I had a much needed girls night in with some of the other moms in my classical conversations homeschool group.

We met at one of their homes in south tampa for a pj party with lots of delicious food (lots of chocolate!) & edifying conversation. I'm so thankful for the wonderful friendships I've made in this group. It's nothing like the unfortunate co-ops that we tried to be a part of when I was a kid!

I didn't get home until after midnight. I was exhausted today but it was so worth it!

Yum!

Yesterday we had our graduation dinner potluck after church. I hadn't planned to be there - initially, we were supposed to be at Disney. Once Addison had her surgery scheduled we cancelled Disney, but, I expected to be home with her after I heard about difficult recoveries. Praise the Lord, her recovery was a piece of cake, but, it left me with no idea what to bring to the potluck!

I went through my pinterest board for dessert ideas & realized I really like the salt/caramel/chocolate combo. Well, I already knew I liked it,but, apparently I'm a bit obsessed with it! I couldn't decide on just one dessert so I made two. Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies & Salt River Bars.

The brownies were okay. The recipe said to double the brownies. I did & if I make them again I won't. I think it threw the proportions off a bit. I also don't think I used enough pretzels.

The Salt River Bars - OH. MY. The ingredients sound a little strange (crackers!) but these were incredible! The flavor combination was amazing. And, they're so simple, there's not even any cooking involved! (other than making a simple caramel sauce) Trust me. Make these, try not to eat them all, bring them to a party, be the rave dessert. It'll happen.

(Pardon the blurry phone photo of the desserts already partially eaten at the potluck)

In other news, today we had our first real thunderstorm of the season - complete with hail! The girls have t-ball on Monday afternoons & Rays' mom took off of work so that she could watch the girls play. Since this is Ray's thing she picked up the kids to take them to the field & my plan was to do a quick phone interview & clean the house while everyone was gone. Instead, as we were loading the kids into the car, it began to rain. It was the perfect thunderstorm & I couldn't resist putting on Frasier & making a cup of coffee to relax for 20 minutes, the same way I used to do before kids.

As I was enjoying the weather I began to hear clunking & sure enough, it was hail!

T-ball was cancelled so I ended up only having enough time for the interview before the kids got home & my house is still a mess!

11 years

That's right, our eleven year wedding anniversary is today!

Last year we spent our anniversary touring vineyards & eating at a French bistro along the water in Napa Valley.

This year we spent most of the day at home working around the house. I asked Ray to work on putting the girls room together for our anniversary. I gave Ray a card & his favorite frappuccino from Starbucks.

I also took apart our washing machine, in search of answers as to why I can always hear water sloshing around the bottom of the drum. I didn't think it was right but I couldn't find any solid answers online. (google, the source of knowledge!) I disassembled the machine & then got Ray to help for a bit.

A bunch of water drained out into the wet vac but we could still hear water sloshing around! I was going crazy. More & more research finally found an answer: If no water is visible in the basket and you hear a "sloshing water sound", it could be the normal sound of the washer's balance ring. The balance ring is an enclosed plastic container partially filled with a saltwater solution. It is attached to the inner clothes basket and allows the basket to spin smoothly during an out-of-balance situation.

For dinner, I picked up Five Guys, ice cream & a movie from redbox.

Not 11 days in California together like last year, but, just as wonderful being able to relax & spend time together!

Finales and Cravings

Last night we watched the finale of one of our old favorites, The Office. It went through a bit of a slump, but, I think it kind of picked up again this year.

Ray & I typically watch it on demand but we watched the finale as it aired. In fact, it's the only show we watch together (& the only show Ray watches consistently). Most nights Ray is home after the kids are already in bed so sometimes we go weeks before we get a chance to even watch it together. Case in point: we rented a redbox movie LAST Saturday, fell asleep a few minutes into it & it's still setting on our shelf, unwatched. (normally I would've returned it by now but I've been home most of the week while Addison recovers & yesterday was the first night Ray got home before dark)

I was also craving brownies last night. Rather than making a whole batch, I compromised, and made the microwave mug brownies in our Office mugs.

Today, I randomly saw a recipe for a Chocolate Chip Cookie in a mug. I figured it was a sign & I had to try it.

It's portion controlled so it doesn't count as much, right?!

Surgery & recovery

On Monday Addison had an adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy. It was outpatient, so quick! We arrived at 8:30 & we were discharged before 11:00!

My biggest concern was how Addison would react to the anesthesia. When she had her double hernia repaired two years ago the anesthesia made her throw up so much that they had to hold us at the hospital longer & she still threw up on the car ride home. I couldn't imagine that happening to her after just having her tonsils removed!

Thankfully, this physician uses very little narcotics, which is what usually causes the nausea, so she only threw up once. When we were about to leave Addison requested a wheelchair from the nurse since she had seen another child leave in one. They granted that request. Addison also asked them if she could see her tonsils & adenoids - they did NOT grant that one.

Mother Daughter Bracelets.

We had a low-key day on Monday & took it easy. Addison has been doing really well. We were told that the third day (today) should be the worst. I've been expecting her to be in a lot of pain, but, she's only had minimal complaints & mentions that her throat is sore. She's refused all pain meds since we arrived home from the surgery center. Each day I expect she'll crash, but, so far, so good. I have kept us home - I think tomorrow we'll need an escape!

Addison is supposed to have minimal activity for 1-2 weeks. If she were in school they said to keep her home for two weeks! Of course, lucky girl that she is, Addison still gets to do school this week. :)

Because she's supposed to be still I've let her watch netflix in an attempt to keep her from running around too much. She loves dancing so one of her choices was an Christmas Rockettes show. Kate was totally inspired & dressed herself up to dance, too.

Yesterday Addison received a lovely bunch of flowers from the ladies at church & today she received another bouquet from her secret pal from church. She's been so excited to get her own flowers! (I was quite happy that there were no lilies in the bunch as those are one flower to which I'm allergic).

We were supposed to head to Disney this weekend but had to postpone for a couple of weeks. I don't mind too much as Disney isn't really my first choice to spend our anniversary!

Hello Third Trimester!

I seriously can't believe I'm already in the third trimester (now 29 weeks, 1 day). This pregnancy is flying by like you wouldn't believe! I've been so busy with work, schooling the kids plus regular home maintenance, errands & ministry that I've barely had time to notice that I'm pregnant.

I'm convinced so much of this has to do with outlook, too, because I definitely feel the effects of pregnancy. I began having trouble sleeping the past three weeks due to being uncomfortable. I have acid reflux, leg cramps, sciatica, painful varicose veins, the terrible feeling of my muscles pulling apart in my stomach when I move & I'm still getting days of nausea.

One of the biggest problems I'm having this time around is that I've had a fairly heavy workload & I'm easily exhausted. I really feel the effects of that & it's a new thing for me. I've been pregnant exhausted before & I've been work/busy tired before, but, the two combined will really hit me. I can definitely tell when I've had a long day.

All of that completely pales to feeling the baby moving around. Even though it hurts when he moves at times, I still just love feeling all of the rolls and kicks! Even the fourth time around I'm in absolute awe & wonder by it! I'm so thankful that I still have 2.5 months left to feel him moving in there.

I'm SO much bigger this time around! I did start off this pregnancy heavier than any of the others, but, I've been gaining weight about the same. Every midwife appointment, except one, I've measured 2-3 weeks ahead of my actual due date (the ultrasound confirmed that I did have the correct due date - it also confirmed only one baby!). The pictures below are only two weeks apart - and no weight gain took place during those two weeks! It's ALL baby!

The top picture is from 26 weeks, 4 days and the bottom picture is 28 weeks, 6 days. Crazy, right?!?


I just love seeing my belly grow, it's so much fun! The kids love it, too. It's been the best letting them feel the baby kick & see the excited looks on their faces.

This week

On Thursday Whole Foods was having special events in honor of mothers day. Special gift bags (filled with really great goodies!), a story/craft time for the kids & LOTS of samples throughout the store. We met up there with some friends & their kids. First was story time - the kids colored & drank green smoothies while the story was read & then they got to make their own fruit kabobs.

While we were walking around the store tasting samples, Claire and Addison orchestrated lunch at Chick fil a! The moms were agreeable so, for the second time in a week, we ate at Chick fil a.

On Friday the kids & I had another treat when Rays' dad called & treated us to lunch at Five Guys. I can never turn down Five Guys!

Yesterday I was training more directors at my house, 8am-5:30pm, so Ray took the kids out for the day. They spend time with Grandma & Pop Pop picking blueberries and also went up to his dads' farm. While they were visiting the animals, the kids were standing behind Ray & a horse was in front of him. All of a sudden, the horse became excited, jumped & turned & took off & in the process kicked Addison in the face!

Thank the Lord it didn't make direct contact with her cheek, but, rather grazed the side of her face & only left scratches & a tiny bit of bruising. I couldn't believe it when they came home!