STARTING SUMMER STRONG

We are a week into summer, and the twins keep asking when they will be going back to school.  This is the first time they have had a summer break in 3 years, and it's like they can't believe it's real.  It is definitely an adjustment, and back in December, John started gently nudging me towards a summer plan.  He did not want to come home to a wife with a crazed look in her eyes.  So far, we are doing pretty well.  There have been some tough moments, but overall, it's been good!



John and I joined a couple of other couples for dinner at 42 and The Sound of Music, both of which were totally delightful.  (As a side note - this photo is from last weekend.  I saw a pic of this same spot from tonight, and the river is creeping towards that high bridge and hasn't crested yet.  The flooding here really is insane!)



On Sunday afternoon, we headed to some friends house for a family sleepover.  Since their pool is officially open for the summer, the kiddos basically swam all evening and then most of the day on Monday as well.  We wore them out!  We also ate very well.

Both Marla and I like a theme, so we were glad to be part of Memorial Day and honoring the lives that have been spent for our freedoms.  I'm so thankful to live in the USA and thankful to those who make it possible.

This week we've been to movies twice at 10 a.m.  We LOVED the new Aladdin and have been jamming out to it's soundtrack all week.  Hotel Transylvania 3 reminded Violet of how much she likes the Macarena, so we've also been watching that on YouTube. 💃🏿

(our regular movie crew)

And, having grandparents in town really is so wonderful, because they offered to take the kiddos on Wednesday for swimming and playing, and everyone had a great time.  Especially me by myself. 😜

Yesterday, we did the movie, lunch at CFA, ran lunch to friends at the hospital and then went to not one, but TWO, trampoline parks.  We were gone from 9:30-4:30, and when we got home, the kiddos asked what we were going to do. 😳🤦🏻‍♀️ I told them that I was done being their event coordinator, and they would have to figure it out and no they could not turn on the TV.  It will certainly be a trick to strike the balance between activity and letting them be "bored." 🤷🏻‍♀️

We are off to a strong start, and I'm looking forward to all of the fun (and refining!) time we will have together for the next several months!

FINISHING UP MAYCEMBER

When I became a parent, I never realized that May would become as sneaky busy as December once my kids hit school-aged.  Yet, here we are.  It is packed - all activities are concluding with a party/recital/program, and school becomes a free-for-all of field trips and field days.  I thoroughly enjoyed this video by the Holderness family, which is where I got the name "May-cember."

We're done with school - here's our last day pic that the kids could barely muster enthusiasm for, even though they were SO excited to be done for summer.  It's been a great year with fantastic teachers, and we're on to 5th grade, 3rd grade and another round of Kindergarten for the twins.  It is amazing to look back at the first day and see how far we've come!



The end of the school year really did mean being way out of routine for everyone - bless those teacher's hearts.  We had two all-school field trips that had to be moved around due to weather.

Bella was the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz and read some of her writings in a "Coffee-House" setting in the school media center.

Both Lily and Bella read and tested on over 1 Million Words this year, and it was amazing to see them work towards a goal!  Field Day with all four kids was a wild ride.  I got my steps in tracking them down as they completed various activities.

As for extra-curricular activities, at this stage we are still figuring out what our children will gravitate towards and also limiting them to one activity per semester per child because we don't want our family's schedule to be totally overrun.  This meant that Lily did piano, which culminated in a recital that she totally rocked!

Bella played both fall and spring soccer with the Firecrackers and loved being part of the team and honing some new skills.




William was excited to play soccer, and since it was a co-ed team, we went ahead and signed Violet up as well.  He LOVED playing and especially thrived in defense, being christened "William the Wall" by Coach Steven.  Violet did not actually play in a game, but she did enjoy running through the parent tunnel at the end.

Where Violet really excels in is gymnastics, and we found a precious gym that we all love.  She is literally upside down half the time at the house, so it's wonderful to have a productive outlet where she is really learning!

That sums up the wildness that was May - I cannot believe that we are into summer mode!

BOOKS FEATURING STRONG WOMEN

"Here's to strong women.  May we know them.  May we be them.  May we raise them."  I'm gonna go ahead and add- "May we read about them."  So, here comes another book post!



As I looked through what I've read most recently, I realized that many of them had strong women featured with stories of overcoming and surviving and thriving.  If you are looking for some inspiring - though hard - reads, then this list is for you!

Becoming, by Michelle Obama

Last month I finished Becoming, and I was blown away by so many things.  It is an excellent book on a number of fronts, and I cannot recommend it enough.  The audio version is particularly good, because she reads it.  Hearing her story and understanding where she came from was inspiring, and it also gives a great perspective on what race currently looks like in our country from a person who has lived at every level of society.  She is brilliant and kind, and now I wish we could be best friends.

The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah

This fictional book is a beautiful, haunting read where Alaska comes to life, and you are granted insight into mental illness and abuse and what that can look like in a familial environment.  The daughter and mother at the center of this tale make difficult choices along the way, and I was on the edge of my seat to learn how this wrapped up.

Educated: A Memoir, by Tara Westover

This is one of the best books I've ever read - truly.  I know that it might feel like EVERYONE has read it, and there are a lot of reasons that's the case.  It is the true story of one woman's riveting path out of a cloistered family existence steeped in ignorance, and again, in mental illness.  Her story of survival and overcoming is astonishing and enlightening.  It reinforces and highlights just how powerful education is.

Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens

This is another current hot book, and again, I understand why.  It's the fictional story of a girl who is abandoned by her family at a very young age, and she learns to survive in the marsh.  The effects of missing a family are evident, but it is also remarkable to see how she rises to occasions and learns to live.  And, it shows how kindness can help someone bloom.

Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser

This book is a mystery that kept me guessing what would happen.  One woman and her twins disappear the night after a neighborhood get together, and her friends are left to deal with the aftermath and wonder what went wrong.  I enjoyed seeing the friendships tested and strengthened and was once again encouraged by how women can help each other.

I hope you find something you might enjoy from this list!  Last week, Modern Mrs. Darcy came out with her Summer Reading Guide, and I promptly added 2/3 of it to my TBR stack.  Tis the reading season!

THINGS I'M LOVING LATELY

I'm popping in this Wednesday evening to share a few of the things I've been loving lately - maybe you'll love some of them as well!

Life Tree Boutique Bag:  My sweet friend started a shop featuring goods made with Rwandan fabric and the proceeds go to support our dear Rwandan friends at Divine Destiny Ministries.  I have used my new bag almost everyday, as it is perfect for my laptop and bullet journal anytime I head out to a coffee shop or a trampoline park, which is actually much more likely.



Topo Chico: It's water that is doubly bubbly without any of the annoying flavor not flavors that La Croix usually brings to the table.



Individual Kid's Cups:  When we remodeled our kitchen, John had the brilliant idea of ordering plastic cups colorized by child and only having two per child.  So, each kid has a color, and then we know who has which drink and have MUCH fewer cups all over the kitchen and the house.  (ours are from Amazon)



Marco Polo:  My new favorite app that I never knew I needed.  When one of my friends mentioned that we could possibly leave "video texts" for each other, I needed a bit of convincing.  But guess what - I am HERE FOR IT.  I use it several times a day to talk to family and friends, and the functionality is so easy and often simpler than texting.  I'm obsessed.

Pickled Red Onions:  A while back I realized that I shockingly really loved the pickled red onions that came on restaurant tacos.  It didn't take long to get onto Pinterest, find a great recipe, make my own and then put them on EVERYTHING.

Air Fryer:  I use this several nights a week.  It makes vegetables tasty and without a lot of excess oil.  It also means either not turning on the stove or the oven, and I especially love sweet potatoes!

(Last night's dinner that featured sweet potatoes and pickled red onions.)

Backwards Planning:  I regularly assume that time will be on my side and can often be late when left to my own devices.  Something that John and I now use together is what we call "Backwards Planning," where we start with the time we need to be someplace, and then do a REALISTIC look at what each step will take to figure out when we need to leave.  It also gets us on the same leaving page which clears up frustration all around.  Boom.

Doodle:  Immerse AR has long used Doodle to help plan meetings for us all, but just recently, I had the lightbulb moment about using it myself.  Turns out, it really helps schedule stuff with friends who all have busy schedules.  Put some dates into Doodle, send that puppy out and then watch the responses roll in.  It's what we used to schedule our D-Group Lake Day so that everyone could make it, and I'm so excited!

AirPods:  I think I'm a little late to this party, but I got some AirPods for Mother's Day, and I am officially obsessed.  They are so convenient and intuitive.

So there you have it - hope you find something you can crush on!

OUR 3RD MOM

As I looked back at old Mother's Day posts, I realized that I've had some angst.  Also, I was just angsty a lot of last year, so that probably contributed.  Last year, I wrote about how painful it is to share children with a woman who doesn't get to be part of the picture.  This year, I'm choosing to write about her mother that we also now share.

Super ironically, when John and I began our adoption journey, we started out in Ethiopia: one of the many reasons is that I didn't want to deal with "birth family drama."  This reveals a lot of my own naivety and a bit of ignorance about how adopted children are going to wrestle with birth family issues no matter where they are from.  But - in God's graciousness, he threw out everything I thought we were doing and instead, led us to domestic adoption that includes 3 bio half siblings and involved grandparents all living in town.

This morning, my sweet sister friend dedicated their 5th child at church and Gran Gran came to be part of it all.

She ended up next to me in the service, and our church had women come up and honor all different kinds of mothers - single mothers, foster mothers, mothers who have experienced loss, special needs mothers, adoptive mothers and spiritual mothers.  Another piece of our puzzle is that the twins' birth mom was adopted by Gran Gran when she was a baby.  As they spoke to us as adoptive mothers, we clutched hands as tears rolled down our cheeks.  It's harder than we thought it would be, and we are more blessed than we ever imagined.  And we found each other.

I never get over being thankful that God chose a different story for our family that has broadened our horizons and relationships in such beautiful ways.  We have a full blown adoptive family and got a 3rd mother as part of the deal.  She loves us all BIG and prays for us and shows up.  And God gave her extra sons and daughters and a TON of extra grandchildren that she loves all the same.  There is so much pain mixed up in the story, but I want to hold on tight to the beauty and joy that shines brightly through it all.

I also got to see so many of my favorite moms at church this morning, and I will just say that I cannot imagine doing life without being able to link arms with other women who are pursuing the Lord and the best for their families.



We took John's mom (and dad and Gran Gran) out for lunch before heading to the garden center to pick out some flowers.  All in all, it was a lovely day, and we even got a nap.

My own children gave me precious and hilarious bits of art and writing and reiterated their love for me today.  And, I got to talk to my own wonderful mother this evening.  Basically, we managed to cover all the Mother's Day bases.



I hope that wherever Mother's Day takes you today that you have a soft landing.  I know that it is complicated, and today, I'm thankful to be able to see all the bright sides of ours.