Wednesday, November 28, 2018

What's Up Wednesday (11/28/18)

It's the last Wednesday of the month, and less than one month from Christmas!!  Here's a little look at what we've been up to this month...



On the last Wednesday of the month I link-up with Shay to answer these questions:



1.  What we're eating this week...
After eating ALL OF THE FOOD last week, I meal prepped on Sunday to ensure that I had a successful week.  


2.  What I'm reminiscing about...
Over the last eight months I have been studying to become a better yoga teacher.  After 90 hours, and lots of fun with my Omies, I completed my training this month.  I will miss our regular get togethers, but also feel comfort in knowing that my relationship with these women is just beginning.  




3.  What I'm loving...
Thanks to my sister-in-law, I am now addicted to these...
You can find them at Costco, and while they may not be good for you, they taste oh so good!

I am also loving watching my kids sleep.  Does anyone else do this?  Every night before bed, I check on them, and a few times this month I wanted to remember them just as they were, so I took a picture :) 


4.  What we've been up to...
We had an amazing Halloween!  We ran from one school parade to the next, then to a breakfast date with my main squeeze, fall centers with Kindergartners, school parties, celebrated with neighbors, and finished the night trick-or-treating around our neighborhood.  









I finished my first 5k of the season with one of my besties...

Vincent had his first field trip, and Mike and I chaperoned to the museum...

Co-workers were in town for a meeting, so I took them to the beach for dinner.  I am so lucky to live where other's vacation...

We finished up Vincent's first season of tball, and he loved it...


We had a great Thanksgiving with our family.  It started with our traditional turkey trot in the morning, and then we headed to my father-in-laws house for an early dinner...







5.  What I'm dreading...
Taking down all of the decorations.  I love having the house decorated this time of year.  I dread taking them down, although sometimes it's nice to get back to a normal house.  

6.  What I'm working on...
Almost 30 days away from finishing the last 90 day challenge.  I fell off during Thanksgiving week with the drinking of water, I drank more wine...lol.  I am trying my best this week to get back into more regular water intake.    

7.  What I'm excited about...
The holidays!

8.  What I'm watching/reading...
Still working my way through my The One Year Bible and finding moments for gratitude in each day...

I finished reading When Life Gives You Lululemons and enjoyed the end of the book...

I started listening to Nine Perfect Strangers...

I feel like This Is Us just came back, and now we're already at the season finale! How does that happen?   A few weeks off will be good, can't wait to see how everything unfolds in January...



9.  What I'm listening to...
I saw A Star Is Born last month, and I have been listening to that sound track on repeat.  I can't wait to go see that movie again. 

10.  What I'm wearing...
I have been wearing my Spanx leggings, literally everywhere!  I wore them on the airplane to Texas and Georgia, I wore them at Thanksgiving, I wear them ALL THE TIME.  So, I ordered myself another pair, when they were on sale at Zappos.  I can't wait for them to get here, so I can rotate between my black ones and now these!


11.  What I'm doing this weekend...
Friday night I am dining with my Dixie Chicks for our annual tradition.  You can read about it here.  I am so lucky to have these girls in my life, and this is one of the nights that I look forward to all year!  Here we are at last year's dinner :) 


Saturday will be spent re-introducing Chi Chi our elf back to the kids, and then Sunday we've got swim lessons.  

12.  What I'm looking forward to next month...
All things Christmas!  We have so many fun activities planned to celebrate the holidays, and I can't wait to see my kids faces on Christmas.  The joy of Christmas in embodied through them.  

13.  What else is new...
Vincent and I had an amazing trip to Texas to see my brother and his family.  It was quick, but so worth it to see all of their faces.  There's nothing better than seeing sweet cousins together.  





Someone was excited to see us when we got home!

14.  Bonus Question...What's your favorite thing to do with your elf on the shelf?
I love the first day when the kids discover that ChiChi has come back!  Every year he brings something a little special to encourage good behavior through the season.  This year he is bringing Hatchimal Advent Calendars.  Last year he came and told the kids that we were going to ride The Polar Express to meet Santa!

XO

Shari

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

How We - Talk to Kids About Adoption

Hi friends!  I can not believe that next week is Thanksgiving!  2018 is rushing by, and the year is almost over.  Today I am joining the link-up with Mix and Match Mama and A Little Bit of Everything for this month's "How We" post, all about talking about adoption to kids.  

I've been linking up on Wednesdays' this year to share how we...

You can see my January post here
You can see my February post here
You can see my March post here
You can see my April post here
You can see my May post here
You can see my June post here
You can see my July post here
You can see my August post here
You can see my September post here
You can see my October post here

This is the topic I probably know least about from the "how we" series.  However, it is a topic that i'm probably the most interested in, as my kids get older and start asking mom and dad all of the hard questions.  

The other day, we were talking about mommy's and daddy's and Vincent told me that some kids in his class don't have a daddy.  It hurt my heart to know that kids his age aren't experiencing the same things that he is with a home life, but it is the reality.  All that I could tell him is that those kids are our friends too, and that that everyone deserves for him to be kind to them, regardless of what's happening at home.  


1.  Adoption is a part of my story...
My mom and her twin brother were adopted.  My brother and I learned about this later in our life, but WOW, my grandmother and grandfather were amazing people to love enough to adopt newborn twins.  I hope that wherever my mom's birth mom is, that she knows her kids had the best possible life, and that she did the right thing by handing them over to my loving grandmother.  One day Vincent and Arianna may know that Nana and Uncle Dan were adopted, and I hope that we can share how amazing their lives were because of this simple act of love.  

2. Our family...
Eventually we may be called to adopt.  If that time comes, I would hope and pray that my kids would accept another child into our family as their own.  I've always been open to the idea of adoption, and will lean on my faith to know whether or not it is something that is right for our family.  

Either way, in this lifetime, some of my children's friends may be adopted.  I hope to be able to teach my kids that adoption is the most loving thing that someone could do for someone.  

Thanks for sharing your tips ladies, and thanks for reading! Wishing you all the best thanksgiving with your family and friends. I am grateful for this blog and for each of you!



XO

Shari