Friday Favorites

I hope you've been enjoying my 31 Days Series as much as I have. It's been very helpful for me to focus on positive parenting strategies all month -- I can honestly say I've felt happier as a mother. Truly.

I have had some serious rough patches along the way. But these days, I'm loving my life as a mom. There, I said it. :) I might have a bad day tomorrow, but today -- it's on record. I like my job.

We played in the leaves today. Getting pictures onto my computer is a bit of a job without a functional USB port -- it's a loopy trip from camera to husband's {I never have liked the word "hubby", wonder why?} PC then across to my Mac using The Network {super cool}. It's awesome and all, but it takes a few more minutes. And a bit of brain power.

So leaf pictures will come soon.

I just felt like I needed to TALK to y'all. Ya know? Like I've been speaking all kinds of words lately, but they're not exactly real deal, this-is-what-we-did-today words. And I've been missing that. But there are only so many hours in a day for me and my computer to bond...cause I'm loving being a mom, right? We just can't have it all. And I'm starting to learn to be OK with that.

So, tonight you get me. Just me -- tired but happy, relaxing in my big blue chair, thankful for my blessings, enjoying the cool night air through open windows, looking forward to the future.

Would you mind too much if I shared a few of my favorite things? I've been collecting them for you for a while -- it's always nicer to share something meaningful with a friend. So...here are tonight's gifts to you:

Gift #1: Powerful Video About Really Helping

Gift #2: A Weekly Checklist for Homeschoolers {because it's much more realistic, at least for us}
Weekly Checklist from Early Bird Homeschool

Gift #3: A Post by One of My Favorite Bloggers About Embracing Seasons and Little Things and Living Life Half Full
Waning Gibbous by Kelle Hampton at Enjoying the Small Things

Gift #4: A Blog for You to Enjoy Because She Writes the Best Gratitude Lists I've Ever Read
Us Plus Four by Bethany

Gift #5: A Quote About Joy and Embracing Imperfection
"She’ll find this someday, carry it in with her, warmth right there in her hand: you can’t get to joy by making everything perfect. You can only get there by seeing in every imperfection all that’s joy." Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience

And if you read this tomorrow, you'll understand the title. ;p

Spring Break in Singapore

Many people have been confused by our answer to the question, "Why are you going to Singapore?" Going to see the coolest airport in the world doesn't seem like a worthy enough reason to go! The Changi airport in Singapore is VERY hyped, so you've probably heard about it, especially if your Internet algorithm sends you all the travel content. Now that we've been there, we can let you know that the description online is definitely sparklier than the actual thing. For the most part, it's a pretty average airport. There are four terminals [we visited three of them], each with their gates, normal stores, traditional carpet, etc. There are a few unusual things hiding in corners here and there, like little gardens [butterfly, cactus, sunflower, orchids], a long slide [we didn't try it], and a movie theater [pretty small]. The reason it gets so much attention is probably for its newest building [The Jewel], which is pictured above. The center is made up of this i

Finishing Another Year | 2022 Went Really Quickly

Twenty twenty twooooo!! In many ways, this year was an improvement over the last two years! We stopped wearing masks at school in March, we stayed home for most of the summer [that made the boys happy], I took a college class and read a lot of books in preparation for my new role at work, Ezra played soccer and basketball this fall, and I've been able to accomplish some fun challenges with my #40before40 list! We had a couple mouth procedures this summer too -- wisdom teeth extraction for Peter and braces for Ezra! It was a good summer to spend more time at home. Stats: 7 blog posts 220 photos on Instagram 26 posts on Facebook 9 posts on Strava 2 family photos with the tripod!! I asked family members to reflect a little...some participated better than others. :) Most memorable times this year: Ezra: playing with the Evans' both in the winter and summer Laura: water sports in San Diego Tim: taking Peter to work where he was meaningfully helpful Best part of the year: Ezr

Another January and February | 2023

January 2023: I went snowshoeing and cross-country skiing with friends, once each. I completed a 50 mile walking challenge #somuchwalking, even though it was REALLY cold. I took Ezra up to Mission Ridge a few times. I made tacos for my family. February 2023: We had a day that was warm enough to play disc golf. Ezra got new "chains" in addition to his braces and the adjustment to that was pretty painful. I hiked up Icicle River road with a friend and ate a veggie dog. I dropped off Tim at SeaTac and missed him for three weeks. I visited a friend in Portland, ate a Voodoo Donut, and took a city lights helicopter tour. 😯 I only have 13 photos on Instagram for two months. It's been a rough start to the year. It seems like the beginning of every year is difficult. Maybe I should experiment by spending January and February in the southern hemisphere sometime! It's time for a quick #40before40 update since I have less than two months until my birthday. 18. Walk 40 miles

Pete and Buzz

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