I can't believe it's the last day of February! I don't know why this surprises me so much, but it feels like February snuck in and snuck out in the blink of an eye.
From my perspective February felt like a winding down season. We've had a slower pace of life and it some things seem to be coming to an end.
For one thing, CBL has been painfully slow. January and February have always been our slowest months, but on the cusp of such an expensive venture to Atlanta and the increase in overhead expenses with employees, etc. it's really been tough. The added pressure with Jaymi and Cody's financial situation seems to only compound things, and Alli now working from home has also changed the dynamic.
As much as I hate to admit it, Jaymi's move has really impacted our business and the energy level and momentum we had. It was so much easier to be in sync and work together when we lived right around the corner. It was easy to pop in and pop out, we probably saw each other five times a day even if only for two minutes. Twenty minutes isn't far, but we now go weeks without seeing one another and often times resort to quick texts back and forth of trading voicemails because the nature of our lives (her with no kids at home, me with still two & committing to evenings being our family time) makes it really hard to match up. I don't know what God has in store for our business, but I continue working hard on my end, doing the very best I can with my responsibilities and being patiently expectant. On the upside, we set up a trunk show at MOPS last week and did over $1500 in sales and absolutely hung on everyone's excitement and compliments over the latest designs. That was such a positive day and gave us both a much needed boost.
The second thing that's coming to an end is MOPS. Just typing that sentence makes me tear up. It sounds so silly, but it's hard to explain just how much I have loved being in the leadership role, talking about my most favorite and passionate subject- little kids and families and motherhood, and the absolute cherry on top was working with the the incredible team of friends there with me. I can't think of anything in my life I've been a part of that I loved more than MOPS.
My whole life, basically, has been centered around kids. When I was little all I wanted was to grow up and be a mom. I baby-sat and nannied, I have a college degree in early childhood, and then MOPS just felt like this amazing culmination of all of that, and best of all- I got to be in charge. HAHA!!!! The leadership position has always been a two year role, and surprisingly, Lauren has made the decision to keep going, but I know 100% in my heart that my time is done. Most of my friends who have been in MOPS the past 4+ years are all leaving, and it's just time for me to move on to the next thing as well. I will probably stay in MOPS another year with all the newbies coming in but just come to the meetings and enjoy the speakers and what not rather than being in any kind of leadership role. My kids are getting older- I'll have more in school than not next year- and I just physically feel that season of life waning. Although I know there's more fun in the new chapters ahead, it makes me really sad to step back from this one.
Everett will start school in a couple of months, Nick is in the process of potentially getting a new position at Wells Fargo, and all that to say- there's just a lot of change I feel brewing inside. Spoiler alert to everyone: change isn't my best thing.
In the meantime, I've tried to soak in the slow and the peace. I think back to some months (especially last year when Beck was home with me all the time) when CBL was slammed and leading MOPS and being a full time mom just felt completely overwhelming. I was so happy and fulfilled and loved it all, but gosh that was hard to juggle!
Right now I'm in a coffee, candle burning, bible study, cooking dinner every night, checking off the to-do list, mom and wife season. And that is a great season too!! It's just different, and my babies are getting older and I don't know what's ahead for me. None of us ever really do I guess.
Logan had Heart Day something or other at school (the new Jump Rope For Heart, apparently) and I was so thrilled to be with him while E and B were in school. He was soooo excited I was there. He kept smiling up and me and hugging my leg and kind of jumping up and down, and it absolutely filled my heart to the brim. The next day was Friday, and Everett and Beck and I took him lunch. I really try and soak up this big kid who's still little enough to love having us around.
Marie Kondo'd the you-know-what out of my kitchen and pantry. Not really on the Kondo, but all my neighbors are and so it gave me the itch to purge. FEELS SO GOOD!!!
February 2019 also = Lolly obsession. I didn't know I could be so obsessed with a dog. It's embarrassing.
I'm not the only one, though. Lolly spends the majority of her days snuggled up next to one of us. I'm whispering this, because I'm even embarrassed to admit it to myself- but the truth is- in the last week or so I even let her sleep IN OUR BED snuggled up next to me at night. I am a shell of my former self I tell you.
We started Lolly at puppy preschool, and the older boys and I enjoy taking her. It's like Little Gym for pets basically.
Everett loves snuggling her, Logan loves the responsibility and care of her, and Beck just loves her hard. So, so hard. A little too hard most of the time, in fact.
A lot of Nick's mental energy and focus these past few weeks have been tangled up at work, understandably. Lolly has been a good companion for his leadership book reading and deep thinking.
And TV watching. Favorite picture yet!!!
Other than that, here are some other February day to day life pictures.
Lizard catching. It was pet week at school. Perfect, I thought!! Timing could not have been better. Yet, Everett literally asked me to take this picture to use to fill out his pet show and tell. ????? Did you forget about your six pound, furry obsession probably two feet away from you at any given time. ?????
Bike riding on warm days
Neighborhood Super Bowl party ready. When we came home later that night the spring on our garage door broke and we were locked out of the house for quite a while. It was an interesting problem. Thankfully, Nick was finally able to lift the garage door up just enough for Logan to sneak through and let us all inside.
Bird watching
The boys have been playing with Aubryn and Colton a lot more lately. On this morning Colton walked right in our house when the school bus left at 7:15 and had a monster truck play date with Everett and Beck. Ha!
Logan's high school PAL at school apparently left him this treasure. "DO NOT THROW THIS AWAY!" Logan warned me. "This is valuable and a little bit rare. He's my PAL, and he plays for the Dragons." Made me laugh so hard!
Another thing that came to an end recently was Logan's basketball season!! Of all the sports they've played I think this is my favorite. Reason 1a: no elements to weather- always indoors, quick games, easy to understand. I also LOVED the fact that two moms coached the team I think the fact that Palmer's mom coached them was a teeny bit of an unfair advantage given the fact that she's also the girls' high school coach. This was all of the boys' first seasons to play, and I think they only lost one or two games.
Beck had this really strange obsession with Coach Tamara, Rydge's mom. Her older son is named Beckham ironically, so maybe that had something to do with it. Beck always asked if he could go see or hug "Her."
Date night!! We ended up just going to dinner at Red Rock Canyon- but it was much needed.
One afternoon after school I picked up Logan, Charlie and Charlie's older brother Tripp who is in third grade. Everett LOVES Tripp. He literally thinks Tripp is his best friend in the world. Tripp is so sweet with Everett, and lets him play with him and his friends at Logan's basketball games. We made a Braum's drive through and then spent the afternoon at The Rec so the boys could play basketball and burn some energy. It was cute seeing these little tiny teenage men.
This one most especially.
Every single Tuesday and Thursday when I pick Beck up he's always still asleep. The lights are on in his class, two year olds are running around, stepping right over him, and he's just passed out in the middle of the floor. It's the sweetest!! Mrs. Kerri and Mrs. Mary Lou say he spends the first part of nap time singing "We Will Rock You" and other fine songs a two year old probably shouldn't know, so I guess he's still tired by the time 2:00 rolls around.
That's February day-to-day life in a nutshell!
