2. I’ve been addicted to watching Scandal. The first season is only 7 episodes, and I plowed through them. I’m halfway through season 2 already and I’ve filled up my DVR with new shows this week because I only want to watch Scandal in the evenings. It’s so good!

3. The boys’ birthday party is this weekend, and I think I’m ready for it. I’ve not done a whole lot of crafting, but I have lots of fun Peter Pan props and decorations. I’m just excited for them to have a day to celebrate and play with their friends!

4. My brother has been here since Friday. Uncle Walker is so much fun and my boys just love being around him and playing with him. We’ve gone to the zoo and played in the yard a lot. Even Boudreaux is happy to have him around.

5. We got a cookie cake for Mother’s Day. Is there anything more wonderful than a cookie cake?

6. I loved all of your questions for me, and I’m excited to have some new blog post ideas!

7. I’ve been working a little bit on a loose “summer schedule.” Of course I want the summer to be low key and lots of fun, but I always want to have a little bit of structure to our day so my boys know a little bit about what to expect. I’ve got some ideas for fun things for Hudson and Hayes to learn and play while having fun! And some different ways to be intentional about making the most of our summer.

8. This post is short because I have to go watch another episode of Scandal. I can’t help myself!

Sunday mornings in the car usually involve lots of voices talking over each other. We turn down the music so we can try to pick up on at least one thought from one of the boys. And it’s rare that Hudson just starts telling us a story spontaneously.

I’ve heard from other boy moms that the day will come when my boys will stop talking to me. They won’t open up anymore. The day will likely come when they’ll come back around, but between now and then, there will be a day when they start keeping things to themselves.

We’ve learned with Hudson that it usually will take us doing something with him to get him to talk about his day or to tell us what is bothering him. We’ll work puzzles and he’ll open up. Or we’ll be throwing the ball and he’ll talk about his day. He has used these opportunities to tell us when someone did something funny or when someone hurt his feelings.

On this particular day in the car, Hudson started telling us about his friends in Sunday school. I’d ask him about someone and he’d say, “He’s a nice boy” or “she’s a nice girl.” Very simple.

I asked him about another child in his class that day and he said, “No, she’s not a nice girl.” And I said, “Oh no. Why not?”

And very matter-of-factly, Hudson said, “Because she said I was ugly.”

My heart sank. How could we possibly have a child who is old enough to deal with something like this?

Todd and I locked eyes, and Todd said to Hudson, “Well, what did you say to her?”

Hudson smiled and very innocently said, “I told her that I’m not ugly. I’m a nice boy.”

It was so simple. And in Hudson’s mind, “ugly” means “not nice.” Because that’s how we use the word at home.

I know that I can’t protect him from everything, but when his sweet little voice insisted that he was a nice boy, I started to cry. My heart broke. I was wearing my sunglasses and Hudson couldn’t see my tears, but Todd reached over and grabbed my hand. I’m sure he was wondering what in the world was wrong with me.

I don’t want my boy to have hurt feelings. But I loved his sweet, quiet confidence.

We know that kids say all kinds of things to hurt each other’s feelings, and I know that Hudson will do the same to someone someday, if he hasn’t already.

We’re praying that we will raise brave kids who can face the day and face their peers with confidence.

In that moment, we didn’t get all deep with Hudson. We told him that we were sorry that his feelings had been hurt, but we were proud of him for not fighting with her and for telling her that he was, indeed, a nice boy.

And just as quickly as it started, our conversation ended. Hudson started talking in his funny made-up language that he uses to try to make Hayes laugh, and all the loud noise in the car started up again.

Maybe that day will come when he stops opening up to me. Or maybe it will be just like it was that day, where Hudson runs in to tell me something really important, really quickly, and then he runs out to do more “important” things.

No matter what happens, I’ll always be there to listen.

I don’t take Mother’s Day very seriously until I look at my children. And then I am overcome with emotions about what it means to be their mother. I am the one that is celebrating because Hudson and Hayes Carroll are my boys.

And what an incredible gift that is.

I am not a perfect mother. I lose my temper. I snap at them. I don’t always give them my undivided attention. I could stand to play with them more and there are many times when I wish I could hit a “mute” button at our house.

They are not perfect children. They don’t always obey and they don’t eat all their vegetables. Or, really, any vegetables except green beans. They throw tantrums in public over silly things. But they are my boys.

And it’s when I stop, and look Hudson right in the eyes while he’s grinning at me and saying, “let’s pretend to tickle each other and both laugh” that I see every little piece of joy in that moment. In his grin and his bright brown eyes that are smiling at me. Smiling at me because I’m looking straight at him.

I’m so thankful for his grace. Hudson has taught me the true meaning of grace. As I’ve messed up and as we’ve both navigated this journey together. He’s my first and I’m his only mama. He trusts me and he’s the one that taught me how to trust myself. He made me a mama. I anxiously tip-toed and second guessed my way through so much of his short life. And we eagerly awaited each new milestone, almost in an effort to check the box to move to the next box.

He is full of sweetness. Full of wit and hilarity. And I love so very much that we have inside jokes. I’m not sure how it’s possible that Hudson has grown up so fast, but I am no longer looking forward to his new milestones because I want time to stop.

Then there are the moments when I’m busy folding laundry and watching the news, and I finally notice that Hayes has been running circles around me just trying to get me to look at him and laugh at him. So I look up, and we both give our biggest fake laugh, and I tell him that he is so funny. And he says, “I did it, Mommy!”

Yes, my sweet Hayes. He is the one that got me to relax as a mother. He’s the one that showed me that I don’t have to walk around with tension in my shoulders as I wait for the next new motherhood moment that will challenge me. Hayes is the one that has made us all laugh and lighten up and just enjoy each day for what it is. And we aren’t always anticipating the next big milestone. I’m not second-guessing myself.

I know that perfection is unattainable. We’re soaking up each day in a new way.

Maybe that’s how it always is the second time around.

So, today, on this Mother’s Day, I am thankful for the mama that my boys have helped me to be. And I pray daily that I can grow and show them the way to the Father.

Why Mother’s Day Is For the Birds from A Holy Experience- Goodness, I loved this post. I think one of my issues with Mother’s Day is that it can feel so forced and like such a Hallmark holiday. I truly don’t need a day for my children to celebrate me. It makes some people hurt and makes some feel great, but we all know the truth. And the truth is that being a mother is far from perfect, and no holiday is going to change that. I’m so thankful for His grace and His goodness, to get us through! And I’m so thankful for the opportunity to raise my children that He blessed me with.

The Truth About Step-Mothering from The Things I’m Learning- Anna has the sweetest heart. You should absolutely be reading her blog. She wrote a fantastic post about what it means to be a “step mother” to her boys. I’d love for you to read it.

Mother’s Day Is For Everyone from Courtney DeFeo- I just love Courtney’s heart for moms and for kids. This is a beautiful post about how Mother’s Day may be so hard for some and so joyful for others. And I love the sweet words she wrote to her girls.

When I Think This Mom Gig is Hard from Home With the Boys- Erin wrote a great post about perspective and the ways we can think of other mothers around the world and how we can support them through Compassion International.

So God Made a Mother: When The Giving Tree is Really The Giving Mother from A Holy Experience- Another post from Ann Voskamp this week, but this one just gave me chills. I loved the way she described mothers and the things that mothers do and the ways that mothers give. It’s a beautiful post.

Top 10 Favorite Skinny Mother’s Day Brunch Recipes from Skinny Taste- As always, Skinny Taste has the best low-calorie recipes and this list has all Mother’s Day recipe ideas.

My Advice: Take the Damn Photo from Classy and Fabulous- Sarah wrote the sweetest to-the-point post about why it is so important to just get in the picture with our moms and our kids. Take pictures! You won’t regret it.

Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Blogging from Mix and Match Family- Shay put together a great list of tips and advice from some amazing bloggers. If you are interested in blogging or growing your blog, this is worth checking out. I was honored that she included me in that list.

Coming Unglued from The Averitt Fam- Sweet Jill linked up with us for Build ‘Em Up and I just love her wisdom and insight for how to handle those moments when we come unglued.

The Her Kentucky blog is hosting a really neat link up for you to share your story of Mother’s Day. They’re inviting everyone to share the joy and the sorrow and to simply share what Mother’s Day means to you.

I don’t understand the assumption that everyone who is on Pinterest is also into crafts. Or likes to DIY. Or likes to cook meals from scratch. Or has a desire to turn herself (or himself) into the perfect, crafting, gourmet meal-cooking, DIY-er.

Isn’t Pinterest just a virtual, uhhhh, pin board? Isn’t it just a new way to bookmark things we found on the internet that we like and want to come back to?

I have about five three-ring notebooks in storage full of recipes I’ve torn out of magazines and home decor ideas that I love. Pinterest is nothing new. It’s just more organized and was invented by really smart people.

And the assumption that we should actually be doing the things we pin? That pressure doesn’t make any sense to me either. There are no rules with Pinterest. We just pin what we like. And sometimes we revisit it and sometimes we don’t.

I’m not a crafter. In a way I kind of want to be a crafter because I think my kids’ grandparents would really appreciate it. But I’m just not.

And I’m not a DIY-er. I prefer to find an idea I love and find someone far more talented and qualified to do it for me. We’ve saved ourselves lots of fights, arguments, and trips to the hardware store.

But, boy, do I ever have some amazingly talented friends who can DIY and could probably have their own television show! (Emily and Hudson, I’m looking at you!)

Here’s the thing. Pinterest isn’t the problem. I love Pinterest. I love to see ideas I love all in one spot. I love to save ideas for supper right there on my FOOOOOD pin board so I’m not searching the same blogs over and over again for dinner ideas.

This shouldn’t be making us feel inadequate. If you don’t like to craft, don’t craft. The crafting mamas aren’t superior to the non-crafting mamas. And the cooking and baking mamas aren’t superior to the stylish mamas who look to Pinterest for fashion inspiration.

We’re not looking to Pinterest to validate us. We just look to Pinterest for inspiration as we try to exercise our different talents. Or just look for something new to fix our family for supper. (There are plenty of crock pot recipe pins on there. These aren’t gourmet recipes that are being pinned, friends.)

So, here’s the thing. Pinterest isn’t a tool used to measure our abilities to parent or maintain a loving home. And if it’s not used for anything serious, can’t we just use it for fun? Without pressure?

If you want to put cute little faces on your kids’ pancakes, go for it! If you want to create cute little tags for teacher appreciation gifts, then do it! If you’re like me, and want to throw big children’s birthday parties and baby showers every year, then have fun with that!

And if you like to pin and never do anything with your pins, that’s great, too!

Happy pinning, friends!

She is sharing her post-baby weight loss story with you all today, and I’m so excited about what she has to say! So, take it away, Lyndsey!

Maybe you heard about it on Twitter. Maybe you saw some before/after pictures on Instagram. Maybe you randomly heard someone talking about it at the gym, grocery store or even church.  Or maybe you haven’t heard anything about it yet. What is IT? ADVOCARE. And whatever the case, I am here to tell you about how that one word has changed my family’s lives.

But before I do, let me introduce myself. My name is Lyndsey. I am a 30 year-old, stay-at-home mom to Addison (3) and Nora Clark (4 months) and wife to Adam.  You might (or might not) remember me from All Things Fluffy, Fashionable & Famous or maybe McMommy Daze.  Maybe you follow me on Twitter or Instagram? LyndsAU is my name. Yes? No?  Either way, I used to blog often about fitness, weight loss and health. Some might describe me as a “freak” when it comes to this stuff. I have done and tried IT ALL.

My weight and health/fitness journey might sound familiar to some. After college I did some 5-10 pound yoyo-ing.  Then I got married and gained the “newlywed 15.” In September 2008, I decided to do something about it. I lost 20 pounds by January 2009. I didn’t do it the healthiest way, but at the time, I. DID. NOT. CARE.  Then in February 2009, I got pregnant. Gained almost 70 pounds. Eventually, I lost 60 of that 70 and was back in pre-pregnancy clothes and happy as can be.  I got pregnant again in October 2011, 13 weeks later on December  6^th, we lost that baby. I had already gained 10ish pounds, then Christmas hit, and I gained another 5 or so. And three months later I was pregnant again. Gained 60 pounds. So there I was, December 2012, 80 pounds from where I needed to be, er, where I was used to being.  I had no energy.  I was so unhealthy.  And SO SO far from pre-pregnancy clothes.

Enter Advocare’s 24 Day Challenge. My Journey.

Our church hired a new associate pastor back in August and I have become great friends with his wife Hannah. For a couple of months I heard her talk about Advocare and the success they had with it. Her husband lost 30 pounds in two months and she lost 15. SOLD! So I finally began asking some questions.  I was ready for a change. Ready to try something different.  But nervous at the same time. Afraid of failure.

After much discussion and research, a lot of hesitation and some skepticism, my husband Adam and I took our first 24 Day Challenge in February 2013. Within a week, we knew these products were legit and the skepticism we once felt was far gone. We had insane energy and felt better than we had in a long time.  With inches melting away and over 20 pounds lost between us (in the first two months), we were convinced! After our 24 Day Challenge was over, we continued using the products and even added some new things to our daily regimen.  Two months later, I am here to tell you, we LOVE Advocare. We believe in these products. To date I have lost 13 pounds and 3 inches on my waist. I have lost more than 10 inches overall and have dropped two dress sizes. I am not back to pre-pregnancy weight or pants yet, but I am close. And I am staring those size 8 jeans in the zipper and shouting “I WILL HAVE YOU ON MY BODY SOON!” (Wait, that sounds bad. Oh well, you get what I’m sayin’).

So what exactly is this Advocare and the 24 Day Challenge?

Advocare is a reputable company that has been around for 20 years. It’s a world-class nutrition company specializing in health and wellness, weight management, vibrant energy and sports performance. Drew Brees is the National Spokesperson for Advocare and there are other endorsers out there whose names you would recognize. Advocare has a Scientific and Advisory Medical Board that uses their knowledge and experience in the fields of medicine, nutrition and science to ensure that all Advocare products are formulated with the highest quality ingredients based on the latest scientific research. I encourage you to read through and check out the website, as it is filled with valuable information. And if you can find two minutes and 54 seconds watch the video on the 24 Day Challenge website. It explains everything really well.

The 24 Day Challenge is a great way to jumpstart your weight loss journey and begin to manage your eating. It’s 24 days of focused, intentional weight management. It consists of two phases. The first 10 days is the Cleanse Phase. The products you will take (Herbal Cleanse, OmegaPlex^®, and AdvoCare Spark^® Energy Drink Mix), along with a healthy diet and exercise help to rid your body of toxins and prepare your body to better absorb nutrients. This isn’t the kind of cleanse where you drastically reduce calories or consume only liquids – this is the beginning of a healthier lifestyle.  Days 11-24 is the Max Phase. During those two weeks you’ll give your body the best tools to achieve optimal weight loss results. You will take three products (Metabolic Nutrition System – MNS^®, Meal Replacement Shakes, and Spark) that work together to provide you with sustained energy, appetite control, core nutrition and overall wellness. Upon completion of the 24-Day Challenge, you can continue to take these products every day as part of a healthy lifestyle.

You can eat on the 24 Day Challege. But, what?

It’s not easy. Denying yourself the things you love is tough. But this is definitely the most doable program that I’ve tried.  But let me add, this is not a calorie counting, track your points type program. Even on the cleanse, you get to grub! The products you take keep you from craving all the things you want and without the jitters or heart rate elevation that happens with some metabolic stimulants. I went the entire 24 days with NO soft drinks, coffee, little to almost no carbs, sweets (except Extra sugar-free gum-my lifesaver for my sweet tooth) or sauces. Instead I fueled my body with lean meats, fresh fruit and (some frozen) veggies, almonds and egg whites. Holy moly at the egg whites. You can have complex carbs but I stayed away from those for the most part. Occasionally I did make baked sweet potato fries.  As a snack or “dessert” sometimes I would have a brown rice cake with peanut butter.

Around day 8 or so, I really wanted to give up and have a pizza. Like extra cheese and garlic butter sauce pizza. But the temptation was short lived. I pushed through. It was great having a partner to do the challenge with. Adam was a champ and lost 12 pounds himself. Also, the daily headaches he used to have, disappeared during his 24 Day Challenge. I am sure there were times he cursed me under his breath and rolled his eyes, but he was a great support system. There was no cheating going on in the McCurry house during this challenge. I was like Staff Sargent Lyndsey.

So you want to order, yes? GREAT!

There are two ways you can order. You can order as a retail customer from my website or you can become a distributor and get a 20% discount (and can work your way to a 40% discount). The distributor fee is $79 but for that fee, you get $50 worth of products. You have the potential to earn money as a distributor and I can tell you more about that if you’re interested. There is HUGE potential here. My associate pastor and his wife (my friend, Hannah) got into Advocare just to lose weight. They became distributors just to get the discount. Next thing they know people are asking what they are doing, etc and two years later they are making about $66,000 a year! It’s crazy! Sounds unreal and gimmicky but it’s not. These are godly people that God has absolutely blessed through this business! They have a real heart for missions and serving and that is their driving force in their journey.

Adam and I didn’t sign up as Advocare distributors to start a business or make any money.  That actually scared me a little because I am not a “salesman” in any way shape or form.  I mean talk about anxiety, that will cause me to need about 3 Xanax real quick. It’s totally out of my comfort zone and I just had no interest in trying to get people to buy these. I can talk to folks all day long, but the minute I begin to feel like they THINK I am pushing something on them, I want to VOM! We really just wanted the discount on the products. But with the results we have seen, people are asking us what we are doing, and we are sharing our story. In less than two months, we worked our way to Advisor, just simply by sharing our journey with friends and family. We didn’t have to “sell” the products, the results we saw sold the products for us. We are still new to the business and learning every day.  Slowly but surely we are now hopeful to build a business because we are so passionate about these products and helping others better themselves.  I have watched so many people change and transform how they feel and better their health with Advocare and I have heard personal testimonies from so many whose lives have been dramatically impacted financially. People are paying off debt, saving for mission trips and building personal savings for their family’s future.

So, I am inspired. Inspired to share Advocare with you.  Inspired to push myself out of my comfort zone in order to help others feel better, get healthier, gain energy and maybe even build their own business.

What do I order?

Really, only you can know! A short conversation with me, and we can figure this out! But if you are looking to lose some weight and you are committed to doing that, I highly recommend the 24 Day Challenge Bundle. With that you pick your shake flavor (Chocolate is SO good) and what Max Pack you want. MNS Max 3 is energy and appetite control. MNS Max E is energy and MNS Max C is appetite control. You pick what YOU need more. I did the MNS Max 3 because I needed both.  If you just need some energy you could just order the Max E and some Spark.  There’s so many different products for different things. I would LOVE to talk with you to see what you might want and/or need.

Personally, my FAVORITE product is the Spark. Y’all, it’s like liquid energy. Seriously. And it’s packed full of nutrition and really helps with mental focus.  It has 21 vitamins, minerals and nutrients and is only 45 calories. And did I mention that it’s SUGAR FREE? Well, it is. And it’s good too. A close second, is the Meal Replacement shakes. They are delicious and so filling. Tastes like a chocolate milkshake! I have one of these almost every day for breakfast.

What’s the cost of this thing?

As a retail customer the 24 Day Challenge is $190.25 (plus tax and shipping). It breaks down to $7.90 a day (plus food).  But the way I justified this to myself was I won’t be getting Starbucks, running through Chick-fil-a or going to Sonic for a Route 44. And I won’t be eating out much during the 24 days because to me it just isn’t worth it to try to figure out what I can and can’t have.  If you sign up as a distributor and get the 20% discount from the get go, the cost is $152.20 which breaks down to $6.34 a day.  But again, maybe you don’t need/want to do the 24 Day Challenge, or maybe you don’t want to invest that much at first, I say try one or two products to see if you are SOLD like I was. One MUST try is the Spark. I promise, you will NOT regret that purchase.

CONTACT ME

If you have any questions or are confused by anything I have said (which there’s a slim chance since I am kinda rusty at this blogging stuff) please feel free to email me at LynzAU @ gmail dot com.  Sometimes these discussions are better had over the phone and I am game for that too. Just email me and we can set up a time to chat.

Okay, I think that about covers it.

I am thankful that Erin allowed me to be a guest blogger. It’s been fun. I am thankful I got to share about something I am truly passionate about, helping others get healthy and feel GREAT.

And I definitely drive by the new house at least once per day. They recognize me as the “lady in the black car” by now, so I don’t think they’re alarmed anymore.

After nearly six years of blogging, sometimes I come to a little stand still when it comes to content. And with the busyness of this end-of-the-year season, I need your help.

I’ve done this two or three times before, but I’d love to open up the comments to your questions. Anything you want to know about, and I’ll try to answer it. (Within reason, of course. It’s a personal blog, but we do have some boundaries.)

I may space out the answers over a few weeks.

So, let me know what you’d like to know!

I’m trying to laugh about this week’s topic because it hits so close to home today. And if I laugh, I can sort of disguise how nervous and uncomfortable it makes me. How do we cope when we come unglued?

I’ve been stuffing my emotions all day in an effort to not come unglued. (Lysa Terkeurst wrote a really wonderful book called Unglued- and she says there are two categories of behavior when we come unglued. We either “stuff” or we “explode.”)

I’m typically an exploder. I may wait a few minutes before I actually explode, but the words come out, my emotions come out. I don’t hide it.

I yell. I say things I instantly regret. I explode just to try to get the result I want, and it’s not pretty.

And yet, today, I’ve been stuffing. It all starts in the car when my kids are fighting over a song or a toy. And then the day goes on and the bickering continues, back talk happens. There’s whining and fussing and spills and utter chaos.

This isn’t an attack on my kids. Please hear me say that. Kids are kids. They all misbehave. They talk back. They argue and they aren’t perfect. That’s just a given. But I love them more than words can even say.

But some days, my blood pressure goes up, and I just want a few minutes of peace and quiet. I want the bickering to stop so I can fix dinner and not spend the day playing “referee.” Or so I can attempt to cross any of the things off my list that I need to do.

So what do I do when I have these feelings like I’m going to stuff and stuff and stuff until I explode? How do I cope?

Just recently, our pastor talked to us about using our words wisely, and understanding the power that our words hold. The damage that our words can do.

I’m sure we all have some kind of story about someone in our life who said something that hurt us, scarred us, and we carry those words with us where ever we go.

Mine happened in college, when I saw some really hurtful words that a supposed friend wrote about me critiquing my weight. It was awful. It tore me up. I’ve carried those words with me ever since that day.

Can you imagine if those words had come from a parent?

Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit.

Proverbs 15:4

I can honestly say that the last thing in the world I want to do as a parent is crush my kids’ spirit!

He suggested that when we have those moments as a parent when we feel like we’re going to explode, then we need to walk away. Go to a room by yourself and shut the door until you can come back without saying something that would be hurtful or damaging.

I had to use this exercise last week when I was at my wit’s end with Hudson and his “mouthy” ways. I can punish him without hurting him. So I walked away and closed the door until I could approach him without “exploding,” as Lysa says.

I cannot imagine trying to take on motherhood without my gracious and forgiving God. And His wisdom. I pray all day long. I pray out loud. When my kids are fighting in the car and won’t stop when I ask them to, I pray out loud. (This usually causes Hudson to say, “Mommy? Are you talking to God?” And he quits arguing with Hayes.)

Of course there are good days and amazing moments. Those moments when I feel like a great mother. I feel like my kids are “getting it” and like I’m doing something good in their lives.

And, of course, there are the days when I wonder where I’ve gone wrong. Why am I failing? And on those days, I just shut myself in my room for a couple of minutes until I can get it together.

But, like I said, kids are kids. All moms have bad days.

And you know what’s funny? I can pinpoint when I’m going to come unglued.

I come unglued on days when I have too much on my to-do list. I come unglued when I’m trying to take on more than I should. I come unglued when I’m completely disorganized and don’t have a decent plan for the day and have left my kids to entertain themselves while I try to get everything done. I know my triggers.

It’s up to me to avoid those moments.

I choose to focus on the good, despite the frustrating days where I feel like I just can’t “stuff” anymore. It’s not my kids’ fault. It’s usually my attitude and my taking my focus off the Lord that gets me to that place.

I’m so thankful for the testimonials from other moms like Lysa that help me see that we all react in one of these two ways. But I’m also thankful for God’s word, and that I know where to go for wisdom to figure out how I can help prevent these situations.

What about you? I am so excited to read all of your posts on this topic. Be sure to link up with us!

And in honor of Mother’s Day, Lysa Terkeurst is giving away an Unglued bundle. This bundle includes the Unglued book by Lysa Terkeurst, the Unglued devotional, and two Unglued key tags.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me how you cope when you come Unglued. I’d love for you to be the winner– this book is so good!

You can order the bundle at a special discounted price here!

Courtney, Kelly, and Jennifer are also giving away this same bundle on their blogs. Visit them and read about how they cope when they come unglued.

2. After dinner on Friday night, we drove by the new house to check on progress and could tell a lot of the first floor had been framed! We were just so excited! We drove back over on Saturday morning and got out to walk around. It was so nice to get a feel for how big everything is and be able to see it in our minds a little bit more.

I post fairly regular house progress pictures on Instagram and use a hash tag so I can look back at the progress and the dates. It’s so much fun to see it come together. Hudson gets so excited every time we drive by.

3. Hudson had another soccer game on Saturday morning. He is getting more and more into the game. He was a little intimidated at first, but now he really loves it and is getting really good at it. Our team is still a little timid, but I heard that they’ll be focusing on “the attack” this week at progress. Ha!

It was so stinking cold on Saturday morning, and the kids were just trying so hard to stay warm despite the wind. And I just love Mary Mac’s pink bow with her soccer uniform. Definitely the most adorable player on our team!

My sweet friend, Michelle, is our unofficial “team photographer” and she took this darling photo of Hudson. I’ve been cracking up over his funny grin.

4. We celebrated Hayes’s birthday yesterday. We went to church and came home to take naps and eat lunch. We had planned to go to the baseball game with Rachel and her sweet family, but a really rainy day messed up those plans. We also went to Bailey’s birthday party at My Gym, and Hayes absolutely loved that. We came home and had pizza with RC, PC, and Nana and then gave Hayes his Winnie the Pooh cake. He was so excited. And that plastic Pooh Bear has been his favorite thing that he got for his birthday. We opened presents, and Hudson “helped,” of course.

Hayes loves the happy birthday song. He sings it all the time and just changes the names each time. He was super excited to get to hear it over and over again yesterday. It was a great day for sweet Hayes! (And Hudson’s chin is just fine. He just likes to wear band-aids as a fashion accessory.)

5. Some of you asked me about this dress from my Greenbrier post. It’s a Lilly Pulitzer lace dress that I got in the fall of 2011. So if you wanted to find one for yourself, you may have to search eBay. But I have loved the versatility of the dress and wear it to lots of different occasions.

It looks black in the Greenbrier photo, but you can see from this picture from January 2012 that it’s actually navy. And this picture kind of makes me nostalgic for dark hair. But don’t worry, Mom, Dad, and Todd, I’m keeping the blonde.

6. Don’t forget that tomorrow is Build ‘Em Up and we’ll be talking about what we do when we come unglued. Should be interesting…