Welcome to my weekly post sharing a peek into our past week + giving you an update on how I did on my goals this past week and my habits chart the last week.
Our Community Group had a special celebration for David’s adoption complete with a charcuterie board and cake. It was so special and meaningful!
I’ve been mentoring a young woman who is getting married soon and we’re going through the Nothing to Prove Bible Study together. She picked it and it’s been so good.
Kierstyn and I started her next preschool curriculum. We finished My Father’s World Preschool in December and now started My Father’s World PreK this past week. So far, she’s loving it!
We converted Kierstyn’s crib to a toddler bed — which she’s very excited about!4
I took Silas to the mall to meet up with friends. I stayed close by but also gave them space to hang out. Part of parenting teens involves slowly letting them have more and more freedom and responsibilities as they prove themselves trustworthy and responsible.
I posted this on Instagram last week:
Mamas of littles: I know the days feel really long. You are tired and exhausted. It seems that you spend so much of your time wiping noses and bottoms.
You pick up the toys only to turn around and have to pick them up again. You answer the same questions over and over. You try to teach the same lesson again and again.
You wash the same dishes, the same laundry, and the same bodies on repeat.
And you are probably tired of hearing people say to you, “Just enjoy it, it goes by so fast!”
Recently, Jesse and I were talking about how in just two years, we’ll have two 4-year-olds and two-year-old. And in 4 years, we might be completely done with diapers and sippy cups and the waking-up-in-the-night every night stage (no telling when David will be potty-trained, but it’s possible it could happen in four years!)
I think having babies all over again has given us a different perspective on the exhausting little years. We realize that they do go by quickly (in hindsight!) and that it is SO worth it.
All the love and care and time and attention and late nights and diaper changes and baths and games of peek-a-boo and boo-boos kissed and songs sung… it all matters. It’s laying down the foundation of the relationship for years to come. It’s hard. It’s tiring. It’s monotonous and messy some days. But it’s 100% worth it!
So if you’re feeling weary today, know this: the work you are doing is valuable. Others might not see or acknowledge it, but you are building a foundation of security and love for your kids that is going to deeply impact them for years and years to come. It matters — every single little bit of it. And I’m over here cheering for you, right alongside you in the trenches!
On Wednesday night, some of the family started feeling poorly. All three little ones woke up with fevers on Thursdays and we just felt like they weren’t doing well so went to urgent care and found out Kierstyn, David, Jesse, and Kathrynne had strep (Kaitlynn ended up coming down with it a day and half later).
(David was feeling so miserably here in this photo but he’s still smiling. He’s just the sweetest!)
Much of the rest of the week was spent snuggling and caring for sick ones.
But since Silas and I were the only well ones (I went in and got tested just to be safe since I’d been around the little ones so much and somehow managed to not have strep!!), we snuck out on Saturday to head to his basketball games in Nashville. It was special to have a few hours just with him. He’s grown up so much this year!
Here’s my update on my Habits Chart from last week. My goal is to have 5 x’s in each line — I hit that in 5 lines this past week, so lots of room for improvement but also lots of room for celebration!
2023 Weekly Goals Update
Every week, I’ll be giving an update on how I’m doing on my goals — since they are weekly goals. I thought it would be fun to do an update with a running total of how many weeks I hit them throughout the year. This week, I hit all of the goals — yay!!
Goal #1: Lose .1% Body Fat Per Week
This goal was pretty easy to hit this week just by hitting my workout goals, making movement a priority, getting enough sleep, drinking more water, and eating more protein.
Update: 1/52
Goal #2: Have One Family Dinner Per Week
I was so excited because we ended up having four family dinners this past week! I think just prioritizing it by putting it on my goals and daily habits list has made SUCH a difference in me getting creative in finding ways to make it happen!
Update:1/52
Goal #3: Finish One Book Per Week
Here’s the book I finished last week + my review.
Update: 1/52
Goal #4: Have One Date With One Family Member Per Week
I took Silas to the mall to meet up with his friends and he and I drove to Nashville together for two basketball games. I can’t remember the last time I’ve gone to one of his games all by myself (everyone else was home sick!)
Update: 1/52
Goal #5: Spend 25 Minutes on Organizing/Decluttering Each Week
You can see the decluttering and organizing I did last week here.
Update: 1/52
Goal #6: Delete 300 Photos/Videos From My Phone Each Week
I deleted more than 300 and it felt good!
Update: 1/52