Tag Archives: update

books, health and fitness, mommyhood, random thoughts

Currently – May!

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Hello, friends! I simply cannot believe how this year has FLOWN by! The fact that it’s already May has me reeling a bit. But, I’m always glad to give a little update and link up with the fabulous Anne in Residence and a new friend, Carrie at A Stylish Fit. Comment below or link up and tell us all about what you’re up to currently!

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Celebrating || summer! I know there are still five weeks of school left (for us in NC at least), and I know it’s not that hot out there yet, but I also know that going to the pool, eating fresh tomatoes from our garden, and not having a wake up time are all GREAT things that are coming soon!

Creating || my summer to-read list. I want to actually try to stick to it, since I’ve got so many things on my TBR list. I’m hoping to finish Peace Like a River (y’all – SO GOOD), Too Much and Not in the Mood (beautiful non-fiction, but this style is just a little slower-going for me as a reader), AND Everybody Always (shout out to Bob Goff!) by the time summer ACTUALLY arrives. At that point, I’d like to read the other books in the A Wrinkle in Time series (L’year of L’engle, says Annie Downs) and The Turquoise Table (one that I heard about a year or so ago, and only just bought). I’ll probably have time for more than just those, but I haven’t locked down what I’d like to move on to after that.Snagged these at Barnes and Noble yesterday!

Wearing || Chacos every DAY! And a new hat I got for running. It’s mesh in the back (because hot, y’all), and has a nice big G on the front. Any UGA fans around?!

Sharing || my current reads… it’s been so fun to have a little journey with some online friends about what I’m reading, what I’d like to read next, and getting suggestions for my next books! (This is mostly taking place on my stories on Instagram! Follow me @onlyhsuman if you’d like to come with me!) I’ve always been an avid reader, but recently I’ve enjoyed making time for it more and more. When I was in the fog of raising actual babies (you know, the ones who don’t sleep through the night or do anything for themselves) I just didn’t have much brain power leftover for reading. But now I can even have a few minutes to read while they’re AWAKE because they understand that Mama needs some down time, too. It’s actually lovely. I don’t mind this stage!

Going || to run my next half marathon next weekend! This round of race training has been a little more low-key than the last. There’s definitely an element of “I’ve already done this, so I know I can do it again.” and I’m not pushing myself quite so hard. I also am fairly certain I set a PR last time finishing under two hours, so I’m trying to not be mad that I’m little slower this time around. I’ll finish, and that’s the goal. Prayers for one more good long run this Friday and healthy knees and ankles for the next week and a half are appreciated!

That’s about all for me right now. What are you up to currently?!

health and fitness

Running More. And More. 

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So. As you know, I’m training for a half marathon. The one I had originally chosen is apparently very hilly, and also it’s a little soon for me to feel great about running it. So I’m still training, but I think I’m doing a different race. Last week, I did some speed work (sprints in the wind are basically the worst) and this past week, my goal was to get really good rest. It’s not going well. Every member of our family is suffering from a “mini cold”. It’s not that big of a deal during the day, but when we lay down, the mucus is out of control, and no one is sleeping that well.

Evidence of my “windy” miles.

Naturally, I’m more tired than usual since babes are waking and I’m not getting quality sleep because of it. But I’m pushing through! I got 4.25 miles in yesterday afternoon while everyone napped. I’ve still been eating pretty well, and I’ve had less coffee than normal this week (I subbed it for green tea, which has HUGE health benefits). Today was definitely a cheat day-St. Patrick’s Day meant Hubby was playing a lot, coupled with me trying to work a lot but also trying to see him play- it was a lot of on the go. I only had one “real” meal today, at 3pm no less. But at least it was healthy?

Post-workout selfie with D since he came along Tuesday morning.

So here is my accountability. I am up to almost 8 miles, with a hopeful 8 miles in either tomorrow or Sunday (likely whichever isn’t freezing cold). I’ve been trying SO HARD to keep up with my workouts and good food, so hopefully the last five miles in the training will come easily! Wish me luck!

food, home, mommyhood, random thoughts, women

Currently

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A little late update is better than no update at all, right?! I hope you’ve had a good week so far, and want to join our link up! I’m joining Becky at Choose Happy, and we’d love to hear from you, too! Here’s what I’m up to currently!IMG_0614

Enjoying || catching up on some tv! We’ve been far behind due to busyness and lack of sleep, so I’m glad to say we’re almost caught up on our shows! By the way, are there any Grimm watchers out there? This season has me going nuts. 

Wearing || my retainer. Gross, right? Well it’s actually working. Being totally raw with y’all, and it’s a little embarrassing for me, but I’ve not worn it regularly in years… 

 and now I’m rambling about my retainer. Gross. I’m wearing it. That’s it. 

Eating || really healthy this week. My goal is no sugar, low carb, and less alcohol. I typically stick to very little sugar (I’m not a sweets craver usually), so hopefully I can cut it out completely. I’ve got a fun dress I borrowed from a friend to wear to a wedding this weekend, and I want to feel good in it!

Listening to || my Hubby play some music tonight! His band should be Bering up, and I’m out past 10pm! It’s a miracle. 

faith, home, mommyhood, random thoughts, travel

Currently – Spring Is Coming!

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I can’t believe we are already here… It’s March, it’s been -dare I say it?- warm here in NC, and Easter is more than on its way. It feels like just two weeks ago, we were playing in the snow! Oh wait. We were. Anyway, here’s this week’s edition of Currently! Since it’s a new month, I linking up with Becky at Choose Happy, as well as Jenna at Gold and Bloom and Anne in Residence. Join us!

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Wearing || my Chacos! It’s the first ring that happens when the weather wants up… Lose the close-toed shoes. My feet like to be free, y’all. I’d post a cute picture, but my toes are woefully I need of a pedicure, and my Chacos are mud-caked from working in the garden yesterday. I can’t believe it’s already gardening time!

Craving || some quiet time. I’ve tried to build it into my schedule, and it seems the more I try, the less my children sleep, and the less I’m able to actually get up and make it happen. The desire is there for quiet time with the Lord, but I’m having trouble dragging my tired self out of bed in the mornings, because D is still getting up around 4-5. And that’s a little too early for me to start my day.

Going || to DisneyWorld! Hubby and I are taking our biggest two babes to Disney for EK’s birthday in April. We’re just going for two days, but we’ve got fast passes all set up, and we’re staying in the park to save time. We cannot WAIT to introduce the magic to EK and J!!

image from disney.wikia.com
Learning || how to garden with three babes. J still likes to run around the neighborhood when unattended (ha!), D is getting used to hanging in the pack-n-play outside (or sometimes the stroller so we can move him around the yard), and EK is still her short-attention-span-gardener self. She loves to help, but only for a few minutes. We’ve had two full afternoons of gorgeous weather, productivity, and back-breaking work. Hopefully soon we will plant, and then soon after that it will yield good fruit (vegetable)! 

   
Planning || Our spring schedule. We’ve got weddings galore, fun trips planned, and still our regular lives to attend to. Can we do all the things and have fun, too? Only time will tell.

Well, that’s about it for my family. What are you up to currently?

holidays, home, mommyhood, random thoughts

Currently – and a Fun Family Day!

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Happy Monday! This one is definitely overdue, since I missed last week! This will be a nice little update for the pat couple of weeks. Link up or comment and let me know what’s going on in your life currently!IMG_0614

Celebrating || Valentine’s Day and birthdays! We never really do much for Valentine’s Day, but I can’t let it slip by without acknowledgement. Because it was a Sunday, we went to church as usual (wearing red, obviously) but Hubby got EK and me some flowers in the afternoon, followed by a friend’s birthday celebration; Hubby’s long-time best friend turned 30, so naturally we grilled steaks, let our kids stay up way too late, and enjoyed a little snowfall!

Listening || to Taylor Swift in honor of her Grammy. You go, T-Swift. I love you and my kids do, too!

Wishing || for warmer weather! We were at the park a couple of times this week and it was still a little chilly, even though it was sunny and beautiful. Saturday was lovely and comparatively warm, but I’m ready for shorts, tank tops, and flip flops!

Enjoying || our local “dinosaur park”! J is digging dinosaurs at the moment so even though we’ve been before, it was special for him. The playground equipment has dinosaurs incorporated throughout, and you can climb on them and everything! My bigs love it.

  

Loving || yet another cool spot in our awesome town. There’s a new park-type place in our downtown called “Artivity”. It is a modern art/architecture combo, and you can climb on it, sit on it, walk underneath it, and see it light up at night. It’s actually quite cool, and it’s on top of what used to be a pretty yucky parking area.  Hubby and I visited it one evening while we were out downtown, and took the kids the other day after the dinosaur park. 

Our super fun adventures on Wednesday got me thinking… do any of you have a family day? Even Hubby (the ultimate homebody) said he had a great time getting out of the house earlier than usual, and trekking around with the kiddos. It made me want to designate Wednesday (the morning that no one is in school or working) as our family morning to romp around and explore. AND everyone was super tired and napped well after it. BONUS! What would you do on your family day?

food, home, mommyhood, random thoughts

Currently

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I keep on saying that every Currently that’s late is the latest one… however, this Thursday night edition may take the cake! I’ve had a busy week, amid semi-sickly kids (getting over some junk from last week) and finally catching a bit of it myself. You’d better believe I’m overdoing the Vitamin C! Anyway, I’m joining Becky’s link up as usual (thank goodness it’s still open!) and here’s what we’ve been up to…

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Baking || muffins! I have had a can of pumpkin staring me in the face for a couple of weeks, and I finally used it today! I found this recipe for paleo pumpkin streusel muffins, and had to have it. 

 I’ve never been a great food photographer (or a chef focused on the look of the food) so don’t let their uglyness deter you!

Watching || Grimm. Hubby and I only have Netflix and Hulu plus, and somehow we’d missed that Grimm had started back up for the season until a couple of nights ago. We blasted through the first couple of episodes in one night! We really like that show, no matter how not great it was when it first started. 

 Hoping || that I don’t get sick(er?) and lose my voice. It’s really inconvenient for a worship leader to lose her voice! So, hot tea, Vitamin C and water, water, water for me! 

I’m also hoping that J’s tantrum throwing slows down a bit once the sickness is cleared up and everyone is sleeping more. I can’t figure out what might be causing them (aside from the fact he’s almost two) so I’m holding on to the hope that they’ll pass. We are getting about one a day, typically right after his nap… It’s so sad for me, and I’m sure for him, too!

 Enjoying || some time outside with my kids. I often spend my time outside working while they’re napping, but the past week or so, I’ve made sure to include them in the yard work. Even if they make more work for us (read: raking the leaves the wrong direction) it’s fun to be outside with them!
Wishing || that I had some time to sit and write. All of my writing (including this post!) has been in a short burst here or there, or with a kid or two distracting me. I would love a couple of hours to just sit and write, with nothing else going on around me. It seems easy, in theory, to squeeze in an hour or two… but I know if I’m at home, I’ll find “better” things to do, like dishes, laundry, and the like. Which brings me to…

Anticipating || Our first day having someone come in to clean the house tomorrow! We haven’t decided how often we’ll be making this happen, but we are REALLY excited about our first “deep clean” tomorrow morning! (Local people: we are using Maid Right, based in Greensboro!)

Anyway, there’s a little bit about my life! What’s going on with you currently?

mommyhood, pregnancy

35 Week Bumpdate!

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 Well folks, it’s getting close. At 5 weeks out, I’m feeling about as pregnant as I’ve ever felt. That’s saying something, as a woman who has actually experienced being 41 weeks and 4 days pregnant. Sheesh. Anyway, here is a little update about how I’m doing… I got this little list of things to talk about off of several other blogs I read, so I didn’t come up with them myself.

How far along: 35 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain: Now, I normally wouldn’t say this because I don’t put a lot of stock in weight by any standards, but because I’m so far along, I will. I’ve gained around 18lbs right now.

Maternity clothes: Is this a question? Because duh. Obviously I’m wearing maternity clothes. The only things I can wear that isn’t maternity belong to Hubby.

Stretch marks: Thankfully none that I can tell. I haven’t had them with any of mine. *knocks on wood*

Sleep: Between 7 and 8 hours most nights, but broken. I’m waking up either to pee, or relieve leg cramps, or both.

Best moment of this week: Probably pool time with J with friends while EK was at camp! He’s doing so well and being in the water was SO MUCH BETTER than dealing with the heat! Not to mention being weightless was nice.

Miss anything? My body. I’m ready to be closer to my normal size! I love being pregnant – truly, I do! – but I miss not having the bulge.

Movement: All day long! Most of the time I love it, but he is big enough now that I am often uncomfortable or the movement actually hurts sometimes.

Food cravings: I haven’t had too many cravings recently, really. Right now, I can’t eat very much at one time, so it’s a lot of snacking.

Anything making you queasy/sick: Not really. Although I’m not a great pill swallower, so sometimes that makes me a little queasy (I’m looking at you, disgusting iron supplements.)

Showing yet? See “Maternity clothes”.

Gender: Boy!! 💙

Labor signs: Not yet, but I’m having some Braxton Hicks here and there.

Belly button in or out: Out. It’s been out for a while…

Wedding rings on or off: On! Still glad about that.

Happy or moody most of the time? To be completely honest, moody. Sorry, folks.

Looking forward to: Meeting this baby! Hopefully around 38 weeks… Because I’m so tired and uncomfortable!

Exercise: Ha! Ahem, I mean, I go to prenatal yoga once a week, and I chase my toddlers all day. Oh! Oh! And I’ve been gardening (read: shoveling dirt).

Additional symptoms: My feet are starting to swell, and I’m only comfortable when laying on my side. Yikes.

home, mommyhood

Currently – Ella Kate’s Birthday!

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Okay, so this edition of Currently didn’t quite go up on time, but I’ve been so busy celebrating my wonderful, smart, gorgeous THREE-year-old that I’ve barely had time for anything else!

We spent all of last week getting the basement at least partially ready for guests (I mean, not all the way, but there were places to sleep!) and getting ready for EK’s party on Saturday. As (I think) I mentioned before, her requested theme was “princesses, pizza, and painting” and I’ll say – we sure accomplished all three! Here are some highlights before I start my regular “currently”.

Sweet college friends who made my weekend!
Amazing tie-dye princess cupcakes made by my sweet friend, Lauren! (If you’re local, she’s for hire!)
EK was really impressed with the cupcakes.
Just a few of EK’s sweet cousins and friends who came to celebrate! I got everyone looking but her, ha!
Yesterday’s outfit. Underneath the hoodie, the dress says “Birthday Girl”.

 

Kiddos enjoying one of the presents… it’s a pretty cool little castle!

 

Now for my semi-normal currently – linking up as usual with Becky at Choose Happy and the other fabulous bloggers from all over! Join us!

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Thankful for || an amazing weekend (and day today!) of celebrating my incredible daughter, who I CANNOT BELIEVE is 3! It seems like just yesterday that she was a teeny little squish, and now she’s talking 90 miles a minute, running, dancing, playing and showing me she’s an incredible person, inside and out. It totally rocks me if I sit and think about it. Okay – I’m gonna cry. Moving on…

I’m thankful for several more things, so I’m going to lay them all down, list-style: my mom, who spent the entire week helping us clean, entertaining the kids while Hubby and I organized and rearranged the basement, and letting us go on TWO dates while she was here! Total win, Mom. Thanks!. Also, thankful for a mother-in-law who helps move furniture, hang pictures, work in the yard, and spoil children. She’s a great lady, as well! Thankful for sweet college girlfriends who slumber party with my in my partially-furnished basement, spoil my daughter, and make me feel like I’m ten years younger again. Thanks, gals. I love you. Lastly, thankful for an incredible husband, who puts up with my hormonal mood swings and my never-ending honey-do list, loves our children in a way so mind-blowing that I can’t describe its awesomeness, and still manages to have time to do wonderful things for me and make me feel special, even when I feel like a crazy, sobbing, way-too-pregnant cow. Yep. I went there. Love ya, babe.

Eating || my mom’s homemade spaghetti recipe, with a little change. It’s canned tomatoes and sauce, basil, oregano, garlic, onion, and ground beef. Last night, I used fresh tomatoes, fresh oregano (from our garden, that had somehow survived (and flourished after!) winter – not so for the basil), and added some grated carrots and some frozen spinach. Surprisingly, the kiddos couldn’t tell about the veggies, and the oregano made the whole thing pop! Yum.

Dreaming of || my facial on Friday, and the fact that I might ALSO get my nails done. Y’all, I need a couple of hours of pampering after a busy and stressful few weeks, and I’m MORE THAN EXCITED about it on Friday. Can I get an amen?!

Planning || big blog things for the next few weeks and months. I’m going to start asking for opinions, stories, and requests for what you’d like to hear about. In fact, go ahead and leave those in the comments! I’ll start collecting today!

Thanks for joining me on my birthday edition of Currently! What have you been up to?

home, mommyhood, pregnancy

Currently

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I’m linking up with Becky at Choose Happy and the other fantastic bloggers for another week of “Currently”, where we just talk about what’s going on in our lives. Join us, and let us know what you’re up to!

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Thankful for || my mother-in-law and our friends Lauren and Drew for coming over on Saturday to help us get things out of our storage unit and into the basement! My m-i-l was kind enough to play with kiddos while the rest of us made 400 trips from the unit into the house with our arms full of boxes or furniture. It was a lovely, productive afternoon!

Excited about || fully moving in, getting the rest of our furniture for the new space (and/or rearranging what we’ve got, and buying something new for an old space!), and getting ready to host the masses for EK’s birthday! My college girlfriends are coming to town, as well as my family, to celebrate EK’s third birthday the second weekend in April. The clock is ticking to get things ready for houseguests and a party!

Listening to || this arrangement of Give Me Jesus by Sarah Watkins and Chris Thile. I sang this song yesterday during church, probably a little less bluegrassily (yeah, I made that word up for this sentence), but I still thought it was beautiful.

Loving || the fact that J is singing wherever he goes, all the time. He sings mostly Happy Birthday and the Alphabet Song, with only two or three real words, but it is so heartwarming to see both my kids loving music so early.

Feeling || BIG feelings. No matter what my feeling is (happy, sad, angry, etc) I’m literally feeling it times a million. Thanks, hormones. Here’s to extra tears, random frustrations, and ridiculous laughter. Pregnancy – the struggle is real.

Thanks for following along with me currently!! Link up with us and join the fun!

food, home, mommyhood, random thoughts

Currently: Happy Spring!

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Happy Monday! I’m linking up again with Becky at Choose Happy and some more awesome bloggers for this week’s Currently. I love having this link-up every week to start my week off with a fun post. Join us! We want to hear what you’re up to!

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Watching || Gilmore Girls. I know I’m late to the party, but I’m pretty excited to be catching up with Rory and Lorelei. I’m digging all the scenes with Emily; she’s hilariously infuriating.

GILMORE GIRLS (Season 3)

Listening to || worship tunes to gear up for Palm Sunday and Easter. I want to make sure they’re topically appropriate but also good ones that people will know and love. Do you have any suggestions for Easter-y worship songs?!

Loving || warmer weather! I’m pretty sure I’ve said this every week, but every week it’s just been a tease. There are a few warm days, and then we go back into the cooler temperatures. I should be glad, because soon I’ll be complaining about how hot I am all the time. Ha! For now, I’ll be loving that I can wear dresses instead of squeezing my belly into pants.

Enjoying || my Jamberry manicure I did earlier this week! It’s springy and fun – a gift from a Mystery Mama! I’m part of a Facebook group (that I found through a blogger I follow) where we all swapped names and are sending sweet notes/small gifts over the next few weeks. I’m really enjoying it, on the receiving end AND the giving end! I’d tell ya what I sent, but I don’t want to ruin my MM’s surprises!  

Eating || some gorgeous tie-dye cupcakes! I found them on Pinterest, and told my baker friend Lauren about them, and we gave them a go yesterday! We actually used a Paleo chocolate cupcake recipe we had used before (because chocolate) but the dairy-free buttercream icing was the winner of the day. Especially since the EK-approved tie-dye colors worked out as perfectly as we had hoped! We will do them again in “princess colors” for her birthday in two weeks! I am SO happy with the way they turned out! 

Looking forward to || having my whole house back! We are officially at a countdown, folks. Carpet goes in today, stairs go in this week, as well as touch-up paint, and then it’s just cleaning up and moving back in! I can’t wait to be posting pictures of a finished, furnished basement! If you’d like to help us move furniture or play with my kiddos while we move it, or eat pizza and drink beer while it happens, give me a shout!

That’s my life in a little, teeny nutshell, y’all. Thanks for joining me! Now let’s hear what you’ve been doing!