Nutrition Challenge Fail and Other Miscellaneous Things

It happened Thursday night. Something in me snapped. I left the gym and drove promptly to Starbucks where I proceeded to order a full fat pumpkin spice latte. "Would you like whip cream on that?" the barista asked, I could barely answer because I was inhaling a peanut butter cup while she was making my beverage. After eating plain chicken and noshing away on raw veggies, I needed flavor. I needed sugar.

Drake and I have been participating in a six week nutrition challenge at our gym. Have I seen results? Yes. Did I need a break? H. E. double hockey sticks YES!!! I plan to jump back on the healthy train Monday, but the weekend has been good. Really good.

A few highlights.

{waking up to this Thursday morning}

{new do' for the Lou bug}

 {fall baking}

{final product, minus a piece}

{goalie girl}

{snack mom}

{sweaty face, sweetest boy}

{domesticating, start em' young}

{saturday snuggles}

Air is crisp, football is on and rumor has it spaghetti sauce is simmering at Grandma's. Daddy is home and all is well. Hope you all have some "other miscellaneous things" that are making you smile. 

Today I Laughed

The sun rose too early this morning, cereal spilled on the kitchen floor and legos weren't going together the way they should. Matching shoes couldn't be found and that darn non-spicy toothpaste went missing again. We had frustration and tears all before 7:15 am.

After dropping the big kids off, Sammy and I did our usual loop through the drive-thru Starbucks. Grande drip (no room), venti ice water and a chocolate milk please. By the time I pulled up to Sammy's school I was ready to do the quick drop-off and bolt...or so I thought.

An hour and a half later I pulled out of that parking lot, my spirit filled to the brim. While talking to my sister-in-law, Jess, we ran into a sweet lady who we did Bible study with last year. Bless her heart, she just had her second baby and needed to know that someone has been where she's at... exhausted and un-showered with a non-compliant three year old and an infant that needs her, a husband that travels and that feeling that you're doing it all wrong. I'm familiar with that place and so is Jess.We chatted for awhile and I pray we encouraged her.

It was right as we were ending our conversation that our friend Chris was passing by. Chris and I go way back. There are many stories I could tell, but the thing about Chris, we always laugh. There is never a time, even if it's just for a moment that I don't laugh when I'm with her. Whether it be stranded in New York City, stuck on a train in Paris or in a hospital room she always brings humor. Always.

Boy did she deliver this morning. I can't even tell you specifics, I just know that at one point I had tears pooling in my eyes and Jess had that shoulder shake thing going on (that's what happens when she laughs really hard and I love seeing it). Bottom line. I needed to laugh today.

More than I needed to work out or grocery shop or waste time roaming Target, I needed to laugh. Laughing transformed my day and renewed my spirit.

Drake was gone the greater part of last week and has been gone all this week. Even with the amazing family support I have, it is easy to feel depleted when your spouse is away so much. Tonight I let Juliana make a pumpkin pie. Our house smells amazing right now and the legos all seem to be fitting the way they are supposed too. After the kids eat their pie and go to bed, my neighbor is coming over. She's never seen Notting Hill (I know right!!!). I will cut my self a generous piece of pie and top it with an even more generous dollop of whip cream and I will enjoy watching an American movie star fall in love with a British travel book shop owner.

Laughing with a dear friend and my sweet sister changed my day today. Laughing at ourselves and at life. If you're feeling at all depleted can I just encourage you to find someone to laugh with...and eat pie with because let's face it, life is too short! Happy Friday!

A Slower Pace

Today is Wednesday. Wednesday has become one of my favorite days. Sammy and I drop the kids at school in the morning, drive-thru Starbucks and come home. The house is quiet. It's just her and I.

I pour my hot coffee into a big mug and sip away while I do my Bible study and make a to-do list for the day. Sammy wanders off to play with her dolls and occasionally checks in to get a snack or tell me she's going potty. Sheets get changed and night stands get dusted. Sliding glass doors get cleaned and bathrooms get wiped down. We make lunch and read a couple of books.

She chats to me about all sorts of stuff as we wait in the pick-up line for the big kids. They are home just long enough to have a snack and mess up their clean rooms before Grandma comes to whisk them off to Awana for the evening.

Wednesdays are great, but life in general is great. Our pace has slowed down a lot. We have pulled out of activities and have chosen not to replace them with anything. We can visually see that a burden has been lifted off the shoulders of Juliana as she relishes the freedom that homeschooling three days a week has brought. Her countenance is joyful and her creativity has soared. My younger two aren't being dragged everywhere and I'm not frazzled from driving all over the place.

I recently ran into a friend of mine in Sprout's. Her daughter and Juliana were in the same dance classes, Girl Scout troop and soccer team last year. She told me that by Wednesday every week she was exhausted and ready for Sunday because Sunday is the only day they don't have anything that keeps them away from their house till 7 or 8 pm. My heart was tender toward her because I know the feeling. However, I came to the realization that my kids can't drive themselves places and I was the one who holds the reigns to our family's activity load.

All this to say, if you feel frazzled, LET SOMETHING GO!! I finally did and it was empowering.

Because by 7 or 8pm this is what should be happening...

{love how intense Buddy is...making sure she doesn't make any mistakes}

That's all for now, happy Wednesday!

The Return Of...

Friday Confessions (a day late)

1. Sammy started pre-school on Tuesday and it was the happiest day of the week (kidding).

2. I HATE this heat. I normally like warm weather, but I feel like it has been summer since Christmas and I'm over it. Time to put away the tank tops and flip-flops and pull out sweaters and boots. Can I get an amen??

3. Drake thought I was going to yoga...I took a detour and went and got a pedicure, I even sprung for the extra foot massage. WAY more relaxing than yoga.

4. We are participating in this nutrition challenge at our gym, chocolate has been my "4 ounces of a non-veggie carb" a few times this week.

That's all for now, we are headed to Grammy's pool for a little reprieve from the heat (it's only 86 degrees INSIDE our house). Have a great weekend and stay cool!

Corners

In the boxing ring, fighters must retreat to their corners at the end of each round to regroup, catch their breath and receive a little pep talk from their coach. The same holds true for the Kellas household.

Our corner retreats are not always the same. Sometimes it's one reading, one outside and one doing a puzzle. Other times it's "find a spot on the couch where you're not touching anyone" (we have a very big couch) while I put on an educational mind numbing show so we can all take a breather. This past week, the beach was our corner.

We had a little too much togetherness and just needed to spread out. I love the beach for this reason. We can buzz down there for an hour with as little as towels and juice boxes to regroup, catch our breaths and get a little pep talk from mother nature to persevere till bedtime.

If you don't have your own corner, I encourage you to fine one...cause we all need a recharge every once in a while. Happy weekend!

Hello September

There is a line in You've Got Mail when Tom Hanks tells Meg Ryan that he would love to send her a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils to commemorate the start of fall. I love that.

September brings crisp school supplies, pumpkin spice lattes and the comfort of routine. It shakes us out of the lull of summer and gives us fresh purpose. Boy oh boy does this mama have fresh purpose this September...we have taken a new route in the kid's education and I am homeschooling them three days a week...more on that later, but for now a wrap up of our beautiful summer.

It started with a girl's trip to the river, just grandma, my girls and myself.

 {father's day dinner at The Hunter, sans the kids}

 {birthday ice cream with friends}

 {family beach time}

 {early beach mornings, complete with coffee, donuts and friends}

 {one of the MANY sisters performances i watched}

 {my girls}

{crossfit fam bam goes to vegas}

{mike+lindsey=love}

 {i voted him "hottest groomsmen"}

 {back squats + beer}

{family vegas trip}

{serendipity+frozen hot chocolate}

 {vegas pool fun, kid friendly}

 {cabo pool fun, not kid friendly}

 {bachelorette pool fun, really not kid friendly}

 {rough life}

 {palm springs pit stop}

{pick of the day}

 

{crazy daddy}

{we're on a boat}

{the honey's}

{there we are. on the deck. all smiles.}

 {party time! we celebrate another year of uncle jake and grandma}

 {diapered babes, beach attire and s'mores = blessed}

{happy birthday to grandpa}

 {starting a new chapter of life: Dining Room Elementary School}

 {"P.E"}

 {first day of workshop at Coastal Academy}

 {sammy's halloween costume, check}

 {andrew mark sammons, 8/28/14}

 {la jolla cove field trip}

 {my boys+gelato}

 {blessed}

Well my fresh purpose is calling me, a history lesson to be taught and maybe a possible "field trip" to the beach later. Summer was good, but fall is my favorite.