Well, my very good intentions of coming back this week were thwarted by children packing, by trying to sell our house, by projects going awry. SIGH. Isn’t it always the way? We’ll be back. One day. I’ll get my life together and we’ll return to our regularly scheduled program. But this week, we continue our hiatus.
I took the week off to move, which means I'm here in the daylight hours for probably the last time till I leave my job in October. Please clap.
Thanks to some lease/landlord drama, I had to move from my weird little old lady house which I loved with all my heart into a tiny trailer. I'm on the same property, which means I get to see my landlord's truck in "my" carport everytime I come up the driveway. (He's the landlord! It's his property and his carport! I'm just frustrated that I didn't get to leave on my own terms.) Also working on finding someplace to put my porch furniture so me and the dog can sit outside comfortably, when we had a perfectly good porch. My dog is thus far not impressed with the whole situation. Also any tips for tiny space living are welcome.
Silver linings of current living situation:
- My TV fits in the TV spot, which I was concerned about as I suspect Netflix is about to become a more important member of the household.
- The trailer comes with recliners, which I have been pining after my whole adult life.
Team USA women's gymnastics talking to Hoda - Momma Simone and Momma Hoda are not gonna let anyone come for their girls: https://youtu.be/N8uqgja8pnw
I'm going to see my BFF in TN over Labor Day, so I have something to look forward to and get me through the rest of the summer.
I'm so happy to hear updates from everyone! What a week! I'm still recovering from a busy week riding the coattails of a solo camping trip, but it was all worth it. I camped, I made a fire, I hiked with 400 other people up to Mt. LeConte (almost to the top, but I couldn't make it that far), and drove around listening to John Denver and Rhiannon Giddens all weekend. The best.
I'm so ready for the three day weekend and turning down the a/c on the 4th of July for a cool day inside. :)
Greetings, sweet swipes! One of my treasures was having time to read thru the comments today 😍😍 y’all my favorite.
💚 Still enjoying the emotional and spiritual fullness from being at youth group camp last week and processing some things that were very clear to me in the best way, while returning to work physically tired. A long weekend is def another treasure. Between lovely follow up conversations with friends, sleeping in my own bed, walks with my sweet pup, i am taking it slow and trying to soak in all the goodness that continues to pour out.
💚 My bffs in Oregon had their baby this week, and I am so excited to be Auntie J to her. Been loving all the pics and dreaming of getting to meet her in person.
Def read Brittney Spencer as Britney Spears at first and thought that paragraph was sarcasm transitioning into an announcement of the new Britney Spears country single. That was a ride.
I want to first say thank you for all the kind responses on my comment about my father in law passing away. You all were truly so thoughtful and supportive. Looking back, I probably could have left some details out so sorry if that was TMI or triggering for anyone.
I’m leaning hard into treasures this week because I need them:
- My therapist (A++) who has been exactly what I need each week. Yesterday, we talked about a “Not to Do” list and how to use those principles to help me determine what truly has to get done and what can be removed or slipped.
- Olive & June polish systems - just gave myself a fresh Grape Soda mani & pedi and it’s totally boosted my mood.
- All of my friends, neighbors and coworkers that have sent their support, GrubHub gift cards, cooked us meals, sent flowers, etc. Our support systems have been incredible.
- Relatedly, Kraft lunchables which have been the easiest way to “I can’t even” with the kids right now for dinner. I’m leaning into this season of “life is hard” and not adding any guilt or stress worrying about that right now. They are fed and happy!
- The new NEEDTOBREATHE single I just saw on my Spotify (collab with Carrie Underwood!)
- My cold brewing jar that just arrived in one day (h/t to Bri McKoy!)
Going to be catching up on comments today! Hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July (for my fellow Americans 🇺🇸)
Is it okay to post here with nary a Treasure to speak of? I mean, yeah, there have been good days but nothing major. Though nothing disastrous, either. Just the usual Sister-Who-Can’t-Just-Accept-Things-As-They-Are with my mom and her struggles (she thinks she and her husband know better than me who is caregiving on the daily 🙄), and the also-usual sleep struggles that continue to plague me (have I slept since yesterday at 2pm? No, I have not). But otherwise, June has been just another month of the same old year and a half. Which I guess is good, all things considered?
Let me offer up a giant piece of advice for anyone who needs it: DO NOT use your sleepless hours diving down the rabbit hole of Dementia and its Stages and How to Best Care for Your Loved One. (I have saved 40 articles in Evernote for “future reference.”) But if you DO spend your time that way, DO NOT share with the Fix-It-Sister that one single article about how to communicate well with your loved one at each stage. Trust me. It won’t end well. (Basically, there’s denial and a belief that Mom will get better.) 🤦🏻♀️
I’m thankful for all your stories, fellow Swipettes. You are Light and Joy. (so many capital letters this morning!)
Oh! I do have one “Treasure” thought to share! I read the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel yesterday and when the scripture told of the Spirit coming down to Jesus at his baptism and God saying, “This is my Son in whom I am pleased”… I had a thought I’d never had before: When God is pleased with me, He’s gonna make that known. 🤯 I’ve always known that God loves me more than I can comprehend, but I never thought about listening closely to hear His praise. You can bet I’ll be paying much closer attention from now on! I don’t wanna miss that acknowledgment from my Creator and King! 🙌🏻
Well, here we are again. It's a holiday weekend and the weather is absolutely gorgeous in Chicagoland. After what felt like 40 days of rain, low humidity and a breeze got us out to our favorite upick blueberry patch early this morning, despite everyone deciding against the dry cereal I packed for a car breakfast and making dippy eggs instead. Nonetheless, picking blueberries was delightful, and the fresh scones we grabbed are delicious. We are on our way home now, listening to The Mouse and The Motorcycle, and I'm tickled that B.D. Wong narrates!
Ok friends, share all your blueberry recipes because we have at least 5-7 pounds (my children, who usually will not touch a blueberry, claim now they will eat "outside blueberries" and picked with the best of them).
Also, Loki?!!? PLEASE DISCUSS.
Finally, friends, I went on a girls weekend trip to Holland, MI, last week and fell in love with the beaches in Michigan. The fudge from Kilwins definitely helped. So glad we are heading back as a family in August!
Hello! It's been a minute. All three kids were at sleep away camp week before last, and my husband took the week off. It was glorious, and made us a little sad that it's still another seven years before we're empty nesters.
Last week was vbs, and our 13-year-old nephew stayed with us, so it was a marathon of high-energy little kids in the morning and touristy activities in the afternoon. My body very kindly waited until this Monday to drop-kick me with a cold -I've been out of commission pretty much all week.
I applied for a full time job at my church last week, and am interviewing next Wednesday. It's bizarre because I haven't been looking for a job at all, in fact my woodworking business has been pretty steady and I'm in a pretty content place, just wrangling the kids and trying to keep the house from descending into chaos. I just finished reading The Making of Biblical Womanhood and Virgin Nation (thanks for both recs, Erin!), and there's still a little corner of my brain that wonders how I can consider working for pay when it will cause so much turmoil in our family (at least initially). I'm trying to banish that corner to the complementarian pit from which it came, but when you've been raised on James Dobson for over 40 years, it takes awhile, you know? Never mind that nothing has been decided and I'm only applying for this position (Director of Communications) because it's super flexible and within my skill set. So! That's what's up around here. I'll let you know next week how it goes!
Morning, Swipes! This week has been a week - no major highs or lows, just kinda...was. I'm in the final weeks of pregnancy, and my 41 year-old body is over it, which is starting to make me more irritable. The little things my other 3 kids do that usually roll off my back are making me crazy, and I know it's hormones, but if I have to tell them to put the milk away or use their words or shut that dang door one more time I am going to pull my hair out.
I don’t have much to discuss this week, but I just gotta say that those last 2 tweets are SPEAKING AND PREACHING the truth of this enneagram 8’s heart.
Hello from sunny Arizona! This week has been pretty standard, just doing homework and reading books. I just finished The Other Black Girl and The Guest List both good suspenseful reads.
I was able to cut out some sewing projects, though when I'll actually be able to make this is uncertain.
I'm in AZ for a long weekend with my college girl friends. E lives in Phoenix and will come visit us, so it's high time we returned the favor and came to her. It's hot. We went on a walk at 10pm, it was hot.
Just a quick comment this morning because I'm feeling all the anxiety with no real reason (my shoulder are so tense that they've hurt constantly for the past three days, but I keep telling my husband I'm not stressed! Even though I always am!?).
My mother-in-law surprised us (everyone) by coming to Florida last week (she lives in WA). Fortunately she has a lot of other family in the area, so she's not staying with us (yet), but also, I like plans! I don't want surprises! (maybe there is a reason I'm stressed?)
A treasure: I went to Tarpon Springs this week with my sister and her husband. We ate Greek food, went to the beach, and watched half of a Harry Potter movie, which was super fun!
Hey there, lil' swipes! The past two weeks I've been too tired to do more than like posts, but I wanted to engage this morning. Y'all consistently make my day better, so thanks for that.
Thank you for sharing Brittney Spencer, Erin! I love country and can't wait to dive into her stuff.
A turd:
- Things are still going well with Real Life Crush but I've realized I'm ready to take a step forward and I don't know if he is...and I'm terrified to ask. Especially since we had a miscommunication a week after our first date where he thought I was asking for a DTR and I definitely was NOT, so... yeah, I'm terrified. Prayers and thoughts for courage would be amazing.
Some treasures:
- I found an affordable rug for my patio and it makes the spot so much brighter and welcoming! Now I'm just having to refrain from buying hundreds of dollars worth of patio furniture to complete the look haha.
- I'm collecting Angry Girl Music for my 20 minute commute home from a stressful job because blaring music with the windows down is cheaper than kickboxing classes. Send me your bangers, please! Any and all genres. Also I was homeschooled so don't assume I've heard anything.
- What the heck do y'all do with your eyebrows? It's a new frontier for me, but I think I'm ready. Favorite (simple) products would be appreciated!
You're a doll if you just read all of that. I love you each. I hope your weekend is restorative. In ways you may not even be able to ask for. Can't wait to catch up!
Hello, everyone! I’m popping back in and will probably make zero sense because moving is hard and extremely exhausting both mentally and physically.
Last week, we traveled to my grandparents’ to see my mom (who lives overseas), and I got to see my brothers and sisters-in-law for the first time since Christmas 2019, AND to meet my baby niece! She is a sweet, delightful chunk and I love being an aunt.
Because our new/old town is about 45 minutes away, we also spent time house hunting and had two offers rejected. We hunted again the last day we were there, with the kids that time, and my son ended up carsick and throwing up for half of our trip back home. A house we found that day accepted our offer! Still a bit unsure because the inspection showed some moisture in the basement and it’s a bit delicate to be like “we need to check out more stuff, please let us and don’t get mad”.
My husband has to go to VA to start his new job in just over a week! While I stay here with the kids and dog. I’m not looking forward to that.
It’s good to hear how all of you are doing and I can’t wait to be more settled and able to spend more time here again soon!
Nothing super exciting has happened here. Hank spent this past week in VBS and it’s been lovely to watch him learn some new songs. He had a lovely new teacher at VBS but it’s always slightly hard on my heart to share why Hank has a hard time with words. Telling a stranger that your baby had a stroke always makes my soul crack a smidge. Singing seems to be easier for him than I thought it would be.
Autumn, Denver and Eric survived camp. I’m happy they are home but their laundry smelled horrible. Next time I’ll have them burn their clothes before coming home.
My oldest son got his first tattoo and it’s such a tattoo. It’s completely him and it’s strange to have a kid old enough to make that kind of solo choice. He also told him that he’s thinking of getting his own apartment soon- I was not ready for that. He’s almost finished with college so I suppose it about time.
Denver’s “parole” officer called this week and it was a quick, sharp slap in the face that this trauma is still going on in the background of our life.
My favorite giggle moment this week was when I was Marco/Polo-ing some fellow lil swipes when Eric decided to yell that his loins were “warm” for me!! He regularly cracks me with his sexy come ons. He’s called me Hott Momma for years unless I’m pregnant then he calls me boobs. Fellow lil swipe Lauren made some stickers for my water bottle and car. We have a thought of great talent in this group!
Our favorite family holiday is the Fourth of July. We hit the beach very early. We eat breakfast and lunch at the beach. Eat loads of boiled peanuts and spend loads of time in the ocean. It’s such a centering day for us and I’m ready for it.
Please know that my DMs are always open, if you to vent, unload or need prayer I’m ya girl! 🤎
Much love to favorite internet gang in all the land!!
Morning all. It’s been a week (or more?) since I was here. I still have my Fridays off but since it’s summer I do not have the house to myself and my almost 11 year old does not want to watch me be on my phone (which is fair).
We had planned to go to my parents house for the holiday and without going into all the details, our plans changed because of choices of some of my family members and now we not only have no plans for the weekend but we also have no groceries. I’m still mad about the whole thing and it’s been 48+ hours since it all started.
Also, I think I’ve mentioned here before that I am dealing with a uterine fibroid. I have seen another doctor and my options are (1) do nothing, (2) have a procedure that cuts off blood flow to the fibroid (said procedure may or may not work and if it does, may or may not be permanent), or (3) have a hysterectomy. I don’t need to tell you none of these feel like great options. So, if anyone here has dealt with these and has treated them and had a good experience (or not good), and doesn’t mind sharing, I’d be grateful. I only know one person who has had one of these procedures but would like to get more first hand stories. Obviously I have to make my own decision but I don’t even know what all to consider. And if you don’t want to comment here, my ig handle is @laurabeth421-feel free to send me a dm there.
All that to say, this week has not only not met my expectations but has been really not great. I am determined to find something to do to redeem this weekend but so far am coming up with nothing.
My big treasure this week is a planned trip to Houston at the end of August to meet up with some fellow swipes and I really cannot wait!
I’m off to drink some coffee and try to figure out something to entertain the kiddo today while we have more rain! Hope everyone is able to enjoy their weekend.
I took the week off to move, which means I'm here in the daylight hours for probably the last time till I leave my job in October. Please clap.
Thanks to some lease/landlord drama, I had to move from my weird little old lady house which I loved with all my heart into a tiny trailer. I'm on the same property, which means I get to see my landlord's truck in "my" carport everytime I come up the driveway. (He's the landlord! It's his property and his carport! I'm just frustrated that I didn't get to leave on my own terms.) Also working on finding someplace to put my porch furniture so me and the dog can sit outside comfortably, when we had a perfectly good porch. My dog is thus far not impressed with the whole situation. Also any tips for tiny space living are welcome.
Silver linings of current living situation:
- My TV fits in the TV spot, which I was concerned about as I suspect Netflix is about to become a more important member of the household.
- The trailer comes with recliners, which I have been pining after my whole adult life.
Team USA women's gymnastics talking to Hoda - Momma Simone and Momma Hoda are not gonna let anyone come for their girls: https://youtu.be/N8uqgja8pnw
I'm going to see my BFF in TN over Labor Day, so I have something to look forward to and get me through the rest of the summer.
I'm so happy to hear updates from everyone! What a week! I'm still recovering from a busy week riding the coattails of a solo camping trip, but it was all worth it. I camped, I made a fire, I hiked with 400 other people up to Mt. LeConte (almost to the top, but I couldn't make it that far), and drove around listening to John Denver and Rhiannon Giddens all weekend. The best.
I'm so ready for the three day weekend and turning down the a/c on the 4th of July for a cool day inside. :)
Lots of love to you all!
Greetings, sweet swipes! One of my treasures was having time to read thru the comments today 😍😍 y’all my favorite.
💚 Still enjoying the emotional and spiritual fullness from being at youth group camp last week and processing some things that were very clear to me in the best way, while returning to work physically tired. A long weekend is def another treasure. Between lovely follow up conversations with friends, sleeping in my own bed, walks with my sweet pup, i am taking it slow and trying to soak in all the goodness that continues to pour out.
💚 My bffs in Oregon had their baby this week, and I am so excited to be Auntie J to her. Been loving all the pics and dreaming of getting to meet her in person.
💚 And after a pause, some Tiktoks!
▪️In the Heights Secondary Character POV - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQmdL2/
▪️Opera, but add drums - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQ4nd9/
▪️If you miss Emperor’s New Groove, dis is for you - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQxU7R/
▪️VBS dances - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQucwg/
▪️Heaven or a White Straight Man’s Instagram - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQaCt6/
▪️Camp vibes - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQ45cS/
▪️Much more helpful than that lady yesterday - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQBrj9/
▪️This is unhinged, but I could not stop laughing - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQHN62/
▪️i2i appreciation post - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQmDMu/
▪️Whew if this ain’t a mood for me 👀 - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQmRNy/
▪️Dating realities - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQxEEN/ / https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQXdcf/
▪️Loki/The Good Place theory (spoilers from ep 3) - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduCYjKX/
▪️Doing better at this, but I felt this one in my soul - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduQnK7f/
▪️And a Cars conspiracy theory - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMduC8qKF/
Def read Brittney Spencer as Britney Spears at first and thought that paragraph was sarcasm transitioning into an announcement of the new Britney Spears country single. That was a ride.
Hi Lil Swipes!
I want to first say thank you for all the kind responses on my comment about my father in law passing away. You all were truly so thoughtful and supportive. Looking back, I probably could have left some details out so sorry if that was TMI or triggering for anyone.
I’m leaning hard into treasures this week because I need them:
- My therapist (A++) who has been exactly what I need each week. Yesterday, we talked about a “Not to Do” list and how to use those principles to help me determine what truly has to get done and what can be removed or slipped.
- Olive & June polish systems - just gave myself a fresh Grape Soda mani & pedi and it’s totally boosted my mood.
- All of my friends, neighbors and coworkers that have sent their support, GrubHub gift cards, cooked us meals, sent flowers, etc. Our support systems have been incredible.
- Relatedly, Kraft lunchables which have been the easiest way to “I can’t even” with the kids right now for dinner. I’m leaning into this season of “life is hard” and not adding any guilt or stress worrying about that right now. They are fed and happy!
- The new NEEDTOBREATHE single I just saw on my Spotify (collab with Carrie Underwood!)
- My cold brewing jar that just arrived in one day (h/t to Bri McKoy!)
Going to be catching up on comments today! Hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July (for my fellow Americans 🇺🇸)
Is it okay to post here with nary a Treasure to speak of? I mean, yeah, there have been good days but nothing major. Though nothing disastrous, either. Just the usual Sister-Who-Can’t-Just-Accept-Things-As-They-Are with my mom and her struggles (she thinks she and her husband know better than me who is caregiving on the daily 🙄), and the also-usual sleep struggles that continue to plague me (have I slept since yesterday at 2pm? No, I have not). But otherwise, June has been just another month of the same old year and a half. Which I guess is good, all things considered?
Let me offer up a giant piece of advice for anyone who needs it: DO NOT use your sleepless hours diving down the rabbit hole of Dementia and its Stages and How to Best Care for Your Loved One. (I have saved 40 articles in Evernote for “future reference.”) But if you DO spend your time that way, DO NOT share with the Fix-It-Sister that one single article about how to communicate well with your loved one at each stage. Trust me. It won’t end well. (Basically, there’s denial and a belief that Mom will get better.) 🤦🏻♀️
I’m thankful for all your stories, fellow Swipettes. You are Light and Joy. (so many capital letters this morning!)
Oh! I do have one “Treasure” thought to share! I read the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel yesterday and when the scripture told of the Spirit coming down to Jesus at his baptism and God saying, “This is my Son in whom I am pleased”… I had a thought I’d never had before: When God is pleased with me, He’s gonna make that known. 🤯 I’ve always known that God loves me more than I can comprehend, but I never thought about listening closely to hear His praise. You can bet I’ll be paying much closer attention from now on! I don’t wanna miss that acknowledgment from my Creator and King! 🙌🏻
Praying fir all of you to hear Him, too. ❤️
Happy Friday!
Well, here we are again. It's a holiday weekend and the weather is absolutely gorgeous in Chicagoland. After what felt like 40 days of rain, low humidity and a breeze got us out to our favorite upick blueberry patch early this morning, despite everyone deciding against the dry cereal I packed for a car breakfast and making dippy eggs instead. Nonetheless, picking blueberries was delightful, and the fresh scones we grabbed are delicious. We are on our way home now, listening to The Mouse and The Motorcycle, and I'm tickled that B.D. Wong narrates!
Ok friends, share all your blueberry recipes because we have at least 5-7 pounds (my children, who usually will not touch a blueberry, claim now they will eat "outside blueberries" and picked with the best of them).
Also, Loki?!!? PLEASE DISCUSS.
Finally, friends, I went on a girls weekend trip to Holland, MI, last week and fell in love with the beaches in Michigan. The fudge from Kilwins definitely helped. So glad we are heading back as a family in August!
Enjoy your weekend!!!
Hello! It's been a minute. All three kids were at sleep away camp week before last, and my husband took the week off. It was glorious, and made us a little sad that it's still another seven years before we're empty nesters.
Last week was vbs, and our 13-year-old nephew stayed with us, so it was a marathon of high-energy little kids in the morning and touristy activities in the afternoon. My body very kindly waited until this Monday to drop-kick me with a cold -I've been out of commission pretty much all week.
I applied for a full time job at my church last week, and am interviewing next Wednesday. It's bizarre because I haven't been looking for a job at all, in fact my woodworking business has been pretty steady and I'm in a pretty content place, just wrangling the kids and trying to keep the house from descending into chaos. I just finished reading The Making of Biblical Womanhood and Virgin Nation (thanks for both recs, Erin!), and there's still a little corner of my brain that wonders how I can consider working for pay when it will cause so much turmoil in our family (at least initially). I'm trying to banish that corner to the complementarian pit from which it came, but when you've been raised on James Dobson for over 40 years, it takes awhile, you know? Never mind that nothing has been decided and I'm only applying for this position (Director of Communications) because it's super flexible and within my skill set. So! That's what's up around here. I'll let you know next week how it goes!
Morning, Swipes! This week has been a week - no major highs or lows, just kinda...was. I'm in the final weeks of pregnancy, and my 41 year-old body is over it, which is starting to make me more irritable. The little things my other 3 kids do that usually roll off my back are making me crazy, and I know it's hormones, but if I have to tell them to put the milk away or use their words or shut that dang door one more time I am going to pull my hair out.
Some quick treasures:
- my grocery store started carrying these dragon fruit smoothie packs https://www.amazon.com/Pitayaplus-Smoothie-Sparefruit-Organic-14/dp/B07894PJ76/ and they are my new favorite addition to my smoothies. I love how bright pink they make my drinks!
- Loki - I've been looking forward to each new episode every week!
- Matthew Pierce's "pick two" tweets had me giggling: https://twitter.com/MatthewEPierce/status/1410269936392548354
https://twitter.com/MatthewEPierce/status/1410322623435771905
- Some other favorite tweets this week:
Bookstores: https://twitter.com/ravenbookstore/status/1409576528590131209
Excellent thread on scared parents: https://twitter.com/devi_writes/status/1410520829310365699
For sure this is going to be my boys in a few years: https://twitter.com/PriscillaShirer/status/1410584393622687744
Important VeggieTales debate: https://twitter.com/bobsmietana/status/1408953619114823685
Yes and amen: https://twitter.com/HeatherTDay/status/1410601073937555460
Loki Spoiler-ish, but also so funny: https://twitter.com/leeWainwright19/status/1410681665337368581
Hope everyone has a fun, safe, restorative weekend!
I don’t have much to discuss this week, but I just gotta say that those last 2 tweets are SPEAKING AND PREACHING the truth of this enneagram 8’s heart.
Hello from sunny Arizona! This week has been pretty standard, just doing homework and reading books. I just finished The Other Black Girl and The Guest List both good suspenseful reads.
I was able to cut out some sewing projects, though when I'll actually be able to make this is uncertain.
I'm in AZ for a long weekend with my college girl friends. E lives in Phoenix and will come visit us, so it's high time we returned the favor and came to her. It's hot. We went on a walk at 10pm, it was hot.
Hi everyone!
Just a quick comment this morning because I'm feeling all the anxiety with no real reason (my shoulder are so tense that they've hurt constantly for the past three days, but I keep telling my husband I'm not stressed! Even though I always am!?).
My mother-in-law surprised us (everyone) by coming to Florida last week (she lives in WA). Fortunately she has a lot of other family in the area, so she's not staying with us (yet), but also, I like plans! I don't want surprises! (maybe there is a reason I'm stressed?)
A treasure: I went to Tarpon Springs this week with my sister and her husband. We ate Greek food, went to the beach, and watched half of a Harry Potter movie, which was super fun!
See you all in the comments!
Hey there, lil' swipes! The past two weeks I've been too tired to do more than like posts, but I wanted to engage this morning. Y'all consistently make my day better, so thanks for that.
Thank you for sharing Brittney Spencer, Erin! I love country and can't wait to dive into her stuff.
A turd:
- Things are still going well with Real Life Crush but I've realized I'm ready to take a step forward and I don't know if he is...and I'm terrified to ask. Especially since we had a miscommunication a week after our first date where he thought I was asking for a DTR and I definitely was NOT, so... yeah, I'm terrified. Prayers and thoughts for courage would be amazing.
Some treasures:
- I found an affordable rug for my patio and it makes the spot so much brighter and welcoming! Now I'm just having to refrain from buying hundreds of dollars worth of patio furniture to complete the look haha.
- I'm the last person in the world to find Michael Aldag but these videos about subtitles https://www.instagram.com/p/CMzY9nJDdn2/ and telling someone about a show you just watched https://www.instagram.com/reel/COSHvyWjU18/ had me cackling this week (warning: he's Irish so there is some language).
- I've been following @charaiacallabrass for a while now, but her writing this week has been such a balm. https://www.instagram.com/charaiacallabrass/
- This post (2 of 2) about a sanitation worker in New York City almost made me cry https://www.instagram.com/p/CQmdjSJHyPp/
Two requests:
- I'm collecting Angry Girl Music for my 20 minute commute home from a stressful job because blaring music with the windows down is cheaper than kickboxing classes. Send me your bangers, please! Any and all genres. Also I was homeschooled so don't assume I've heard anything.
- What the heck do y'all do with your eyebrows? It's a new frontier for me, but I think I'm ready. Favorite (simple) products would be appreciated!
You're a doll if you just read all of that. I love you each. I hope your weekend is restorative. In ways you may not even be able to ask for. Can't wait to catch up!
Hello, everyone! I’m popping back in and will probably make zero sense because moving is hard and extremely exhausting both mentally and physically.
Last week, we traveled to my grandparents’ to see my mom (who lives overseas), and I got to see my brothers and sisters-in-law for the first time since Christmas 2019, AND to meet my baby niece! She is a sweet, delightful chunk and I love being an aunt.
Because our new/old town is about 45 minutes away, we also spent time house hunting and had two offers rejected. We hunted again the last day we were there, with the kids that time, and my son ended up carsick and throwing up for half of our trip back home. A house we found that day accepted our offer! Still a bit unsure because the inspection showed some moisture in the basement and it’s a bit delicate to be like “we need to check out more stuff, please let us and don’t get mad”.
My husband has to go to VA to start his new job in just over a week! While I stay here with the kids and dog. I’m not looking forward to that.
It’s good to hear how all of you are doing and I can’t wait to be more settled and able to spend more time here again soon!
Good morning!
Nothing super exciting has happened here. Hank spent this past week in VBS and it’s been lovely to watch him learn some new songs. He had a lovely new teacher at VBS but it’s always slightly hard on my heart to share why Hank has a hard time with words. Telling a stranger that your baby had a stroke always makes my soul crack a smidge. Singing seems to be easier for him than I thought it would be.
Autumn, Denver and Eric survived camp. I’m happy they are home but their laundry smelled horrible. Next time I’ll have them burn their clothes before coming home.
My oldest son got his first tattoo and it’s such a tattoo. It’s completely him and it’s strange to have a kid old enough to make that kind of solo choice. He also told him that he’s thinking of getting his own apartment soon- I was not ready for that. He’s almost finished with college so I suppose it about time.
Denver’s “parole” officer called this week and it was a quick, sharp slap in the face that this trauma is still going on in the background of our life.
My favorite giggle moment this week was when I was Marco/Polo-ing some fellow lil swipes when Eric decided to yell that his loins were “warm” for me!! He regularly cracks me with his sexy come ons. He’s called me Hott Momma for years unless I’m pregnant then he calls me boobs. Fellow lil swipe Lauren made some stickers for my water bottle and car. We have a thought of great talent in this group!
Our favorite family holiday is the Fourth of July. We hit the beach very early. We eat breakfast and lunch at the beach. Eat loads of boiled peanuts and spend loads of time in the ocean. It’s such a centering day for us and I’m ready for it.
Please know that my DMs are always open, if you to vent, unload or need prayer I’m ya girl! 🤎
Much love to favorite internet gang in all the land!!
~Erin
Morning all. It’s been a week (or more?) since I was here. I still have my Fridays off but since it’s summer I do not have the house to myself and my almost 11 year old does not want to watch me be on my phone (which is fair).
We had planned to go to my parents house for the holiday and without going into all the details, our plans changed because of choices of some of my family members and now we not only have no plans for the weekend but we also have no groceries. I’m still mad about the whole thing and it’s been 48+ hours since it all started.
Also, I think I’ve mentioned here before that I am dealing with a uterine fibroid. I have seen another doctor and my options are (1) do nothing, (2) have a procedure that cuts off blood flow to the fibroid (said procedure may or may not work and if it does, may or may not be permanent), or (3) have a hysterectomy. I don’t need to tell you none of these feel like great options. So, if anyone here has dealt with these and has treated them and had a good experience (or not good), and doesn’t mind sharing, I’d be grateful. I only know one person who has had one of these procedures but would like to get more first hand stories. Obviously I have to make my own decision but I don’t even know what all to consider. And if you don’t want to comment here, my ig handle is @laurabeth421-feel free to send me a dm there.
All that to say, this week has not only not met my expectations but has been really not great. I am determined to find something to do to redeem this weekend but so far am coming up with nothing.
My big treasure this week is a planned trip to Houston at the end of August to meet up with some fellow swipes and I really cannot wait!
I’m off to drink some coffee and try to figure out something to entertain the kiddo today while we have more rain! Hope everyone is able to enjoy their weekend.