Happy Tuesday, y’all! We had a busy, but good week, and today I’m recapping it all here on the blog!
Monday, April 21
Monday, the kids were out of school for Easter Monday, so we slept in, and it was nice to have the bonus day with nowhere to be. Brian did have to work, but he worked from home, so he was able to sleep in a bit, too.
We woke up to the news that Pope Francis had passed away, and we were all so sad. He was such a great man… the epitome of the hands and feet of Jesus – kind, compassionate, inclusive, and always reaching out to the marginalized first. He will be missed dearly, and I pray that our Catholic church ends up with another Pope who is as beautiful a human as Pope Francis was.
For breakfast, I made cinnamon rolls since we didn’t have them on Sunday, and then after breakfast, I went to my office to continue organizing the pictures I’d transferred from my phone to my computer over the weekend. I usually finish that task on Sunday, but since Sunday was Easter, I didn’t spend much time working in my office, and that was also the day that half of the pictures and videos transferred as broken files, so I’d spent hours emailing them all to myself. Not fun.
Midway through the morning, my friend Shaun (he DJs for me for school events) called me to talk about an upcoming event at the school that he was trying to work into his schedule, but couldn’t. We chatted for a few minutes, and then it was time for me to get my booty in gear and get some stuff done.
First up, the kids and I cleaned out all of their old candy to make room for their new Easter candy. They had a bunch since we’d done an egg hunt, plus their grandparents had given them some as well.
Their candy buckets are stored in cabinets in our kitchen island along with all of their plastic cups, thermoses, plates, etc. While we were cleaning out the candy buckets, I figured we might as well clean out the entire cabinet, and we got rid of a ton of old cups that they’ve outgrown. We also got all of Olivia’s Stanley accessories organized (she has a ton – LOL), so it was nice to have that all organized since it has been a hot mess. I totally forgot to take a “before” picture (blogger fail), but here’s the glorious “after” picture and just trust me when I say that it’s 1000 times better.
The only problem is that it’s the night after The Lumineers, so we’ll either be driving up Saturday and spending the night to stay for Brandon Lake the next night, or we’re going to be driving up and back to Atlanta two nights in a row. YOLO. Lol.
The tickets had just gone on sale for the second show, so I managed to snag floor seats right by the stage catwalk (EEEEK!). I reeeeally want to go and I hope we can make it work!!
After the tickets were purchased, I made grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, and then the kids went outside for a bit. I watered all of the plants inside and out, and then I got my planner ready for the week ahead since I hadn’t had time to do that on Sunday either.
I also got some Target returns ready, I finished organized my pictures, I worked on my blog post for Tuesday, I started my blog post for Wednesday, I moved 50 alumni from the old spreadsheet to the new database, and I did my Bible study.
Brian went to Walmart for a few essentials once he was off of work, and then we made a frozen pizza for dinner. We’ve officially reached the point in the school year where things are bonkers, and cooking is the last thing on my mind. Haha.
After dinner, we all went outside and got Olivia’s sunflowers planted. Brian tilled the soil, and we planted all seven of the seeds. This year, she picked out the massive traditional sunflowers, so there were only seven seeds in the package. I’m hoping at least a few of them will bloom. Fingers crossed!
Tuesday, April
22
Tuesday morning, none of us wanted to get up early after our four-day weekend, but sadly, it was time to go back to school! After I dropped the kids off, I headed straight to my ENT doctor’s office for a vertigo checkup. He told me that everything still looks good from an ENT standpoint, and he told me that he truly believes that my braces/rubber bands/drastic jaw change is the primary cause of my vertigo and dizziness as he believes it caused my cervical spine to get out of whack, causing my vestibular system to also get out of whack since it rests on the atlas at the top of the cervical spine.
While I was doing pretty well for a while, I have started having issues again recently with dizziness and unsteadiness because I have been wearing my rubber bands for so long after a very long hiatus. We brainstormed together to come up with a few more things I can try to get some relief – he recommended getting Botox in my jaw and neck (there is a medical doctor here in town who does it for medical purposes), but that has always scared me a little. He told me that I should probably just wait until the braces come off before pursuing that anyway, so I’m happy to hold off on that.
I also talked to him about upper cervical chiropractic care (which is not the same as typical chiropractic care). It’s extremely specialized and we do not have a doctor who does it here in town, so he isn’t very knowledgeable about it. He researched it while we were together and we discussed it for a bit, and he said that it sounded like another good route to pursue, especially since my issues are stemming from the upper cervical area. That could also possibly correct the root cause whereas Botox would just be a temporary fix.
He also confirmed that my issue sounds like it could be two-fold and that while most of the issue appears to be stemming from my cervical spine, based on the symptoms I’ve had throughout the years (prior to having vertigo) that it sounds like I could also be experiencing mild vestibular migraines. He said that the VNG test that they issued right after my vertigo started typically reveals when vestibular migraines are the cause, but it’s not always black and white.
Gosh, I love being a medical enigma, SAID NO ONE EVER. Haha.
While he can’t do much for me at this point, I’m grateful that he hasn’t abandoned me like most of my other doctors have. He said that he will continue to monitor me (especially for hearing loss or any other changes that could happen with the vestibular system), and we will continue to brainstorm together until I get through this. He is truly the best.
After my appointment, I had to head straight back to the school and church because Jacob had his Eighth Grade Pinning Ceremony. At this ceremony, each of the high school seniors secure a school pin to the lapels of each of the eighth graders who will be attending high school at our school next year. Almost all of Jacob’s entire class is coming back for high school next year, with only a few transferring to other schools, and I’m so excited that he and all of his friends will continue their journey together.
On the way to the school, I swung by the library to return a book, and then I arrived at the church early, so I was able to get a front seat right behind the eighth-grade class. Brian and my father-in-law joined me for Mass and the ceremony afterwards, and my parents attended the ceremony, too.
It was such a sweet thing to see, and it made me tear up… I just cannot believe that my first baby is going to be in high school next year. It just doesn’t seem possible.
We snapped some pictures afterward, and then we stopped in the parking lot on the way out to chat with my friend, Shaun, who just happened to be picking something up from the school office as we were leaving.
In the car line, I caught up on a few emails, and then I grabbed Olivia. We went to Chick-Fil-A after school because Jacob had Velocity, and it’s pointless to drive all the way home since we have to be back to get him at four, so Olivia got a milkshake, and we sat in the restaurant together. While she enjoyed her shake, I quizzed her for her social studies test the next day, and then we went to pick up Jacob.
We all headed home, Olivia got changed quickly, and then she and I headed right back out to get her to dance.
When I got home, I worked some more on my blog post, but I still couldn’t get it done, so I punted and put up yet another “oopsie” post for Wednesday. By that time, it was so late that I did my quiet time, and I had to skip my Bible study so I could go get dinner ready. I made beef and parmesan pasta with zucchini while listening to my Gracie Abrams record, and I even had a glass of wine while I cooked. I do love a good glass of wine and a good record (and my yummy oils diffusing) while I cook. It makes a task that I do not love (cooking) so much more enjoyable! :o)
When Brian and Olivia got home from dance, we all sat down and had dinner, and then I skipped my workout for the evening because I was still so behind on everything since the picture sorting and blog post had taken up my entire day. Instead, I tied up some loose ends while the kids showered, but I still felt so behind.
We got the kids in bed after that, and then Brian and I started the second episode of the second season of The Last of Us, but we didn’t finish it because I was so tired.
Wednesday, April 23
Wednesday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I finally went to Walmart and Publix to do our grocery shopping. It was long overdue.
When I got home, I put the groceries away, I watered the plants, and then I worked on my blog post that I’d been working on for days.
I had to stop mid-morning to go to the doctor. I had to see my GYN for an emergency visit because I’d been having some pain for several weeks, and after an ultrasound, they were able to see that I had a cyst on my ovary that had ruptured. While very common, I’d never had a cyst before that I knew of (it had been hurting for nearly two months), so it was a relief to hear that everything looked normal and everything was okay. And while this is probably oversharing a bit here, I figured I would just put that out there for any of you ladies who may experience something like this in the future.
When I got home, I made my lunch and brought it upstairs with me, and I finished my blog post for Thursday and started my blog post for Friday. I also transferred 40 of the alumni to the new database.
After school, we all went home. Olivia did her homework and Jacob read for a bit while I got my Bible study done. I also started editing some pictures for a blog post for the next week because I’m trying to get ahead even though it’s been impossible!
I dropped Olivia at dance, and on the way there it started POURING down rain unexpectedly. It poured all the way there and all the way back and, naturally, when I arrived at home, it stopped. Haha.
I made sheet pan sausage, potatoes, peppers, onions, and broccoli for dinner along with cinnamon muffins since they’re Jacob’s favorite, and then Brian and Jacob and I all sat down to eat while Olivia was still at dance. (She eats in the car on the way to dance every Wednesday.)
After the kitchen was all cleaned up, I watered my ferns, and then watched another storm roll in. I’d hoped to get in a walk, but since it was pouring down rain again, I had to stick to an indoor strength workout instead.
When Olivia got home, she showered and we got both kiddos in the bed, and then Brian and I ended our evening with the rest of season two, episode two of The Last of Us, and Y’ALL, I AM SHOOK. SHOOOOOK. I am so shaken that I am still shook as I type this, and it’s been three days.
Thursday, April 24
Thursday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I ran to a big Walmart (not the neighborhood market that I usually go to) to grab some things that we needed that they don’t have at the smaller stores – an extension cord, some indoor plants, sunscreen, etc. And then I went to Target to return a few things that had arrived too late to put in the kids’ Easter baskets. While I was there, I picked up a couple of essentials that we needed + a couple of pairs of play shorts and tops for Olivia for summertime, and then I was on my way to get gas and go home.
I had so much dang stuff to do at home, but I didn’t get nearly as much done as I’d hoped. I ended up having enough time to unpack the shopping stuff, I did my entire blog post for Monday (which was a huge win), I paid three bills, I caught up on some life stuff, I got 40 people moved to the alumni database, and I caught up on some life stuff before it was time to pick up the kids. While that seems like a pretty successful day, it was not considering there were still a million things left on my to do list.
When we got home, it was the usual – homework for Olivia, reading for Jacob, a Bible study for me, and then Brian and I made breakfast for dinner when he got home.
After dinner, we got Jacob all prepped and ready for his class trip to Six Flags over Georgia the next day. It was the first time for him to go, and it was his first outing like this without us, so we had to make sure he was equipped with sunscreen, a phone charger, money, sunglasses, and everything else he’d need.
After that, I got out for a super fast walk and my knees were KILLING me when I got home. My current shoes are crap, so I’m in the market for some new ones. I have always loved Nike Air Pegasus and have worn them for years, but for some reason, my most recent pair has been horrible, and they’ve been giving me knee pain, shin splints, SI joint pain, and toe pain. I finally took the time to research the best walking shoes for bad knees and every single article I came across said to buy HOKAs. Those were never even on my radar, but they are now. And they’re even more expensive than my Nikes. If you are a runner or avid walker, I would love to get your shoe recommendations, especially if you have knee pain when you have bad shoes.
After we got the kids in the bed, Brian and I watched some more SNL and then we headed to bed a little early. I was exhausted.
Friday, April 25
Friday morning, I dropped the kids off at school and Jacob was thrilled because it was class trip day to Six Flags!!!!
I finally had nowhere to be Friday, so I spent the whole day getting organized and doing a ton of things on my to do list – I finally went over the notes for Olivia’s recital and made a list of all of the stuff she needs (5 different kinds/colors of tights and a second pair of ballet shoes in a different color in addition to all of her costumes and accessories… bless), I made a couple of purchases that we needed for upcoming events, I got Jacob’s baby picture and current picture sent over to one of the teachers for their eighth grade slide show, I got signed up for the school auction that ended Sunday evening, I got 50 alumni moved to the new database, I worked on this blog post, aaaand funniest of all, I stalked Jacob on Life360 all day. Hahahaha.
I wanted to make sure they made it to Atlanta okay, and then every now and then I would pop in just to see what he was riding. At one point, when I checked, he was riding the Dahlonega Mine Train and his little icon was zigzagging all over the screen. Haha. Technology is wild.
We drove down to the ice-skating rink after that for the party, and I was so nervous about it. Olivia has only ice skated once, two years ago, and I was out there with her on the ice. She is accident-prone, and I just kept praying for her to not get injured right before her recital that’s coming up next month. Since I’m still having a lot of dizziness, I couldn’t go out there on the ice with her, so I had to watch from afar, and thankfully, she did just fine.
The first hour was private skate time just for the party, so the only kids on the ice were from Olivia’s class. Most of them didn’t really know how to skate either, so they all used the little things that you hold onto for stability. About halfway through, Olivia stopped using that, though, and I was a nervous wreck, but she ended up doing well.
Jacob was sweaty and exhausted and happy and full of stories when we picked him up. He’d had a great day, and it was his first real taste of freedom as the kids were allowed to split up and walk around in groups without adults. The park was closed to the public, and only open for schools that day, so that made me feel more comfortable about the whole situation.
After dinner, the kids got showered, and I had intended to try to get a few things done, but I was just so tired that I opted to lay in the bed in my PJs and scroll my phone for a bit. Sometimes you just need to mindlessly scroll. Haha.
Once the kids were ready for bed, we all went downstairs to watch Inside the Mind of a Dog on Netflix, and I fell straight to sleep. It looked like such a cute documentary, but I just cannot stay awake on Friday nights, especially this time of year when things are so crazy. The mental load is even more exhausting than the physical, in my opinion.
They got a little more than halfway through the documentary, got in the bed, and then Brian and I watched the most recent episode of The Handmaid’s Tale followed by a few minutes of SNL before bed.
Saturday, April 26
Saturday, we slept in, I made homemade waffles, and then I headed to my office to get a few things done – I knocked out some emails, moved 50 people to our alumni database, and did my Bible study. The kids did their laundry and watched some TV, and then Olivia tried on all of her old recital tights from last year. As expected, she had outgrown all but one pair, so I sat down and ordered the four new pairs she needed + her trophy and show USBs (they always have a company record the shows professionally)… I can’t believe her recital is almost here already!! My gosh, time flies!
After that, I got showered and ready for the day, and then we all ate a quick, light lunch before heading to the golf course for Jacob’s city golf tournament. He’s playing on a much bigger course this season since he moved from the B team to the A team, so it’s been a learning experience, but he’s done well considering!
He’d only played on that course a couple of times because a tornado ripped through there earlier in the season and shut it down for several weeks due to the hundreds (thousands, I think it was reported?) of trees that fell when the tornado hit. There was damage everywhere, but the courses were cleared (enough) just in time for the tournament. I took a picture of one of the areas with heavy damage and it’s just crazy how many trees were down.
My extended family had already planned to meet for dinner after church, so we got a few things done at home while we waited for them to get out. The kids both played video games for a bit, and I worked on this blog post.
We met everyone for Mex at 6:45, and then afterward, we went home so all of us could get showered since we were covered in sunscreen.
We got the kids in the bed after that, and then Brian and I watched an episode of The Chosen before heading to bed.
Sunday, April 27
Sunday morning, we did our usual routine – cinnamon rolls for breakfast, yoga, an online sermon, and planning the week ahead for me – and then I also transferred about 50 more alumni to the new database.
After that, I got ready for the day, we all had a light lunch at home, and then we headed to Arts in the Park that my friend, Jessica, had worked so hard on planning for our community.
There were lots of local artists, musicians, and creators with booths, so we were able to browse and shop small businesses. There were also various crafts for the kids to do, lots of food trucks, and live music from a local band + a live string trio. The highlight of the event, though, was a van owned by a local artist that was right in the middle of the park that everyone could paint. The windows, headlights, and various other important parts of the van were covered and taped up, but the body was wide open for painting, and the artist will drive it as his primary vehicle when it’s done. So neat!
Olivia painted a heart and her name, I painted a heart, and then the kids, of course, had to paint some Minecraft things – namely CHICKEN JOCKEY (painted by Olivia) and I am Steve (painted by Jacob). Lol.
Jacob got shaved ice (Tiger’s Blood always and forever for him) and Olivia got a cookie ice cream sandwich. We also took some time to hide the painted rock that we’d found in Nashville at The Ryman Auditorium. I couldn’t think of a better place to do it than at an Arts in the Park event!
My Momma made spaghetti for Sunday dinner, so we hung out with them at their house for the evening, and then we ended the evening with the newest episode of The Last of Us.
And now for some current things…
Currently
Reading
In April, I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and I thought it was just okay. I know that is a beloved book and movie, so I had expected to love it, but it was honestly a little slow for me. I’m now about halfway through Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauen and I am loving it SO much. It is so cute, the main character is so loveable, and I love the concept of the story as it’s about a girl who has been sheltered from the outside world her whole life, and while extremely intelligent, she knows little about pop culture, interacting with others, and technology. She heads off to college as a 22 year old and the book goes from there. It’s a play on Rapunzel, and it’s been a really fun read.
I’m also still reading my devotional for 2025 – Everyday Gospel by Paul David Tripp. I’ll be working on this one all year long.
And, of course, I’m still working my way through the Bible for the second time around, along with my new study… The Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz.
Currently
Watching
With B: In April, B and I finished the third season of The White Lotus, and it was so good. We also started the new seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Last of Us, and we’re still making our way through season three of The Chosen as well as the current season of American Idol. And as always, we whittle away at our backlog of Saturday Night Live and Shark Tank when we need something mindless that we don’t have to give our full attention.
With the Kids: This month, we started and finished Man vs. Bee on Netflix… it was only nine episodes, and each episode is only 10-12 minutes, so it was a quick watch. We also watched Inside the Mind of a Dog on Netflix, and I think that’s about it. This time of year, things are crazy, so we haven’t been watching much with them.
Alone: I’m still listening to music 99% of the time but still watching The Wedding Planner every Sunday afternoon that I work in my office.
Currently
Listening To
Gracie Abrams (still), Judah & the Lion (still), Abe Parker (still), Taylor Swift (always), Dave Matthews Band (always), and various other random new songs that I’ve downloaded recently.
Happy Tuesday, y’all!
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