Good morning! I can’t believe how quickly the weekend flew by. I feel like I have a lot of little updates to share today, and it’s been a while since I’ve done a good, old-fashioned brain dump.

1. Hudson’s tonsillectomy recovery continues to go well. That boy has the highest pain tolerance. It’s almost scary. He sleeps through the night beautifully, but wakes up and says his throat hurts. We’re gradually decreasing his pain meds, but we make sure he gets them right before bed and first thing in the morning. He’s also had a little bit of a “mean” reaction to the anesthesia. Just some typical almost-5-year-old attitude problems. But he’s mostly been a great little patient.

2. My mom came into town on Thursday. She had been helping a friend of ours with some home decor projects in Raleigh. So Peyton and Mom drove in on Thursday. It was fun to visit with Peyton and catch up with her, and mom is staying through Easter. The kids are on Spring Break this week (preschools have Spring Break?) and it is the perfect time for a visit from KK.

3. Todd and I were invited to go with our good friends to The Masters on Friday. I had never been before. It’s only an hour from Columbia, so we just zipped down there for the day. It was such a fun day. So beautiful and relaxing. Augusta National is so impressive. It’s absolutely beautiful, but I was just so impressed with how efficient everything is. (I actually compared it to Disney World, but I don’t know if Todd was amused by that.)

4. We had a great weekend taking care of some house projects and a great morning at church yesterday. I had my monthly girls night with my good friends. We went to Cafe Caturra and then finally went to see Divergent. I liked it! It’s definitely geared toward teens and it’s been a long time since I finished the book, but I liked it a lot.

5. I’m starting the Advocare 24 Day Challenge again after Easter. I’m not sure there’s much else to say about that except that summer is coming and I need a kick in the pants!

6. We flip-flopped on whether or not we’d have a birthday party for Hayes this year or just a family party. We ended up going with something in-between. A small birthday party with his good friends and our family. Should be a lot of fun and seriously low fuss. (I hope.)

Over the past year, I have noticed this trend that I know is intended to inspire. People are becoming cheerleaders. Books and posts and movements have started that are encouraging people to think big. Don’t settle for small. Make an impact. Do great things.

And that is awesome, right?

Except if it’s just not what you want. And not because you don’t want to make an impact, but I just cringe at all the pressure that causes us to question if we’re enough. If we’re doing enough.

For me, I know that it was a good day if I had special moments with my kids where we connect and we really listen to each other. I know that it was a good day if I don’t feel anxiety at bed time over the piles of laundry. I love family meal time, so I know it was a good day if I cooked (and I love to cook!) and we sat down together as a family. I know it was a good day if I made time for the Lord and talked to Him throughout my day. I know it was a good day if I laughed and if I got outside for either exercise or just a walk with my family.

Those things aren’t big. But, to me, they’re not small either. And there are days when some of those things don’t happen. There are even days when none of those things happen. And on those days I don’t want to feel like I failed. But I know that I have to have the little things that light me up and ignite my spirit. So that I can give that same fire to the people I love.

I recently attended Making Things Happen and one of the things I learned is that there are some non-negotiables that fire me up in my every day. And I haven’t always given these things a place in my day. So I wanted to share the list of what fires me up.

dance parties

family walks

time with the Lord first thing in the morning

playing games with the boys

singing

laughing with Todd

fresh flowers

Dance parties around the house are the best. It was my “trick” during the witching hour when the boys were babies and it’s still my trick to distract them until Daddy gets home. They love to dance. Yesterday, a friend came over to visit and we were watching Frozen. Hayes looked like he was just dancing, but he was actually doing every movement that Elsa did. He has seen it enough to sing the song and act out the song exactly like Elsa, and it was truly the funniest thing I’ve ever seen that kid do.

When fresh flowers are in my home, my mood shifts. It sounds silly, but it’s true. So every Sunday, I buy a few inexpensive stems at Trader Joe’s and set them out on the kitchen counter. When I start my morning reading my Bible and praying, it sets the tone for the whole day and I know that I’ve put God first. I love to sing, so I love to have music playing in the house. My mood lifts. Things shift. It could be Fleetwood Mac. It could be Katy Perry. Or it could be worship music.

There are days when Todd and I don’t connect. We’re tired. He’s worked all day and we’ve gotten the boys to bed and we just zone out… and then I fall asleep on the couch. Laughing with him fires me up. He’s the funniest guy I know.

These are the essentials to having my best day. They seem simple, and they really are. But they fire me up and keep me focused on what’s most important in my life.

What’s on your list? What fires you up?

On Friday morning, I got up at a completely unreasonable hour to get ready to catch at 7:00 a.m. flight to Dallas. My best friends from college were all gathering to host and attend a baby shower for our dear friend, Catherine, in Shreveport. Catherine and I were sorority sisters and best friends at Louisiana Tech and then she moved here to Columbia after college for grad school and we lived together here for a year before she moved back to Dallas.

Jennifer and her daughter, Elise, picked me up from the airport on Friday morning, and we headed to get lunch. We needed to kill some time before picking up Malain from the airport. Early Friday morning, I texted Todd and my parents to let them know I boarded and my plane was about to take off for Dallas. And my parents both responded and said that they were in Dallas! (Not sure how we hadn’t figured that out already.)

So Jennifer and I met up with my mom and dad at Taco Diner and had a quick lunch together. But, gosh, it was so good to see them!

After we picked up Malain at the airport, we got back in the car to make the drive to Shreveport for the baby shower. It was Jennifer’s birthday, so we had a lot to celebrate! The road trip was so much fun. It had been way too long since I’d been cooped up with my college friends in car for a road trip.

We got to Shreveport, dropped off Jennifer’s daughter with grandparents, and headed to Superior Grill for a birthday celebration. We met up with Catherine, Kelly, and Grace, and had the best time laughing and telling stories.

(And we have two of the very best photo bombs in the picture below. I can’t stop laughing at the guy’s face or of the curly ponytail coming off the back of Grace’s hair!)

On Saturday morning, we rushed around to put finishing details on all of the baby shower plans. Planning a baby shower long distance is a little interesting, but we pulled it off! We wanted it to be so special for Catherine and for her to feel celebrated and surrounded by loved ones. We’re all so excited about her baby boy!

Because of distances and schedules, I only see these girls a couple of times a year, at most. I’m so thankful for the opportunities to get together to celebrate major milestones or to just get together to talk and laugh about the old days. In recent years, I’ve been a little disappointed in my memory. I just don’t remember many of the little moments from college and there are so many people from high school and college that I’ve just forgotten because I’ve not seen them in 10-15 years.

I loved this weekend so much because, through talking and telling stories, I was able to remember so many events and people that I’ve forgotten over the years. So many memories and road trips and hilarious moments that were just hanging out back there in my rusty memory. These are girls I’ve lived with and traveled with and celebrated marriages and new babies and graduations and job opportunities.

My friendship love tank is full today!