Sports {preview for the next post}

 

I graduated college in the spring of 2005. With Greg, my college sweetheart.

 

We married just a few months after this pic.

 

 

Feels like yesterday, but also like forever ago. Anyone else?

 

 

Anyway, this blog was started a few years after I graduated. Most of my blog posts nowadays are about marriage, kids, decorating and the like. Therefore, leaving out a very large part of my life. Something that has shaped me in SO many ways.


SPORTS.

There was a time when my life literally revolved around sports for many, many, many years.
 

I was a two-sport athlete through high school and college. I played volleyball in the fall every year since I was in 6th grade. I would get a short break in the winter and would start back up again in the spring playing on a traveling club team. I also ran track every spring during the school year as well. I say "ran" but I really only did one event, the high jump.

Most of my memories as a student-athlete are filled with practices, smelly uniforms, late-night bus rides, wins, losses, pre-season training, out-of-season training, and goofing around with teammates on and off the court.

It was pretty much my entire life, and I truly loved every minute of it.

Cornerstone University
Women's Volleyball Team 2003

I studied hard and got pretty good grades. But all I could think about was the next season in terms of sports. I still joke that playing volleyball and running track were my biggest motivators for getting through college. And I'm so thankful I had the privilege of being on so many amazing teams.



Cornerstone University Women's track team
2003? WHAC Champs!
 



2004 Indoor Nationals--with my jump coach (far left) and fellow high jumpers who all qualified for Nationals that year.

2005 Outdoor Nationals. Can you find me in the back row?

 This is all just some background info for my next post (which I can hopefully get up and running soon). I had the honor of receiving a special award last Wednesday that has resurfaced many of my track and volleyball memories.

And looking back, it's something I feel God leading me to share with you all.

So come back tomorrow to see, okie dokie?

***
 



Germs

Welp, looks like it's our turn!

It's that lovely time of year when the germs start to spread...gotta love winter! 

NOT.


Kensie and Mason are down for the count with the following symptoms:


Fevers. 
Coughing. 
Tight chests. 
Watering eyes. 
Waking up in the middle of the night (from coughing so hard). 
No appetite. 
Wanting to be held ALL day long.

Their fevers finally dropped this morning, and they both ate a good breakfast. I think they are on the upswing (slowly) but I was pretty darn close to taking them to the doc's today! (I spoke with a nurse over the phone who assured me they probably have a mild version of influenza but based on their symptoms and the fact that they've both had a flu shot, they'd probably recover fine on their own. BUT, if they got worse to make sure to bring them in! Yes ma'am.).

But in hopes of trying to be positive around here...

{1} I'm SO thankful our kids are not in school yet. It seems like the yuckiest of all germs get spread like wildfire in that setting and there's no telling what they'll come home infected with! 

{2} Greg and I have not "caught" anything yet so I can spend all my energy comforting our poor sick kiddos. 

{3} I'm reminded of the blessing it is to be a stay at home mom in this type of situation. I don't have to worry about taking time off, or finding alternative child-care. I love being home, despite the hard work.

{4} No puke or diarrhea. Praise the Lord above!

It feels like we're on a "two-weeks-healthy-followed-by-one-week-sick" cycle. 

*sigh*

Is it summer yet???

***

{Heart} inspired

I don't usually do a whole lot for Valentines Day. But I still love ALL the creativity out there for holidays such as these. 

Greg and I will exchange cards (maybe a gift), possibly make some heart shaped food, perhaps a craft with the kids, and hopefully a date night without the little ones! But I don't really decorate for V-Day, nor do I care to. It's too hard to keep up with all the holidays sometimes, that I just say NO. I stick to Christmas, and that's about it. And I feel quite happy with that.

Anyway, enough rambling.



Here's my favorite {heart} inspired pins...

Source: societybride.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: pizzazzerie.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: inspirationlane.tumblr.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: familyofcrums.blogspot.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: penniesonaplatter.com via Shannon on Pinterest

I love the colors in those cookies!

Source: Uploaded by user via Shannon on Pinterest

Every year starting on Feb 1st they wake up to a new heart on their door that says something you love about them. By Valentine's Day they have 14 reasons and their gift is waiting when they wake up:)

Source: groopdealz.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: emmajanenation.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: recipebyphoto.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Whether you go "all out" or keep it simple this year, whatever you decide to do for Valentines, do it with tremendous love friends. 

***

A gentle resolution...

I've decided I'm not a big resolution person. I think it's good to evaluate life every year and try to make positive changes. But take my inner competitiveness, major procrastination, and discouragement when I fail (I'm still working on it people)....honestly, resolutions are a recipe for disaster in my book. But then I saw this, and thought....

"Now that's a resolution I could aspire to EVERY year!" 

I just love this...

Source: spiritualinspiration.tumblr.com via Shannon on Pinterest

No pressure. 

Just a gentle resolution to "Look".

Happy New Year friends.

***

Invincible summer and some soup

Packed up the Christmas stuff last night.

I usually wait until New Years Day but I was feeling ambitious yesterday. A little claustrophobic too, perhaps. The holiday decor was crowding me in and the house needed to take a long, deep breath.

Anyway, it was time.

It seems like it gets to be more work every year--this whole packing up the Christmas stuff. But, I'm okay with it. I love transforming the house every few months. When the mantel is finally clutter free and all cleaned off, I get quite excited. I imagine it's the same if you were a watercolor painter who was just given a clean, white canvas, and someone said "Okay, GO!"

With summer on the brain, I just couldn't help myself....

The giant ship, white lantern and two starfish in frames are from TJ Maxx--golly, I love that store.

The shells were all from our cruise when we stopped in the Bahamas--such good reminders of the fun we had there.

The vintage lantern on the left was a sweet gift from my Mama and Terry back when they got married.

I found the tall sea-glass bottle at a local antique store.

Source: Uploaded by user via Shannon on Pinterest

Last year, I decided that the best way for me go from "surviving" Michigan winters to actually enjoying them is to have a better attitude about it. Part of that is determined by how I decorate our home. If I can keep a beachy, warm feel inside our home even though it's blustery and snowy outside (which it currently is), then I can at least imagine that it's summer. It's surprising how much it lifts my spirits!

And it doesn't hurt to try a yummy new soup recipe to warm up during these chilly winter evenings!

Source: chezus.com via Shannon on Pinterest

This one is really tasty, although not super filling. I would add a ham and cheese panini to make it a full meal.


So, that's 'bout it around here!

Stay warm friends.

***

Christmas highlights

It's been a whirlwind of Christmas parties and events these past couple o' days.

I'm on day 10 of being sick with a cold. It started the day after arriving home from our cruise (thank goodness I wasn't sick on vacation!). I had absolutely no voice for three days, followed by lots of snot, congestion, and now this nasty cough that keeps me up at night. With three parties in a row over the weekend, I just have not had enough sleep yet to kick it out of my system.

Here's a few highlights from our weekend...

(I forgot to take pics at all the parties, so these are only from my sisters house and our house)

Thankfully, today was the first day we didn't have a party or have to go anywhere. Just a quiet morning at home with our little family of four, opening presents, wearing our PJ's all day, catching up on sleep in the afternoon, reading the story of baby Jesus, doing crafts, and playing with our new toys. 

I'm reminded just how blessed I am and how faithful our God is.

I pray your Christmas was blessed and filled with joy this season.

And in case you like watching a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds singing out of tune, this video is for you...
(Kensie's in the black dress with the white fuffy headband)

***

My sister knows me well

Sisters from left to right--Lauren, Katelyn, Gretchen, Me

My sister, Lauren.

She's two years younger than me. Out of all five of us siblings, we are the closest in age.

However, we were not very close growing up. In fact, I remember despising each other at times. We each had different skills and interests that we excelled in. But there was always this sense of "competition" between who could be better at their certain skill set. We would quietly steal each others clothes and find out later when a picture would turn up of me wearing her shirt without permission, or her wearing my hat--boy do I remember how mad that made me! We would race each other to the shower in the mornings before school to maximize the time spent getting ready. And we especially had a hard time "sharing" the same friends.

But, ever since we both graduated college, got married and moved on in life, we are truly two peas in a pod. 

Sisters and friends for life.

It's more than just understanding each other. We've walked through rough times together. We've bonded on so many more levels than I ever knew existed. Part of me wishes we would have been nicer to each other in our growing up years. But the other part knows that looking back doesn't matter. What matters is the now. 

One thing we definitely have in common is decorating. Really, anything home-related. We've been known to tell the other about a new light fixture we just bought, only to find out the other already bought it! True story.

And when it comes to home improvement, nobody does a better job than Lauren and Dave (her hubby).

Just to give you an idea, here's what they've done to their house...

 This is not a joke. Their old house is hiding in there somewhere!

Anyway, this is how much my little Lauren loves us...

While Greg and I were on our cruise, sneaky little LoLo brought her hubby to our house to get to work. When Greg and I arrived home last Saturday night here's the first thing we saw..

In case you're not sure what your're looking at...

It's a BRAND NEW FREAKING GARAGE DOOR! Purchased and installed by Lauren and Dave.

Ours used to be a lovely poop brown color, with a motor that decided to quit working this past July. We wanted to replace it before winter but...you know how projects go around here. Wasn't gonna happen.

Anyway, Lauren got us the exact {carriage style} door I would have picked out myself!!

This is just one example of how well my sister knows me. She knows my style without even asking, she studies my life and knows that Greg does not have extra time to work on our house, and she knows I absolutely LOVE surprises. :)

Thank you LoLo. 

I love you little sis.

***