Friday Thoughts

Hello, and happy Friday! One of my goals for the summer is to try to blog at least once a week because I really do love writing and blogging, I just need to find time to If my computer will cooperate....
1. Last night I made an amazing Nutella fruit dip for our small group. I've had the recipe open on my phone browser for a few weeks and finally had the occasion to make it! It's really healthy if you overlook the Nutella, cream cheese, marshmallow cream, and cocoa powder....oh wait, that's the whole recipe. But seriously, my family could eat a whole jar of Nutella at once! That's why I could only make this recipe when I knew I could share it with others.
2. Thursday was our last moms group of the year. I've been with this group for two years now, first as an official MOPS group and this year it was called Moms Connect. I really love having a place to go and fellowship and learn from others moms every week while Eva has fun going to her class. We will  miss it so much over the summer! For the last day we all wrote encouraging notes to each other. Eva and I stopped by Starbucks afterwards and it made me so happy to sit and read all the notes people wrote to me. Thanks, ladies!
3. This week Eva and I also officially finished her three year old school curriculum. I used the ABCJesusLovesMe curriculum this year and I liked it. I will probably use it for next year but I'm not for sure. Over the summer I want to make a plan to work with her a certain amount each week on certain skills so she doesn't forget what we've worked on all year now. And I am MOST excited to do a weekly science activity with her! The curriculum we used didn't have much science and although I had intended to add more in it didn't quite happen. I've already pinned and planned out 12 fun science things to do with her over the summer and I'm really looking forward to it!!!!
4. Spiders. Eww. Our house has a lot of them. It's not like we are filthy people, we just have lots of tall grassy areas all around our home so they come inside somehow. I know for a fact they sneak in because I recently did an extremely thorough vacuuming of all the nooks and crannies and found no spiders, yet there seems to be another one in our house each day. They are mostly some sort of non poisonous grass spider but I still despise them. I feel like they are just waiting somewhere watching me. Get out of my home, creeepers!
5. Like most people we've gotten tons of rain for the past few months. Honestly, I'm kind of still liking it. I used to be a summer lover but now I get too hot. Yeah, I'm that old person now complaining about the heat in Texas. I will take cooler, cloudy days even if it means delaying pool fun.
6. Speaking of pool fun, our neighborhood one opened the first weekend in May but it's been too chilly to venture out there. We did visit the splash pad nearby this week and had fun playing with friends there.
7. Do you notice my blog has no photos? It's because I've become terrible at remembering to take them. I usually snap one a day of Jensen on my phone. Eva doesn't usually want to take a picture so I've decided to let it go with hopes that if I don't make a big deal out of it she will decide to pose again.
8. You know how they tell you to let the house work go and embrace your kids during the years they are little and at home? I'm trying to really embrace that because I know it is true that usually house work can wait. Except then it has a way of creeping back up on you....and eventually there is tons to do. Like I should be mopping right now, but I'm not. Maybe later....
9.  I really want a good summer project, like something crafty. I'm thinking about making one of those wooden boards that look like a ruler and you can record your kids' measurements. I have a good place for it and think I could figure it out. I also want to keep decluttering my home because clutter and stuff makes me feel antsy. If only I had more time...maybe if I keep putting off mopping the floors....
10. And finally, we are officially on STAY-CATION!!! Ryan is off all the next week, except for Sundays, so we plan to live it up! Originally we wanted to go somewhere, but then we remembered that we purchased a home, a minivan, and a NICU baby all in the past year and therefor our vacation fund was at about zero. So instead we are going to take some family time to local fun and relaxation.

5 on Friday

Hello and happy Friday! Here is my 5 on Friday list, although I don't have photos for all of them so some of it is just my thoughts.

1. That face. I LOVE wearing Jensen in my Moby wrap. It is so sweet to feel him up against me and to look down and see those chubby cheeks. I wore Eva in the wrap some but will probably use it even more for Jensen since he is the second child. It helps me be hands free so I can play with Eva and at the same time feel like I am holding him. The best tip I read for the Moby is to put it on at home before you go somewhere if you are planning to wear your baby, that way you aren't struggling with the million yards of fabric dragging along a dirty floor. This tip has been super helpful for me.

2. I mentioned in her 3 1/2 year post that Eva has become quite the little artist. She loves to paint, draw, write with pens - you name it. This is great and it really does calm her down. The only thing is that we are left with tons of paper all over the place. I would use a notebook but with paint that doesn't work. And she doesn't always want to use dry erase type materials. I get it. It is way more fun to make individual drawings. So usually I just let everything sit out for a day, move it to a pile in case she wants to look at it again, and then discreetly recycle papers throughout the week.

3. I got a new {used} minivan! I am waaaayyyy too excited about this. Last week we sold Ryan's truck, he took over my Camry, and I got a Toyota Sienna. In all seriousness, this was my dream car. When Ryan and I were thinking through car options after selling his truck I told him that my dream would be to purchase a used, dependable minivan. A minivan may not be the coolest car ever, but for a mom with multiple kids it is so spacious and convenient. I love that I can open the doors and trunk with a button. Eva can climb in, push the button to shut her door, and buckle herself in her car seat all by herself now. This is huge! I really like the fold down seats in the back so that when we stock up at Costco I can fit all those rolls of toilet paper inside. No more squishing and hoping everything will fit in the car. When we took Eva on her first ride in the van she climbed in and said, "This is so cool! This van is amazing!" Out of the  mouths of babes....

4. On Wednesday we finally headed outdoors to do some yard work. All that melted snow has made for some lovely over grown weeds now. Let me tell you, yard work may not be my favorite thing to do, but it is much better when it is 60 degrees outside and you are not pregnant than when it is 100 degrees in August and you are pregnant.

5. And finally I will end with one of my new resolutions: put down my iPhone. I could defend myself and say that I am "not as bad" as some people about having my phone out, but this is something I feel is really important. Yes, I like my phone and it is super convenient. Yes, there are some apps that make life easier and social media is fun {hello, I write a blog and I love to post photos of my family and look at other people's photos - obviously I'm not anti technology or anti social media}. I just want to be very intentional about when I get my phone out. When I'm at home taking care of the kids and playing with them, or hanging out with friends, or even just watching TV with the husband, I am really going to try to just set my phone aside. Not never, ever use it, just use it way less. I have noticed a huge change in Eva when her screen time in limited compared to when we let her use our phones or iPad more. I'm pretty convinced that being on devices like these actually change your brain and your tendency to respond positively towards others. This is in no way a knock against fellow iPhone users, it is merely my personal feeling. I want to focus more on being truly connected with the wonderful people in my life that I am with in the moment. All that other stuff can wait.

Friday Thoughts

I was going to do a "Five on Friday" posting but I'm not sure how many things I have to blog about today so instead I just decided to compile some photos with some thoughts. Here we go....
1. Last Friday we took Eva bowling at Main Event for a family day. We realized that with the holidays we hadn't really done a special family day since we went to the zoo back in November. Bowling with a three year old is cute. She really liked it although she did get worn out about half way through. We probably won't get to do a lot more things like this for a while so I'm glad we took her and got to giggle at how funny it is to watch a small person carry a 6lb bowling ball.

2. This photo is pretty much how my week felt. Upside down. I started having real contractions on Monday so we got to spend several hours Monday night at the hospital and then have made multiple doctor trips this week. Basically Jensen is doing fine but I have to take yucky medicine to try to delay labor and am not supposed to do a lot. I'm not on strict bed rest but I'm not supposed to run a bunch of errands or clean my house or anything, just mostly hangout out sitting or lying down for the next 10 days. It could be much worse, but it is still driving me crazy a bit. Thankfully, I can say that in all the craziness of this week, I have really not been worried about Jensen. Maybe for a couple of minutes when I walked into the labor and delivery room and saw that tiny newborn crib box next to the bed, but really overall I have so much peace about him. All through this pregnancy I have felt that peace. Everything may not be perfect or go just like I have planned it, but I've really always had that peace of Christ that Jensen was created by God and that I don't need to worry about him.

3. Which brings me to my next point - marry well. If I could give young girls one piece of advice it would be to always seek God and spend time with him. If I could give a second piece of advice it would be to think carefully about who you choose to date and marry. Our marriage isn't perfect but I am so thankful that I decided to marry Ryan Bradley. Even though he has been given a lot of extra responsibility at work he has still tried so hard to help out with everything at home this week. He knows that it is hard for me to let go of the home and he been such a huge blessing. Last night he vacuumed, made dinner and folded the laundry just so that I wouldn't be stressing about these things getting done.  This morning he got up and took Eva on a date to go get donuts and run around at Cabelas. My love language has always been quality time but I'm starting to see that I also really appreciate acts of service. I may resist a bit when he tells me to stop doing things and rest but on the inside I love and appreciate him so much.

4. They say it takes a village to raise a child. They were right. Especially my child and especially when I can't do a whole lot. We are always surrounded by so many people who love and will help with Eva, but it has been especially helpful this week. It is hard for me to ask for help with Eva because I'm her mom and I want to be the one who is able to do everything for her in just the way I know she needs it done. But sometimes you have to call in for backup. I really appreciate all the family and friends who have offered to help us out over the past week.

5. I had to throw this one in here. Eva may not be the next picasso, but she has just recently started drawing stick figures to represent people. She drew this one this week and said, "It's my Daddy. He likes blue." I realize that there are some way more advanced artists out in the land of preschool but I was proud that she did this on her own and put thought into it.

6. Does anybody else ever feel like raising little people is hard work? Oh my goodness. I love this girl. More than anything. But some days....she can raise the bar on throwing a fit. I've read up a lot lately on the best way to respond to kids in the midst of their "I'm-crying-because-you-wiped-up-water-beneath-my-paper-so-I-had-to-wait-to-use-the-marker" emotional breakdown.  I just want to share this so that other parents reading this can remember that they aren't the only ones. Based on what I've read our kids will probably turn out to be normal, functioning humans who don't melt down when their bandaids fall off their fingers.

7. Finally, I ask for prayer. Please pray for this big girl who is so excited to meet "her new baby" but isn't quite sure how to navigate being anxious over the changes in our home and having to let her Mama rest so much. Pray that her little heart doesn't doubt that our love for her never changes and that her brain doesn't melt when she is allowed to watch way too much TV. And pray for the tiny one inside that giant belly, that he will be able to stay in there and grow a bit longer, and then he would be born so healthy and strong because he will need to be strong to keep up with his sister. Lastly, pray for the tired Mama who loves her babies so, so much and is trying to balance life.

5 on Friday

{One}

I joined Twitter. I have never really cared about this, and honestly I've been trying to spend way less time on my phone lately. I would rather be engaged in my real life than reading everything ever on social media sites. I joined for 2 reasons...student ministry and Jimmy Fallon. Most high school students are on twitter so this is a way to connect with some of our BSM students. And I am really liking Jimmy Fallon. I enjoy his weekly hashtags and I wanted to be able to read more of them. So feel free stop right now and go  follow me on Twitter :) @kate_bradley30

{Two}

Our MOPS group has ended for the year. Actually it has ended forever. The church I was doing MOPS through is switching up their women's ministry for next year and doing a different program. I am so thankful that I took a step and joined this group. I've met such wonderful women and have enjoyed their friendships. Eva has enjoyed making new friends and learning about Jesus with her MOPS teachers. 

{Three}

I am really getting into essential oils. It started with the Young Living starter kit, which I absolutely love. I have also bought a few Doterra oils, as well as a couple by Aura Cacia. Now before any of my friends devoted to either YL or DO disown me, let me say that I've done lots of research into different brands. It is definitely important to use a quality oil for health reasons and to get quality results. Having read tons of information and based on my experience, I feel like each of these oils are high quality. I LOVE using these oils for a million purposes....cleaning, mood up-lifting, allergies, headaches, helping my toddler sleep...the list is endless! If anybody ever wants to hear more about how amazing essential oils are, all you have to do is ask me! I don't sell any oils but have plenty of good friends who are distributors.

 {Four}

I got to see some of our middle school students perform in a choir concert this week. I would not relive middle school for anything, but oh gosh how I love these girls. It was really sweet to see them sing their hearts out. 

{Five}

Thursday night we had a small group evening of hanging out and eating. I am thankful for all God has done in our friendships since we started our group last fall. We were designed to live in community with others, to have real friendships with people who can encourage us in our faith as we do the same for them. I love each of these ladies!

5 on Friday

Happy Friday everybody! Here is what we've been up to this week!

One

The rest time countdown. On Thursday I told Eva that she really needed to stay on her bed and get a good nap. Instead of sleeping I could hear her counting up to 10 in what I can only assume was a pretend game of hide and seek with her animals. At least she was practicing her counting skills, right?

Two

Infinity scarf. I used the last of my Christmas money (sniff, sniff) to purchase a black infinity scarf from Amazon. Like any good consumer, I read lots of reviews before deciding which brand to purchase and let me say that I LOVE THIS SCARF! It is the perfect length for wearing in different ways and the perfect weight to be able to wear regardless of weather. Now I want it in other colors....too bad I'm out of $$.

Three

The aquarium. Eva and I met my mom at the aquarium this week. There were some people cleaning the inside of the tank and Eva thought they were mermaids. I like her imagination and her connection to her new favorite movie, The Little Mermaid. Smart girl! {PS. Check out Eva's 1st ponytail!}

Four

Happy. Our house has been rockin' with Pharell Williams song, Happy. We put it on and dance our hearts out. It always boosts my mood :)

 Five 

My shadow. I am working on getting Eva to spend a little bit of time playing by herself each day. With just one child it makes sense for us to spend most of our days side by side. Plus I adore her two year old self so usually I'm happy to be her all-day-buddy. It would be nice if she was able to entertain herself more sometimes but she just loves people. I'd be flattered to think it was me that she loves but in other situations when we are around other people she is perfectly fine to leave me and be their shadow instead. #extremelysocial

5 on Friday

 

Alright here is my newest version of 5 on Friday. I am writing this during nap time on Thursday so it only seems fitting that my number one be.....

ONE

The "I Can't Sleep" dilemma. Scenario 1: You are exhausted and planning to sleep when your child naps, so you let your mind think about how amazing a nap would be. Then your child makes loud sounds and is highly energetic throughout her "rest" time therefore you never get to lie down like you hoped for. Scenario 2: You child falls asleep quickly. You have the time to rest. Your body is against you and won't allow you to actually fall asleep. Which of these scenarios is worse? I am leaning towards scenario 1 because your mind is so desiring sleep and yet with each additional loud crashing sound, you doubt that will happen. I wish I could help Eva sleep by cuddling up with her but I know from experience that doing so will only result in disaster.

TWO

Friendly visits. We had another former student from our youth group visit us while she is home on break from college. We have known Mollie for years and love her so much! It means so much when students initiate getting to see us while they are at home. Mollie is about to hop on a plane to Spain for the semester and we are so excited for her!

THREE

MOPS. I've been looking forward to MOPS starting back all week! I love having this on my calendar and even Eva was excited when I told her that we got to go this week. She adores seeing her little friends and even thought to pray for two of them the night before we started back. I love that she enjoys going as much as I do. Also we played BUNCO, which is such a fun game. 

FOUR

The Bachelor. Yes, I will admit that I am usually a huge fan of the show. I am usually so excited to watch it on Monday night. But this season? For the sake of being nice I will just say that I am not a big fan of Juan Pablo. Some of the things he has done and said really bother me. I know it's a reality dating show, but still....have some class. For the record, I really hope Nicky the children's nurse is on of the top finalists (DO NOT TELL ME IF YOU KNOW) but then again, I kind of think she is way classier than Juan Pablo. I'm not even sure if I'm going to keep watching this season.

 FIVE

Chocolate cake. I just found a huge piece of well preserved chocolate cake in the freezer that is leftover from my birthday party. I had forgotten that I had saved this piece. It was wrapped really well and still tastes delicious! Also I realized I can just slice off tiny pieces and rewrap it so that I don't have to commit to eating the whole thing at once. I love some frozen chocolate icing.

5 on Friday

 

Happy Friday! Trying to get back into blogging this year, starting with my 5 things on Friday. 

One

Eva got the game Candyland for Christmas and since then we've been playing every day. I am loving seeing her get into playing a game and she does a pretty good job playing considering she is only 2. When I convinced her that the whole point was to get to the castle she decided that we should probably play 5 times a day.

Two

 Ryan and I have also been playing tons of the game Settlers of Catan. One of our friends got it for Christmas and we've been played it with him several evenings over the past 2 weeks. It may be nerdy, but we have so much fun playing! Also after loosing every single games for days I finally won the past 3 rounds that we've played!

 Three

One of the best part of the holidays is catching up with old friends. After Christmas we met up with some of my high school friends, some of whom I haven't seen in a decade. We've also gotten to hang out with many former students from our youth group who are home for the winter break. 

Four

Umm, yes that is a picture of a toilet, but no that's not one of my five things. Look down below the toilet and check out the new rug! I have been wanting a new rug for our guest bathroom for a while but it was always at the bottom of my list. I got a Target gift card for Christmas and found this one. Okay, this is actually the third one that I got in a series of exchanges - the first was too thick for the door to shut, the second slipped around too easily - but I love it the most of all 3! I had been looking in the bathroom rug section before and finally found this one in the home rug section. I love the color and design and it sure brightens up our little guest bath! 

Five

ANSWERED PRAYERS. I have been blessed to see God answer so many prayers lately, like having my cousin, Aaron, safely home from his tour in Afghanistan. God has answered prayers for friends finding places to live or jobs. Prayers for joy and communication. Prayers for our church. Seriously, so many prayers have been answered. Praising God today for all this!

5 on Friday

 

My sister in-law Amanda, as well as other blog friends, frequently do a Five on Friday blog posting to share fun things or ideas from their week. I've been wanting to blog more but don't always have enough for a full post so I'm hopping on this band wagon.

{ONE}

Last Friday my husband got to dance with the Byron Nelson HS drill team, the Dazzlers. He stole my dream of being an honorary Dazzler when we was asked to fill in and perform for the Dazzler's Dad dance. He was pretty handsome practicing his little routine around the house and did a great job performing at half-time!

 {TWO}

We are still struggling with the whole pacifier thing over here. It's been over two weeks! Eva still mentions it at bedtime and is having a hard time sleeping well. If I had known how hard it was going to be I would have waited....or maybe done it sooner? The best part of my evening is when Eva covers me in sweet kisses while I sing to her and rub her back at bedtime. The worst part is the loud screaming and tears that inevitably appear when I leave the room.

 {THREE}

Sunday night we took a group of 50 students to go play whirly ball. What is whirly ball, you ask? Oh just your basic game of bumper cars meets basketball meets lacrosse. And my husband happens to be strangely awesome at it.

 

 {FOUR}

Both my DSLR camera memory card and iPhone are full. This is always a hard moment. I know my photos are backed up in two other places but I hate to delete them. Not only can I not take pictures, but I have 23 updates waiting on my phone. I know that with my birthday, a mini-vacation, and the holidays coming up I need to just delete everything but it's so hard. My iPhone still has photos on it from the first day I got it last December....along with 1,870 other photos....which is why the memory is full.

 {FIVE}

I got a new heated blanket this week (okay, it's not the one in my photo but I already had this photo uploaded). My previous one was about 15 years old and probably a safety hazard. This one isn't big (really only a throw blanket) but it's big enough for me to snuggle up under. I seriously think I get colder than any other person I know. The other night I was wearing two pairs of fuzzy socks and my feet were still frozen hours later! With my new blanket I will be warm all winter  long. Now I'm ready to hibernate in my comfy chair until March.

Have a Happy Weekend!!!!