Hi Lo: April 30th

HI's:

1. We enjoyed a model train show on Saturday as a family. It was in a city about an hour away, so we combined the trip with a whole lot of errands too. As we guessed, Jonah totally loved all the trains that surrounded him. We all did, really. My engineer boy also discovered the play area with the wooden trains and we spent a good portion of time playing there.




2. On Tuesday evening, Lily participated in her first piano recital. We were so proud of her and couldn't believe we had a daughter old enough to be performing! After only two months of lessons, she played every note perfectly for both of her songs, didn't appear nervous and did exactly as instructed when it was her turn. What a pro!

3. After arriving home after the recital, Lily asked me to give one last tug to her loose front tooth and ploop! out it came! She looks so darn cute with her little gap.



4. I did some shopping for summer clothes for myself on Saturday as well. Since I am slightly smaller than I was last summer and things are just fitting differently these days, I needed to make a few purchases to include in my wardrobe. Best part was that I used my money that I earned from the garage sale the previous Saturday and got a ton of great deals, so it was almost like FREE clothes!


LO's:

1. Yesterday wasn't the best of days in the mommy department. Ever have those? It was just a rough day with the kids all around. Not sure if it was the dreary/rainy weather or if it was a delay of the full moon effect. Either way, *yuck*


How was your week? I hope you are enjoying spring time, wherever you are.

Hi Lo: April 23rd

HI's:

1. Kate was voted off Dancing with the Stars. Yes, seriously, this was a highlight of my week!

2. Lily lost one of her front teeth on Sunday. She looks so.darn.cute. Now we're just waiting for the other one to fall out soon.



3. We celebrated Jonah's 5th birthday with both sets of his grandparents and his godparents. He was showered with many a Thomas-related gift item and now he's cruisin' around on a brand new bike too!



4. Jonah's train cake that I created following this model, turned out! And birthday boy loved it!



5. The kids and I went on a field trip to a local bakery yesterday for a tour with our homeschool group. What a lot of work this couple pours into their work and business. We left with our purchases of various yummy rolls and donuts, homemade buns and bread dough. What a special treat!


LO's:

1. Reed's cold was passed on to me and I've got the sore throat part of it along with the hazy, lazy part. Hope it passes soon.

2. The community ed. bracelet making class Lily and I were suppose to take last night ended up being cancelled. Bummer.


How was your week? Hope you are doing well. Have a wonderful weekend!




*Note: Has anyone noticed Jonah's smile lately? He seems to be taking after a certain uncle of his who smiles exactly the same way. Despite my best efforts, I cannot get Jonah to smile 'normal' these days. I'm hoping this is a passing phase.

Hi Lo: March 19th

HI's:

1. The weather has been quite nice and therefore: a) the snow is almost all gone b) we've resumed our evening family walk c) all of our moods are much brighter. Happy Days!

2. Late last week we spent an overnight at a local hotel with a water park. There's nothing quite like time in the pool, eating out at a restaurant and watching a movie in your room while eating popcorn that unites a family closer. (Of course, all of that time watching your blossoming family will get a mama to thinking about her children growing up too fast)

3. Since I missed out on Hi Lo last week, I've got to add this one: We had our monthly Little Flowers meeting and everyone was in attendance again! We've been on a good roll with happy, healthy girls at every meeting for the last few months. Little Flowers always makes our highs for the week since Lily and I both really enjoy the meetings.



4. Yesterday Lily finished her very last Little Angel Reader test after working our way through it since the beginning of Kindergarten! We've loved this program so much and I hate to see it end. There will be some other reading/language arts/phonics curriculum we'll learn to enjoy, but this one helped Lily progress quite nicely in many areas and we'll miss it.


LO's:

1. Apparently Lily had some type of allergic reaction or something unknown happened the morning we were to leave for the hotel. It took a bit for the swelling to go down and the corner of her right eye and bridge of her nose took a few days to look normal again. I'm hoping something like this doesn't happen again. Yikes. Here's a photo of it, but this is well after a good amount of the puffiness had gone down:



2. I have less than a week now to come up with Reed's "perfect" birthday gift. I still have got NOTHING. I thought I wanted to give him something significant/thought out/special for his monumental 40th birthday, but for lack of a plan I guess I'm gonna end up getting him something less meaningful. *sigh*


How has your week been? What were your High's and Low's? Have a wonderful Friday!

Hi-Lo: March 5th

HI's:

1. Our family took a late evening walk over the weekend in the bright full moonlight. It was a bit cold, but beautiful and still enough for a precious family memory.

2. The weather has been perfect with warm enough temperatures to get us outside and the sheet of ice is completely melted off of our driveway. New mud boots have been bought for the children and they are already puddle jumping and splashing wherever they find water!




3. Tuesday was our afternoon out, complete with Lily's piano lesson, a trip to the library, a couple of errands and going out for pizza after Reed was off of work. Best part, with Lily's Book It certificate and a gift certificate our family received, we ate out for free!

4. Lily's past weeks of awful bedtime habits have decreased and she is again falling asleep with ease and in her own room. Our house is a happy house at bedtime again!

5. Jonah is reading!! Well, it's just the BOB books that I did with Lily, but he has now read two of them on his own! This is a major accomplishment since I tried them with him a few weeks ago and he wasn't even trying to sound out the words and could not have cared less. Randomly, this week he asked to try reading and made the effort and succeeded. Pretty exciting!

6. Biggest Loser and The Office returned this week!


Lo's:

1. Dancing With The Stars announced their new 'stars' and their partners for the upcoming season. Among them was Kate Gosselin. I love the show, but don't know that I will be able to watch as long as she is on there. Kate and I have some unresolved issues between us.



I guess it wasn't too bad of a week here, huh? How about you? How did your week go? I hope your Lent is fruitful. Happy Friday!


Check out Colleen's Highs & Lows this week over here.

Hi-Lo: February 5th

(Brought to you by Martin Family Moments)


HI's:

1. On Saturday, I was renewed along with over 100 other ladies at a Women's Conference. It left me with some things to ponder on this week.

2. Jonah successfully counted to 100 this week!! He needed a little bit of help on the 10's occasionally, but it's a HUGE deal for this boy to even sit and make the effort. Trust me, he's gotten A LOT of praise for his latest accomplishment!

3. I received a call yesterday from the woman who will administer Lily's Peabody Assessment Testing. Someone rescheduled, so she can fit Miss Lily in this Saturday. This is great since the testing is done in a city an hour away and we just happen to be going there Saturday any way. A combined trip! Hooray!

4. I met someone who I think I may have more in common with than I thought. And, I think that we just might become good friends. It happens to be my male Dr. K's wife and she just so happens to be my new instructor...in Creighton Model! Although I have been rebelling at the thought of further NFP instruction in order to hopefully benefit from it in our infertility diagnosis, I finally took the leap. I think I'm glad I did.

5. The kids and I took a long walk through the swamp and woods behind our house yesterday. The weather was kind of icky/hazy/misty, but temps. were in the twenties. Not too bad to head out for an adventure. Only thing missing was Daddy.


LO's:

1. The pizza/birthday party for Lily's two little friends had to be rescheduled. Unfortunately, both girls came down with the flu overnight. Lily and I were bummed, but it gives us something to look forward to again.

2. This is Reed's busy time at work. Although he is grateful (as am I) that he has a steady job, this time of year also poses many deadlines with extra work and added stress. As much as he tries to keep work at his work place, he's only human.



How was your week? What were the Highs you celebrated and the Lows you embraced?

Have a great weekend!

Hi-Lo: December 18th

HI's:

1. Last weekend we spent plenty of time around home baking and outside sledding. It was a relief after the previous weekend. Wonderful family time.

2. On Monday, I had lunch with two friends. It was so nice to catch up again and visit, minus the little ones.

3. I'm feeling better this week, after having a rough time last week. Food wasn't enticing and my tummy was very upset (which would lead you to make an assumption here, but no, it wasn't that). I concluded that it had to do with my hormonal changes and my Metformin. It seems that it's working for me and making good changes, but my body doesn't always like that and respond well to it. SO GLAD this week was better!

4. Sweet baby girls were brought into the world this last week. Congratulations to Meredith and Jessica on their baby blessings!

5. I received Stacey's cookbook in the mail the other day. It is so darn cute! (Why don't you have one yet?!) I'm eager to try many of the recipes, but I had to whip up this yummy Cinnamon Coffee Cake first:


(Psst....I have an extra copy for a giveaway this winter...Stay Tuned!)


LO's:

1. My third Great-Niece still has not arrived. We're hoping she makes it in time for her pre-Christmas debut! Hang in there Angie!


What were your Highs and Lows this week?

Hi Lo: November 13th

HI's:

1. I'm still basking in the glow of sweet memories from last week's concert.

2. We had some warmer weather last Saturday, so Reed and I were able to get all of the Christmas lights hung on the house. No small task for homeowners of a two story home!

3. I got some great deals due to some great sales last Saturday. A little more Christmas shopping done at Christopher & Banks and a local home decor shop. Found a number of additions that will look wonderful on my Thanksgiving table.

4. We held our second Little Flowers meeting this week. We had so much fun! It's SO worth the effort when your little girl says the next day that "the whole meeting was so much fun."


LO's:

1. Lily has a cold. And a runny nose. *sniffle*

2. Jonah is back to a too-early morning routine. Those aren't ever good days in this house. It leads to a weary mommy and very growly little boy.

3. I pulled something in my lower back doing something ordinary early in the week. Still hurts, just not all the time. Hoping to avoid the chiropractor's office. It's been enough to keep me away from my exercising, which isn't good since I was just starting to fall back into a good routine.

4. Reed found out that a couple of moles he recently had removed need further surgery/treatment since they were skin cancer. Neither should be a big deal, but with the one he will have to have the skin removed in the area layer by layer and tested until they get to the layer that is without the cancer. Thankfully, it isn't bad enough that they are concerned since he can't even get in for that appointment until January.

How was your week? What were your Highs and Lows?

Hi Lo: October 23rd

HI's:

1. I survived my visit to the dentist this week. I was not as eagerly anticipating it as my kids were a couple of weeks ago. Something about having someone poke in my mouth for an hour that bothers me. But, I made it through and survived.

2. We had fairly nice weather last weekend which enabled us to finish up some outdoor fall projects and winterizing. Glad that's finished!

3. I worked on some Christmas shopping and got a few things crossed off the list, both online and in-store. That's a good feeling. I'm aiming to be out of the stores by Dec. 1st so that our family can celebrate the season of Advent a bit better this year.

4. One of my favorite people came to visit.

5. I received my latest book to review for Catholic Company. You'll have to wait and see what it is, but so far it looks pretty good!


LO's:

1. I need to schedule a return visit to the dentist. A tooth that the dentist has been keeping an eye on is starting to lead to a cavity and needs to get filled. Dentist says that where it is would be typical of people who've had braces (I'd had them 3 times when I was younger!!) and it has probably gradually been working on it. Nonetheless, *blah*.


Not a bad week, huh? How was your week? What were your Highs and Lows?

Have a great weekend! I'm celebrating this weekend and I'll be posting a birthday giveaway either Sunday or Monday. Be sure to watch for it!

Hi Lo: October 9th

HI's:

1. My grandpa turned 90 last weekend and a whole bunch of family helped him celebrate. We were able to join them and I had the chance to visit with some family members I haven't seen in awhile. So much fun! Papa looked like he had a lot of fun and still looked like a chipper spring chicken for sure.

2. Lily & Jonah had a check up at the dentist this week. NO cavities! Hooray! Both kids have strong, healthy teeth and the dentist was impressed.

3. The fall colors have emerged around here and I have been taking notice. We took a walk in them the other day, but I've had the chance to do some driving this week that has allowed me to see so many more. My eyes are simply delighted. Words cannot explain how abundant and vibrant they are. I'm hoping to take some more photos over the weekend to share with you.

4. After seeing several commercials lately for Nutella, I decided that we needed to add it to our pantry. It just sounded so darn good and I couldn't figure out why I hadn't ever tasted it before. While on a Target run, I found it for under $3. Not bad. I agree with the commercials, because seriously it IS as good as they claim. I just shouldn't have turned around the container to read the calories.

5. Today is my parents' 33rd wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary Dad and Mom!! Love you!


LO's:

1. While the tree colors are striking, we've had some icky weather that proceeded them. It's been cold, windy and rainy here. A true Minnesota autumn. Not that bad and easy to accept when you focus on the tree colors and not the inevitable white flakes that will begin to fall in their own good time.

2. With the rain comes the mud. With mud comes kids in mud. A combination I absolutely despise. I refuse to wash their jackets one more time this week!


What were your Highs and Lows this week? Hopefully you are enjoying your autumn, wherever you are. Have a great weekend!

Hi Lo: August 28th

HI's:

1) I started painting my kitchen & dining room this week. I'm hoping to get it all finished up before school starts in a little over a week. I'm *loving* how it's turned out so far! I'll be posting photos when I'm all finished.

2) Jamie welcomed her sweet baby girl this week. I'm hoping that I can see her sometime soon. Congrats again, Jamie and hubby!

3) I heard wonderful news from a dear friend that she is expecting! She's just 7 weeks and has had a few issues of concern already, so please keep her in your prayers and for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

4) Stacey is out of retirement and back in Blogville! Welcome back Stacey! I always hold Stacey dear since she is the reason I started blogging. We were old acquaintances and a couple of years ago I came upon her blog and it was the first one I ever read. After a long time of following her, I started finding other encouraging blogs and eventually started my own. I'm seriously indebted to Stacey for all of the enlightenment and opening me up to the world of blogging!

5) My FAVORITE Christian recording artist released a new album, 'Come Alive'!(Yes, this really makes it in my Highs for the week. Is that pathetic??) Mark Schultz is my ultimate favorite artist and Reed's as well. His music has been an inspiration to me for many years, way back to his first album I bought when I was single! There are so many of his songs that touch my heart and have comforted me in some very tough days. We've been to several of his concerts and are excited to attend another one in November as part of his 'Come Alive' tour with Point of Grace. Can't wait!


LO's:

1) It doesn't look like I'm going to finish my Mother's Rule of Life book before school starts. I was hoping to in an effort to have some better guidelines before putting together my daily schedule. Oh well, I'll figure something out.

2) I had some time this week to do some pondering and it brought up some very raw emotion with my infertility situation. And perhaps a not-so-startling revelation, but one that I probably just hadn't identified until the other day. There's a post in there somewhere, but I don't have it ready just yet.



How was your week? What were your Highs and Lows this week?

Hi Lo: August 21st

HI's:

1) We enjoyed lunch on Sunday with friends and then took off for a last minute overnight trip a couple hours away. We spent the night at a hotel and part of Monday at an outdoor water park. We all had so much fun and I was glad we took the impromptu trip. There's nothing like family time, just the four of us!

2) I am closer to my goal in our schoolroom. I've been working on organizing/rearranging the room off and on for the last few weeks. I'm hoping that it will be completely finished and ready to go in the next few days.

3) The kids and I were able to join Reed and his co-workers yesterday for lunch at the office. They do monthly grilling with two staff people in charge of bringing food each time and it was Reed's turn. We were in town doing errands any way, so we joined in. The kids get lots of attention (although they aren't particularly fond of it all), but usually have a good time any way.


LO's:

1) I'm thinking that a little painting is in order for my kitchen. That's more of a High for me, but not so much for my husband. Not that he really cares what I do for painting/decorating, but he's always fine with just leaving it the way it is. So, the Low for me is more the actual job of painting. Once I start, I just want to be able to finish it and be done. We'll see. I'm sure I'll keep you updated!

2) We're going through another 'funk' in the sleep department. I think the only one getting a good night's sleep around here is Jonah. Lily's having difficulty again and I'm bummed since we had been in a better pattern for a week or so. I'm hoping we can get things turned around pretty soon since school will start in two weeks. I don't want to have a crabby student on my hands at the beginning of the school year!


Colleen shares her Highs & Lows each week too!

Hi Lo: August 7th

Inspired by Colleen who shares her High's and Low's every week!

HI's:

1) Feeling inspired for a bit of a bedroom re-do, the kids received a bedroom makeover over the weekend. Everything came together quite well and everyone was happy with the end result. I'll have to share more next week.

2) The kids and I enjoyed the last Story Hour at the library. I'm fine with that and so are they. It was a lot of fun every week, but we're ready for a little break before school starts up again.

3) I returned to my exercising this week, but only a couple of days were actually fit in. My new DVD was the kick-in-the-butt I needed. After slacking off the last few weeks, the workout was brutal. Now I've got to get into a better routine of it.

4) This week brought a much needed Mom's Night Out with a friend. It was our motivation meeting before we both start our second year of homeschooling. Enjoyable and relaxing. Reminded me why we need to do it more often!

5) I've been working on the coming school year's lesson plans all week and I'm almost finished. Hooray! I'm excited at all of the potential for the next year.


LO's:

1) Lily still has not lost her second loose tooth that she has been working on for weeks. It seems like it should be any day now though.

2) After a bit of a longer cycle, I was beginning to feel hopeful...but then another cycle began again. That's okay, it was the first cycle with new meds. We'll keep working with the physicians and keep on the meds. and see what happens.


How was your week? What were your High's and Low's?

Hi Lo: July 31st

Inspired by Colleen who shares her Highs and Lows every week too!

HI's:

1) After neglecting my home for the last two weeks due to our trip and camp, I got back into the swing of things and have a cleaner home. My kitchen floor is thanking me.

2) A niece of ours turned 21 this week and we celebrated at a restaurant. I enjoyed a frozen drink called Banana Cream Pie. Yummy. (And yes, how pathetic am I that a frozen alcoholic drink gets me so enthused that it makes my 'highs' for the week? Ha.)

3) The kids and I enjoyed Story Hour at the library and a picnic with friends at the park/playground. How we love summer!

4) We celebrated Jonah's name day on Saturday. We celebrate his Patron Saint, St. James, because that is his middle name. He was so excited to celebrate his name day with Papa Jim (James) too! We went to Mass with Papa and Grams and enjoyed pizza at the park afterward. Of course, treats were necessary, so we hit the DQ before heading home. I realized the other day that I forgot to post about Lily's name day in July (oops), so I'll mention it here. We spent the afternoon with friends and daddy surprised Lily by bringing a cake home! We celebrate Lily's name day on the feast of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha (Lily of the Mohawks). Although other obligations kept us from a full day of celebrating, both Lily & Jonah were thrilled with their name day! We try and make mention of it as many times as possible throughout the day and also tell them their Patron Saint's story. This year we even had the Glory Stories CD to listen to for Lily!






LO's:

1) Lily's been in a pattern of night-owl behavior that I'm hoping doesn't persist. She's been having a hard time falling asleep, so she stays in her bed and reads..and reads. Which isn't a problem, except that she stays up until at least 10:00pm and then either insists on coming into our room to sleep or makes it near impossible for us to go to sleep because she is asking us to come into her room because she can't sleep! She claims that she isn't tired at bedtime, but I also can't believe that a 6 year old shouldn't go to bed until 10:00! Heck, that's when I go to bed! And I'm exhausted by then most nights!

Veteran moms, any ideas??

2) After a couple of weeks of being 'too busy', I still haven't gotten back into my exercising routine. I've been active enough, but thankfully I'm at a point of 'maintenance' and I've been doing okay. Hope next week is better.



What were your Highs and Lows this week? Hope you had a wonderful week.

Hi Lo: July 3rd

HI's:

1) I was able to spend time with my extended family on Sunday as we celebrated my grandparents 65th anniversary. Good food and conversation, always a hit!

2) The local strawberry patch opened on Tuesday evening and we were one of the first customers to arrive. I've already canned several pints of strawberry-rhubarb jam, eaten lots of fresh berries and have plans for a pie this weekend. Oh I love my strawberries! It was so much fun to go pick the berries as a family this year too! Lily was a great picker and Jonah started off picking, but eventually just starting eating them instead. That's my boy.

3) I had a consult visit with a local NFP-only physician and he's on board with my treatment plan from my current physician (Dr. K who is two hours away) and will help in any way he can. This will be especially handy since there are several things that may lead me to need accurate, timely care and the twenty minute drive would be more convenient than the two hour one. (This physician is also a Dr. K, so I've got a female Dr. K and a male Dr. K now!!)

4) I won something! I NEVER win anything. I won Making Music Praying Twice from Margaret. I received the Easter-Pentecost CD the other day and have only had the chance to listen to a couple of songs, but I'm intrigued with the whole program. Worth looking into. (If you'd like to request a FREE CD, click here)


LO's:

1) The weather has been cooler here and the winds have geared up again. Unfortunately, I think this is leading to some possible allergy issues for Miss Lily. Nothing too awful yet, but sneezing, runny nose and a swollen eye on Wednesday.


How was your week? What were your family's High's and Low's?

Have a wonderful weekend! Happy 4th of July!

Hi Lo: June 19th

HI's:

1) I moved on to Workout 2 of The Shred, which is good for another exercise challenge. However, I'm still debating whether I was ready for the next step up.

2) This week seemed to go a bit more smoothly with my kids. After the last few weeks with lots of fighting, bickering, taunting...(well, you get the idea), this week seemed a lot better. Thank goodness for small successes!

3) I took Lily & Jonah and a friend of theirs to Story Hour at one of the local libraries. Oh.how.fun! They thoroughly enjoyed it and I thought it was excellent as well. Each week has a theme (this week was Butterflies & Gardens)and they have one hour of planned activities: crafts, snack, stories & songs. We're definitely going to be attending several of those during the course of our summer.

4) Did I mention that HI #3 was FREE!!!

5) Lots of hard labor and hours of it last Saturday left us with another completed project in our yard. All that you need to know is that several loads of large rocks were hauled and moved by husband and yours truly. Best part, completed project AND a great workout!


LO's:

1) Due to HI #1, I think I pulled something in my abs/under my ribcage during my workout.(Pathetic, I know.) It's much better, but I was pretty sore for a day or so. Unfortunately, that left me without getting back to my workout for a couple of days. I'm determined though to conquer that Workout 2 and move on, so I'm gonna keep at it!

2) The weather was finally hot enough for our family to take a swim in the lake on Sunday. The unfortunate part is that we ALL acquired 'lake itch' (some people refer to it as 'chiggers' or 'jiggers' too) and it's left us itchy and with welts in spots on our arms and legs.


All in all, it wasn't a bad week. What were your HI's and LO's this week?

Hi Lo: June 12th

HI's:

1) Since I missed doing my Hi-Lo's last week, I didn't get to share this one. My IRL friend, Michelle (and her husband) welcomed Blaise Benedict last week. The kids and I were able to visit mama and baby in the hospital and see precious little Blaise. He's a cutie, that's for sure!

2) Over the weekend we received some much needed rain. It wasn't a lot, but enough to get our yard and gardens looking a bit better. Even as it started raining it caused Lily to remark, 'when was the last time it rained?' I can't even remember, it's been THAT long. We're thankful for whatever we get at this point and I'm hoping that we get some more before it gets too dry around here again.

3) The rain caused us to focus on a few things indoors, which was good since I've been wanting to get some more organizing/cleaning done in the corner of the garage. It's Reed's tool/work corner, but it just hasn't been living up to its full potential since it seemed that everything just ended up piled on the shelves. I will be posting photos once it is complete, but let me say that it is looking SO MUCH better!

4) I've heard a number of mommy bloggers mention their use of The Shred and until the other week I had no idea what they were talking about. That is, until Colleen mentioned it and had a picture of Jillian Michaels' Shred DVD. I thought I'd give it a try and ordered it from Netflix. One week into it and I think I like it. Of course, I'm still on Workout 1. It's short and sweet, but seems effective. No major changes that I notice just yet, but I was mostly looking for a change in my workout routine and something quick.


LO's:

1) Wood ticks, Army worms, Mosquitoes...oh my! We've got them all! It's THAT time of year in MN. The unfortunate part is that the army worms joined the ticks and 'squitos this year. They aren't here every year (thankfully), but they're here now. And yuck-o. The last few days they are crawling on our garage and porch and they are moving from the trees (of which they've eaten the leaves off of) to my perennials and our raspberry plants. So far, they've stayed away from our vegetable garden. What's the point of growing your own garden and trying to keep it organic if you have to spray for army worms?! I'm hoping this all ends soon, because it really does feel like a PLAGUE when I walk out my door.

Don't believe me? They are everywhere!



Perhaps you would like to sit on my bench?



See what Colleen's Hi Lo's were this week. Have a great weekend!

Hi Lo: May 29th

HI's:

1) We were finally able to meet our newest nephew this week! He was born last October, but since his family lives in Louisiana we haven't had the chance to meet until now. What a cutie he is! And we've been glad to have them visiting all week.

2) Since we finished school last week, we are officially on summer vacation. I have a bit more 'free' time and I've been enjoying getting outside a little more and tending to my flowers in the yard.

3) We have had glorious weather this last week. Not too hot and little breezes, rather than the blustery winds that we've been plagued with all spring. All of this leads to more time outside and a mama getting some color on her skin that's washing away that winter-white!

4) Last weekend was a productive one and we finally finished a project that should've had done years ago. We have a small, steep hill that leads down to our garden and we've worn a pretty good path through the weeds and dirt over these last seven years. We've wanted to make actual steps down to the garden, but couldn't ever agree on what materials to use and how to complete the project. Reed and I worked on it together last Saturday and accomplished it. And it only cost about $80. Not bad, considering how much of a thorn in my side it's been until now!

5) I celebrated with dear blogville mama's this week as they brought little ones into the world: Lerin welcomed Lucia Catherine and Margaret welcomed Anthony Joseph Mary. Congrats again Ladies!

6) I think I've successfully finished choosing our curriculum for school in the fall and I've even got some of it ordered already! I'm efficient, if anything.


LO'S:

1) No baby this week for my IRL friend, Michelle. I've watched and waited with her as she awaits her little baby's arrival. She's always had her children early, so with this one getting close to the due date she is becoming very anxious. I try to encourage her as much as possible, but being that I've gone overdue with both of mine (11 days and 3 days) I can't help but feel like she's got PLENTY of time yet!

2) Due to #6 in my HI'S, I won't be attending our Catholic Homeschool conference this weekend. It's a couple hour drive to get there and since I could click and take sneak peaks online, Reed and I decided it wasn't really essential to attend this year. Don't get me wrong, we like the speakers and the encouragement we receive there, but we just didn't feel we NEEDED it as much this year. I will miss it though.

3) I'm still waiting on a phone call from my new physician to find out what her course of treatment will be after my consult appointment last week. She had a list of several potential issues and needed to discuss treatment options with her colleagues. I'm interested to hear what the course of treatment will be. I'm ready to try whatever she suggests and see if we can't change this infertility diagnosis around.

What were your HI's and LO's this week?

Go check out what Colleen's were this week.