Currently: Fall 2019

Currently Fall 2019: What’s going on this quarter for Life With My Littles!

Hey guys! It’s been a while since I’ve done a currently post (which has been on purpose) and I’m excited to fill you in on what’s been going on behind-the-scenes over here!

What’s been up:

Turned 30! What what! The big 3-0! I love being 30! My husband threw me a big party with so many friends and a big inflatable obstacle course. We had some adult competitions and it was a lot of fun! Plus there was pizza and cake and we had great weather, so it was wonderful. I’m more than two months into my thirties and I can honestly say I’m loving it!

Took a trip to Colorado. I grew up in Colorado and we were fortunate to be able to have a “family reunion” in the mountains in July. I say that with quotes because our family only consists of my parents, my sister and me, our husbands, and our collective five kids. We had three dogs there too, so it was a full house. We visited Winter Park and played games and celebrated birthdays and had a fun time. We don’t get together very often so we’re glad we made it work!

Ran another half marathon! Guys, how crazy is that? I’ve run three half marathons since April! If you’d have told me that I’d be running three half marathons in less than six months I’d be like girl, you’re crazy. But I did! It’s so fun to have something that I truly enjoy doing and can actually challenge myself with. I’m not a very fast runner, but I can run far! (Just don’t ask me to sign up for a marathon!)

Gardening! Our garden has been so much more productive this year, and we are taking full advantage of it. We have had so many tomatoes and peppers and I’ve canned over 15 jars of salsa (and it’s delicious, I might add!). My friend taught me how to can so I’ve basically been canning as much as I can (get it?). Plus we have had onions and celery and potatoes and raspberries and strawberries and cantaloupe and corn and carrots and spinach and lettuce and beautiful flowers. I wish I could garden all year round! 

School started! My oldest is now in first grade, my daughter is in her second year of preschool, and our toddler still stays at home with me. School is going well for everyone and we’re settled into a nice little routine. It’s so fun listening to my six-year-old learn to read. We’ve had conferences for him and his teacher said he’s doing great, which didn’t surprise us but is still always great to hear. At the start of last year our daughter was super shy and not at all social, but within a week or two of school this year she knew at least five kids’ names, so we’re proud of how she’s grown, too. 

Also, we went to the Minnesota State Fair, my daughter turned 5, my 6-year-old did his first triathlon, we did a Tough Mudder 5k and a trail duathlon, went up North, and Penelope got spayed.

What I’m excited for: 

Latter-day Mamas. My sister and I have started a new Instagram account for supporting, inspiring, uplifting, and encouraging moms of faith, with an emphasis on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I’ve been trying to find a way to share my beliefs and help other mamas strengthen their faith, and I’m so excited that I get to do both of those things with my sister by my side! We plan on sharing tips for teaching the gospel to kids, holding on to faith during trials, resources for the Come Follow Me curriculum, quotes from prophets and apostles, and anything else we think will help you find happiness and strength as you minister to those around you and strengthen your own testimony. This account is for members and non-members alike who want to grow closer to Jesus Christ. No matter where you are on your faith journey, whether you’re investigating the Church or a life-long member, whether you have doubts or a strong testimony, we encourage you to follow along! 

Halloween. Halloween is one of my top three favorite holidays, and I’m so excited it’s only a few weeks away! We already have all of our costumes ready (I’m going to share hints about what we’re being on Instagram so keep an eye out) and I’m helping out in my son’s Halloween/fall party at school. And my husband actually gets to come trick-or-treating with us this year, so that will be a huge bonus! Yay Halloween!

Doing fall things. Pumpkin patches, apple picking (we’ve already gone once but want to go again!), drinking fall drinks and eating pumpkin treats, playing in the leaves, wearing sweaters, all of it. I really like fall, and as long as it doesn’t snow before Halloween, I’m going to be a happy camper!

Reassessing LWML. Now that I’ve been able to kind of slow down here on Life With My Littles with just one blog post a week and a more focused and planned Instagram account, I feel like I might want to make some changes again. The internet is constantly changing and it’s so hard to keep up and always know what to do and what not to do. But I have 2+ hours four days a week while my daughter is in school and my youngest naps to get some serious work done, and I feel like I want to really take advantage of that. I want to maybe change my newsletter Mamadvice (I love the name, but not sure I want to keep doing it the way I have been), get more focused on my purpose/mission statement to help moms enjoy their lives, and maybe even do a big overhaul of the blog. We’ll see, though. It’s definitely going to take some time if that’s what I decide to do!

Well that’s it, friends! As always, thanks for following along and reading and sharing my posts! Helping fellow mamas is what keeps me going!