Memorial Weekend

Prepare yourself for a Memorial Day recap with just about zero red, white, and blue in it ;-) We had a low-key weekend around the house, but it was perfect and so nice to have some extra time together as a family.

On Friday, I worked from home as there was pretty much no one in the office (which kind of defeats the purpose of driving into the office). I don't know if I would like doing it every day, but man it was nice to drop the boys off at daycare without having to get ready and dressed! In fact, I even had time before starting work to squeeze in a run, and it was amazing! I have missed running so much, but now that the weather finally allows me to get outside, I am going to try doing it as much as possible!

Once I wrapped up working for the day, Mike and I ran with my mother in law to a local nursery. Our Christmas gift before we even had our new house was to pick out some new trees once we had our new yard. Mike has been talking about a willow tree overlooking the pond since we bought our land, so while we looked at all of the options, when it was time to make a decision I told him, the willow tree has been your dream, and we are doing the willow tree! And so now we have a teeny willow tree in our backyard and it makes my heart so darn happy! We also looked at some of the blooming trees, and I saw the vanilla strawberry hydrangea tree (yes, that is a real thing!) and had to have it! We put it in our front yard so you can see it out of all of our windows, and when it blooms in late July it turns white, pink, and red. Our yard feels so much more like a yard now!

Once we picked up the boys, my nephew came to spend the night. We had pizza, watched cartoons, and had a lazy night.

Lately, Jackson's first request on mornings at home is 'Mickey Pancakes'. Daddy usually is the master of breakfast in our house, but I love that this is his request that he makes with mommy :-)

The boys did a ton of yard work on Saturday, and while they worked, I ran to Target and Hobby Lobby with Lincoln. I needed to stock up on florals for my mantle to get going with a summer theme!

Of course, what is a Saturday morning errand run without coffee ;-)

 Precious Lincoln was just wiped out after our morning, and I about died laughing over how he fell asleep in his carseat. There is tired, and then there is this. Sweet boy was definitely ready for a nap!

 We stuck around the house the rest of the day. It was one of those long, lazy Saturdays and I honestly cannot even remember what we had for dinner! We capped off the night with Jackson watching Wallykazam from up on the stairs. This has become his new little hiding spot to watch us from up above, and it is so darn cute!

 The boys got the cutest new rash guards from Swim Zip this weekend! Lincoln is very fair, so we know we are going to really have to watch him in the sun, so I love how protected he is in this! I mean, look at him, I could just eat him up!

We spent all day Sunday over at my in-laws house doing a Memorial Day get together (a day early). Jackson literally ran and played outside all day long, with his minions in tow, of course ;-) We had burgers and brats for lunch, and my brother-in-law made a brisket for dinner. Watermelon, strawberry rhubarb crisp, and yard games rounded out our evening. It was the perfect day to kickstart summer! 

 We both had Monday off for Memorial Day, and it was the laziest day we have had in ages. We all stayed in our pajamas, both boys took two naps, and we started watching Bloodlines on Netflix.

During Lincoln's afternoon nap, I did venture off to the grocery store and brought Jackson with me. He looks so darn big in the cart! But I love little dates where I get one on one time with my boys, even if it is just running errands.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Memorial Weekend, and thank you to all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this great nation we are lucky enough to call home.

Linking up with Biana today!

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Still Alive Over Here-Barely!

We are still technically on weekend mode over here, but not in any way I would like. Sickness has consumed our house this weekend, I am hoping we are finally getting to the other side of it all! I am writing this post at 5am, because babies don't care and wake mama up at 4:30am no matter what. Readers be warned, the word 'puke' may or may not be used numerous times in this post. Feel free to skip reading if the 'p' word makes you squirmish ;-)
Friday afternoon, I got a text from daycare that Jackson had thrown up. Of course, this was the day I had decided to get my long overdue oil change on my lunch break, and my car had literally just had its tires removed. So I was stuck. Luckily the guys in the shop were super nice and rushed my car through to the front so I could get out of there. Jackson got sick once more before I got to him, so we went home, and he got to try out or jet tub for the first time. He loved his 'BIG bubble baff', and spent the rest of the afternoon chugging water and eating everything in sight. So, I figured it was a super quick bug. And then he woke up crying around midnight and there was puke everywhere. So, another bath, washing sheets, and bringing him into mom and dad's bed was on the agenda. I slept out on the couch, because did you know a two year old boy takes up the same amount of space as two grown adults in a queen size bed? Well, now you do.
Fortunately, he didn't have any more sick bouts, but was a bit sluggish and moody Saturday. We stuck close to home, but figured he was on the mend.

The highlight of the day was ordering up some pizza, because even though we are trying to cut back on our pizza consumption, dealing with toddler puke warrants an exception, right?
On Sunday, I had a fun event I was participating in. Our local bridal expo was happening, and I have been lucky enough to be able to walk in their fashion show the past few years. It is always so much fun, I absolutely love it.

I get to have my hair and makeup done, and wear gorgeous bridal gowns. It is fun that, even though I am already married, I still have an excuse to wear a wedding dress! And you guys, some of the dresses I got to wear were GORGEOUS. The one pictured below was a feature dress, in fact the top layer is a 'cape' that is removable. So much fun!

And then it happened. I was in a dress and ready for the second show to start when I got a text from Mike that he wasn't feeling well. At that point, I really could not leave. How is that for twice in one weekend being truly stuck when I was needed at home? The shows are pretty quick, so I promised to get back home as soon as I possibly could.
I rushed out after the show, and literally as soon as I walked into our house, Mike ran to the bathroom. So that was fun. I got both kids down for their naps, and then my dyingsick husband requested I go get him some 7Up. Being the nice wife that I am, I obliged. And in the fifteen minutes it took me to leave and get home, I started to feel off. I figured it was probably just in my head. Except it was not. I brought my husband his soda and informed him I would likely be joining him in the next hour or two. And sure enough, shortly after both boys woke up from their naps, the stomach bug hit me. And I promptly called my mother in law to ask for reinforcements. Perks to having both sets of parents live within five minutes, you guys! I started dinner for my kids, because fun fact, they could care less that you are sick, but they most certainly care if dinner isn't on the table! ;-) Once grandma arrived, she took over, and I proceeded to be sick over, and over, and over. I will spare too many details, but I will tell you that Mike and I both agreed that neither of us have ever been so violently sick before. It was terrible.
While the act of being sick finally ended around midnight, we both woke up totally wiped and so weak. After watching Mike fail to keep down water, despite everything in me wanting to drink, I had gone to bed totally dehydrated because I figured that was the better option. I called my mom, and she agreed to take the boys for the day, bless her heart. Have I mentioned how incredibly lucky we are to have such caring and supportive parents? I promptly dropped them off, came home, and soaked in our tub before immediately crawling into bed for a five hour nap. It was that kind of sick, y'all. Tired, exhausted, non-functioning sick. I forced myself up around 3pm, and went to pick up my boys.
I requested that my mom help me give the boys a bath there, because I honestly didn't think I could muster the energy at home, and we had already skipped their baths the night before. She then offered to make a Burger King run. Why are greasy french fries always the best option after you have been sick? While she was gone, Jackson was starting to act sluggish. Strange, but I figured he must have just been tuckered out from playing all day. He had already been sick, right? And then, poor boy walked across the room, looked at me with wide eyes, and BOOM, puke everywhere. Obviously sweet boy didn't get to eat any of his chicken fries :-( We booked it home, and he continued to be sick until about midnight. This seemed much more like what Mike and I had in comparison to what Jackson had on Friday. So I am still sitting here scratching my head wondering if he managed to get two different stomach bugs in one weekend. All I can say is, poor baby!
Needless to say, we are spending another day at home today, and I have every one of my fingers and toes crossed that we are on the mend, and that my precious baby Lincoln manages to stay healthy. This weekend was tough, but these days are always good reminders to be thankful and appreciative of our good health!

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Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone! I am actually off work today, can I get an amen. Wednesday was our anniversary, so kind of last minute both Mike and I decided to take today off and spend it together. And of course as we started making plans we considered not leaving our kids. But I said no, we have to. It is so hard to get time just the two of us, in part because our kids are cute and we kind of like hanging with them most of the time. I can't wait to enjoy a long weekend and get some quality time in with my hubs! Before kicking off the weekend, as always it is time for a few of my favorite things!

1. Banana pudding
We are having Lincoln baptized tomorrow, and afterwards all of our family will be coming over for dinner. I asked my mom to make this banana pudding. You guys, it is so good and seriously one of the easiest things to make EVER. We always serve it up in a trifle dish which is so pretty and it is always a hit. I can't wait to help myself to a serving, or five.
2. Shopbop sale
The Shopbop sale is happening right now! I am dying over this cardigan, how perfect is it!? I love the color, and think tying the front is a fun idea. I am also a sucker for stripes, and think this top is perfect and would work so well throughout fall and winter. My heart is pitter-pattering over the fact that chokers are back in, and I love the layered look of this necklace. And finally, for my working ladies who need to rock the office look, this skirt is awesome and I am loving the bold color! If you spend up to $500, you get to take 25% off your order, and anything over that amount you get to take 30% off!
3. Baby pajamas
As always, I am a sucker for the baby PJs. Old Navy has some AMAZING options right now, and through Sunday cardholders get 40% off! Don't worry, everyone else still gets 30% off. I ordered this pair for Lincoln, and I love this sweet option as well because, hello, mint green. You guys, I have such a problem.
4. Ikea
Okay you guys, I really just have to sing my praises of Ikea. When we were initially planning Jackson's nursery, we decided on the Hemnes dresser in white. We have loved it so much, and when we moved and our master suite was slated to be white, we decided it made the most sense to hijack it for ourselves. And after searching up and down, I was still so loyal that we ended up buying the same dresser in the black/brown option for Lincoln's new nursery. And while making that trip, I also got the matching nightstands for our room because I just couldn't resist.Their stuff is seriously such a good quality, at unbeatable price points. We are planning to make a stop in on our little anniversary day-cation tomorrow, and I seriously cannot wait. If you have ever considered trying ANYTHING form Ikea, you seriously can't go wrong. Just do it. No, this is not sponsored by Ikea. I just love this store THAT MUCH.
5. Cardigans
I am so in love with cardigans this year. They are great for dressing up an outfit, but can also be SO cozy. I am loving the length and style of this one, and am planning to give it a try! I am so impressed by the BP line at Nordstrom, I can't get enough of their stuff! This adorable option is also on mega clearance at Target right now. Yay Target, always swooping in for the win.

And an extra, because this little shindig basically sums up how I feel that it is the weekend!


Happy Friday!

 

Five on Friday // Oh Hey Friday! // Friday Favorites // Friday Favorites

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Weekending

Before anything else, I want to ask for prayers for my community this morning. On Saturday evening, a man dressed as a security guard walked through our local mall and stabbed nine victims. An off-duty police officer happened to be there, and shot the assailant, and fortunately all of the victims suffered non-life threatening injuries and are all home and safe. I live in a small Midwest town. Sadly, in this day and age, while something like this shakes you to the core and immediately had me reaching for my cell phone to make sure my mom and sister were okay, it is becoming reality. So if you could, say a prayer for peace, acceptance, and love. In the past ten years there has been a large divide with new immigration to our area, and it is only getting worse. Pray for realization that one person's actions do not reflect an entire community. Pray for open-mindedness and goodness from those who were born and raised here. Just say a prayer. It is so much better to love than to hate.


On a happier note, we had our second kids-free night since Lincoln was born on Saturday! We had the wedding of a family friend, and the weather was PERFECT. Like 70 and sunny with a light breeze, chilly once the sun went down, absolute perfection. It was at a golf course, and just a super fun night. I had the best time with two of my sisters-in-law, and left off the night feeling so lucky to have married into the family that I did. Mike's sister talked the shop boy into lending is a cart to check out the front nine, so we had a fun ride before dinner!

 I also got to catch up with a dear friend who I have not seen in a while, and it was a total highlight of the weekend. Lots of moves were busted on the dance floor, especially after the guys had a few drinks to loosen up ;-)

The wedding favors were little jars of homemade jam. My husband may have taken a mini cheesecake wrapper, filled it with table butter, and topped it with jam. And then had our friend offer it to a girl at another table. #manchild I will let you imagine the look on the poor girls face when she took a bite! 

On Sunday, Mike and I snuck off to breakfast just the two of us before picking up our boys. During nap time I did a week's worth of laundry (fun!), made some apple crisp, and got ready for the new week. 

We had a fish fry at my in-laws for dinner, and capped off the night with Mike watching the Vikings. I obviously crashed before it ended ;-)

And just like that, it is Monday again! Here's to a fast and happy week!

Linking up with Biana today!

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Weekending: Influenza

Well, this past week and weekend were perhaps the most interesting of my life, and that is no exaggeration. Starting last Saturday (so over a week ago) Jackson started coming down with something. A visit to the Doctor told us it was teething and him cutting all four molars. So, we laid on the orajel and some Tylenol and hoped the pain would soon pass. The following day, he seemed even worse and started to spike a fever, which really did seem odd. By that evening i decided pretty confidently that I would be staying home from work with him the following day, and that is where it all really started.

By Monday, the poor boy woke up crying, with a terrible fever, congestion, and looking miserable. He literally did not move all day, and I decided to bring him into the doctor again. As we waited to be seen, my sweet boy literally could not lift his head from my shoulder or keep his eyes open. I can say with confidence I have never seen him look so terrible, and it is was scary. Finally, we saw our nurse practitioner who told us he had all of the signs and symptoms of Influenza A. Great. She told us it has been lasting 3-7 days, and we just need to keep him comfortable and hydrated.

Here is what I was NOT prepared for: the duration of this thing. I have always known true influenza is different than the 'stomach flu' that lasts 1-2 days, but having never had influenza or even recalling anyone in my house having it, I was oblivious to its severity. You guys, I literally had to stay home from work the entire week last week, and every minute he was awake, Jax needed to be held, bathed, and consoled. While I love baby cuddles, it was absolutely miserable and heartbreaking to watch. I think the hardest part was that we kept thinking one day he would wake up and just be pretty much better. Nope, not so lucky.

So, as we rolled into this weekend, our little guy was still sick, I was coming off of nothing besides working from home, and it didn't really feel like the weekend! On Friday morning my mom did come over so I could go to my 28 week doctors appointment. Finally I had a highlight of the week when I got the be-mail that I passed my glucose test! Wahoooo! I didn't my first pregnant and had to take the 3 hour test, which was pretty miserable so I was so relieved to see a number that wasn't even close to concerning. The rest of the day was spend cuddling, doing as much work from home as I could manage, and whipping up these babies.

 

If you like banana bread, you absolutely need to try these. The actual 'banana brownie' is delicious, but the brown butter frosting? To die for! You can thank me later.

Friday night we did watch the first episode of Fuller House! And....I thought it was terrible. I know I know, how dare I! But I'm sorry, if it wasn't a reboot, that should would get the plug pulled after about two minutes. I mean some of the cheesiness I could get with, but I honestly found it kind of painful. The Mary Kate and Ashley moment totally had me laughing though! I'll probably finish watching it when I can find the time, because I am a 90s kid and feel obligated to..but still disappointing.

On Saturday, Jackson woke up miserable again. At this point I felt myself beginning to lose my patience; not with him, but with the darn influenza. When they say 3-7 days, they mean up to 7 days before any sign of improvement, which I totally did not know. Poor guy had the same fever and symptoms Friday that he had Monday, it was just unreal. By some miracle though, Saturday morning we turned a slight corner when he decided to play blocks with his daddy. At that moment, this mama snuck off to the gym for an hour and rocked out a run. I felt so liberated in that one hour that I was honestly holding back tears on the treadmill. Those runs are just good for the soul, especially after a rough week. Once I got home, Jax decided to get moody and threw a tantrum. Who could blame him after a week of feeling like crud? Eventually after nothing would calm him, I strapped the screaming child in the car and drove until he crashed. 

Once he was finally out, he was down for a four hour nap, which daddy joined him for. Look at my sleeping boys. #allthehearteyes

While they slept, I did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and just enjoyed feeling semi normal. We had record high temps in MN this weekend, and I decided to sneak away again during naptime, this time for a run outside. In shorts and a tank top. In Minnesota. In February. And that is the reality of our winters here. There are no cooldowns in the forecast really, with more temps in th 50s next week, so no complaining here! Fingers crossed this continues on because we couldn't ask for more perfect conditions to ensure our home construction gets under way as quickly as possible!

Saturday night Jackson rallied a bit, and hung it in our bedroom and watching cartoons. He was super excited to play on our bed, and just to see a smile on his face after a full week of zero smiles was the best.

He even started acting a little naughty by hiding everything he could find in th TV stand. I was so relieved to see him returning to normal, did I stop him? NOPE. 

Sunday we woke up to a little guy still not feeling great, but he was pretty playful shortly after. I snuck off to the gym again, followed by the most needed mental health run to Target of all time. Right now ladies sneakers and flip flops are BOGO half off, so I scooped up these and these, and am super excited about them! They will be great for spring and running around doing errands and playing outside.

Sunday afternoon Jackson took another ridiculously long nap, but woke up without crying!!!! And he ate a mountain of teddy Graham's. Like literally more food in that one snack than he had eaten in the entire five days before. He also finally ate a meal in his high chair, and it was real food. I have never been so happy to see someone eat a chicken nugget, for real.

Sunday night, we lounged on the couch, watched the Walking Dead, and shut the books on a long, long week/weekend. All I can say is, next weekend this mama is getting out of the house with hair and makeup done, and I already can't wait!

For those of you still with me, sorry for the long winded post. It is probably super uninteresting to most, but I think I will appreciate having it document just how bad getting the 'flu' really is! Here's to hoping none of your littles catch it!

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! Linking up with Meg and Biana today!

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