The 11th Hour

Today, Edward turns 11.

I counted. 

I have 7 years until he turns 18 and moves out. 

I have 7 years to teach him everything he needs to know in order to become a good functioning adult.

I have 7 years to hold him, hug him, and teach him empathy.

I have 7 years until my baby is grown up.

I have 7 years.

That's it.

7.

Edward is kind.

He loves animals.  All animals.  He loves lizards, snakes, and turtles.  

He loves so deeply.

He tries so hard and gets hurt to deeply when things do not turn out at intended.

Edward is brilliant.

He loves reading and language arts. 

He is a math genius.

Edward's best friend is his little brother, Nolen.

They laugh together all day.

They say silly fart jokes.

They fart on each other.

They play all day together.

Edward is the best older brother.

He is kind.

He is generous.

Edward would like to be a pilot when he grows up.

He wants to fly all types of airplanes.

He still wants to own a lot of pets but he no longer talks of owning a pet store.  

He loves his long hair.

Edward loves swimming and is quite fast.

He is curious.

He is soft spoken.

He is intuitive.

He is quiet.

Edward has an old soul.  I have thought this since he was born.

I love this boy.

I love him.

He is mine to love forever.

Happy 11th birthday, Edward.

For Edward's birthday party, we went to the pet shop in the mall.  Edward got to hold every single lizard, snake, turtle, and spider in the store.   It was awesome.  He invited his two best friends, Titus and Kyle.  They got along wonderfully.  

After petting all the pets, we went up stairs for sushi, then went to the trampoline park to jump.  Everyone had a great time.

Lego League!

We had an amazing day today.

The boys spent all last semester preparing for the Lego League Competition today.  Edward did a great job presenting for the team and Nolen added his funny commentary.  

It's a Snow Day!

Today, we woke up to a fresh dusting of snow! All the schools had a two hour delay so we spent the morning playing in the snow before we got started on our home school.  

I think the boys are still enjoying being at home and learning with out a lot of distractions.  The biggest distractions are each other.  HA!

At least they will be best friends forever!

A Few of my Favorite Things

I try to post a few of my favorite things every year.  I have missed a few years but I am back and better than ever.

After trying many things through out life, I like to compile a list of the things that I love and share them with my friends.

1.  Zyia Active Wear

This hasn't changed in years.  I have tried other leggings and active wear over the years but Zyia is by far the very best.  They stay in place.  The end.

I ran a marathon in the the track shorts and did not get chafed at all!

I love it all.  Cute and comfortable.  I even buy Zyia for my husband.

If you are interested in trying Zyia you can message me and I can help you host a party to get FREE Zyia!!

2.  Arbonne 

I specifically love their make-up.

I love that none of their products have harsh chemicals AND they are not tested on animals.

The products are clean and after years of using garbage make-up I have changed every single product I use to a clean product.

If you want to test it out, I suggest the Ready in 5  make-up set.

3. Tone it up

This is 4 years and going strong for me with Tone it up.  I love their meal plans, I love their clean protein, and I love that I can buy it right away with out waiting weeks for it to arrive.  They sell a lot of their stuff at Target now and free shipping from Amazon. 

If you're interested, I can share one of their 5 day detox meal plans with you.  

Life changing!

4. The Library Overdrive system 

This is new.  I started using "libby" and "overdrive" last year and have loved it.  I have to admit that I really don't like reading.  It has taken years for me to learn to love reading books.  In an effort to read more and not stare at my phone, I have started listening to books on long bike rides.  I also listen to books in the car.  It is the best!  

I am slowly giving up Hulu and Netflix as they are such a HUGE waste of time and I hope I can gain intellect while listening to books and podcasts.  

5. Dyson Hair Dryer 

This is a splurge.  If you have an extra $400 just laying around, GET THIS blow dryer!

I get complimented on my hair all the time because of this ONE thing I changed this year.  I still work hard to keep my hair curly, but seriously, this is a game changer.  Takes less time to dry my hair and I can almost always guarantee I will have a good hair day after using it. 

That's it.

I quit the instagram last year and I haven't looked back.  My life is so much better with out looking at all the "pretty people" on social media.  I love that my phone and ipad tell me my screen time so I can really gauge how much time I am spending looking at a screen.

I spend more time with my kids and I love it.

So, put down your phone, grab a board game and play a game with your family.  Maybe even invite some friends to play.  Best way to fight depression is to get active.

Happy Saturday!