Welcome to my weekly post where we take a break from money-related posts and I share about what I'm loving right now and give you a little peek into our life from the past week.
Whew! It was a BIG week at our house last week! We got a new pet, we celebrated Jesse’s birthday, Jesse and I ran the Tough Mudder, and I spoke at the Tribe Conference! Here are a few pictures and more details…
Meet Quill, our brand-new hedgehog We have been researching, learning, and planning for him to join our family for a number of months, so getting him this week was pretty exciting!
I will try to refrain myself from sharing too many Quill photos on here, but we kinda think our hedgie is just about the cutest, so yeah, no promises that I won’t at least share a favorite photo here and there! 😉
For September 11, Jesse and the kids did the 343 Workout of the Day at Crossfit — one rep for every firefighter who lost their life on 9/11.
Since we had the privilege of getting to go to the 9/11 Museum & Memorial this summer, our kids have a much deeper understanding of the significance of this day.
Silas did all 343 reps because, he told me, he, “wanted to make sure to honor every single hero.”
There were many, many more heroes on that day, but it was a small way for our kids to stop and remember.
May we never forget.
Jesse celebrated his birthday this week and we had fun doing some fun things for the occasion — including a dinner out at one of our favorite restaurants and some surprise gifts we had planned for him. His birthday also caused me to reflect on the last few years.
3 1/2 years ago, because of how unexpectedly well the blog was doing, we made the decision for me to step into the primary bread winner role. I haven’t talked about this much online, but there were definitely a lot of challenges to us as we’ve navigated this new season.
Some days, we didn’t see eye-to-eye. Some days, we both wanted to throw in the towel. Many days, people questioned or criticized or didn’t understand our decision.
But I’m grateful we stuck with it — even on the hard days. Because we are growing in our communication skills, growing in our respect for one another, and growing into the gifts that God has uniquely equipped us with.
With each passing day, I become more grateful for this man and the sacrifices he makes so I can live out the calling God has given me. Our family is stronger, our kids are happier, our marriage has been strengthened, and individually we are more fulfilled.
This year, I feel like we’ve really found our sweet spots and both feel so content and fulfilled in knowing them. This peace was hard won and required many honest and difficult conversations. It required compromise and sacrifice on both of our parts. But it’s been worth it.
Sometimes, God calls you to take a leap of faith that doesn’t make sense to many people. Sometimes, it’s hard and lonely and filled with wondering whether you really made the right decision.
But you keep trusting, keep taking the next step, keep having the hard conversations, keep going when people tell you you should turn around.
And then you wake up one day down the road and see that it wasn’t a big mistake. It was actually the road to greater blessing and joy than you ever dared hope.
I had the opportunity to speak at the Tribe Conference on Saturday. I talked about How to Build Your Blog Without Killing Your Soul — sharing some of my lessons learned from my Year of Rest. I loved getting to be there — and to meet some of you!
On Sunday, Jesse and I ran our second Tough Mudder. It was 10 miles and 23 obstacles and we did it in less than 4 hours — which was our goal!
We had so much fun and this one was MUCH easier for me than last time around. (Read all about my very first Tough Mudder experience here.)
I realized that not only am I physically stronger and healthier than I was last time, I’m also mentally much stronger. All that working out + eating healthier + taking better care of myself + deep heart work is paying off!
Was I scared about some parts of this Tough Mudder? Absolutely! Were there times when I wondered if I’d be able to complete an obstacle. YES!
But even though I was scared, even though I had doubts, I did it scared… and I totally surprised myself by what I was capable of! Plus, I had so much fun!
Take that, fear! I don’t have to live in bondage to you. I can sign up, show up, do the thing, and have fun in the process. Because you are not the boss of me!
Links You Should Check Out:
Ever thought about becoming a virtual assistant? There is a HUGE need for this right now as I know many blogger and online entrepreneurs who are looking to hire those with excellent skills. If you are interested in what it takes to become a virtual assistant and what types of jobs you can do, you don’t want to miss Thursday afternoon’s free webinar I’m hosting with Gina Horkey. Sign up for it here.
27 Ways to Feel Happier For FREE! I had fun putting together this list of some of my favorite ways to have a pick-me-up, without spending any money.
Like free samples? Sign up to get free samples from PinchMe!
I’m so excited that the trees are starting to turn colors! I’m determined to soak up every bit of fall foliage this year and here’s why.
Looking for a yummy weekend breakfast? I highly recommend these Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls.
Did you take the free Productivity quiz yet? If not, go take it here. I found it really insightful — and encouraging!
