Five on Friday (February 2, 2018)

I love having fresh flowers in the house, but not the expense of having fresh flowers. Trader Joe's $3.99 bouquets to the rescue! I pulled out the big girl camera for pics as well, but this one is just from my phone.

1. January/February generally tend to be the quietest months of the year, but that is not proving true for 2018. As parents, we try really hard not to overschedule the kids, but basketball tournaments, guitar lessons, spelling competitions, music competitions (both church and school), etc. are all hitting at once and I can feel the stress from the kids. Camden, especially, since he's my perfectionist. All of the kid activities are in addition, of course, to just regular life so balance feels out of reach at the moment.

2. After a particularly difficult week last week, I received the loveliest package in the mail - a Kantha throw from Dignify which is a beautiful blanket made in Bangladesh from recycled saris. The blankets are sewed by women who have been rescued from poverty and slavery and take 23 hours to stitch. The group of women who gifted the blanket to me have been blessings in my life from the moment I was diagnosed. The unexpected package very much felt like a sweet group hug.

3. Yesterday was Africa day at school for Rory. Her teacher, whose parents were missionaries, let her borrow an African dress and she came home full of stories.

4. I completed 7 books in January:

Of Mess and Moxie by Jen Hatmaker - I found myself snorting in laughter several times, usually in the Vanderbilt waiting room
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan - historical fiction and I kept waiting for this book to get better
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan - a sweet, light-hearted read
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green - angsty YA
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng - thoroughly enjoyed this one
It's Not Fair: Learning to Love the Life You Didn't Choose by Melanie Dale - a quick read with lighthearted ways to cope with an unexpected life
This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel - this book was on everyone's best of 2017 list, but not mine

5. For a variety of reasons, I have had very little sleep in the past 48 hours and the fogginess is disconcerting. Camden has a game in KY tonight then riding home with a friend to go to the youth event where Brian is speaking. They probably won't be home until the wee hours of the morning (2 a.m.?). Tomorrow we're having the annual Lewis/Lemon Superbowl party. And hurray that my parents will be able to attend this year!

Happy Friday, friends.