What's Up Wednesday!

Hi! We are half way through the week! YAY!

Today I am linking up with Shay, Mel and Sheaffer for their What's Up Wednesday Series!

What we're eating this week....this week is pretty simple for us as far as meals go!  I actually post my menu plan weekly!  Here is what is on the menu for this week!

What I am reminiscing about...I have been thinking A LOT about how one year ago we were packing our house up in Cleveland after having lived there for 4 1/2 years while my husband went to medical school.  I was VERY pregnant and we were so excited and anxious to move to our new city and house!  Just last week, we were playing outside in our front yard and I had a flash back of us pulling up in front of our house with the moving truck...ready to start our new adventure.  Can't believe it has already almost been a year since we moved!  We LOVE where we live and just feel so incredibly blessed for where we are in our lives right now!

This time last year...packing up our house...3 little girls, 1 super pregnant momma, 1 daddy and 1 moving truck.  Whew! :)

What I am loving....my husband has been on an incredibly DEMANDING rotation this past month...starting tomorrow he changes services and while he will still be super busy, he will have a tad bit more flexibility in his schedule AND he won't be working EVERY weekend!  So I am majorly LOVING that!

What we have been up to....we honestly haven't been up to much!  And that is just fine with me :)  I am not one who likes to have my kids involved in a bunch of activities...I much prefer an open schedule :)  Life with 4 kids and a husband who works all the time is busy enough as it is!  With the beautiful spring weather, we can pretty much always be found outside...either playing on the swing set, riding bikes, taking walks or playing at the park!!

What I am dreading...nothing really! :)

What I am working on...every year I make each one of my kids a photo book when they have a birthday...I am VERY, VERY behind with doing this!  I just finished my 2nd oldest daughter's book (her birthday was LAST AUGUST!)  Now, I am working on my oldest's daughter's book (her birthday was LAST NOVEMBER!)  I need to get her's done because my youngest daughter's birthday is in the middle of May and I need to start working on her's next so I don't get super behind again!!  It is a lot of work compiling all the pictures and making the book- but it is SO worth it!  The girls LOVE looking at pictures in their books!  I order two copies of the book- one for their "memory box" and one for them to keep out and look at whenever they want.  By getting two copies, I am not worried if a page gets torn or if the book gets "well loved" because I know I have a copy tucked away in their box for they are all grown up! 

What I am excited about....SUMMER BREAK!!!  

I can NOT wait for my girls to be out of school and not have to be on a "school" schedule.  We have a couple fun little trips we are going to take during the summer and a week long trip to the beach with all of my mom's extended family.  I love being able to go to the pool and park every day...summer time is my absolute favorite season and I can't wait for it!! :)  

What I am watching...my husband and I have four shows we like to watch...Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Grey's Anatomy and Blue Bloods.  We usually watch them a day or two after they have aired because we are super old and can't stay up past 10 pm...which is when all those shows air! HA!  I would say Blue Bloods and Chicago PD are our top two current favorite shows! (And I am still mad/sad they cancelled Parenthood!!!)

What I am listening to..my girls are all about the dance parties- 

especially my oldest daughter :)  She has some SERIOUS moves! Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars is the current favorite in our house...that and Shake It Off by Miss Swift.  I tell you what- dance parties save us when we are experiencing pre-dinnertime craziness.  I either put on Pandora on our TV or I will pull up a play list on my computer and they dance in the kitchen while I am finishing up dinner.  It never fails...no matter who was crying or whining before the dance party...every one is all smiles once the tunes start playing!! 

What I am wearing...workout clothes...and then changing into an "outfit" after I work out.  I am trying really hard get dressed after I have worked out...even if I am not going any where.  Especially now with the weather being warmer, I am having fun wearing some of my brightly colored t-shirts and white jeans!  Also loving that I can wear my flip flops on a regular basis! My favorite brand of flip flops is Reef. And when I say favorite, I mean I have about 20 pairs of Reef flip flops.  They are SO SO comfortable and such high quality!! I have several pairs that are over 8 years old- and still look and feel great!! 

Here is a typical "look" for me lately :)

Jeans are from here, t-shirt from here and you can find my favorite flip flops here!

What I am doing this weekend...we do not have much planned for this weekend...and that is totally fine with me! :)  The weather is supposed to be gorgeous- so I know we will be taking lots of walks, going on bike rides and hitting up our local park.  I would love to sneak away for an hour or so and pick up some party supplies for my youngest daughter's birthday...fingers crossed my husband's pager doesn't go off right as I am walking out the door...HA!

What I am looking forward to next month...My husband taking a week off of work at the end of May!  We have a little trip to Southern Illinois planned to see my sister and my grandpa- but other than that- it will just be so nice to have him home for a week!!  I have a few projects that I am going to try and talk him into doing for me too ;)  

What else is new....I wish I could say something really fun or exciting here...but I got nothing :)  But that is okay with me...life is pretty normal for us right now and I don't take that for granted for one second! :)

BONUS QUESTION: What am I giving or want to receive for Mother's Day...I really love doing theme gifts for my mom...and I am thinking about doing a "summertime" theme for her Mother's Day gift this year.  I think it would be fun to get her some of this spray sunscreen (smells SO good) for when she is outside working in the yard, a pretty (but functional tank top) like this and some fresh smelling bubble bath to use after a long day of gardening!  

Hope you have the best day! :)