What's Up Wednesday!

Hi!! How has your week been going so far?  We are just trucking along...the weather has been gorgeous...which has meant lots of time outside for us after school!  

So...it is the last Wednesday of the month...which means it is time for another What's Up Wednesday Post! I am joining Mel, Shay and Sheaffer for their super fun link up party!

What we're eating this week...This week is all about SUPER simple meals because we are leaving for a quick trip to Cleveland on tomorrow morning!  My husband is at a meeting tonight- so I really only had to cook Monday and Tuesday night! YAY! I am definitely not mad about getting a little break from making dinner every night! :)

What I'm reminiscing about..my parents were here this past weekend and my mom was talking about how my dad and her planned out the vacations we took as a family when my siblings and I were kids.  It brought back SO many FUN, HAPPY memories talking about camping, LONG road trips, my dad forcing us to get in the cold ocean...so thankful for everything my parents did to give us such a beautiful upbringing!

Just for fun...here is a picture of my sister and I when we were young girls!! I LOVE this picture!! :) You can tell we were really unhappy kids-HA!

What I am loving....I have mentioned it here on the blog several times already..but I am loving the new grocery store that opened RIGHT by our house! It is called Fresh Thyme.  My mom and I walked there this past weekend to pick up a few things and we had so much fun just walking around, checking everything out!! They have awesome sales- which makes me love them anymore. I don't know- I am kind of a nut- but I LOVE smaller scaled grocery stores- I could easily spend a couple hours just wondering in them! 

What we've been up to...SCHOOL. We are back in the full swing of our school schedule.  Our girls go to a Catholic school about 20 minutes away from our house...and I have two girls in preschool from 8 - 11 am and my oldest daughter is in school from 8-3:30.  Sooo...I am in the car A LOT :)  The driving back and forth from school is definitely a downside to sending our girls to a school 20 minutes from our house...but we LOVE their school- so I am happy (not all the time- HA) to make 3, 40 minute round trips a day to drop them off and pick them up :)

What I'm dreading...So...I know everyone is REAL excited about Fall being just around the corner! Pumpkin Spice Lattes! Leggings and Boots and Scarves!  Yummy soups for dinner! But you know what? I am NOT one of those people.  (I am really sorry if I am coming off as a debbie downer right now- HA!) I am totally dreading the colder months.  Don't get me wrong- Fall is so pretty and you can still do a lot outside.  But after Fall comes Winter. I can handle November and December because they are filled with holiday excitement...but come January...UGH.  I am desperate for sunshine, flip flops and NOT having to bundle 4 kids up in coats, boots, hats and scarves.  So there- I said it- I am dreading Fall because it means Winter is coming! 

What I am working on...As always...I seriously ALWAYS write this in this section of "What's up Wednesday," I am working on photo books for my two younger kids.  I am ALMOST done with Celine's book!  Then I need to get James' first year photo book done.  Then I need to get started on Cora's 5 year photo book- so I don't fall behind again!! It really is NOT that big of a deal- especially if I just make myself put together a few pages every night- I can have a book done in about a week.  It has just been a little crazy with getting back from vacation, starting school back up, and having my parents' come visit us this past weekend.  Once we get into September things will calm down a little bit!  I am also needing to work on finishing up my required CEUs (continuing education units) for the year!  I am about half way there- and I do NOT want to be cramming those in at the end of the year!

What I'm excited about...Well...we are leaving for Cleveland tomorrow and we are going to see several really good friends that we haven't seen in a year!! Also- this Friday is my daughter Cora's birthday!! We are going to celebrate in Cleveland by doing a bunch of fun things....donuts at our favorite grocery store cafe up there, visiting with our old next door neighbor who was like an adopted grandmother to our kids, a trip to Build A Bear!!, dinner at Chick-Fil-A and cupcakes at my friends' house on her back deck!  It will be a little different to not be celebrating her birthday at home with a bunch of decorations and a "friend" party- but I am looking forward to having it be a bit more relaxed and about us being together as a family versus all of the birthday hoopla...do you know what I mean?!  

Just for fun...here is my precious Cora Maye on her FIRST birthday!! How she is turning FIVE- I really have no idea!!

What I am watching/reading...oh my gosh. I am SO boring in this department!! Besides my daily devotionals I read and my favorite blogs...I am embarrassed to admit I am reading nothing.  As far as shows I am watching- you guess it- I got nothing!! HA! We don't have cable and right now, with the Fall shows not coming on for another month- there is NOTHING on TV right now! Combine that with the fact I can barely make it to 10 pm without passing out on the couch...well- let's just say it is a good night if I can stay awake to watch an episode of Diners, Drive-In's and Dives on the computer, in bed, with my husband! HA!

What I am listening to...my girls' Vacation Bible School CD from this summer and a CD I made when Aaron and I first starting dating.  I titled the CD, "Songs that make me think of Aaron."  WOW. So inventive Justine! HA! But seriously- it is crazy how listening to a song can make you FEEL like you are back in a specific moment!! I love listening to "my aaron" CD because it brings back SO many amazing feelings...and the songs on the CD are just really good:) 

What I'm wearing...the same ol' thing!  Workout clothes in the morning and my FAVORITE shorts and t-shirt once I get home and showered. I will probably continue to rock this momiform as it gets cooler and just switch over to a long sleeve t-shirt with my shorts.  I am going to wear my shorts and flip flops for as LONG AS I CAN! HA!  I am looking at this dress as a possibility to wear for our upcoming family pictures.  Since it will be cooler when we get our pictures taken, I was thinking of wearing a fitted denim jacket and cowboy boots with it.  What do you think? I am not sure about the asymmetrical hemline?!

What I'm doing this weekend...Well...like I previously mentioned...we are headed to Cleveland tomorrow and will be back just in time for Charlotte's first soccer game on Saturday morning.  Aaron is her coach and it is Charlotte's first time playing soccer- so we are really excited to see how she does! Sunday night we are going over to a friend's house for dinner- they have quadruplets and are SO fun!! We met them at our YMCA earlier this summer and immediately hit it off with them! We are really excited to have met some people who we get along with- who are in the EXACT same stage of life as we are! It is nice to hang out with people who "get" the craziness (and actually enjoy) that comes with 4 young kids :)

What I'm looking forward to next month...We actually don't have much going on next month...which is exactly what I am looking forward to!  This past month has been VERY busy and it will be nice to just have some open weekends to catch up on life :)  My oldest daughter is playing soccer for the first time and her games are every Saturday morning.  My husband is the coach for her team- so it will be a family affair watching her play! My girls have a couple Monday's off of school in September, so I am thinking we might take a quick trip to visit my parents!  

What else is new...NOT MUCH! Which is totally fine with me! :)

Bonus Question: What's your favorite back to school tradition? Our favorite back to school tradition is to get a milkshake at Steak N Shake on the way home from the first day of school!  We have done it two years in a row and it is just a fun, little treat that celebrates getting through the first day of school!  (And it is conveniently "happy hour" from 2-5 pm and milkshakes are half price- score! :)