Saying goodbye to friends...

Hays had the loveliest going away party with her friends last night.  These ballerina buds are just the sweetest...surrounding her with so much support and making her feel so loved in the midst of this big move in her life.  I know it will be hard to leave them--they are her IU family.  So grateful for good friends who travel journeys in life with us...even from afar :)  More pics to come of the fun and the laughs...but now onto more party-planning...

Counting down the days...

2 weeks from today we will be arriving in NYC to drop our girl off for 10 months.  Surreal.  I have not even had much time to think about it as we are just trying to squeeze everything into this month of her home....but the time is ticking away too quickly.  It's hard to believe sometimes that this is her reality...our reality....but it is.  We embrace it, of course, but there will certainly be a hole in our family in a couple weeks when we head home without her and won't be able to see her for almost 3 months....

Lots more to say, but I have just had to consume my time with plans for her and have put little energy elsewhere....

Love my kids :)

 Just a quick post....with my five fav. smiling, crazy faces....my D...loves life, loves school :)

 My crazy Ash and her crazy classmates :) (and Logan who could probably pass for a crazy firstie :))

 My sweet Shelb...she loves her macaroons (we got her this one at our anniversary bfast...yumm!)

The face of an angel...well, not-so-much when he has fecal matter on his finger....sigh....soon and very soon we will potty train...

My girl and some of her school buds having fun at the drive-in last night...oh to be a high schooler again! 

Love each of these kiddos...and the joy they bring :)

Awww, check this out :)

Look what my bro just found up at the cabin in NC!  Isn't that a cute pic of me and my new hubby?  I think we weren't even married a year yet...and I think I was newly pg with Hays and didn't even know it!  I remember that trip to NC so well....we had our own little cabin in the woods.  And now look at us 16 years later....

I am sad though bc this week our family sold the cabin on the mountain that my grandparents built and loved so much.  An ending of an era in Maggie Valley.  I thought this place would be in our family forever.  I know the memories always will be....

17 years of blissfulness...and counting! :)

 Another year of bliss under our belt :)  And this one was a doozy with the ol' "selling a house, buying/building a house and moving twice in 4 months"...but we survived it...

 ...so in celebration tonight we had shots...of chili, that is :)  If you live in Bloomy, you prob know where we went for din din...and, yes, we romantically took the whole family....talk about blissfully quiet (aka dramatic!) :)

But I sure wouldn't want to share this crazy life and these crazy kids with anyone else.  I love that God made this man just for me....He knew 17 years ago that Kev could take all the craziness I throw at him and roll with it. And he has done just that. He is my rock, my calm in the storm, my smile in the sad days and my gold at the end of the rainbow. Ok, all very cliched to say, but the truth is...I couldn't imagine my life without him...he was the first of the biggest blessings in my life and I am forever in love with him and the life he's made with me.  Happy 17th, Babe!

She's officially behind the wheel :)

 Today I said a prayer and saw my life flash before me a few times...as I let Hays take the wheel for the first time.  lol :)  J/K, Hays. I  was probably the same driver as you back at age 15...and I am pretty sure my mom refused to drive with me....I just remember my Aunt Mary doing being brave and taking me in her car a few times :) 

 This is how Logan felt about this first driving experience.  Oh, feel the love!  Thankfully no lives, curbs, trees, vehicles or structures were lost at this empty church parking lot today :)  God was watching over us :)

And today she had her first driver's ed classes.  I wish I had been a backseat driver when she took the wheel with Bob Jones (her instructor) :)  I'm proud of you, Hays...I know you will do great and learn a lot in the next 2 1/2 weeks. Go, Hays!

How to overcome burn-out?

Well, my friends...it really isn't a secret, but I'll say it anyway...I am burned out.

I have been for a long, long time....probably since we put our house up for sale last October.  And with each passing holiday, birthday, special occasion, activity, vacation, etc...I seem to get more burned-out.

Today Kev called to ask Hailey and I to go out to lunch with him...I cried. I cried bc I didn't want to even get in the van and drive anywhere.  Yes, it's that bad. 

I would love to sign my kids for up for no activities for a year, not volunteer for one year, not throw a party for one whole year. But my fear in doing this is that I will actually like it so much, I will never go back to the old burned-out-me. 

I need advice...or maybe I just need help in general...but I need to find a way to dig myself out of the burn-out hole.  I am finding myself gasping for air this week....and I fear what I will feel like once my Hays is gone...and once the holidays approach...

I think I know in my head what to do....to cut WAY back on things....but I think I feel like a failure doing that.  But my sanity is probably past the point of no return...so I need to do something. Help.  Sigh.

On the bright side:  One week of school down...too many more to go....