little bits of lately.

things have been busy and a little bit crazy and a little bit hard the past few weeks. 
i've been sick for just shy of a month, hospitalized for a few days of it, and recovery has been slow and scattered. 

honestly, it's been a little discouraging at times. 
but we are making it, and thankful for family, friends and so much grace. 
and it's forced me to rest, observe, and to reflect on a lot. through it, i've been made freshly aware of how much i have to be thankful for, including the health i so often take for granted.

and then there are these two. who make things so much sweeter.
they are growing and changing and turning into such wonderful little people. 

we are so blessed.

love.

finally, an update.

i'm sorry for taking so long to post an update. thankfully, this is a case of silence being a somewhat of a good thing.

but again, we wait.

for those of you who don't know, nick's surgery went beautifully. the surgeon was optimistic and encouraged by how well it went. and that is such a relief.

however, this surgery caused a significant amount of pain. more than last time, even. we weren't expecting that, considering this was a two-hour surgery versus the eight-hour one. but he has endured well. and he has been improving every day.

today, he was moved up to solid foods (hurray!). we're hoping that this means that he will be able to come home in the next few days. we are ready to be together again. 

despite the waiting, we are so very grateful for this good, good news.

love.

homemade ginger tea.

i have something to share with you that's perfect for this chilly winter afternoon. i finally got nick's recipe for his homemade ginger tea (that did wonders for me when i was sick).

i don't know about you, but i love ginger. in just about every form you can give me. regardless, i despise ginger tea. i've tried multiple kinds, and they've all been pretty gross. but for this. this is so, so good. and apparently, so, so easy.

homemade ginger tea

ingredients
ginger root
water
honey

directions
peel your piece of ginger root and slice off 6-8 thin slices lengthwise (in order to maximize the surface area). in a small pan, boil the ginger in a few cups of water for 10-15 minutes. strain into a cup, and add honey to taste.

that's it! so go ahead take a break from what you're doing, make a cuppa & curl up on the couch for a few minutes. and enjoy this lovely winter day.

love.

exercise. what's that again?

i've never been one to exercise. i mean it. i've tried to get into the habit a few times, and i've failed after a few days each time. nick is so great at carving time out of his day and diligently putting time into his health and body. and, well, like i said. i'm not.

i'm going to go ahead and draw a parallel between this and my general lack of discipline when it comes to life things. devotions. portion sizes. following through on goals. actually doing what's on all of those silly lists that i pretty much obsess over. i seem to have an inability to really follow through.

well, there's my soul-bearing for the day. my point is, i want to change that about myself. i know that i need to. for the sake of my health, husband & family. and, i know i can.

he gives more grace. - james 4:6

this verse reminds me that there is grace to change. i have no excuse, because if i call out to God, he will meet me. how's that for a reminder & a kick in the pants?

ok. now for the actual point of this post. a girl named mandy has a blog that i recently discovered, she breathes deeply, and has started a challenge for the month of february: the mom walk challenge. you can read all about it here.

i think this is exactly what i need. a bit of extra accountability coming by way of the interwebs. my hope is to get out and walk at least three days a week, for at least one mile each time. c. loves being in his stroller and being outdoors so much. i have no excuse. we need fresh air, and i need to be healthy.

i'm going to be logging my successes & my miles and posting them (or lack thereof) once a week. and, you don't have to be a mom to do this. just anyone that wants to get their booty moving.

will you join me?

love.