Mommy Ramblings: Perseverance

I hope you are all ready for a plethora of blogs coming your way! I have really missed blogging and sharing with you all what the Bradshaws have been up to! I hope this finds everyone well!

We spent the majority of last week in Las Vegas visiting family. Normally I anticipate packing on a few pounds while we are on vacation, but I think from all the sweating we did last week in the 115 degree weather made me lose some weight. Heaven knows I didn't eat super healthy while we were there, even though I did try! That little vacation was just what my heart and sole needed, my head is finally clear after a horrible June! I'm in a good place now and ready to get back to the grind, I started a new work out regimen this morning and yesterday I planned out super healthy meals for the rest of the week!

I have the opportunity to workout with a crossfit trainer for free, but I decided I want to do C25K first...hopefully Chris will still let me train with him after I get my behind in a little better shape!! My plan is to do weight training 3 days a week and run 3 days a week. Once I get the C25K mastered then I'm going to conquer the half marathon training schedule that has lived on my refrigerator for the past oh 4 years!

Yesterday Ethan woke up with his eye swollen shut and all puffy and swollen. Oh yes...PINK EYE! We started drops right away and he is much better today. Staying home with him yesterday allowed me to get the rest of our trip put away, and really get focused on organizing my time while I'm home. It really paid off because I was so productive today at the office.

That photo sums up how I feel like I've been going through my days. I read a quote today that just summed up how I have been feeling. "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10:35-36) We are not a super religious family but when I happened across this passage it touched me, so I hope it touches and encourages you for the days to come.

Mommy Ramblings: Get What You Put in to Love

Over the last six years Trevor and I have been to s several weddings for our friends and family. Each time we attend a wedding I find us returning to that cozy honeymoon phase that so many people forget they can go back to. Lately we have been missing our weekly date night because things with the kids and schedules have been so crazy, but each week when we take the time to reconnect I find us getting back to that butterfly, new love feeling even if we've been fighting over stupid things like dishes in the sink or laundry on the bathroom floor.

Marriage can be an intense commitment that from the outside looking in can appear to be easy. The energy and nerves of steel that go into making a marriage successful run rampant at times. The decision making process as a couple and parents seem to be a constant give and take for us. It seems for us, it's an opportunity to show case our true feelings on certain issues with the kids and high stress issues like money.

I remember my wedding like it was yesterday. Trevor and I laid it all out on the line and have been giving it our all from day one. I have to admit that at times we feel like we have nothing left to give. Nobody is perfect, right?! But everyday we make an effort to work on creating a harmonious relationship with one another and the kids. I believe in life you get what you put in, and it's no different in marriage and love.

Mommy Ramblings: 30 Day Challenge and More

It has been a rough week and a half! Carter had his tonsils out, and needed me by his side every minute! Turns out he is one of those kids who will NOT take medicine no matter how bad he feels, and when we don't give him the option, he spits it out. Totally defeats the purpose, hence why we have been having a long week and a half.

I'm really excited that summer is beginning! We have some really fun family outings planned as well as some home improvement projects that will hopefully have us making the most of of our summer. I wish I was one of those moms that could say that summer means constant entertainment, scheduling camps and play dates, but I still have to work, so Ethan is going to be doing a fun summer camp called Camp Unique. I feel like this past year we have been so over-scheduled, that I'm looking forward to a quieter summer where we can all just spend some quality time together.

Summer also means short shorts and bathing suits (insert crying face)!! I started really trying to lose the baby weight back in March, which to my credit I have to say I've lost 27lbs., but I still have 13 more to go...if you're trying to add that up quickly you're right I gained 40lbs with Daxton (insert another crying face)! As a buy mom it's challenging trying to carve out time to work out let alone eat healthy on the go. Although Trevor and I have been semi successful at making a point of not making excuses not to get in better shape, I know I need to do more to get rid of those last clinging pregnancy pounds.

So after reading some pretty inspirational blogs, I decided to try the 30 Day Paleo Challenge. I've actually started and stopped this dang challenge I think 2 times before now, but after reading a friend from high schools' blog about raising her kids paleo and just the whole lifestyle I decided I should get serious and try it. If you are wondering what the heck I'm talking about you can find it at robinssweetconfessions.com.

I'm on Day 5 and I seriously have noticed a difference. I probably started noticing a difference after Day 3, but honestly by Day 4 my pants were fitting me differently! I'm hoping by the end of this month I will at least comfortably fit into the majority of my jeans. You all should challenge yourselves with me!!

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As if being a 24/7 mom isn't enough, I have been dreaming of an entreprenurial empire as well. The flexibility and creative control that comes with entrepreneurship is its own reward, but launching a business takes a ton of work, and a taste for smart risk taking, and since I have to work a day job I don't have the time to really delve into my "must have" list right now. So, over the next few months I'm going to slowly be building my Creative Mommy resume so that hopefully around Christmas time I can start my own Etsy store!! Stay tuned and fingers crossed that all my crafting pays off eventually!!!

Mommy Ramblings: A Very Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Memorial Day Weekend did not start out exactly how I would have liked it. Friday night, I got extremely sick. I think Trevor is starting to just expect these migraines to practically knock me off my feet since I seem to get them one a weekly basis. Out of literally nowhere the room was spinning and I was instantly nauseated. This probably wouldn't have been as bad as it was if Ethan wasn't hosting his first sleepover!! I felt so bad that I didn't get to do ANYTHING with them, thank goodness Trevor was able to entertain them with Monopoly and movies!!

Saturday was much better, thankfully, since we have come to the conclusion that it used to be man-to-man defense with just the two kids, but now that there is three of them it's more like zone defense. I cannot even imagine what it is going to be like when Daxton is mobile and verbal because it's already constant crazy in this house!!

The weekend was spent with lots of friends celebrating the holiday and the start of summer. We enjoyed a BBQ at Eric and Deidre's on Saturday. They have a 2 year old as well which was so fun because Carter actually had someone his own age to play with, but watching Ethan with him was even more fun! They enjoyed each other's company and there wasn't a single fight.

Monday, we enjoyed another BBQ with a big group of friends and their kids. I was surrounded by moms I admire and we were able to spend fun quality time together. I didn't realize the value of deep friendships until the past few years. We were the first to have kids in our group of friends, with the exception of one or two people, so I finally feel like we are all coming on to the same page. In addition, in the past I feel like I was always consumed with Trevor, or just simply overwhelmed and exhausted with my own children to truly make time for a social life. Now more than ever I need and value those friendships as they are so different than the relationship I have with my husband. I honestly had the best time this weekend spending time with those friends and cultivating new relationships. And of course, I enjoyed the time with Trevor and the kids.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!!

xoxo

Rays vs. Indians

I think one of the first things I knew about Trevor was that he loved baseball. In fact one of our times hanging out I heard all about their boys trip touring baseball fields around the country. I suppose that is a roundabout way of simply saying I knew our lives would be immersed in baseball, especially having 3 boys. I digressed...back on point...

Today was our first T-ball game in over a week against the Indians. This was our second game against this team. I really like their coach as he tries to teach all the kids not just his own team and doesn't give off an overly competitive vibe.

Carter so desperately wants to play with Ethan. Much to my dismay he moseyed out on to the field with a bat at one point during the second inning. Thankfully, nobody seemed to mind. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I was spending my evenings at ballet instead of managing the dugout, but then I think about how blessed I am to be a mom of 3 little boys and wouldn't trade the Cracker Jacks and peanuts for hairnets and tutus (I promise I wouldn't)!!!

Trevor has the patience of a saint with these kids, and nothing is hotter than seeing the man you love teaching kids how to play a sport. He truly loves coaching these littles, as crazy as 5 year olds are. Ethan hit and fielded so well tonight, he was so pleased with himself! I know we aren't supposed to keep score in T-ball, but this was the first game we didn't blow the other team out of the water...I think we may have won by 1 run.

In just a few short weeks our season will be over and we will anxiously be waiting next season!

Mommy Ramblings: Out of the Mouth of Babes

If you ever want to learn something about yourself all you have to do is ask your child what they think about you. The truth may hurt, but hearing what your child thinks about you can be turned into constructive reflection. Plus, as long as you don't take offense to it it can be quite entertaining.

So a few weeks ago when Trevor was working I asked Ethan what he thought about us. I figured it might go over his head or that he wouldn't really know how to answer the question, but I was pleasantly surprised. Here is what he said for me: smart, pretty, fun, mean, princess, and rude. For Trevor he said: likes to play with us, fun, super hero, mean, and awesome.

To be totally honest, I was happy to hear what he feels, but I was a little hurt that I received mean and rude while Trevor was more of the fun things. So then I asked him why he felt the way he did, which he had a hard time answering. So, I asked him why he felt that we were mean to which he told me we always yell at him and Carter. Which honestly made me feel awful and has made me take a step back and rethink the way I speak to him and his brother. I then asked him why he felt like mommy was rude and he said that I don't let him talk all the time and he doesn't get to finish things when he is trying to tell me stories. Again, I felt so sad that I make him feel that what he is trying to tell me was unimportant or that I didn't care. I'm really trying to be more conscious of my actions with him so that he feels loved and knows that what he has to say is important to me.

All the rest of the stuff was fun and nice to hear. I have such special children, and such an amazing five year old!!!

A Beautiful Day for the Marina

We joined throngs of Reno/Sparks patrons for a stroll around the Marina this evening. In true Bradshaw fashion we threw the kids in the jogging strollers and backpack and we hit the trail.

Ethan refused to sit in the stroller so he literally sprinted 3/4 of the marina to keep up with Trevor and I. Then he finally decided he his legs couldn't carry him any further. The kids had such a fun time being outside and taking in the summer-like air!!

Happy Sunday!!

xoxo