What's Up Wednesday

 Hello hello friends! I know we all say it every month, but this one flew by. I hope you've all had a good month-- I am looking forward to catching up with you. What's Up Wednesdays are some of my favorite posts-- it feels like going out to coffee with friends to catch up once a month. 😊

What We're Eating: This week we are eating some chili, portobello burgers, tofu lettuce wraps, and Middle Eastern chickpea bowls (pictured above). 

What I'm Loving: Spring is just around the corner!!! The weather this week has been beautiful and we have been spending a lot more time in the backyard. The kids have been getting all their energy out while I have been prepping the back yard for spring. Devin and I have started planning our summer garden and I just can't wait! Spring is my favorite season by far. After the cold weather of winter, being able to spend time outside in just a t shirt is a dream. 

What We've Been Up To: We spent last weekend in Asheville, NC celebrating my father in-law's 70th birthday. While we technically stayed in an AirB&B, we made sure to swing by the Grove Park Inn, which is one of our favorite places. Devin and I stayed there once back in 2010, and then we went again for our babymoon with LG in 2017. 

2010 on top... 2017 on bottom.. and then down below is 2022!

It's crazy to see how much has changed in the past 12 years!

What I'm Working On: Planning our trip to Ireland! We have booked two nights to stay on the grounds at Dromoland Castle and we are stoked!  We are not staying in the actual castle (because yikes--  $$$$), but they have a more family friendly (and more affordable) modern building on the grounds. We still get access to all the amenities, without the high price. And the fancy people don't have to deal with our loud children. 😜

What I'm Excited About: The warmer temperatures mean paddle board and kayak season is almost here! While the US National Whitewater Center is technically open year-round, we don't usually start going until mid-April when the water is warm enough to enjoy. 

We love this place so much, and it starts to feel like our "home away from home" during the warmer months. They have hiking trails, mountain biking trails, zip lining, rock wall climbing, ropes courses, kayaking, paddle boarding, and obviously white water rafting. Honestly just sitting near the edge and watching the rafts is fun too! I am very excited to be spending our time here this spring/summer/fall.

What I'm Watching/Reading: Every single book I have read this year has been a knockout. I almost dread picking up a new book because I think "there's no way this one will be another great one," the good streak has to end somewhere right? So far though, the streak is going strong. I am currently reading The French Gift and love it. It bounces back and forth between modern day and 1940's France as we follow the life of a woman in the Resistance. I am about halfway through and can't wait to see how it ends. 

Devin read Endurance last month, which is the true story of explorers who attempted to go to the South Pole in 1914, but got stuck and their ship was destroyed. The 27 men on the crew had to travel over 850 miles in freezing conditions with little food or shelter to be rescued. The story was absolutely fascinating. We found out there was a documentary available on Youtube about it, called The Endurance: A Legendary Story of Survival-- and it was good too!

Rainy Paris cafe with smooth jazz from Calmed by Nature

What I'm Listening To: I'm not sure if this counts, but one of my new favorite things to have on in the background is Calmed by Nature on Youtube. Tanya posted about this awhile back and I have loved picking different options and letting it play in the background while I do things around the house. 

What I'm Wearing: Oh goodness, I'm not wearing anything new these days so I'm going to recycle some old pictures to show you what I've been wearing:

Joggers/Adidas Cloudfoams

Most days I am running around in some sort of graphic tee, joggers, and a ponytail, like the picture above.   

When I decide to wear "regular clothes", I'm pretty much wearing these outfits:

Tunic Sweater/ Leggings

Camo Sweatshirt (in Gray/Green)/ Leggings/ Adidas Cloadfoams

Turtleneck Sweater/ Leggings/ Adidas Cloadfoams

Jumpsuit/Denim Jacket/Leopard Flats (old, but similar here)

Gingham Shirt/Green Pants/Leopard Flats (old, but similar here)

What I'm Doing This Weekend: Devin and I have a fun date night planned for Friday at a unique new indoor putt putt place called Puttery. They have locations in Charlotte and Dallas but are adding several other locations soon-- you may want to Google and check for your city!

Other than that, I have a spiritual retreat with our church and a date to get pedicures with some girlfriends on Sunday. It should be a nice weekend!

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month: Mostly spending as much time as possible outside with the kiddos and getting our garden ready. Did you know you can start plants inside in your AeroGarden and then transfer them outside to your soil garden when the weather warms up? I'm not sure how well it will work, but I'm willing to give it a shot. I'll report back after we've done it.

Thanks for catching up with us! Can't wait to hear what you're all up to as well.