THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

ARTWORK VIA MARCUS OAKLEY

THINKING ABOUT: Glennon of Momastery likes to remind her readers that "we can do hard things." On Monday while Max ate lunch I was reminded of this in the most ridiculous way. You see, my dear child decided to sprinkle bits of quinoa and scrambled eggs all over Beesly. Do you know how ridiculously complicated it is to get that stuff out of her coat? Yowzah! Days later and I'm still finding remnants of his meal in her fur. With all of the messes we've got going on around here, this is a new one to add to the list.

FEELING: Earlier this week Flyboy forwarded me an email that was circulating around the office. They were asking for volunteers to move to Canada and be instructor pilots up north as part of an exchange program. FB asked, "Want to move somewhere cooler?" As I scanned through the email and briefly looked over the details of the job description, I couldn't help but get a little excited at the idea of leaving Swell Rio. Say yes to new adventures, eh?! I had visions of outdoor activities, a colorful winter coat collection, and donuts from Tim Hortons (Hey, Robin Scherbatsky!). Curious about the location, I referred to Lady Google for more information. After thirty minutes of searching the town and nearby cities, I was reminded once again why pilot training bases are often located in remote areas. This place was essentially a frigid version of Swell Rio. My hopes for charming rentals and amenities were quickly squashed when I browsed the local property listings (no bueno) and found a tire and collision shop listed as a shopping center. Come again? Panic really set it when I remembered the cost of shipping items from J. Crew to Canada. No, thank you. If this was God's way of reminding me to keep things in perspective, it worked. Listen big guy, I hear you loud and clear. Perhaps it's best in this case if hell doesn't freeze over. Swell Rio, you're not too shabby! And hey, Chick-fil-A opened yesterday so we've got that going for us...

THANKFUL FOR: In less than ten days Max and I are headed to Iowa. Hooray! While we're there, we plan to visit oodles of family and offer moral support to my sister as she gets situated at Creighton. I have a feeling it's going to be a trip for the books! The last time I visited the area, I was seven months pregnant and my relatives threw me a baby shower. The love, wisdom, gadgets, and gear I received from them has been invaluable these past ten months. There may be miles that separate us, but their ongoing support means everything to me. I have a BIG hug ready for each and every one of them, although I'm certain they just want to see the baby already. It's not often that we get together like this, so I'm beyond grateful for the opportunity to introduce Max to my dear family.

EATING: In case you have questions regarding the egg and quinoa fiasco mentioned earlier, let me explain. In my attempt to feed Max healthy-ish meals, I've been bookmarking ideas left and right. This week I decided to try two new recipes: Mini Veggie Frittatas and Cheesy Quinoa Bites. While I'm certain Max would have been content eating Cheerios (AGAIN!) and the banana pancakes I mentioned in last week's post, I'm determined to keep introducing new table food. I can't say there was anything too special about the frittata recipe, but I'd consider myself a fan of the quinoa bites. Now if only Max would share my enthusiasm and devour the dumb things instead of sprinkling bits around like confetti. Alright, fine, you can have the Cheerios! Here's hoping I have better luck with next week's recipes. Oh, and if any of you have ideas you think I should try, send them my way por favor.

LISTENING TO: Podcasts, podcasts, and more podcasts. Last weekend while Flyboy was out of town, I decided to paint our drab kitchen white. Now that it's finished I'm happy with the results, but I totally had regrets about taking on the task not even thirty minutes into the project. To help pass the time, I listened to The Longest Shortest Time, Sorta Awesome, and Mystery Show. It made hours of rolling, taping, and cutting a bit more eventful. If you're looking for podcasts to listen to, I highly recommend all three.

WATCHING: A few weeks ago, Grace of Camp Patton shared a link to this video. It made me so happy I decided to keep the link open on my phone for whenever I need a pick-me-up. After viewing the "Summer Safety Tips" more times than I care to admit, I've decided I need Veronica as my life coach. Because if you go into the shark's house, you're gonna end up on the plate...

READING: Kait Hanson of CommuniKait is a fellow military spouse and blogger that I "met" via social media within the last year. She's flipping adorable, and I was so sad to learn that we lived in Hawaii at the SAME time and didn't cross paths until AFTER I moved to Texas. Womp womp. Yep, I'm just a little bitter. Anywho, I can't tell you how proud I am of Kait! She recently published her first book, Sweet Eats & Dog Treat, a gluten-free cookbook of baked goods for you and your four-legged friend. With all of the baby food that's being prepared around here, Tripp and Beesly are super excited at the prospect of me whipping up a batch of Carrot and Apple Biscuits this weekend. Oh, and maybe the adults in the house deserve a Cookie Cake? You can download Kait's book on iTunes.

LOVING: Is there anything better than a freshly pressed button-down? I didn't think so. This boy shirt in pink and blue plaid is beckoning. For days I've been planning outfits around this piece. Perhaps it's time I just add it to my wardrobe already??

Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!