Happy Wednesday! Spring break is officially over for me and I am back to work today. We had a fun, but busy weekend. We started Saturday celebrating our 14 year old!

This has been a big year for Luke! He’s powering through some medical moments (cyst surgery and Osgood-Schlatter’s) and showing some big time resilience. He’s working hard at school and it is paying off. He is still the happiest kid everywhere he goes. He’s polite, always willing to help, and oh so curious. Luke loves watching videos on YouTube and usually learns something from it. He is still a Lego kid and I am so proud of the young man he is becoming! 14 is going to be another great year for Luke!

My weekend officially started on Wednesday after school. I shared a bit on Friday but I got my first mani/pedi of the year and it was a great start. When we woke up on Friday, we were all on spring break and ready for the weekend. I am sharing EIGHT GREAT things from the weekend.

1-Jack played golf on Friday with some of his teammates. Jeff cut the grass for the first time this year. I enjoyed some outside time before I went to get Jack. I ran some last minute birthday and Easter errands on the way to pick up Jack. He got a quick haircut on our way home and then we all got ready to go out to dinner to celebrate Luke.

2-Luke’s birthday was Saturday, but we weren’t going to be home until at least 9:30 pm so we had cake on Friday night. I bought sparkler candles for both kids so we were prepared and not quite as worried that we would catch the house on fire.

3-We were up and moving on Saturday morning to go to Hershey Park. The kids’ swim team had an outing to the park and Luke wanted to go for his birthday. It was pretty crowded but we rode as many roller coasters as we could. It was a fun day and a great way to spend Luke’s birthday!

4-We slept as late as we could on Sunday and still make it to 8:00 church. I love Easter at church. In addtion to the hopeful message that Jesus has risen, we see friends and everyone is in their Easter best.

5-We came home for a quick minute to regroup and go to Jeff’s parents’ house. We were all there and laughed a bunch. We had a delicious lunch and the kids did an egg hunt.

6-I got our Easter roast in the oven as soon as we got home and made sure Jack had everything he needed for his spring break trip. The golf team goes to Pinehurst every year. He was so excited to go back this year. I can’t wait to pick him up at the end of the week and hear all about his trip!

7-My parents came over in the afternoon on Easter to celebrate Luke’s birthday and join us for a delicious dinner. I learned how to make a roast from my mom who learned from her mom and the two of them know how to cook a phenomenal rib roast. I think I’ve learned from the best! We talked, laughed, and watched Luke hit some golf balls into the corn field with his new driver. My mom and I started planning our next family gathering with a good list!

8-We were early, early to bed on Sunday night because we needed to be out the door by 4:20 on Monday morning. Jack had to meet the team and we decided to head to the beach for an overnight. When I planned the overnight, I was hoping for 70s and sunshine. We got low 60s with wind and clouds. Darn! Of course we made the best of it! We had some beach time, two yummy beach meals, did a little shopping, and went to the OC boardwalk for a bit. I was happy to have my toes in the (chilly) sand, spend time with Jeff and Luke, and not make a meal or do any dishes.

Even though it was chilly, I hopped in for a little dip. I can’t be near the open water and not hop in. The internet said the water was about 51 degrees, but it really didn’t feel that cold.

We woke up to chilly, cloudy, and a little drizzly weather at the beach. The weather was perfect at home so we packed up and hit the road. I continued the spring break goal by parking my beach chair on the deck and reading most of the afternoon. I finished three books, so that felt great!

I am hoping for a smooth re-entry for Luke and me today. Jeff has off the rest of the week. Jack is in Pinehurst for a few more days, so I know he’s having a great time. Jeff and I had a calendar meeting last night and it looks like we are off to the races for the next six weeks or so. This sounds a little backwards, but I am hoping to use this busy time to lean into my phrase of the year, TAKE CARE, and get into some good habits. Here’s what I am working on:

• Lifting weights before school
• Sticking to the meal plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Using my Crest white strips every day
• 24 ounces of water before 10:30 am
• 10,000 steps every day

That does look a little ambitious for what could be the busiest six weeks of the school year. But if I don’t try, I’ll never do it. So here goes! I’m hoping to do a quick check in on my Hello Monday posts to hold myself accountable. Have a great day full of sunshine and books!