Happy Monday! I’m glad to be back to sharing what I’m loving today. Last Monday I was celebrating the Duke Blue Devils victory with my family, and I spent the rest of the week trying to catch up on sleep. Unsuccessfully. How come in college I was able to get six hours of sleep for multiple nights in a row and be fine, and now one night of six hours of sleep, I need struggle the rest of the week? I’m over getting older.

1. With my half-marathon less than a week away and a very rough run last weekend, I have spent the last week eating enough food, stretching and drinking lots of water. I love my monogramed water bottle; it makes drinking water easier and more appealing. I forget how much the appearance of something influences me. This probably isn’t always a good thing, but when a water bottle can help keep me hydrated, I’m okay with it.
2. This past Friday and Saturday, MLJ Adoptions hosted a simulcast of the Empowered to Connect conference. World-renowned child development researchers gave adoptive families and adoption professions insight to a child’s brain when they are from a hard place. Hope and healing were major themes of the training. One huge take away from sitting in on the conference both days was, “You cannot lead your child where you have not gone.” We all have baggage from our childhoods; before we can help our children work through their pasts, we have to work through ours. And it’s not all traumatic, deep dark abuse, issues. But, we cannot allow our lack of understand of ourselves cause more pain for a child that we have adopted. They have likely already experienced enough. I am thankful for a God who restores, who heals and who is faithful to the end.
3. My family was in town for Easter weekend and the Final Four. I love spending time with them. My parents value experiences, above all. They have taken my brother to Reds’ Spring Training, and this was their second Final Four weekend. We went, and still go, on great family adventures. They have (attempted to) cultivated in me a desire to collect experienced, not things. I am thankful for a fun family.
4. For Christmas, my parents got me gray Converse. At first thought, they were not the most practical gift. I spend a great portion of my life dressed in business casual. Dresses are my favorite, I’m usually in flats or heels, but if flip flops are an option, I’ll choose them. But these shoes have turned out to be a new favorite. They go with almost anything, and I can wear them all day, every day. They’re like the comfortable version of a nude heel — practical and versatile. As the seasons transition, and flip flop season is not quite here yet, I’ll get use out of my Converse.

I hope your week is full of rest, productivity and hopefully some of your favorite spring clothes!