Friday Favorites #39

Happy Friday! This weather has been quite unusual for this time of year. I think winter is making a comeback next week though. I did enjoy the fool’s spring while it lasted! Yesterday Owen and I attended a local Forest School for the first time (one of my favorites this week) and spent part of the afternoon at Veronica Valley Park. We hiked to “the island” Owen enjoys venturing to and he remembered the location of a geocache he found with dad and brothers last fall.

We were supposed to have a sledding birthday party for the boys tomorrow but had to come up with a plan B due to the lack of snow. Instead, we will be bowling at Lucky Jack’s which should be a fun time!

Not sure what our Super Bowl plans include since we do not have cable to watch the game. Honestly, I could care less since the Lions didn’t make it! Keep on reading for this week’s favorites and have a fantastic weekend!

Finding Chika by Mitch Albom

Boy, did this one tug at the heart strings! Especially since I have a child of my own the same age as a Chika in the book. I have not read a memoir in a long time and Mitch Albom never disappoints with his heartfelt, poetic writing. This book is a beautiful depiction of family, and the joy children bring to our lives. It is a reminder to not take our time with them for granted, how quickly life can change, and the important lessons a child can teach us. This book definitely made me hug my boys tighter, pray with gratitude harder, and relish everyday moments with them.

The Boys’ Valentines

The boys have been loving Mario Kart on the Switch, so the choice of valentines was pretty easy this year! I typically go on Etsy to buy a digital copy for around $5. These are the Mario Kart ones I purchased. Then I send to a local copy store (my go-to is Copy Central in TC) to have them printed on quality cardstock for another $5. Not too bad! We started filling them out this week and I adore the effort Owen puts in to writing his name. This is the first year he signed valentines all on his own (and he’s a lefty, like mom and dad!)

Gallery Wall

It has been a slow process unpacking and hanging things in our home. I was determined to get this little gallery wall up in Andrew and Lucas’s room this week. I eyeballed it and just went for it with a hammer and nails (sorry, Ryan!). Then I used a level and some mounting squares to finish. I am not very good at this type of thing, but I think it turned out okay! The wall was so bare and now has some color and personality showcasing where we live.

Forest School

A friend of mine started this weekly Forest School Northern Michigan about a month ago and we were finally able to attend yesterday. It’s an outdoor learning session for littles and the location changes each week. This week we drove out to the Swanson Preserve in Leelanau which I have never been. It is a perfect hike for young ones because it’s not too long and there is much to explore–various trees, a creek, and a beautiful lake. Owen mentioned wanting to come back in real spring to find frogs and salamanders. Yesterday’s weather was glorious, so it felt wonderful to get outside. Hopefully we can attend next week too!

Library Visits

Owen and I go to the library at least once a week sometimes more. I remember my mom taking me to the library regularly as a child and feeling the excitement of checking out new books. I hope this is being passed along to my own boys as it truly is a special part of my childhood. We used to go to story time regularly and I want to get back into that routine too. Libraries are such special treasures in a community.