It was another full week, but such a good week! Here are 5 things I’m loving this week:
1. Getting To Meet My Readers & Hear Their Stories
I spoke at a homeschool conference in Virginia yesterday and was so, so blessed to get to meet so many wonderful readers! Thank you to those of you who came to my sessions and came up to meet me afterward. Your kind comments and words of encouragement truly uplifted me.
The woman on the left in the picture above came up to me with tears in her eyes and told me that she’d met me at a conference a few years ago, bought my book, and 4 days later, their house burned to the ground. The only books that survived the fire? Their wedding album and my book! She wanted me to sign the somewhat charred copy… How cool is that?
The little girl on the right was utterly precious and came up to me after a talk (where I shared about teaching our kids to be givers) and said she was going to give all the money in her piggy bank away to people who need it!
Both of these stories were incredibly touching to me! Being away from my family at least a few days each month for speaking is always hard, but it’s oh so worth it for the chance to get to meet amazing readers and hear their stories!
2. Comfy Pants
I flew home from Virginia this morning and the above picture is what my afternoon looked like. The first thing I did after hugs and kisses? Change into my comfy pants. I would likely live in these all the time if I could! 🙂
3. Baked Oatmeal
Jesse made Baked Oatmeal while I was gone and brought me a bowl of it warmed up and topped with berries and whipped. Pure deliciousness! That man knows how to woo his woman!
{No, my suitcase was not unpacked yet in the picture above… Curling up with a good book took precedence this afternoon.}
4. Heart-to-Heart Talks With Our Kids
Recently, we’ve been having such good conversations with our kids. Oftentimes, they are the result of hard issues and situations — all part of the growing up process.
I’m grateful to have the opportunity to teach, nurture, train, and pour into them. To have these heart-to-heart talks and discussions. Being a part is a big job and sometimes it feels exhausting and overwhelming, but when you get to have deep and meaningful conversations and see your kids soak it up, it makes all the effort worth it.
5. Friends Who Allow Me to Be 100% Honest
This week, I had a conversation with a good friend that was really hard. I’d honestly been dreading it for days. I knew I needed to address a situation and bring up a tough subject and I was almost sick to my stomach about it (I avoid confrontation if at all possible!)
I’m so humbly grateful that this friend received my words with grace, listened and accepted the honesty and heard my heart behind it. And it opened up the door for a restored relationship as well as a deepening of our honesty in our friendship.
What about YOU? What 5 things are YOU loving this week? Tell us in the comments.
kate says
Crystal
Thanks for sharing your experience and gratitude about being 100% honest with your friend. I have to acknowledge her graciousness too, because being defensive seems to be the easiest reaction to hearing things about yourself that you did not expect to hear, do not want to hear, etc.
I have lost friends over the years because, I’m guessing, we were not mature enough to have the kind of talk you did, and in one instance, we did have a similar talk, but from there I was not sure how to behave or act around her, I always thought “is what I am about to do or say the thing she was talking about and does not like?”.
I wish I had been emotionally equipped to do what you did, but at the time I just wasn’t. It makes me happy to know that there are other people who are, and knowing they are taking thoughtful, and scary, steps towards caring for themself and their friends.
Anna says
I am enjoying this feature. Thanks for letting us share our HighFives, Crystal!
Here are my highlights:
1. Meeting you (2nd time) at the HEAV convention. You are inspiring and encouraging.
2. Winning a book during a workshop from the College Prep Genius at HEAV.
3. Picking lots of herbs like fennel, lavender, oregano from a friend’s garden.
4. Enjoying going through the Make Over Your Mornings course. Best $5 I’ve spent in a long time. (Thanks for signing my printed copy!)
5. Swimming at the pool after a hot day baking, cooking and working in the garden.
Shelly says
I’m loving,
1. My helpful daughter who is so willing to help her little brother out even when he doesn’t always help her. (we working on him helping)
2. My husband who works so hard all week and then does projects with the kids at home on the weekends.
3. I’m so thankful that my neighbor who underwent surgery for cancer this week and received the news the cancer hadn’t spread.
4. All the berries we are getting out of our garden. We have a very small patch of strawberries and raspberries but they have been producing so well that we will have some for the freezer this year.
5. The cooler weather. I’m so not a hot weather girl.
Kimber says
That baked oatmeal sounds delicious. I usually make mine with steel cut oats and put them in the crockpot overnight. It’s pretty awesome to wake up to the smell of cinnamon oats wafting through the house!
I wrote about 5 senses this week. Feel free to drop by!
http://kimberwidmer.com/2015/06/12/friday-favorites-sensory-perceptions/
Jenna says
1. Cold brew coffee!! I am a little obsessed with this new-to-me beverage. The acidity is lower (great for my GERD) and the taste is so smooth! I make it at home with the Toddy… I look forward to my afternoon iced coffee the moment I am finished with my morning hot coffee 🙂
2. Watching my 5 year old ride his bicycle without training wheels. He is so proud of this new skill and lights up when he knows we are watching him.
3. The frankenstein-esque toddle of my 12 month old. Walking has opened up a whole new world for him, and we all love to cheer him on!
4. Long days! Hello, Summer!!
5. A younger girl from church came over this week and we chatted over the aforementioned iced coffee. We shared our hearts and though I sought to encourage her (and hopefully did!) she really encouraged and challenged me 🙂
Brynn says
Things I’m loving:
A husband honest and loving enough to
1. Tell me when I’m obsessing over trying to organize and tell me what things I just don’t have time for right now. (I was letting my list control me!)
2. Go get ice cream even when I say we really don’t need it.
3. Listen to my random rants that come out of nowhere
4. Making our toddler laugh and laugh.
5. Making up a song for our toddler about how awesome her daddy is. (I made up one randomly one night and now she keeps asking me to sing the Dada song and was singing along with me tonight!)
Kelly S says
This week I crafted a list based on my 5 senses: see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. http://mrsdisciple.com/five-favorite-things/
Kim says
It was great to meet you at the HEAV convention again ? thank you for everything you do !
Kathleen says
It was so great to meet you at the HEAV Convention. Btw, I meant to tell you that several ladies came up to the table while you were in the conference room speaking to say how much they have been blessed by your Make Over Your Mornings course – I mean, absolutely raving about it! Thought you’d want to know. 🙂
Julia says
1) Getting encouraged by you and other speakers at HEAV convention.
2) The blessing of the lady from HEAV who guided me through my overwhelm and helped me to prioritize during the curriculum sale.
3) The growth of new friendships since moving to Virginia.
4) a new writing opportunity
5) Even though I don’t love being sick, gives me a chance to absorb and organize some of the information I obtained at conference.
6) Cuddling children.
Vickie @Vickie's Kitchen and Garden says
I love getting up early before any one else. Thanks Crystal!
http://vickieskitchenandgarden.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-reason-why-i-am-going-to-start.html
I love my garden (vegetable and flower)
I love the rain (time to read books)!
http://vickieskitchenandgarden.blogspot.com/2015/06/3-ways-to-find-time-to-read-in-summer.html
Karen says
Five things I’m loving this week…..
Morning routine down pat…yeah
Tomato plants at least have flowers on them…
Saw the new Jurassic World movie with my oldest grandson…
Father-in-law healing after a procedure… and
trying my hand at a Koi pond(very small they’re only 3 inches long)
kariane says
This week I’m thinking about how much I Love Leftovers (and how they Simplify My Life): http://everydaymindfulliving.com/simplify-saturday-love-your-leftovers/
I’m also reflecting on our Cloth Diaper Experience, and how they’ve saved us money and reduced our environmental impact over the years: http://everydaymindfulliving.com/why-we-cloth-diaper/
Shannon says
Crystal, are you still following THM? Have you made any changes to the baked oatmeal to keep it on plan? It looks like such a cool idea but I’m wondering how I might THMify it.
Crystal Paine says
He didn’t make any changes, but I think it’d be really easy to do!
Kerry Boles says
5 things I am loving this week…..
My husband who loves me no matter what
My oldest trying out for football even though he has never played before
Taking my 3 mile run from the gym to the neighborhood due to great sunny days
My youngests smile when he won a special award from Tech Team at his school
Only 5 school days left
Wini cordova says
Still trying to get your blog!!!