Friday Favorites

It’s the Friday before spring break! Where is 2017 going? This semester is flying fast and furiously by! We are headed east tomorrow and having to pull back out our winter clothes that I thought we had said goodbye to as we prepare to spend time in Buffalo, NY and Pittsburgh, PA for our spring break. I am so excited to squeeze my grandmothers in great big hugs during our couple days in Pittsburgh!

I have a few things I’ve loved this week, but the first is a book called The Lucky Few by Heather Avis.

Earlier this week I was listening to the latest episode of The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey (this podcast is another favorite!), where she was speaking with Heather Avis, the author of this book. I loved listening to their conversation about adoption, parenting and the grace of Jesus. Hearing Heather share about what it means to use people first language that honors and respects the dignity and humanity of her children, and the sweet ways she tries to extend grace and education to the people she meets in her daily life who may have questions about her family. That podcast episode made me anxious to get home and start this book. This was such a good read! It doesn’t take long, but Heather walks you through how she and her husband went from the pain of trying to create a family to adopting their three beautiful children. Two of their children have Down syndrome, and reading her feelings towards adopting and parenting a child with Down syndrome reminded me of many of the conversations I had with a friend who is also the parent of a child with Down syndrome. They share much of the same fear, joy and awe at the task of parenting these precious humans. This book is a testament to the power of saying yes to God when he places something on your heart, the power of loving people well, and the power of grace that God offers to each of us as we embrace each day and what it holds. If you want a book that will make you smile deeply, cry tears of joy in solidarity with the author and her family, and a book that will leave you refreshed in the healing power of love, then this book is for you. I promise, you won’t be disappointed!

I received this book to review from Netgalley

I also loved finally watching Ken Burn’s documentary The Roosevelts: An Intimate History while working. I had a lot of data input to do this week, and when doing work like that I like to have historical documentary shows playing in the background. This one was my favorite Ken Burns documentary yet, and I’ve loved them all!

We finally cut out cable and so far, I haven’t missed it!

This week I’ve also been back to loving multiple cups of coffee a day. There is just something that my body and soul love about good coffee!

I was sent a copy of Home is Wherever Mom Is: Creative Coloring and Hand Lettering by Book Look Bloggers to review. The actual book is gorgeous! There are a substantial number of pages, each image is peaceful and inspiring, with plenty of detail to make your own! I like the pictures in the book because the lines aren’t crazy small to color between like many other adult coloring books I’ve encountered. I think this would make a beautiful gift for Mother’s Day, for a friend who just found out they’re expecting, or to simply honor a mom you know with a gift to engage in some self-care, and to take time to relax!

What have you been loving this week?