I’m feeling the need to do a quick re-cap of a few things going on around here.  Because a lot has been going on, but if I don’t blog about it.. did it ever really happen?

;)

Quick trip to New York a couple of weeks ago for the Better Homes and Gardens Style Maker Event!

I started this book on the plane my sweet friend Jessica Turner sent me.  I still need to finish it but I’m really enjoying it so far!  So proud of her.

*affiliate links used

{Blouse/Earrings/AG Jeans/Kentvi Sandals}

Reunited with some of my blog besties and heading to dinner!  I wore this top I shared in this my Fall Fashion post – one of my favorite short sleeved blouses this Fall.

Isn’t this window arrangement amazing!?  So beautiful.

{Tie Neck Dress/Shoes/Similar Purse}

I wore this J Crew Tie Neck Dress to the event.  So cute and classy.  Clearly I have a thing for the tie neck style that’s huge right now!  You can see more favorite tie neck tops/sweaters in this post.

Time for class. :)

The evening party was on the rooftop of our hotel and was so beautiful!

My favorite part of events like this is always catching up with all of my close friends!  So fun seeing them all.

I also got to meet Stephen Orr (Editor and Chief of Better Homes and Gardens).  He’s so down to earth and fun.  I wore this long time favorite Ruffle Sheath dress to the evening event with the same heels I wore earlier for easy packing. :)  I shared better pics of my dress in this summer post.. the back of it is gorgeous!  Plus it’s 40% off right now!

Love these girls!

Other random things going on around here.. Kenny ran his first marathon!  I’m so proud.  Proud of him for setting a goal and accomplishing it.  Proud of him for running enough for both of us right now.  Keep it up babe. :)

And while we’re talking food.. I finally learned how to cook chicken!  And make it taste good!  Ad was so excited she had to take a chicken selfie.  Serious victory for me.. you all have no idea.  I have a close friend who is doing some remodeling and needed help with paint colors so I helped her (she’s using a lot of my tried and true favorites!) and she taught me her secret to cooking good chicken.  I’ll share it with all of you at some point!

I snapped this pic watching El and her team dance on the football field.  My friend and I have both been living in our wedge sneakers!  We always talk about how much we love them.  I have two colors of this pair and she has two colors of this pair.  They are so great for when you want to be casual but not sloppy casual.  You can see better pics of them in this post.  Perfect to wear with jeans and a sweatshirt or sweater when you are going to be doing more walking or running errands, etc.  Comfy AND cute.. the best!

I wore them to the Journey/Def Leppard concert with friends a few weeks ago because I knew we would be doing a lot of walking to the stadium.  My husband was so beyond excited for this concert it was hilarious.  He was totally in his element listening to all of the 80’s rock songs.  Quite a night!

Annual dinner at Cheesecake Factory.  We always have to have the seasonal pumpkin cheesecake at least once every October.  This ruffle tee is another recent wardrobe staple and is 40% off!

Primer went up on my shiplap walls and the paint is almost done!  I’m excited to show you all the final result.  It looks very.. white.  Ha. :)  But I have fun plans for the walls.  Can’t wait to decorate this space!

Speaking of house projects.. I recently shared this one quick on IG stories.  Chuck was over finishing up the shiplap so I had him help me knock out this simple gallery wall in our guest room that has been on my to-do list forever!  We measured everything and put up some painters tape to mark where to line up the frames.

Done.  I love it!  It was just what this wall needed.  I bought the frames here and ordered six of the 8×10 (15×19 without the mat).  I have no idea what pictures I’m putting in them yet, but at least the wall is up!  #progress

So now that I’ve shared a few fun things going on at our house lately, here are a some pics of our not so fun weekend..

Kole woke me up in the middle of the night Thursday crying because his cheek hurt.  I turned on the light to look at it and it was swollen huge!  I looked inside his cheek, checked his teeth.. couldn’t see anything causing the swelling.  So Kenny and I gave him some Tylenol and let him sleep with us and then first thing the next morning I took him to our pediatrician.  She couldn’t figure out what the problem was either so she sent us to our dentist.  Our dentist took X-rays and checked everything and was worried so she sent us to an oral surgeon.  These 3 doctors were all in different locations so by this time Kole and I were hungry and exhausted from shuffling around to doctors all day and Kole was in a lot of pain.  You can imagine how we felt when the oral surgeon told us to head straight to the emergency room of the Children’s Hospital!  I couldn’t believe it.  We spent the rest of the afternoon/evening in the ER.  Kenny picked up the girls and took them to their activities and then met us there for a couple of hours and then he went home and I stayed overnight with Kole.

He was seen by so many doctors and no one could figure out what was causing the swelling.  X rays and an Ultra Sound showed nothing.  I asked for a CT scan but they wanted to put him on antibiotics and see how he did first.  After a day of medicine and the swelling only getting worse they finally did a CT scan and could tell they would need to operate.  It still wasn’t clear what was causing the issue, but Kole had an infection and it needed to be treated.  I tried to stay calm but definitely had a few teary moments imagining worst-case scenarios.  My mind just couldn’t help going there!  Never easy having a child in the hospital.  My heart breaks for parents who deal with things like this on a regular basis.

Kenny came to visit when he could on Saturday and as always was a huge help.  Ha.

Kidding. :)  He was great and helped talk Kole through some major anxiety about all of the tests he was going through and his upcoming surgery.  Kind of scary stuff for an 8 year old.

Prepped for surgery.  My sweet brave boy.

El was performing at a football game and was bummed she couldn’t visit in the hospital but Addison was able to visit the night of his surgery.   She helped calm his nerves with a few games of Chess.  None of us can beat Kole!  She knew that would cheer him up.

{Guest Room}

His surgery went great and we were able to go home the next day.  (Thank you so much to each of you who reached out through IG and sent well wishes and prayers!  It meant so much to us all.)  It’s still not completely clear what was going on with Kole’s swelling.  It had nothing to do with his teeth.  He had been eating some uncooked spaghetti noodles a few days before his swelling so we are wondering if a very tiny piece pierced his cheek and got lodged inside of it.  The surgeon didn’t find anything specific when he drained his cheek and cleaned things out, but it could have been something like that.  He is on strong antibiotics and we have to follow up a few times with his surgeon to make sure that he’s healing well and that the infection doesn’t come back.  So grateful to have him home!

He is recovering in our guest room (he likes the TV in this room) and I told him when he came home that he could have whatever he wants!  Ice cream, popsicles, endless TV or X box time.  When he woke up this morning he said “mom.. we’re still spoiling me today, right?”  Ha ha.. back to normal again!  Thank goodness.  Love my little buddy so much. :)

Remember my pretty Fall flower arrangement by my kitchen window?

I came home from the hospital to this and had to laugh.  Kind of made me think of our weekend!  Life lately.  Full of ups and downs.  The good and the bad.  The pretty and the not so pretty.

Really I just can’t keep plants alive to save my life.

But I can cook chicken!  And my little boy is home and safe and well.

So I think I’ll focus on that.

And I’ll buy a new Fall plant tomorrow.

:)

{POST SOURCES}