I've been at AMD a little over 5 months now and I'm really enjoying it! Before I started here I had no idea what a CPU and GPU was and today it's all I talk about at work. Honestly I just feel blessed to have a role I enjoy and a supportive boss who understands the demands of motherhood. Summer is always chaotic, and it was nice to have her support when I needed to move things around based on my kids' schedules. I will say that I have FOBF "Fear Of Being Fired" quite often because of the tech industry and my experience being laid off in February. My new motto is "Doubt can only be removed by action."

I'm writing this post on my new MacBook Air 15", which I think Alex was more excited for me to get than myself. I'm still dragging me feet on investing in a new site because it's very expensive so likely not going to make it happen until next year. 

The amount of blogging I do has slowed down dramatically this year due to my new job and kids. I thought to myself the other day if I will blog when I'm older, and honestly I think it will be the best way to transition into retirement! I can finish my marketing career of 30+ years and get to write and create content when I want. Think about all the bloggers who will be 60+ making TikToks 🤣. 

With less content creating comes less sponsored posts and collaborations, and I'm OK with that. A few years ago I was making ~30k per year blogging on the side but I was hustling every weekend to shoot content. These days at the end of the day I want to veg and watch TV or on the weekend I'm busy with kids' activities. I can't give blogging everything I have because my family and job need me more. 

Where do I begin? Probably the most challenging time in my parenting journey has been these past few months with my ADHD child. Our biggest issues are emotional regulation, defiance and inflexibility. Basically they never want to do anything or go anywhere unless it's their idea, which makes every errand or family outing a nightmare. There have been many tears, prayers, and mental breakdowns. There have been a few moments with my child when I hit a wall of, "WTH do I do right now?!" The internet is amazing but also terrifying with contradictory advice to every problem. My child is seeing an occupational therapist weekly and we have a neurology appointment at the end of October. Based on our neurology appointment we also might seek out a children's psychiatrist. I've learned SO much about ADHD these past few months, and I feel like I'm only scratching the surface. Most times I don't want to talk about it because it makes me upset and/or stressed. I wonder why outings have to be so challenging. The refusal to go anywhere is what I'm dealing with most days, and it makes me dread weekends. People might wonder why I'm so against social media and smartphones for kids at an early age...have a sensory sensitive child and then we can talk. It's hard enough as it is...I can't imagine adding social media to the mix. I don't allow them to watch iPads (except for my oldest) due to sensory issues, and I try to limit TV time on the weekends. 

Our family welcomed our 3rd exchange student this August, Lavinia, from Italy. She's 17 and is an 11th grader at our local high school. The kids like her, and we've had some fun moments learning Italian from her! I love hearing about her family and culture, and the vast differences between America and Italy. She's done some pretty fun things in her first month here including a rodeo, professional baseball game, bull-riding, country concert, and soon we'll be heading to San Antonio and a UT football game! I'm very adventurous by nature so it only makes sense to have an exchange student that we can share our adventures with.

All 3 of my kids will be playing soccer this fall which means I'll be at the soccer field 3 days a week, but thankfully it's only a few minutes from my house. I took Turner out of select soccer this year and put him in the local rec league. I didn't think we needed to spend so much $ on sports at this age, and he wants to play Lacrosse which is only in the spring in our area. Only downside is he practices 7:30-9pm twice a week. I loved playing sports as a kid, but watching some of these select teams get so serious at such early ages kills me. The travel, the money....I'm sorry I'd rather not. I want my kids to try all types of sports and if that means they won't be the absolute greatest in one sport I'm OK with that. I'm not betting my child will play at the collegiate level. I want them to learn discipline, teamwork, adaptability, and other social skills that will help them as adults. 

I put Walt and Whitney in the same class for the first time (2nd grade) to help with the logistics of school, and it's been awesome! Haven't gotten a report back *yet* that they've been arguing which is my only worry.  

If you follow me on Instagram you've likely seen me talk about the trip to Italy I'm hosting this April 28-May 3! You might be thinking, how the heck did she get the gig? Well, basically my friend and fellow blogger Amanda Tatom was hosting these retreats and they looked amazing! I reached out and she introduced me to the owner of Duende Retreats, Regina. Regina and I hit it off immediately as she is native Texan who studied abroad in Europe and never came home. I am the "face" of the trip and market it to friends, and Regina does the planning and booking. She and I put together an amazing itinerary featured around my favorite things including adventure, food, spas, and shopping! We'll be staying in Sorrento and then each day visiting an island including Capri, Ischia and Procida. I am grateful Alex didn't bat an eye when I told him I wanted to go to Italy for a week while he took care of the kids. He is extremely supportive and excited for me to get away with friends and family. If you're interested in joining me click here for more info and to register...we have a few spots open!

Normally I have a few trips planned in the fall and a big trip around Christmas, but this year we have nothing set in stone. We're really trying to focus on saving to buy a piece of land so not going on a ski vacation will save us ~10k. I also would love to add some custom built-in shelving to my family room which isn't cheap. 

Like I said earlier, Alex and I have a very specific goal of buying land in the next couple of years. With that in mind I'm trying to be very conscious of my spending. We are trying to eat out less, shop less and vacation less to save for this land. I do LOVE shopping but I am very intentional with my purchases and would consider my closet minimal. However I do have a few purchases I want to make this fall. 

- Uggs - I ordered these pink Uggs last year in the wrong size and then could never find them again in the right size. I've never owned a pair of Uggs but feel like these would be perfect for working from home. 

- Wide Leg Jeans - I don't know where I will get them yet but I have been wanting a comfy pair for months but haven't had the time to go jean shopping. I really like to shop in person when trying on jeans so thinking I'll take a trip to Nordstrom in the next month or so.  I also was thinking about getting another pair of these FreePeople jeans because I wear my black pair ALL the time.  

- Free People Sweater Set - I've been wanting this lounge set for two years and I might actually pull the trigger this fall. Because I work from home there really is no reason for me to be buying dress up clothes. Athleisure and loungewear is much more of what I wear every day. 

- Gold Sneakers - I've been eyeing these gold Golden Goose sneakers for over a year. Only thing holding me back is the price tag. I bought a silver sequin pair of Golden Goose almost 2 years ago and I wear them ALL the time. They are my go-to sneaker when it's cold. I'd love the exact same sequin pair but in gold but haven't been able to find. 

I feel in a sense I'm in fight or flight mode right now and I'm fighting for my child. It's heavy but I know there is light at the end of the tunnel. My faith is strong, and I've really enjoyed going to my local church. I would love to get more involved in a women's group so I'm hoping I can find one that works with my family's schedule. It feels almost impossible to juggle a career, kids, marriage, friends, blogging, eating healthy and exercising. I agree with the saying, "You can have it all, but not at the same time." 

Exercising is huge for my mental health, and I've been enjoying taking PureBarre classes in their new Georgetown location. I still have an Orange Theory membership and go twice a week, and try to get in a two PureBarre sessions a week. However, that is becoming much more difficult now that fall sports and school have started back up. I wish I enjoyed a home workout, but I absolutely hate it...would love a Peloton treadmill one day though!

Thank you for following along my journey. I feel so much comfort in this space. It's therapeutic and gives me hope when I hear from other mothers going through the same experience. We are not alone.