Five on Friday: 5 Soups to Make this Fall

Keeping it simple today! Here are five soups you absolutely need to make this fall. And by "you" I mean your CROCK POT...

one // Creamy Zuppa Toscana Soup {Olive Garden Copycat} & Cheesy Rosemary Crescents: I always make a double batch of this soup for leftovers and for some reason we never have enough left over for the next night. This soup is addicting.

two // Sausage & Cheese Tortellini Soup: Oh goodness, this is the soup I often dream about. The second the temperatures drop I will be making this soup! I can't wait. Definitely top 3 soups of all time. Kiddos agree.

three // Enchilada Soup: I have been making this soup for years. The cheese is hard to find but totally worth the effort to track it down.

four // Taco Soup: We actually eat this soup so often that I got a little burnt out last year and had to take a break. 

five // The Best Chili EVER: Saved the best for last. Hands down, this is the best chili recipe of all time. Take my word for it. Not a meat eater? Try my Black Bean Chili!

six // Winter Minestrone Soup: Bonus recipe! This soup is the BEST for the peak of winter and/or the second the colds and flu hit your house. There is nothing more hearty or comforting than a bowl of this winter version of minestrone soup that screams "feel better" and warms you right up. Make this at the beginning of the season for when you're too under the weather to cook!

Your turn! Tell me your favorite soups so I can make them!

Also, does anyone have a wi-fi crock pot? I am thinking about adding this one to my Christmas list so I can turn on my slow cooker from an app while I'm away at the office!

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Wanna join April, Natasha and I on the Friday fun? You can link-up on any of our four blogs every Friday! All you have to do is...

1.) Write your post about five things you're lovin' this week (or any five things you want to share!).

2.) Share the logo on your blog and link back. 

3.) Link-up at the bottom of the post so some new readers can check out your five things and say hello!

An Asheville Wedding Weekend

Last weekend Matt and I made a trip to beautiful Asheville! It was definitely weird leaving the kids for a second weekend in a row but we just couldn't pass up celebrating the wedding of our dear friends Matt and Abbey! In addition to being in my favorite city, we also got to spend the weekend with some of our very favorite friends! I can't let these photos get lost in my camera roll so I'm just going to leave a few here so this unbelievably fun weekend doesn't go undocumented...

 

 

As SOON as we arrived to Asheville Matt drove us straight to my favorite restaurant (maybe of ALL time), Early Girl Eatery, without even discussing it. No matter what time of day it is there seems to always be at least a 30 minute wait. The Early Girl Benny is totally worth every minute of that wait. Plus we strolled the city with cups of Early Girl coffee while we waited. Also, because this is also Brynn's favorite place too, we went back with her and Palmer on Sunday before heading home. Not kidding, this place is that good. 

After brunch we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway before meeting Palmer at the bar for some pumpkin beers while Brynn got ready with the bridey.

The wedding and reception were held at The Crest Pavilion which was the most beautiful venue ever. I wish I had taken more pictures but I was so deep in my happy place that I kind of forgot. Anyway, Abbey and Matt got married with THIS as their back drop...

Pretty unreal, right?

And Abbey was a stunning bride. I mean, seriously stunning.

 

Once the bridal party pictures were finished Brynn and I were glued together for the rest of the night on the dance floor. The four of us stayed out way past our bedtimes, kept the party going after the reception ended and had the very best night ever, just like old times.

And we'll just stop there. :)

Lessons Learned from Our Journey with an Unexpected Diagnosis

Today marks the one year anniversary of Thomas's surprise cataracts diagnosis. While I've posted many positive updates about our little man's miraculous progress over the 12 months, I can honestly say we've never endured a more difficult year. Admittedly, I have kept a very positive outlook on the blog since his diagnosis. However, behind the screen our family has gone through a rollercoaster of emotions: grief, hope, anger, devastation, confidence, anxiety, worry and more. 

There is nothing more terrifying than learning your child is among the .04% of babies born with an unexplainable diagnosis and the emergency medical decisions you are forced to make with no information or understanding. Then comes the whirlwind of frequent doctor visits, second opinions, third opinions, fourth opinions, late nights of obsessive researching, patching, eye drops, contacts, additional surgeries to prepare for and more. We are constantly worried about Thomas and his future despite the four opinions from doctors who predict he’ll live a normal life with some inconveniences and limitations.

I am fully aware that our circumstances could be much worse and there are many parents struggling and coping with cancer, wheelchairs, heart defects, premature babies, down syndrome and more. Unfortunately these devastating medical diagnoses are all too common and I honestly can’t imagine what these families are going through. However, a wise friend told me at the very beginning that just because my family isn’t struggling with a worse medical condition it doesn’t make our unique journey less significant or less difficult.

I hope and pray you don't ever need the advice from this post. However, over the past year I’ve received many emails from readers currently staring down the barrel of a scary medical diagnosis, many of which were unexpected, with their child, a child of a close friend, or family member. I am always deeply humbled when these readers reach out to me for advice, encouragement or inspiration. Oftentimes I’m truly at a loss to find words to bring comfort to parents struggling in their own battles but today I’m going to share some raw feelings and 3 of the biggest lessons we’ve experienced along the way so far.

But first, a huge hug to you if you’re on a difficult journey!

1. Expect Ups and Downs. Even though we have settled into our new normal, this journey still  drags us through some ridiculously low places at times. Receiving any sort of unexpected diagnosis, especially a rare condition (with very little research available), is devastating. Make sure to honor your feelings as they come. You will undoubtedly grieve. You will cry. You will be angry. You will be terrified. We've learned to take things day by day and mostly vacillate between ridiculous optimism and profound sadness. But, in time the shock began to fade and we now have more good days than bad. Also, Matt and I don’t always experience the same emotions simultaneously so it’s important to recognize when your spouse is struggling or spiraling down a rabbit hole of emotions. Additionally, for me Thomas's diagnosis came with a unique layer of mommy guilt too. I've been told over and over and over again that there is nothing we could have done to prevent congenital cataracts but I've spent my fair share of nights scouring the internet wondering what I did wrong during my pregnancy. 

2.  Trusting God’s Plan. I’ve always strived to live a joyful life and previously considered my faith unshakeable, using obstacles to spiritually strengthen my relationship with the Lord. However, there have been periods of time over the past year where I gave up talking to God. In fact, Matt and I even stopped attending church shortly after Thomas's diagnosis. It seemed insincere to choose faith and joy while actually crumbling in the inside. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told “God gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers.” While there may be some truth to that, trusting God’s plan and choosing joy takes time. Over the past year we've refocused our perspective to see the blessings in our journey -- Thomas is a strong, resilient little man, and he makes me a better and more empathetic mother. It is a hard calling but God has done us a favor because of the depth and perspective that we all now have because of our precious son. We are learning that our whole lives have been preparation for us to raise our sweet Thomas with all that entails. 

3. Ask Others to Pray on Your Behalf. During those times you can’t talk to God, ask your prayer warriors to help carry your burden through prayer. I am so blessed to have friends who routinely check in to let me know they are praying for Thomas, for me, for my family, for our doctors, for the next surgery, for the recoveries, for Thomas's future and more. These prayers have pried me out of some dark places and replenished my spiritual strength when I needed it most.

In conclusion, despite the pain and grief you may be facing as a result of unexpected news about someone you love so much, remember that every single day is a gift. You are prepared (more than you know) to be the parent of this amazing little person. And that amazing little person, and his/her siblings, are learning to be strong just by watching how you tackle the daily journey.

Hang in there dear friends. Easier said than done, I know.