Dear Luke, 

You are the one who made me a mother 6 years ago today. I can say with complete honesty, it is my favorite job and greatest adventure. 

Now, where do I begin with you? 

Luke, you are a very very special child. Of course, all mothers think that about their children…but there is something truly unique about you. There is not a jealous bone in your body. Sure, you rival with your sister as siblings tend to do, but at the end of the day you just want to make her happy. Sometimes you get in trouble for doing something for her, it makes you cry and you’ll say to me: “Mommy, I was just trying to make Eden happy.” You would fall on a sword for her and it makes my mama heart melt. 

You don’t like being the center of attention, but oftentimes you are. You are loud, and hilarious. The imaginary games you come up with amaze me. You and your siblings have a basement full of toys, but you’d rather create a scavenger hunt for your brother and sister or battle it out on a board game. Gosh, do you L O V E board games. 

Speaking of games, sports are your passion. Since this letter is a way to brag on you, son… you’re pretty darn good at them too. You started hockey this year. Your favorite sports are still golf, baseball, hockey and soccer, but if we’re being completely honest there isn’t a sport you don’t enjoy. 

Some mornings you wake up before me and rewatch Alabama football games or the Golf Channel. You love Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar. Matt gave you a high-five once… you like to remind us of this fun fact often. 

Luke, you are smart. You learned to read this year in Kindergarten, and you have mastered math. You are obsessed with math. If I’m being completely honest here, I don’t enjoy math so you are going to need to be patient with me. You like to tell me 43+2 is 45, but also 44+1 is 45 and also 40+5 is 45. It amazes you that so many numbers can have the same solution. Santa brought you an additional and subtraction calculator for Christmas, you take it everywhere with you. 

Luke, you love learning about the human body. You had a hospital stay at Nationwide Children’s earlier this fall for your respiratory issues, and actually really enjoyed your stay. You asked the doctors and nurses 5,938 questions and wanted to absorb every single moment there. You recently hit your hand on the table by accident and said to me: “Mommy, did you know that I just hit my hand and I could see the blue blood in my veins? It’s actually always red, but it looks blue. Did you know the blood is working hard to circulate back to my heart.” My jaw dropped, you want to become a doctor at Children’s Hospital and I don’t doubt you for one second. 

Luke, you are so caring and inclusive of your friends. Your teacher shared a story with me this school year that made me cry. At the end of the day you like to have the class sit in a circle to play “rock, paper, scissors” once you lose you like to pick a friend who is being a good listener. This child is usually one who hasn’t been included in many activities for the day. It’s important to you that everyone is included. You are extremely sensitive to that.

We watched Prancer this holiday season. A simple 80s flick about a girl and Santa’s reindeer. You came over to me and told me you wanted to shut the movie off. I asked why? You told me you didn’t like the way the little girl was disrespecting her father. As I mentioned… extremely sensitive.  

Luke, you love to make people laugh. You adore your sister and brother. You love listening to music and dancing. You love Star Wars and LEGOs. You love the Columbus Blue Jackets. You love learning about geography and historical figures. You love eating at Bibibop and you think the Rusty Bucket is the nicest restaurant in the world.

I can’t believe you are 6, but I also love that you are 6. You are learning and growing and becoming such a wonderful young man. I could sit here and write a complete novel with stories and accomplishments, but I know it would continue to embarrass you. 

Luke, you are the greatest leader and set such a remarkable example for your siblings. You make us so proud. You make us so happy. You made us a mommy & daddy, and for that we are forever grateful. 

Happy 6th Birthday, Luke Myers.

Love, 

Mom

  • You love your sister
  • And your daddy
  • You love school
  • You love the Blue Jackets
  • You are funny
  • You are kind
  • You love to make us laugh
  • You love Star Wars
  • Like a lot…
  • you are 6!!!!!!
  • Happy 6th Birthday, LUKE!

Truth time. The last two New Year’s Resolutions/promises I’ve made to myself is better self-care. I am not insinuating that I’m a particularly unhealthy person, but I truly believe we can always strive to be better when it comes to self-care. Especially, moms!

Admittedly, my dental health has taken a backseat … for years. I’m cringing even typing these words. I won’t bore you with the excuses: kids, insurance, timing, moves, yadda yadda. But the truth is, my dental health hasn’t been a top priority for me. My kids dental health has for sure, but not mine.

Last summer, the kids and I went in for a regular check-up and x-rays at Dental Reflections Dublin. We were greeted with the friendliest staff and Dr. Rudi As-Sanie is simply the sweetest. The remarkable thing about this practice… I didn’t have to feel embarrassed or guilty for not visiting a dentist in quite a few years. They didn’t judge me for letting my flossing lapse, they were genuinely interested and ready to help me take control of my dental health again.

After some x-rays showed I needed a crown (yow!) and a deep cleaning, I said my good-byes and left. Honestly, I thought I would leave the crown waiting for a bit while we focused on other expenses for the kids. I know, I know.

But Dr. As-Sanie emailed me personally asking me to come back and have the procedures done. She said it was important to take care of my health, especially as a mom. She gets it… she has little ones of her own! That’s where I decided right then and there to go back.

During the last few months, I have had an incredible deep cleaning experience and left with my very first Sonic Care tooth brush. I AM OB-SESSED!!!! Yes, yes, yes! I already can tell a difference in my teeth. I’ve also had the crown procedure completed without pain, which is huge.

Needless to say, I am extremely happy with my new dental office and look forward to many years with Dr. As-Sanie for myself, and my entire family.

IF YOU ARE LOCAL TO THE COLUMBUS AREA, AND IN NEED OF A NEW DENTIST… MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DENTAL REFLECTIONS DUBLIN TODAY. TELL THEM HOW YOU HEARD ABOUT THEM AND RECEIVE 20% OFF YOUR FIRST DENTAL CLEANING UP TO $1000!

True story. I needed a crown, but Dr. As-Sanie did an amazing job!

Dr. As-Sanie explaining my procedure with real time technology. So cool!

Dr. As-Sanie and her husband.

*This post is sponsored by Dental Reflections Dublin. All opinions are MY OWN.*

Last weekend, my husband and I had the honor to attend Christine’s Christmas for the incredible Make-A-Wish Foundation. During my years in the news business, I covered many stories about the Make-A-Wish Foundation and truly fell in love with this organization. The wishes they grant are incredible and to see the impact they have on the lives of so many children is heartwarming.

Saturday night was filled with delicious food, an impressive silent auction and phenomenal orchestrated Christmas concert. Christine’s Christmas is an annual holiday concert established in 2004 in memory of Christine Wilson, a year after the deadly 2003 OSU campus fire that took Christine’s life along with four of her friends. Christine had a love for children and was passionate about building a career about helping them. Her legacy lives on through this holiday concert as it captures her thoughtfulness and
passion for children through music and celebration.

While Christine’s Christmas brings joy each year to those who attend the concert, its impact extends beyond the concert hall. To date, the event has raised more than $900,000 for children’s charities! WOW! In 2016, Christine’s Christmas began partnering with Make-A-Wish to support granting wishes for children in Central Ohio battling critical conditions.

This year’s Make-A-Wish kid was Delaware native, Isaiah (16) battling leukemia, who wishes to be a music producer. His wish was granted by Christine’s Christmas in October, when he was surprised with his very own music producing studio in his home, complete with a computer and state-of-the-art music equipment. Isaiah and his family were also able to attend Saturday night’s concert.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is on a quest to bring every eligible child’s wish to life, because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness. There are currently over 300 children in central Ohio
who are awaiting their wish. For more details on how to get engaged, please visit: www.oki.wish.org or follow us on social media @makeawishohkyin.

*This post was sponsored by Make-A-Wish Foundation. All opinions are my own.*

 

 

 

Such a lovely evening at Christine’s Christmas!
Beautiful performance at a beautiful venue. 
Columbus Native Jessica Grove and her father were mesmerizing. 
A photo of the woman this event is in honor of, Christine Wilson.

I absolutely love organizations, particularly businesses that give back! Goldfish Swim School doesn’t just give back during the holiday season. By providing the community with invaluable swim lessons, I truly believe this is a business that is passionate about giving back.

Oh, but wait… it gets better!

This holiday season Goldfish Swim School is encouraging you to help provide Sweet Dreams & Stories for children throughout Columbus. This month Goldfish Swim School Dublin, Westerville and Lewis Center are partnering together to help provide pajamas and hard cover books to children who may not have access to a literacy rich environment at home.

From December 1 to 21 Goldfish Swim School is accepting donations for two deserving local organizations: Brightside Academy and Run The Race/Brian Muha Memorial Foundation serving at risk children on the near west side and inner-city Columbus.

If you are interested in donating, please bring one or both of the following items to Goldfish Swim School in Dublin, Westerville or Lewis Center.

  • A new pair of pajamas for children ages three months to 12 years
  • A hard cover or chapter book for children ages three months to 10 years

Goldfish Swim School’s goal is to provide pajamas and books for each of the children at Brightside Academy and have many more to donate to the Muha Foundation.

For more information about Goldfish Swim School, please call 614-407-3474 or visit

https://dublin.goldfishswimschool.com https://westerville.goldfishswimschool.com

https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/lewis-center/

*This post is sponsored by Goldfish Swim School. All opinions are my own.*

Sweet Dreams large size

Earlier this fall, we surprised the kids with an incredible trip to Butler County, Ohio. We packed up their suitcases and picked them up from school, and off we went!

You can read about the first part of our trip here:

But today, I’m focusing on the most exciting part to me… the Butler County Donut Trail!

Started in 2016, the trail spans 80 miles and covers 12 donut shops. Start at any one of the shops and you can snag a passport that each store will stamp as you go. If you visit 11 of 12 shops, you even get a free t-shirt at the end!! Along the way, you can try every kind of donut you can imagine. Some of the unique flavors we saw were Fruity Pepples, Maple Bacon and S’mores. Y U MMMMMM.

Our first stop on the donut trail was Holtman’s Donuts. This shop was very close to our hotel, and so idyllic. We adored the interior design of subway tile walls, chalkboard menu boards, and teal leather seats. The kids devoured the donuts! We actually had to slow them down reminding them it was just the first stop of many…

Next up was Stan the Donut Man. This donut shop was completely different from Holtman’s. It’s located in a strip mall and doesn’t appear to have changed much in decades… but I LOVED it. The donuts were almost all picked over by 9:30 AM, CRAZY! The nice staff saved some donuts for us in a white paper bag. I don’t want to pick favorites here, but these donuts were INCREDIBLE. I couldn’t stop with just one! Stan the Donut Man was the kind of donut shop I went to growing up. Kind of a hidden gem. I highly recommend you not skipping over this shop.

Our third stop on the trail was The Donut House. Another hidden shop in a small stripmall. The Donut House had gorgeous pink walls and only a few booths. We were given a full dozen donuts here and these were some of the most unique offerings, including fill your own! Maple Bacon, Reese’s Cup and Cookies n Creme just to name a few. Plus, they had pumpkin Spiced donuts… which was perfect for fall. Okay, we were stuffed, but we trekked on…

Our forth and final stop was at Jupiter Coffee & Donuts. This donut shop is also filled with unique offerings. My husband had a banana filled eclair, and said it was the best donut he had all day! Needless to say, this may have been our last stop but it was just as delicious as the other three.

The entire morning was filling and gave our kids a sugar high, but it was so worth it. We’d love to go back and try some of the shops we didn’t have time (or an appetite) for. If you’re looking for a perfect holiday destination, close to home… give Butler County a try!

To read more about the trail check out the Butler County website here: https://www.gettothebc.com/

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Off to the Butler County Donut Trail

That chocolate mouth.

That chocolate mouth.

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Stan the Donut Man’s donuts were INSANE!

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Delicious.

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So many donuts, so little time.

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The Donut House

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Lisa’s Kitchen for lunch

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Wonderful family trip, indeed!