Around Here | November 2018

Around here November Skies are ending and the twinkle lights of Christmas Cheer are brightening.

Due to sibling squabbles I have been hindered from breaking up as of late, I've brought my peace keeping strategies to fruition by moving the play kitchen and table downstairs for a game of "musical furniture" and naturally that led me to putting up a "kids tree" with some handmade Advent ornaments from the year my red headed curly top was just a wee little babe. ( You can see those here). (AND if that wasn't the award winner for the most grammatically incorrect and longest run on sentence ever - then I give up. ha!) 

Seriously though, the calories I have burned running up and down those stairs to deal with issues involving a plastic rotisserie chicken and stuffed animal food fights was getting to be a strain on my soul. Worse still, the occasional hollerin' up the stairwell asking "what is the problem?" saying, "please come downstairs" or "play kindly -or I am confiscating the wooden butter slab" was getting old...(slightly exaggerating on that last one there). 

Speaking of calories, around here we have just finished off pies and much cheese laden carbs (aka mac'n cheese). Our family of six spent Thanksgiving day at home, mostly in pjs enjoying a quick break from homeschool-the paper plates were utilized and the Christmas decor came out from its 10 1/2 month garage hibernation.

Around here, the last Montanan tree was cut for our home and placed in a bucket because it's trunk was too large to fit in the stand. WOWSA! That was a doozy of a set up...including but not limited to a staple gun and some fishing line string. Guess that tree skirt will just have to go with  more of an empire waist look this year instead of its usual poodle-esque fashion. I know. Ridiculous.
Around here, the smallest of us all was awarded the " first gift of Christmas"  because A. That thing is not getting wrapped. B. She enjoys it so much now... just look at that belly hanging out (guess I need to buy her more clothes!)  and C. I was in a festive mood.

Around here, I plan on blogging more bc I miss it so. The documentation of words and photos just has my heart in a swelling of overwhelming gratitude for this life God has so graciously given. Around here , it is likely that my "plans" include a babe on my lap and much sporadicity (not a word) of posting.

Summer 2017 | Around Here

Hello Summer. Hello Mexican stemware and family dinners. Around here we are....

Eating: all the watermelon. Unhealthy Fair Food. More Watermelon.

Around here we are Reading : 

Books atop window sills and 

DVD covers about monkeys who become doctors for a day. 

Around here we are Playing: 

artificial appetizer assembly games, tented pool partying, and a rousing game of "clean up, pick up" on the reg.

Around here we are Funding:

 the state fair. AKA spending way to much money 

for a few hours of good fun and sweet /slightly savory memories.

Around here we are Learning : 

 currently in week 3 of the new school year ( yes it's early!), 

because we are counting down the days until VACAY! 

That's just a peek into our Summer 2017, hope y'all are enjoying yours!

Camping Chronicle

This past Saturday our little family set out for another mini adventure. Just less than an hour away we set up tents, explored in the stream, and cooked on the fire... all for our first family camping trip. Joe has taken the boys multiple times now - so us girls were the rookies.

I didn't set out unprepared though... in fact some of the prep work I did, turned out to make camping a breeze...sort of....if you are curious just know it has something to do with a 5 gallon bucket, a pool noodle, and some kitty litter. #lifesaver

Our wildflower pickin', overall wearin', stream side explorin'  Selah Jo.

Details.

The boys totally wrecked their tennis shoes , but the exploration done was totally worth it.

 

We got a family pic to prove we were all there ;) 

 On the menu: leftover tacos, scrambled eggs, toaster pastries that pop and aren't very tart, grapes and coffee. Saving 'smore's for the next trip.

The night started with all of us in the tent and by 3 A.M. ish  us girls ended up in the back of the van with more blankets and actual sleep. 

 

Next trip, I would really like to bring some colored pencils and notebooks for some nature journaling during downtime.

 

Overall, I'd say it was a successful one night /half day of trial and error, lessons and blessings, and the start of a new adventuring chapter for our family.

Messy + Mundane = Grace

Hello 2017. I honestly wasn't even sure if I would be able to sign in to write this post. But clearly, it has worked and whoa! it has been a minute (is this what the cool kids say ? ) since I last posted. I left off mid week of "Week in the Life" and kept telling myself I couldn't stray from those posts until I completed the week. But here I am breaking my own silly rules.

I woke up Wednesday morning to a house that was very much out of order. Toys here, laundry piles there, and evidence of watercolor fun- just a fraction of the complete disarray of it all.

 Let's play "spot the broken crayon".

 Yesterday's checker game.

 yep.

The laundry that wins the award for virtue in patience.

 Then there is me.

Some argue that a home that is disorderly means a heart that is disorderly. And quite honestly, whether my home is spic-and-span - "Better Homes and Gardens" worthy or is spewing evidence of people living here....my heart is one of disorder. Even on the days it is clean. Fallen world=Fallen human. I am not a perfect person. I do not even strive for perfection. Sure- a clean home has its place- just not on Wednesday mornings following a day that was full of cultivating friendships and hospitality, homeschooling, a fellowship meal at church, followed by an unexpected visit to the E.R. We all have days-sometimes weeks- even months like this. But I see so much beauty in it all- so much hope in it all- so much sanctification in the tidying of it all. I choose to see the grace in it all - because I serve a God of great grace. May you be encouraged through the messy and mundane!

-Carol

Week in the Life™ 2016 | Wednesday, May 11th | Words + Photos

 Wednesday. Mostly a blur in the evening and flew by so quickly that I don't even remember what we ate for dinner. I didn't write it down. I didn't photograph it. But there were moments that I want to remember and thankfully I did do some documentation. Coffee was had. Routines were off a bit. But it was totally a day with magical moments sprinkled in.

Favorite Moment of the Day : Reading 30 pages out of a joke book (by request) to Brandon, who was up at 6:45A.M., then sent back to bed so I could grab my coffee and soak in a few verses from Colossians. He eventually made his way downstairs at 7:10 A.M. beacause it was "light outside." (insert any appropriate emojis here....also, random thought...in 20 years will we even know or remember the language of "emoji"?...I digress.) ANYWHO. It was such a sweet 20 minutes with Brandon EVEN IF my coffee got cold.

 

This kid decided he would make his own breakfast. While I was hesitant at first, I decided it was totally appropriate- seeing as he mops floors now.

Banana + Leftover Corn Tortilla + 1 piece of Elk Steak + 8 Almonds.

Followed by this messy haired boy joining in for the second course of the morning, YOGURT. 

And as routine would have it, they got in a bit of PBS Kids, while I got in Yoga. This is new for me. My Mom bought me the mat, (as she has been doing Yoga lately) and I decided again, that all excuses were gone. I need moments to breathe + stretch , and while I don't look or feel like a Yoga guru, I think it's helping. Hoping to bump up my "once a week" to 2 or EVEN 3x per week.

30 minutes pass and since Selah was still sleeping I rush to make grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches for lunch. We have a picnic with friends planned and I am behind schedule as per usual. Thankfully I got a text message saying our friends needed a few extra minutes too.

Out and about.  Hello Mountainscape.

Back home to chores for a bit, but the day is just too lovely to not go out again . We found ourselves swinging the afternoon away. 

If every day could be a park day- I know I will miss this one day.

As I mentioned earlier, the evening was a blur. A fuzzy mess of time where boys sat and colored, Selah sat and ate little puff snacks and Joe and I Face-timed with family trying to purchase and coordinate travel plans for the summer. Jet Setting as a family of 5. Super thrilled and thankful that is done and we can move on to other things....like packing for a family of five.  Let the list making commence.