January Daybook (due to Marley's prompting)

 Outside my window...

It's partly cloudy and cold.  We were supposed to have a winter storm this past Monday, but it didn't amount to much until we got to school and the whole entryway was ice.  I'm still bitter they didn't cancel that day.

I am thankful for...

a warm house, a warm bed, food and family.  I've been trying to be more aware of my surroundings.  It might have something to do with my word for the year, but we'll get to that later.

I am thinking about...

dinner, school next week, and the dentist.  I think I want to switch dentists again.  I don't think we've found a good new one yet.

In the schoolroom...

it's a mess.  I'm trying to get it cleaned up, but Relic is fighting me every step of the way with his endless shedding.  I could vacuum everyday in this house and fill it up each time.  No joke.  Other than that, we're all counting the days to Easter vacation.  So what if we just got back from Christmas!?

From the kitchen...

I'm trying to meal plan again.  Seriously, I wonder how many times I've said that in this blog, and it never sticks?  We're into the second week of it, and it's already getting wobbly, but I think we'll make it.  It's shameful how much money we spent on out food.

I (we) am(are) creating...

a budget.  We're getting back on track after Christmas chaos.  

I am working on...

a plan for Lent.  I'm going big this Lent.  Last year, if you remember, we were living in the RV for Lent.  I'm not going that big, but I am giving up some things that will definitely hurt.

I am reading...

St. John of the Cross Spiritual Works.  He's a Carmelite saint worth reading repeatedly.  This is my second time going through some things and spending time getting deeper.  

I am praying for...

family.  

I am hearing...

Kevin on a work call and the humming of Logan's computer as he works on schoolwork. 

Around the house...

nothing much.  We cleaned up the basement a while back.  The house needs a good cleaning.  I tried to do this thing where I paid the kids to clean.  It worked one week and the past two times, their work has gotten seriously sloppy.  I'll either try it again and be mean pointing out all the things they didn't do correctly to go over them again, or I'll do it myself.  it depends how much energy I have this weekend.  Before then, I definitely have to vacuum. (refer to in the schoolroom)

One of my favorite things...

The Chosen.  Have you seen it?  It's a series on the life of Jesus.  Normally movies only have two-three hours to get the whole story in, but this has eight episodes so far, and they're currently filming season two.  It's free on YouTube and Apple and a bunch of things.  It's SO GOOD.  We've watched it three times already which is lovingly referred to as "bingeing Jesus."  Please watch it.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

Kids have school tomorrow.  We're going to Mass Friday morning and walking from there to the courthouse carrying our Pro-Life signs to at least have some sort of march since DC was canceled (lame).  We should have a pretty big group.  Saturday, we'll be visiting folks back home.  Other than that, cleaning.  

Some pics for you...

One last pic before we took the tree down.

Logan wanted to play Risk, so we did.  We think Marley ended up winning.  She was Russia.  How appropriate for our times, don't you think?

This picture is from before I went back on the wagon.  Kevin and I snuck drumsticks in the middle of the day and hid out in the laundry room while we ate them.  I'll be busted once the kids read this, but we have no more drumsticks left so ha!

Relic had a birthday!  He's four year old.  I made his usual birthday cake, but this time I put treats around the outside and put strawberries on top, last year it was raspberries.

Still daddy's lap dog...

He wanted to sniff the fire.  

This is the opening song to every episode of The Chosen.  Marley has danced to it since the first episode and continues to do so.  I sent it to the creator of the show.  We'll see if we hear anything back.  I'm sure he's busy.  I hope he's busy.  We want season 2!!!!!

Happy New Year, Happy Birthday, Happy Epiphany!

 Our fearless leader had a birthday this past week.  Unfortunately it was a rainy day, but we made the best of it.  We ran some errands and had a really good dinner.  After that was cake and presents.  It's funny that as we get older, the kids remember how old we are fast than we do, or I should say faster than I do.  :)  

We've gotten back into the swing of school routines and getting to sleep before 10p.  That part has been nice.  The school part not so much, but it's really not as bad as I make it out to be.  The worst part is preparing for school, but the actual day is never that bad.  Mental note for next year, I will not be scheduling myself for a full day of volunteering at school the first week back after a big break.  That was a mistake.

Here's to a great new year of new opportunities.  Praying for our nation, or what's left of it.

I can't leave my phone alone at all these days.

End of the Year Reflections 2020

My friend, Courtney, normally does end the year reflection questions.  I do too, but I haven't checked to see if I did them last year.  Anyway, here we go.

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?

We moved.

2. What was the single most challenging this that happened?

We moved.  

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?

Sheltering in place with the family.  We still got to go places and see people, but things slowed down, and I was able to add things to my routine, like daily Mass.

4. What was an unexpected obstacle?

Sheltering in place.  ;)  Our family became really dependent on tech.  I don't like that.

5. Pick three words to describe this past year.

serendipitous

eye-opening

slow

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your year—don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you. 

challenging

exciting

busy

7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their year—again, without asking. 

challenging, exciting, busy

8. What were the best books you read this year? 

Theology of the Home

9. With whom were your most valuable relationships? 

my family

10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?

leaving my community and trying to join a new one 

11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally? 

I had to let go of a lot of relationships that I tried to hold on to.  Moving is always emotional growth.

12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually? 

I had to trust God COMPLETELY.  I went where I was led, and I tried to do His will.

13. In what way(s) did you grow physically? 

Unfortunately, I grew sideways.  ;)

14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others? 

Since we were always together, I needed to be more patient and forget about my agenda a lot and just love.

15. What was the most enjoyable part of your work (both professionally and at home)? 

Since I knew we were moving, I enjoyed my work more.  I found the joy that had been missing in teaching although I was still glad for the COVID respite from it.  I love creating a new home.  I did too much and burnt out, but it's still the warm and cozy I was trying for.

16. What was the most challenging part of your work (both professionally and at home)? 

It was challenging because I wanted to leave my work with everything done for them.  I was working on creating a new classroom, and I had to leave in the middle of it.  At home I'm not much of a designer, so that was hard.

17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year? 

PAINTING!  I kid.  It wasn't a time waster, but I sure spent a lot of time doing it.

18. What was the best way you used your time this past year? 

DAILY MASS

19. What was biggest thing you learned this past year? 

Trust in the Lord.

20. Create a phrase or statement that describes this past year for you.

Don't look back.  You're not going that way.

Christmas in Pictures

Let's start with Christmas cookie making!  Every year we make lemon cookies.  We shape them, paint them, and bake them.  It's a fun tradition!

 Rory got a bit obsessed with making Captain America cookies and built herself an army.  Then she ate them all!  I think we had one pan of actual Christmas cookies.  Besides the Captain America pan, we had an animal pan, and a Percy Jackson series pan.  All I know is that I just kept making gingerbread man shapes.  :)

I've always wanted to make our own peg doll Nativity.  I actually did it this year!  Marley did the angel, Jesus, made the manger, and the shepherds' staffs, and sheep! 

Our goofy tree picture in Christmas jammies.  I love Kevin in this!

We did our secret Santa pictures first.  We all got nerf guns from K'lyn and had a nerf gun fight.  Aunt Paula got trapped in the crossfire.

Santa came!

Stockings and church Christmas morning.

Grandma and Grandpa's.

Playing with new toys.

We actually have room to host family!  I made sure to take pictures for Papa's birthday calendar next year.  ;)

Our angel of the pageant!

It has all gone by so fast, and I'm not ready for break to be over.  Kevin and I slept in until 830a this morning!  I cannot tell you the last time that happened, but it's been YEARS.  We're all hanging out doing a bunch of nothing, and it's been great.  School starts back up next week.  UGH!  Before that, we have a birthday boy to think about.  Stay tuned and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Playing Catch Up

 Well, it has been far too long.  Sorry for the slacking.  Once the holidays roll around, I tend to get a little busy.  Since I have lots of pics and lots to catch up on, I'm just going to roll film and explain on the way.  That's more fun anyway.

Logan finished his cross country season with a celebratory dinner at Red Lobster of course.  

Kevin and I took our kids and some from our old co-op to the annual retreat last month.  It was an early morning and lots of driving, but totally worth it.  

Kevin has literally given me every decoration I could want or dream of this Christmas, even though it costs money.  

Thanksgiving came and went.  This photo was everyone mid-bite.

Lego Advent calendars.  Even K'lyn got one, but she hasn't been keeping up with it.

St. Nick made his appearance December 6th as always.  I love that the shoes were found in front of the fireplace this year.

Marley asked to be an angel for the upcoming Christmas pageant, and they made her Angel Gabriel!  She's so excited to have lines (that she's already memorized).

My mom "blowing" out her candles for her birthday.  

I was trying to experiment with K'lyn in taking pictures to see if you could tell whether we were smiling or not.  Considering you can hardly see my eyes when I smile, I think that's the giveaway.  

Decorating the tree!

The OGs!

Kevin keeps track on his phone whose turn it is to put the angel on top of the tree.  This year was Logan.

I LOVE IT!

Since K'lyn had a COVID scare for her birthday (she was negative), we couldn't do her birthday. We finally got around to it.  The funniest thing about this pic is Logan's reflection in the window behind K'lyn.  He photo bombed by his reflection.  

K'lyn got to bring a lot of pottery for us to paint for Christmas.  We're all struggling with our pieces while K'lyn pops out this mosaic Christmas tree.  Ah, to be so talented.  

I love finding these three getting along these days.  It does my heart good.