A Veteran's Day Daybook


Outside my window...
Dark.  The sun isn't even peeking yet.  It seems these are the only few minutes of the day I can use to think and write lately and even that isn't panning out all that well what with the bane of my existence end of daylight savings time and all.  Seriously, people realize that we're NOT actually changing the amount of daylight, right?  And that we have things like alarm clocks and such now?  Can we please end the madness?

Thankful for...
A lovely anonymous reader who sent me a gorgeous gift from Mandi's shop!  I have no idea who you are but how sweet and fun are you?!?  Thank you so much!

A lovely date with my favorite six and a half year old.  Oh my.  He is a DELIGHT when you get him on his own and he was skipping around all day in anticipation of our big night.  He even took a two hour nap with nary a fuss so that he could do it.  Trader Joe's, George & Company (to buy some much longed for smoke bombs and snappers...), ice cream, and a stop to see Jesus at Adoration.  It was so great.

Eggs.  Our chickens have gotten lazy lately or something and we are only getting two to three eggs per day which doesn't even remotely cut it for our crew.  I really notice a difference in the boys' focus and my energy when we're able to start our day with them!  As much as I don't want to we're going to have to cull some birds because we just can't keep feeding them when they aren't giving anything back.

Thinking about...
So. Many. Posts.  I have so many posts I write in my head!  I just can't seem to get them out.  Which makes me frustrated, I admit, but also rediscerning how I spend my time and if and what God wants me to write.  

 Learning...
Our year has been going really well, I think.  No fancy plans but just learning that much of our success is really all about my discipline.  Buckling down and doing lessons even when I'd much rather be letting the boys off the hook while I tackle a new project or -ahem- blog in the morning.  

From the kitchen...
Last week I was so proud of myself for having several days in a row of what I consider good nourishing home cooked meals - beef stew, eggplant parmesan, chicken pot pie soup...so good.

I also participated in my first meal exchange!  I was nervous while cooking up my huge batches but coming home with six different ready made dinners to fill the freezer was such a treat!  The plan is to use them very intentionally.  I've also got a good amount of my own soups frozen and ready for those nights when I need an easy meal.  Oh, and we have half a cow coming in two weeks.  Half of an entire cow.  Which is a lot of beef.  A whoooole lot of beef.  And our EIGHT turkeys will be processed soon.  Have I mentioned that we have two freezers and that I love them very very much?  I do.  We won't need to buy meat for about a year and there is still room for some of our garden veggies, the fruit we picked over the summer, and my ready made meals.  It makes a grocery hater like me very very happy.

Oh, and last night I came home from a get together with my cousins, sisters and aunts to this:



  and this:

Brian's first pie

Brian made dinner and organized the boys into pie making as a way to thank me for everything I do.  
(Backstory:  Brian insisted on learning how to roast a chicken after I mentioned that I was going to put one in the crockpot that morning since I wouldn't be getting home until just around dinner time and apparently that is not as good as roasting.  Also key in the story:  I may or may not have spent a self indulgent few minutes the night before whining to Brian something to the effect of "(sniff, sniff) nobody in our family even likes or cares or appreciates that I try so hard to feed you well and poor me and I just don't want you to die and leave me a widow..."  It was quite the stellar wifely moment, I tell you.)  

Creating...
Advent plans!  How about you?

From the archives:
An Intentional Advent
The Family Advent Plans (2012)
We Wait in Joyful Hope - Our Advent Traditions (2011)

I will try not to subject you to more posts waxing eloquent on Advent but no promises.  I just love it so. 

And Christmas lists and gifts!  We have ideas and they are fun :)

Going...
To reign in my slightly over competitive nature as we venture out to our first spelling bee today!  John Paul and Michael are participating and we have been working SO hard practicing.

And to Indiana in a few weeks for a wedding!

Reading...
 By Love Refined by Alice von Hildebrand
Mom to Mom by Danielle Bean
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (to John Paul) - Not impressed.  I'll be glad when we're done with this series and can head back to things more classic and edifying.

Praying...
For the Philippines.  One of our sponsored children live there and it makes it really hit home, you  know?

For my cousin Molly whose precious little girl died at 20 weeks in utero.  My heart hurts for them.  Please pray, would you?

For those who long to be parents.  For those grieving.  For those struggling to adopt.  For all the children lonely and scared in orphanages.  For children who are abused.  My heart is aching lately with all the hurt...

For Brian's parents.

For veteran's.  Especially those who are disabled and struggling.

For discernment for our family.

Around the house...
I'm a constant declutterer and have been doing even more lately.  I love how freeing it is.

Brian repainted several of the upstairs floors the last few weeks as a birthday gift to me.  They needed it badly.  Yes, my birthday was in August.

And now I cannot wait to get started on finally ripping out wallpaper in the "school" room which is really a utility room.  It is pretty atrocious in there.  Fake wood paneling, crumbling vinyl tiles covering asbestos tiles, yellowed wallpaper, blue painted trim, track lighting.  Oh boy.  This is going to be grand.

Worth a click... 
Obstetricians Change Definition of On-Time Delivery - Oops.
Stop Doing Start Being (Carrots for Michaelmas) - A super sweet reflection from Haley.
Infant Sleep Obsession (Mama Birth) - So good.
You are Poor (Bad Catholic) - Nailed it.  Again.
CDC Expert:  "We've Reached the End of Antiobiotics"  And yet another case where the "crazies" were actually right.

A picture thought to share...



Happy Monday!

6 comments

  1. Hehe, I love your "stellar wifely moment"... it sounds vaguely familiar... :)
    And, I always love reading about Advent and Christmas plans, so maybe I can twist your arm!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am really curious how you get your kids to eat things like stews and soups and all the healthy foods I always hear about you making. My two older children won't touch foods like that, and it makes me not want to cook because I get tired of the cooking the same things all the time. My husband loves anything, but most of the time when I cook foods that he and I like the kids won't eat it and we end up having so much left over it goes to waste after a few days. Any ideas for me? The kids could eat cereal or pb and j every night if I let them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my kids are the same way, don't worry! I should probably let you know that they don't always (husband included though he does try hard) eat what I've made. And that was one of the things that prompted my little whine-fest to the husband :) There are many nights where there is a moan from the table or someone deciding they'd rather not eat at all than eat what I've made. I take the approach of if they are hungry, they will eat it unless it really is something difficult. Then I at least have them try a few bites. I'm more lenient with babies and toddlers. I feel like since this is such an issue with so many people for younger children that maybe it's just normal and children aren't that hungry at that time. But I will never opt for making a special meal for someone since that just isn't feasible and it will start very bad habits. I tell them we don't have to like everything we eat but we can still eat it. Sometimes we cut down on what we expect them to eat. ("You need to eat three bites of your soup before I'll give you another piece of bread...") Hopefully, it will catch on soon because it is an issue for us. I'm always curious how people with great eaters do it. Then again, my little birds save me on the grocery bill so there's that :) Depending on what it is, leftovers get frozen or become my lunch.

      Delete
    2. I wish we had a larger freezer, then we wouldn't have that problem of food going to waste. All we have is one tiny freezer above our refrigerator. I should probably stop buying so much ice cream so I could fit a little bit more :)

      Delete
  3. My family splits half a cow every year with two of my husbands sisters. It is such a worthwhile investment. Enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Prayers for your poor cousin Molly! I'm so sorry for her loss.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting and reading! I love hearing from readers so if a comment box on a post is turned off, it's because Blogger is terrible about filtering spam. If you'd like to send me a message, please use my contact page. Thank you!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.