Catching Up

Get ready for random!...

Ho hum. Getting backlogged on blogging is always tricky because you don't know where to begin when trying to catch up. I've been making more of an effort to be "unplugged" lately. In fact, I've even been a little bit selfish with my free time! I've chosen sleep (earlier bedtime), hanging out with my husband, relaxing with my book, etc. over getting everything else done... especially over the holiday weekend. Ahh, but it always comes back to bite me in the behind. I'm back to later nights this week with several commitments outside my home in the evenings and then staying up later into the nights to catch up on things. Boo. I wish I could just commit to a healthy sleep and exercise routine for myself, but sadly, those are always the things that get the least of my attention.

Want to know what has been consuming my thoughts lately?

I've actually been pouring a LOT of my attention and interest lately into researching the subject of whole, natural, waste-less, sustainable food. It has been an obsession for me lately and is completely changing the way I think about eating and making food choices. I'm reading a lot and looking into everything I can find about our local options for more natural foods. I've come across so many great resources, authors and interesting topics I'd never really considered before with eating and feeding my family. My must-read-book list is growing and there are several, local people I'd like to meet and farms I'd like to visit that are practicing a much healthier philosophy of eating and living. It is SO FASCINATING and I want to learn so much more! Eventually I'll write a more lengthy post on some of this stuff but I'm hesitant to do so because there is such a thing as food politics and I think it can get a bit touchy sometimes. The things I'm researching are for my own family (& self) benefit and for my increased knowledge as a dietitian. But I'd love to share some of it because I think everyone should know what they're putting in their body.

Speaking of books, I've also been listening to some books on CD and have thought several times (half jokingly, half seriously) that when I'm older and retired, I'd like to be the person that reads books aloud for recordings. :) Oh, and on the side, I'll work for OPI to help come up with clever names for their nail polish colors. Haha! How's that for random?

We've been enjoying lots of time with family in the last couple weeks for various things. Will and I visited Aunt Casey's classroom one weekend for a Vendor Day they were holding at the school. There were lots of booths to browse, but Will mostly enjoyed playing in the classroom.

Totally random, but so funny to me... Sophie really wanted to "help" me put on my sock one weekend morning. It was so cute.

On the eve of November 20th, Casey and I went to our cousin Brianne's 21st birthday party held in her dad's huge "tool shed". It's a ginormous, new barn and my uncle calls it a "shed". The joke of the evening when we all arrived was that it was an unannounced "white vest" night. Poor Casey didn't get the memo. ;)

Casey and Brittany - 6 years out of practice - tried their hand at Beer Pong again...

...but, sadly, lost in a very close game against the (younger, more practiced) boys. I'm a loser... I have never played Beer Pong. :)

The kids have recently acquired another new (and FREE!!) outdoor play toy! Hooray! My boss's daughter has outgrown her Little Tikes play gym. It's the perfect size for Sophie and I think Will's going to enjoy it too. Too bad it didn't come sooner when the weather was warmer, but we're very grateful either way. Oh, and it really wasn't as dark as it looks in these pictures. With the flash on, it blacked everything else out. It was just starting to be dusk at this time.

This past Sunday, we took the kids to see the Lights Before Christmas at the zoo. It's something we enjoyed last year, and this year happened to be the 25th anniversary of the Lights. It's very pretty and festive! (Boo on the fuzzy picture.)

We actually put both kids in strollers and bundled them up with blankets.

Watching the mini lights show where some of the trees dance to the music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Boo - more fuzziness.

This week, the kids are enjoying a week at home with dad. We are still struggling with Craig finding a career and future path that makes him happy, but we are also feeling very blessed to be able to afford (or, rather, squeak by with the bare minimum) for Craig to take this time to do some soul-searching and figure out what he wants to do. Craig is an incredibly smart and talented person and I know he's going to be great at whatever he chooses. In the meantime, we are praying (or at least I am) and thinking and talking about what would be best for him. We are making ends meet on my income plus some savings and a few side jobs that Craig is doing here and there and, to be honest, it has been a very eye-opening experience to really look at our spending from a perspective of necessity. I'm not going to tell you I don't miss the feeling of being comfortable or that I won't be relieved when we are in that place again, but I think this was a good life lesson for us to not just go on spending blindly. It really makes me appreciate the things we have.

So Christmas is right around the corner already! We are looking forward to lots of fun festivities that go along with. I did want to mention that we have opted not to send Christmas cards this year - an extra expense when we're trying to cut back - so that no one feels overlooked when you don't receive one from us. ;) But there are still plenty of inexpensive ways to celebrate the season and hopefully keep the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts.

We Are Thankful

Will's nightly bedtime prayer:

(recited on his own)

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this day.

Thank you for mommy and daddy,

Will and Sophie,

Brutus and all of our family and friends.

Thank you for our safety and our health and our freedom.

Please keep us healthy and safe tomorrow.

Help us to sleep well tonight,

so that we can have a good day tomorrow,

be good people and make good choices.

Amen.

We have much to be thankful for this year.

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, we are taking the time to realize the blessings God has given us. Health, safety, freedom, family... just to name a few at the top of our list.

Not to be overlooked, however, we are also thankful:

1) for preschool parties

2) for our country (saying the Pledge of Allegiance)

3) for silly turkey songs

4) for homemade Tom Toms

5) for little Pilgrims

6) for homemade pumpkin bread and homemade butter prepared by little hands

7) for school friends

8) for babysitters that go the extra mile when I can't be home with my little ones :)

9) for fulfillment and gratitude in our hearts

10) for library books that teach us the meaning of Thanksgiving

(and others that are just fun)

11) for healthy snacks

12) for washable paint and cute, little thumbs

13) for portable seats

14) and personal space :)

15) for a multi-tasking Nana

16) and the bigger portion of a broken wishbone

17) for grandma's sweet rolls!

18) for the bestest sister-in-almost-law we could ever ask for

19) and brothers-in-law too!

20) for indoor playgrounds

21) and botched photo attempts by mommy :)

22) for wonderful cousins we don't see nearly enough

23) for family just like "girlfriends"

24) for gullible attempts to "reach up for the ceiling"...

... and realizing that an under-arm-tickle will follow every time :)

25) for not one, but TWO much-needed, date nights over our long weekend... thank you mom and Marilyn for babysitting... and P.S. "Love and Other Drugs" is an awesome movie!!!

26) for tender kisses on sleepy heads

27) for matriarchs in the family that can manage a FULL Thanksgiving feast + breakfast the next morning in a tiny, hotel kitchenette for our annual tradition at Maumee Bay State Park (think lots of chafing dishes and crock pots!)

28) for Thanksgiving Day parades and music to dance to

29) for grandmas that don't mind playing "taxi" (even with an open container in the "car" - LOL)

30) for ginormous birds purchased from a hard working 4H kid

31) for unshrinkable cotten comfort

32) and poses that are a dead give-away for orneriness :)

("if I can't see you... you can't see me going up the stairs like you told me not to...")

33) for new friends that provide complete Turkey Day entertainment (and, essentially, peace for parents)... who knew that a game of "chipmunks" could be so fun?... or so lengthy? :)

34) for more attempted (and botched) photo moments with our squirmy girl

35) for a whole new set of books that don't belong to us!

36) for furry friends

37) and handsome boys.

We are thankful!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!