Last Day of November

I don't know about you, but I thought November was alright (and by that I mean I enjoyed it).

I learned that it's totally fine to completely disengage from the news for a while (I already knew that, but I really leaned into it around November 10th -- I literally have no idea what's happening in the world right now).

Chet and Ruthie had some catching up to do for our thankful tree, and here are their last leaves:

Chet had a hard day at work, but his leaves prove that there is always (ALWAYS) something to be thankful for. In fact, we all learned (or re-learned) that lesson this Thanksgiving season. There were a few days throughout the month when we were feeling grumpy while cutting out and writing on those little pieces of paper, but we could always think of something.

Here is an unrelated picture of our Thanksgiving table:

I'm pretty sure Martha Stewart (who most likely reads this blog) will be contacting me soon to collaborate on design ideas.

I have to go move (some of) my outdoor plants into the garage now because we're under a freeze warning tonight. Part of me just wants to leave them out there and not worry about it, but the other part knows I'll lose sleep wondering if they're okay.

On to December!

Dresser

I didn't take a picture in natural light today, but since I promised you a picture, here it is!

This morning we attended church, picked up donuts afterward, and stayed in the house for the rest of the day because it hasn't stopped raining.

I am trying to wrap my head around tomorrow being Monday. The kids will be in for a shock when I tell them to start their math assignments.

Happy Sunday!

Saturday

This morning I visited a store near downtown Gulfport that only opens once a month. They mostly have antiques, but some newer items too. All purchases there directly support small business owners. I didn't expect to buy anything, but walked away with a dresser (HA!).

We needed one anyway; we still have Sydney's original changing table that had two drawers, and Lorelei was stuffing all of her folded clothes into it.

This was a picture I snapped at the store (the ladies were still attaching the new hardware) to ask Chet if I should buy it:

I wasn't exactly sure where it would go in the house (despite the too-small changing table drawers Lorelei was using), but it DID end up in Lorelei's and Ruthie's room. (Only Lorelei's clothes are in it; Ruthie's clothes -- and Ford's clothes -- reside in a big white dresser that's in our bedroom. This drives Chet crazy.)

I'll take a picture tomorrow when there is some natural light. Also, I'm not sure where in the house my phone is, so I can't snap a quick picture to share now even if I wanted to.

The new dresser led to some sprucing up of the bedroom, and purging some items, which is my very favorite pastime. 

Speaking of purging items, one item we purged was a huge fluffy hot pink pig that is actually a piggy bank. Lorelei got it for Christmas in 2016 when we lived in Austin, and she recently passed it on to Ruthie (it drives me a wee bit crazy when they do this -- PLEASE JUST GET RID OF IT INSTEAD OF PROLONGING THE INEVITABLE).

It had been sitting on the top shelf in their closet, and Ruthie, of course, was all of a sudden very attached to it. Chet said, "Ruthie, Christmas is soon as we need to make room for presents we may receive." Lorelei relayed an anecdote she read in a book where a little boy pinched his brother and only received socks for Christmas. Ruthie was thoroughly confused after that.

Here is an unrelated picture of the kids playing a board game this morning:

Happy Saturday!

Day After Thanksgiving

My children did not dress in all black clothing this Black Friday like they did last year, but they DID choreograph a dance to one of our ornaments that plays very loud music.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving, just the six of us. Like last year, I ordered a Cracker Barrel Thanksgiving meal (this time we ordered the one that feeds 4-6 people and it was the PERFECT amount). We ate at 4:00 p.m. The commissary was out of frozen Mrs. Smith's pumpkin pie, so I made two from scratch, which was surprisingly easy and delicious.

We traditionally eat monkey bread and sausage balls Thanksgiving morning, but this year we only did monkey bread. Sydney and Lorelei can make it all by themselves, and Ford and Ruthie are also helpful making this particular treat, but they were still sleeping:

We paired the monkey bread with bacon instead of sausage balls, but Sydney and I made sausage balls this morning (Friday), and delivered some to a neighbor who had given us a chocolate pie on Thanksgiving day.

Grammy's box of Christmas crafts arrived today, and the kids thought I was taking a video instead of a picture, hence the odd faces (that's Ruthie's 'what are we supposed to say again?' face):

I hope your Thanksgiving was lovely and delicious!

Psalms 9:1-2

I read this verse today and wanted to share it:

"I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High." (Psalms 9:1-2)

Not just when my children behave or when we have enough money in the bank or when the laundry is under control, but each and every moment of every day we have on this earth.

(Picture from our Great Wolf Lodge trip)

Happy Thanksgiving Eve, friends.

Lorelei and Ford

I'm too tired to write anything fancy, because today I pulled out some Christmas decorations (we put up the tree yesterday -- no ornaments yet), and now my house is decorated half Thanksgiving and half Christmas, and I think it's driving me a bit batty.

I like these pictures of Lorelei and Ford:

We have taken a break from school this past week (starting last Wednesday), and it's been much needed. However, I'm ready for routine again (even though Thanksgiving is this week).

Happy Tuesday, friends!

November Thankful Tree

For YEARS I have been wanting to create a thankful tree in November.

Clearly, 2020 is the perfect year.

It started out like this:

As of this evening, it looks like this:

Chet, of course, created the trunk. Sydney cuts out the majority of the leaves. I label each leaf with the person's first initial and the date, because I plan to laminate them so that we can enjoy reading them next year.

November 21st?!

I did NOT mean to go so long without posting, but Chet left for a 2-week field exercise the first week of November and I barely had time to think while he was gone (he returned home yesterday, the 20th).

Monster likes to involve himself in our projects:

This picture was from a few days ago, and today he chose to lay on the windowsill, on TOP of a coloring book, and with his face in one of my plants. He could have chosen a clear spot on the windowsill (it's a big windowsill), or ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE HOUSE. 

Animals are silly.

(Non-Partisan) Election Thoughts

These are strange days.

I normally don't share my thoughts about current events, because, in my opinion, most people don't actually care what other people think about such things.

However, this election season, which my children are aware of, we have had the opportunity to cover some important life lessons.

First, a picture of cranky, two-year old Lorelei with the White House in the background:

Lesson 1: We are not electing God. In fact, "For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob." (Malachi 3:6 NKJV) Also, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) 

The President of the United States of America can't change that. Isn't that a relief?

Lesson 2: You will probably never agree with any one person about everything. This includes your friends, your spouse, as well as the people you vote for in elections. Choose the "issues" that are the most important to you, and vote for the person who says they will protect those issues.

Lesson 3: Sometimes you don't get your way. Whether it's the movie you voted for on family movie night or the presidential candidate you voted for, sometimes your vote "wins," and other times it doesn't. Don't worry; it's likely not your last time to vote.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

Halloween Pictures

I was going to write something about how it's taking me longer than I feel like it should to adjust to this time change, but my brain is absolute mush come evening because of said time change, so I'll share the kids' Halloween costume pictures instead.

Ruthie was Elsa (a costume we already owned), Ford was Darth Vader (also a costume we already owned), Lorelei was a skateboarder (we bought the sweatshirt and shoes, both of which she needed anyway), and Sydney was a spy.

I asked Sydney how she thought she was going to spy well while wearing a robber's mask, but for that she had no answer.

Sydney's costume required some research and ordering of items, all of which she did on her own (well, I ordered the items, but she did all the research).

All the kids trick-or-treated with their friends, while Chet and I sat in the driveway handing out candy.

It was the easiest Halloween ever.

Happy Thursday!