Wednesday Hodgepodge for June 3rd

I was happy to see that Joyce of From This Side of the Pond has started up the Wednesday Hodgepodge posts, at least for a while!  I'm excited to join in as I have time...I feel like the question format helps get my blogging juices flowing again!  Here are this week's questions and answers:


1. What's something you could do today to feel more peaceful?

Pretty sure one of the best things I could do would be to stay off social media for a while!  Even Instagram has been feeling "heavy" lately. 

2. June 2nd is National Rotisserie Chicken day. Who knew? Are you a fan of rotisserie chicken? You've purchased one at your local market for tonite's dinner. Will you serve as is or make something else using the chicken?

I do love rotisserie chicken, though I don't buy it very often.  I think the last time we got one was not long before Ari was born, actually!  At this point with my kids being older (eating more!) I would probably make something else using the chicken, because one chicken would not feed all of us, as-is.  My family loves chicken-and-cheese sandwiches on homemade buns, so I would probably make those.  Or use storebought buns if I was short on time.

3. I read a list recently (go here to read more) of 20 of the most beautiful places in America. How many of these have you seen up close and in person? Of the sites on this list that you haven't seen, which would you most like to see?

Antelope Canyon Arizona, Kenai Fjords Alaska, White Mountains New Hampshire, Crater Lake Oregon, The Palouse Washington and Idaho, Grand Prismatic Spring Wyoming, Multnomah Falls and Columbia River Gorge Oregon, Horsehoe Bend Arizona, Na Pali Coast Kauai Hawaii, Antelope Valley California, Lake Tahoe California, The Berkshires Massachussets, Maroon Bells Colorado, Angel Oak South Carolina, Acadia National Park Maine, Grand Teton National Park Wyoming, Turnip Rock Michigan, Central Park New York City, Niagara Falls New York, and Skagit Valley Tulip Fields Washington

Let's see...I've been to the White Mountains multiple times because we live nearby.  I agree they are one of the most beautiful places in America!  Pretty sure I have been to or through the Berkshires area in Mass, too, although not for an extended vacation or anything.  I visited Acadia National Park as a kid and hope to go back with my family in the not-too-distant future...and I've been to Niagara Falls.  Four out of twenty isn't too shabby.  Of the remaining sites on the list, Grand Teton National Park is probably top of my list, though I would also love to visit Crater Lake and some of the others.

4. What's one pretty spot you'd add to the list in question #3? Are there travel plans of any kind on your calendar right now? Does that make you happy, anxious, excited, sad, or relieved?

I'd add Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho, simply because that's one place we visited that I thought was amazingly beautiful in its own unique way!  These pictures are all from September 2018:

As far as travel plans for this summer...we don't have any at the moment.  I had hoped to take a little camping trip to Acadia this summer for a few days, or even somewhere closer to home, but not sure that will happen.  We have a lot to do around here with work on our house addition, so this summer will probably be a "staycation" for the most part!  We may take a week to go to Ohio in the fall to visit family, but we haven't decided yet.  I would say not having a trip planned makes me both a little happy and a little sad.  I love to go places and really want to take a few trips as a family before Sam is grown and gone...so in that way I'm a bit sad if we don't go somewhere this year.  On the other hand, planning a trip can be hard work and expensive, so it does make things simpler if we stay home.

5. Tell us one un-COVID related thing you're looking forward to in the month of June.

Getting together with friends more often!  We have missed them!

6. Insert your own random thought here.


Speaking of beautiful scenery...here's a panoramic picture that I think Josiah took when we hiked Mt. Cardigan here in NH back in April or May.   It was a beautiful day!  Aren't we blessed to have beauty around us everywhere? We just have to look for it.  And sometimes it's more obvious, like when we climb a mountain. 😊

Intentional Summer: Grow

Well, well!  Long time no post. 😄  I can't believe I haven't written anything here since September!  It's so hard to find uninterrupted time at the computer..."uninterrupted" being the KEY word, of course!

Today is June 1st, and as I've been making some goals and plans for the summer, I thought it would be good to write about them here as a form of accountability and also so I could go back and remind myself of them.

To be honest, I've been feeling pretty scattered over the past few months as we navigate Covid-19 (oh how I hate that word!!!) stay-home orders and a feeling of uncertainty in our world.  My hope is in Jesus, but that doesn't mean that upheaval doesn't affect us or cause us some anxious moments...though I do believe He has a good plan for us through it all!  Now that we've finally reached the summer months and life is starting to feel a bit more normal, I realized it was time to begin again to focus on building good habits and getting into some better routines.  A podcast I listened to on Saturday confirmed this to me and gave me the idea of focusing on being intentional with my time this summer...so, here we go!

This morning in the shower I was thinking about my word of the year, and...would you believe it...I have NO idea what my word of the year even is/was.  I know I had picked one!  A good one!  But it completely escapes my brain at the moment.  I might be able to figure it out from some journaling back in January, or if my mom remembers...hi, Mom?  I think we talked about it?!  That just shows you how much I've NOT been thinking about goals or words of the year over the past few months, ha!  Anyhow.  The shower is a good place for thinking, and even though I couldn't remember my word of the year, I decided that for the summer I would focus on the word "GROW" and use it as an acrostic.  All of these are areas I desire growth in:

God
Relationships
Organization
Work

For the "God" area...this includes my daily quiet time: Bible reading and prayer, and some journaling.  Also hopefully reading a few books to help with my spiritual growth.  More on what I'm hoping to read, later.  For Bible reading I am once again following along with the Same Page Summer and reading through the New Testament.

Relationships includes my family and friends...I really want to enjoy my kids, spend time with my parents, carve out moments with just Jim, invite friends over for playdates and visits and meals, write notes and send texts to encourage others, etc.  Basically just investing in people, the best I can...I've been thinking about how much I want to be a better encourager, and I hope to do that over the next few months.

Organization is a constant struggle for me...and while I don't expect to get my entire life organized in three months, my goal is to tackle some particular areas of my life/home and try to get a handle on them.  One is meal planning.  I go through phases of doing so well with that, and other times I'm totally flying by the seat of my pants!  Meal prep goes so much smoother when I have a plan, so that's one area to organize.  I'd also like to organize all of my kitchen cabinets so they're more functional, and bedroom drawers and closets could use a good sort-out too.

Work...I think overall this is going to be more of a "working" summer and less of a "playing" summer, though I certainly hope to find periods of rest every week.  Jim is quite busy with carpentry, the kids and I planted a garden and more flowers,  we hope to make great strides on our house addition, we'll be helping my parents as we have time, fixing up the cottage next door, plus there is the daily work of the home, and my own need for physical working-out!  So, lots of work...but all good things!

Now...wouldn't it be funny if my word of the year was "grow?!" 😄

Back to School: First day traditions

Do you have first day of school traditions?  Some years I have been way better about this than others. Last year was discombobulated because Sam was on a roof with Jim when the other two kids started school, then we took a 2 week trip to NV in the middle of September, and started in again when we got home.  This year may be similar since we are currently on vacation and may not have all four kids  there to start on the same day when we get back, depending on Jim’s work.

But at least for many years, I would take first day of school pictures, measure the kids’ height to see how much they’d grown in a year, make a special breakfast, etc.  It didn’t always mean our first day got off to a good start, but at least I tried! 😉

A Satisfying Summer

We’re currently on vacation in Ohio, at the tail end of summer, trying to squeeze the last bit of fun out of it before we start back to school.  I’ve decided September is pretty much the perfect time to take a vacation, and am thinking about suggesting to Jim that we plan a trip somewhere every year about this time.  The weather has been great for the most part, not too hot and not too cool, comfortable for sleeping in the camper at night and playing outside during the days.

I wanted to write a bit about how satisfying this summer has been.  Of course, it went by too fast as it always does.  But for me personally I feel like it was just a really good summer, and I got a lot of things crossed off my list.  Before I get to that, though, let’s talk about the things I did not get crossed off!  

• I didn’t accomplish my goal of setting up a chores/cleaning system for our family.
• We didn’t go out for ice cream or eat at the local food truck.
• We didn’t (yet) go canoeing as a family.
• We didn’t declutter/organize the storage bins in the garage. 
• We didn’t finish our camper remodel.
• I didn’t menu plan very well and we often ate supper really late in the evening.

But here’s what I/we DID accomplish!

• I finished Josiah’s quilt, which had been a work in progress for years.  That was one of my main summer goals, and I finished it on July 5!
  
• We may not have finished the camper remodel, but we did replace the canvas, I finished sewing the curtains, we gutted the cabinets and benches, installed new flooring, and were able to actually use it for camping.  So I’m calling that a win!
• We took an awesome family day at Story Land.
   
  
• We (well, some of us) climbed our little local mountain with friends.
• We went to the beach three times and the science center twice (so far...we will go a couple more times this fall).
  
• I deep cleaned some spaces in my house. 
• I made time to read and finished at least five or more fiction books over the summer.
• I started blogging again.
• I exercised 54 days in a row in July/August and have almost completed the C25K program again.
• I am within three days of finishing reading through the New Testament with the Same Page Summer reading plan.
  
• Jim and I made time for a couple of dates, both planned and spontaneous.
  
• We hosted family and friends a number of times, which was so much fun! 
  
  
  
  
• We made it to Ohio to visit family!   
  

Yesterday I took a little time to plan out some school/life stuff for after we get back home.  We have a pretty busy fall schedule coming up, particularly September, between starting school, work for Jim, a ladies’ retreat, revival meetings at church, etc.  And Jim and I still hope to sneak away for a day or two to celebrate our 20th anniversary a little late.  I still am behind on school planning and I really NEED to get back to a good menu planning habit so I can keep that part of life running smoothly.   But I’m feeling energized and motivated as the weather cools and the fresh start of fall lies ahead...I have loved the somewhat lazy lack of schedule through the summer, but am looking forward to jumping into a good routine again soon.  

Stay tuned...I hope to get a post or two written this week for our September back to school theme, also!  I hope all of you are wrapping up a great summer as well. 😊

Blogging Themes: thinking ahead

Yesterday as I was getting ready for my day and thinking about blogging, I had a brainwave.  I'd been thinking about blogging schedules, and planning certain recurring topics for certain days...but obviously I often have trouble sticking with a definite blogging schedule. 😉 So the thought that occurred to me was that I could plan overarching themes by month.  Not that all of my posts that month will necessarily relate to the theme (although they might), but it will give me something to think about and focus on...maybe help me as I look for inspiration here and there, too. 

Being me, I'm not thinking super far ahead, but here's a rough idea of what I'm going to aim for over the next several months:

• September: Back to School
• October: Let's Go Outside/Nature Study
• November: Give Thanks
• December: Christmas (of course 😊)
• January: Heart & Home (focus on goals & habits for both)

Looking at this list, thinking about things I could write about...well, it has me pretty excited, actually!  I also hope to link to some other bloggers along the way who inspire me in these areas.  I hope you'll come along for the ride!

From my bookshelf: Gone-Away Lake

I decided one fun feature I want to include weekly (if possible) is a favorite-book post.  This might be a children's book (picture book or chapter book), a non-fiction or spiritual growth book, an adult fiction book...pretty much anything that's one of my or my kids' favorites!  I have a feeling that the hard part will be just choosing ONE book per week...as I am an avid bookworm, and so are some of my kids. 😉

My choice for this first bookish post is a children's novel: Gone-Away Lake, by Elizabeth Enright.  I don't remember when I first discovered Gone-Away; it feels like this book has been a part of my life forever!  I also don't remember if my mom read it aloud to us, or if I first read it on my own.  What I DO know is that this is a fabulous summer read, and as a family we have read (or listened) to it at least three times over the past few years.  The audio version read by Colleen Delany is beautifully done and we would all highly recommend it!

Synopsis:  Portia Blake and her little brother Foster go to visit their uncle, aunt, and cousin Julian, as they do every summer.  Only this summer, Julian's family has moved to a new house in the country, and there are lots more places to explore.  One day while exploring in the nearby woods, Portia and Julian stumble upon an old colony of abandoned, dilapidated houses at the edge of a swamp.  Only they aren't ALL abandoned...an elderly brother and sister returned years ago to live out their lives in the place they had loved as children, away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.  Gone-Away Lake is the story of the friendship that blossoms between Portia and Julian and "Uncle Pin" and "Aunt Minnehaha."  There is also adventure, a little danger, and lots of fun reminiscing and old stories shared from a childhood at Tarrigo Lake (which later became the swamp, now called Gone-Away Lake).

It's hard to sum up this book in a quick synopsis...it probably doesn't sound all that interesting.  But Elizabeth Enright was a master at writing books about everyday life, taking a simple idea and making it come alive.  This book makes the reader feel like you are right there at Gone-Away with Portia and Julian, like discovering an old summer colony is something that might really happen to you.  It plops you right into the middle of a hot, buggy summer somewhere in New York state.  It also highlights the beautiful friendship that sometimes springs up between children and elderly people, and how much we can learn from each other.  I can't recommend this book highly enough...give it a try.  You and your kids will love it!  It is the perfect summer read.  Even though it is more than sixty years old, it has a timeless quality and is just as enjoyable in 2019 as it would have been in the 1950s.

And...if you read Gone-Away Lake, you must also put Return to Gone-Away on your list!  It is equally enchanting and wonderful.  You can often find copies of both books at thrift stores or used bookstores, but they are also available on Amazon or Thriftbooks pretty inexpensively.  Happy reading!

Friday Five: the summer decor edition

I thought it would be fun to do a decor edition, since I *finally* (read: late June) changed out my early spring decorations for things that are patriotic and summery.  Some of this stuff I already had on hand...other things came from Hobby Lobby and Marshalls!  (Side note: it is super fun for me to "treasure hunt" at Hobby Lobby.  I will admit that this is one store that can easily overwhelm my senses...it's been less than two years since we got one close-ish to us, and unless I have a plan of what I am looking for, I can wander the aisles and come out empty-handed, in spite of a 40% off coupon!  The best shopping experiences there are when I have something specific to find, and even better if I find it in the clearance aisle!)  Anyway, on to the post!

1. Table decor: I don't always keep flowers on my table, but when I do, I've been using this red checked cloth from Hobby Lobby to put them on.  I also found the "milk glass" pitcher (not genuine) at Hobby Lobby last week (marked down to $3.48!) and it makes a nice vase!  

 2.  Couch table:  I enjoy changing things up in several areas of my house, and this is my living room focal point.  The patriotic prints were free printables I found on Pinterest a few years ago.  The plastic plate and towel/runner were from Hobby Lobby, also on deep discounts. 

 3.  Kitchen cabinet display area:  more free printables, a dishtowel from Joann Fabrics (gift from my mom), Hobby Lobby plate, blue lantern from my grandparents' house!

 4.  Hutch display: this blue striped towel/runner is my new favorite from Hobby Lobby.  Also on clearance. 😉 The basket was my splurge for this year, I think it was under $10 from Marshalls.  I thought it would be fun to fill it with vintage books in shades of red, white and blue.  Two of these are vintage LM Montgomery books that I snagged at this year's library book sale!

5.  Random, non-decor related (since I don't have any other areas of my house that are decorated for summer): today Julia and Josiah went on an outing with their Sunday school class.  Here's a pic I "borrowed" from my friend Patty's FB page (she's their teacher, and an awesome one at that!).  They had perfect weather and a wonderful time out in nature, in beautiful Franconia Notch. Thankful for our church family and all the love and time that is invested in these kids!

Just a bowl of cherries

I have been addicted to sweet cherries this summer!  They've been on sale at the grocery store most of the summer ($2.99/lb or maybe less a few times) and I keep buying them.  I about choked last week when I bought two bags and went through the self-checkout, and realized that I spent over $13 on cherries!  Oops.  $2.99/lb doesn't seem like much until you weigh it out! 

Anyway, the cherries are delicious and we just eat them fresh.  Last year we were given a bunch of sour cherries and I made a pie out of them, which was also yummy.  In fact, I might still have some of those cherries in the freezer...I will have to check, as that would be a perfect summertime treat. 

There's an old saying: "Life is just a bowl of cherries," basically meaning that life is pretty sweet.  I have to agree that with all its ups and downs, this life we've been blessed with IS sweet.  In just over a week, Jim and I will celebrate twenty years of marriage.  We met when we were both 20 years old and were married at 22.  This means that we have known each other/been part of one another's lives longer than we were alive before we met.  (If that makes sense.)  Sometimes I look around me and wonder where the last twenty years have gone!  It's a little crazy thinking of all the living we've done in that time.  All the memories, all the hardships, all the good things and bad things that have happened, all the day to day moments that make up a life.  We've lost five of our grandparents in that time, but added four children to our home.  We've been part of three different churches.  We've lost touch with some old friends and made some new ones.  We've fought, made up, cried together, prayed together, laughed together (a lot).  And this wasn't really supposed to be an anniversary post, ha!  Just some ramblings as I thought about cherries and the sweet life God has given our family.  Right now I am at the point of trying to hang onto the moments and store up the memories.  Our older kids are quickly closing the gap to adulthood, and while that too is a special thing to watch, soon our home won't be quite the same.  I am excited for all the future holds but I also want to squeeze the most that I can out of all the time I have left with them!  Already the changes have started, as Sam is old enough to work with Jim and frequently does...and he is outgrowing some of the things he used to enjoy.  At the same time...he's also old enough to babysit for a few hours and that part is AWESOME. 😀

I guess I'll stop rambling for now, except to say...enjoy the cherries. Treasure the life you've been given!🍒 

Monday Musing: Consuming vs. Producing

**this picture has nothing to do with the post, but my big hydrangea finally bloomed again this year, and it's so beautiful!**

I've been thinking of how I can really focus some intentional time in this space.  It's been years since I've prioritized writing here (or anywhere, for that matter)... the quick little snippets of life are so much easier to quickly put up on other social media platforms with a picture, from my phone.  (Blogging from my phone doesn't work, sadly!)

I've been mulling over how I used to be a lot more of a producer (writing content for my blog) and now I'm more of a consumer (scrolling everyone else's FB and IG posts, Pinterest, blogs, etc.)  Part of it is lack of time to think and formulate worthwhile content. Part of it is that homeschooling takes much more of my time than it used to.  Part of it, I suppose, is that blogs have begun to go the way of the dinosaur, and longer gaps between my posts equal fewer and fewer readers.  Part of it (let's face it) is the fact that I consume...i.e. waste time...on other social media which I could be spending on the blog.  Ouch.  Yet I hesitate to come on here and claim that I'm going to post more, because my track record with that is less than stellar!  There is lots of *good* content out there--content that helps me grow spiritually, as a person, as a mom, as a homeschooler...and sometimes I feel like I don't really have a lot to add to the conversation.

But, I still love to write.  I enjoy putting my thoughts out there, and I most especially enjoy looking back on the little pieces of our life that I've shared here through the years.  PLUS my sister-in-law (who just published her first novel!!) has started a blog to go along with her website, and I figured maybe I should start writing again so we could motivate each other along the way. 😉

So, we'll see how it goes.  I hope to make a plan soon of a blogging schedule that I can follow weekly (themes for different days?), maybe planning to post three times a week.  If I could plan a time to write all the posts at once and then schedule them to be published on different days, I think that would help.  Sometimes I like to write on the fly, though...  Anyhow, we'll see how it goes!

Friday Five: Random June Edition

Phew!  It's been quite the couple of months since I blogged last.  Lots of stuff has happened, some hard, some good...but here are five random things to help me get my feet wet in the bloggy world again. 😉

1. It's mid-June and it still doesn't quite feel like summer yet.  We've had tons of rain and cooler days; I can count on one hand the number of humid days we've had so far.  Probably July and August will make up for June's unseasonal weather, though.  (I'm not complaining!  I actually kind of like still being able to wear a sweatshirt in the mornings and evenings.)


2.  Tomorrow we're going to the wedding of one of our friends' daughters...whom we've known since she was a baby.  She's been in our SS class for years.  Nothing like watching one of these "kids" getting married to make you feel old!


3.  Jim and Sam just finished up (mostly) a big garage they have been building.  It needed to be done before the wedding (it's for the family of the bride) and they barely squeaked it in, but it got done!  Considering Jim's health scare back in April + the rain, rain, and more rain, we're super thankful they had the time to finish.

4.  I didn't write about Jim's health issues here because we had a lot going on before and after, but he ended up in the hospital for 3 days with an unknown issue of some kind.  Many things were tested and ruled out, and we still don't have answers, but I've realized anew just how grateful I am for him (and how much I tend to take our health for granted).  Every night I get to snuggle up beside him is a blessing, and a reminder to be thankful.  Over the past weeks, three people I follow or had known of online have died of cancer, or accidents, leaving their families without a husband/wife/father/mother.  Life is a gift and none of us knows how long we have....it's so comforting to know that our times are in God's hands, and He numbers our days.

5.  I did two things this week that I'd never done before...cut my own hair (just a trim) and snipped/pulled out stitches for my husband.  I think this means I can add hairdresser and surgical assistant to my resume, right? 😀

Master bathroom remodel...a year later!

There are lots of things I’ve missed recording over the past few years, birthdays and family adventures in particular, but for today I thought I’d do a quick post about the bathroom remodel we did last March.  Hard to believe it’s been a whole year!  Jim had some time between jobs, so we decided to jump in and renovate.  We really needed to reinsulate the walls and ceiling, and I was tired of the ripped and peeling border.  We had most of the materials on hand already (the PVC ceiling boards were leftover from a job, I think.  We didn’t have to put much money into the project, which was the best part!  We spent $5 on discount paint, and I think almost everything else was "free."  I did buy a new trash can for $1 at the Dollar Tree, too. 😉

Back in 2009 we had finally put up a wall border in our bathroom, and this is how it looked then: cream-colored walls, beige floor, lots of neutrals.

Fast-forward 9 years...the pretty border was all ripped up, there was some moisture damage in the walls, and we were ready for a change.  Demolition began, and we completed the whole project in a week!  (Using the term "we" very loosely, of course...most of the work was done by "HE!" 😉)

 The new beadboard ceiling turned out so nice!  We decided to go with a deep brown paint, named "Coffee Grounds," for the walls.  With the white contrast, it ended up looking so nice.  A year later, I still love this look.

 Since these pics were taken, we also hung up my hair dryer holder, so the wall above the scale doesn't look quite so bare now.

 The sink doesn't always look this uncluttered and tidy, either...still, I'm having a lot easier time keeping things neat now that we have more storage space.

Like this built-in shelf that Jim made from extra beadboard!

Even though this is a pretty small bathroom, and the slanted ceiling doesn't help, I feel like the changes we made helped improve the look and feel of this room a lot.  We are thinking about expanding this bathroom at some point to include a garden tub (once the boys' new room is complete in our future addition), but for now this update makes me so happy!

Wednesday Medley: April 3

Today is National Film Score Day!  What a fun theme.  Here are my answer for today's Wednesday Medley, hosted by Terri at Your Friend from Florida.

1.  Let's talk about film scores/songs.  What is the first one that you thought about when you saw today's subject?  The first one that popped into my mind was the Star Wars theme.  I didn't "discover" Star Wars until I was a newlywed (thanks to Jim!), although I have an early memory of seeing a movie poster for Return of the Jedi at the grocery store, I think!  Plus we went to an Ice Capades show that had Ewoks in it, but I had no idea they were from Star Wars till years later.  Anyway, I digress...I love the Star Wars film scores, as well as many others!

2.  Do you remember the first movie you ever saw on the "big screen"? Would you tell us about it? Yes!  Believe it or not, I never saw a movie in the theater till I was an adult (my family didn't go to movie theaters when I was growing up).  The first movie Jim and I went to together was Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. (The LOTR movies also have fantastic scores!)  We've seen a few movies in the theater since then, but don't go very often because it's pricey and there aren't usually many movies we really care to see.

3.  Who is your favorite female movie star?   Who is your favorite male movie star?  Go ahead and list more than one if you must.  I definitely have to list more than one!  Female faves: Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Maureen O'Hara, Julie Andrews,  Meg Ryan.  Male faves: Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck (I happen to share his  birthday!), Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Tom Hanks, Tom Selleck, David Suchet...  Hmmmm....I seem to have more male favorites than female!  Also I prefer actors from a long time ago to most current actors, with a few exceptions.

4.  How about those old black & white movies!  Which one do you always stop and watch, even just a little, when channel surfing?  We don't have regular TV so I never actually channel surf, but if I did...my favorite old movie would have to be Roman Holiday.  This is another one I didn't discover till I was an adult, and I absolutely love it.  Except the ending...I find it rather dissatisfying after the rest of the movie!  Still, I love it and have watched it over and over, thanks to owning it on DVD.  I also love some of the old suspense movies such as Charade, and North by Northwest.

5.  Is there a movie quote that makes you laugh or one that you repeat often in life that you can share with us?  Will we know what movie it comes from without you telling us?  "Life is pain, Highness.  Anyone who says differently is selling something."  "This is true love.  You think this happens every day?"  "Have fun storming the castle!" "Inconceivable!"  These are all from what is possibly the most quotable movie of all time...probably some of you will know it!

6.  Please share something random about your week with us.  My week hasn't gone as planned, due to sickness still lingering in our family.  Josiah came down with it on Sunday, then Sam came down with it yesterday.  Both boys have had throwing up and stomach issues as well as the cough and fever. 😞 So, we haven't had a normal school routine going, and everyone's been sleeping as much as possible.  It's been a full week of sickness now, and I am so ready for everyone to be healthy again!  On the plus side, the weather has been warming up slowly but surely, the snow is melting, and I think spring may really be around the corner! 😊 Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Under Construction!

Yes indeed, if you notice some changes in the layout & design of the blog, you can see that I'm working on a new look for spring/summer!  Right now I need to get some work and school done around here, but hopefully later today I'll be able to get the blog header enlarged to the right size.  In the meantime...this is the look I'm going for, but with all the red part covered up (eventually).  😊

EDIT: Ooooo, I think I just about have it how I want it now!  May play around with the header more at some point, but for now it's passable.  And I'm totally LOVING the new look!  I love how I can change things up quickly with help from The Cutest Blog on the Block.  I was sad when the former blog design website I used was no longer available; I had my favorite background ever from them, but at least I have been able to find some other fun options for the seasons!

Friday Five: the spring decor edition

It's probably a little "high-falutin'" to title this the "spring decor edition," but I've had fun tackling a few areas around the house to freshen things up for spring, and couldn't think of a better title.  Last week I showed you my sugaring decorations, which will stay up till sometime in April, but since now I'm starting to get itchy for real spring weather and colors, plus the fact that we're gearing up for a busy April, I decided to change up a few other areas now.

1. Easter hutch: 
I really had fun coming up with this, with a little help and inspiration from Pinterest!

2. Dry erase calendar:

I found this brand new (though slightly warped 😆) dry erase calendar/bulletin board at the dump this week.  I decided to brighten it up with some washi tape and hung it up on our chalkboard wall in the office.  I'm sure April's calendar will look more interesting, but I just wrote the March dates on for now.  I hope to add some pictures and maybe some of Ari's artwork on the bulletin board part.  Certainly it's nothing fancy, but kind of a fun addition to the office area.  I'd been thinking about buying one of these sometime, so it's neat that I can try one out for free.  We can always get a nicer one if we end up using it a lot.

3. Spring chalk wall:
Ever since we painted our office/hall area with black paint and let the kids use it for a chalkboard, we've had this note that Jim scrawled up there for fun (and Sam later added to...it originally just said "kiss the cook"😉):

Around Christmastime I thought about changing it up and having Sam draw a vintage truck with Christmas tree scene there, but we never got around to it.  Today I decided to do something springy, and I totally copied this idea from this link that I found on Pinterest: 

I really like how the darker chalk lines make the wall and the artwork stand out more!  While I'm certainly no chalk lettering artist, I didn't think this was too bad for a first attempt.  Now I'm looking forward to searching out more inspiration for future seasonal designs.

That's all for decor, so moving on to two random things to round things out:


4. Girls are feeling better!  
There's still plenty of coughing and sneezing going on, but fevers are lower and Julia was even able to do a little bit of schoolwork today.  Her appetite is coming back and I'm hopeful that a restful weekend will help them be back to full health again next week.

5. A new book to read:
Actually, I have PLENTY of books to read, but I got this one on sale from CBD last week, and it's kind of messing with me in a really good way.  I'm only a chapter or two in, but I'm finding it's turning some of my preconceived ideas upside down and making me really stop and think about hospitality in a new light. 

I have several other books on hospitality on my wishlist as well, and I'm thinking maybe this will be an area I can dive more deeply into over the next year or so.  It's something that's been on my heart for a long time, but we aren't so good at actually practicing it as I would like!

And that's it for this week's Friday Five...thanks for reading!

Wednesday Medley: March 27

I'm joining in again with the Wednesday Medley, hosted by Terri at Your Friend from Florida.  Today is "National Joe Day" and all the questions this week have to do with names.

1.  Who is your favorite "Joe/Jo" and what can you tell us about him or her?  My favorite "joe" is coffee...haha!  Actually I have a number of "Joe/Jo's" in my family.  My sweet sister is a Joanna (but I normally call her Jo), my sister-in-law, whom I consider a dear friend, is Joanne (I don't call her Jo, but she was called that by her family growing up, I believe), and my husband has a brother named Joe.  But my favorite "Jo" of all is my Josiah. 😊 However...we never call him Jo or Joe; his nickname ended up being Siah!

2.  Who were you named for and do you or did you know that person? I was not named for any relative or friend, BUT there is a neat story about how I got my name.  When my mom was pregnant with me, she was reading the Little House books to my older brother, and he asked if they could name me "Baby Carrie" if I was a girl. So, they did!  I have always thought that was cool since those books are some of my all-time favorites, and it's special that my brother chose my name.  Of course I didn't know my namesake in real life, but how I would have loved to meet the Ingalls family, even if the real-life family was somewhat different than the ficitional version.

3.  Do you have a middle name and do you like it/use it? Yes, my middle name is Elisabeth and I do like it.  I actually wanted to name Ari that, kind of after me and kind of after Elisabeth Elliot, who is one of my heroes of the faith.  I would have liked to use the nickname Betsy.  Alas, Jim wasn't a fan and so we went with a different name for her, which I DO love, too.  (Now it would be hard to picture her as a Betsy, for sure!)

4.  Have you ever named your car?   Tell us about it, please! When I was a kid, our cars were often named.  Then when Jim and I got married he had an old red Ford truck (1977!) which we named "Fergie" because she was painted "Massey Ferguson Red."  I also had a little car which we called "Bunny" for a while, but she didn't last long. After that we somehow never got around to naming our cars, and it isn't really a thing for us anymore.  I would kind of like to name our camper, though!

5.  Tell us the name of a fictional character you have never forgotten and why you remember it so well.  I remember tons of fictional characters' names...I have a good memory for names, I guess.  A favorite is Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's famous little Belgian detective.  I have always loved those books and also the movies with David Suchet, who will always be Poirot in my mind!  

6.  Share something random with us about your week.  I have 2 sick girlies today...one sicker than the other.  Julia started in with a fever last night and hasn't felt well at all today.  In fact, she and Ari both took a 2 hour nap this afternoon. 

On the bright side, today was warm and springlike, even though we still have tons of snow in the yard. Our road is getting muddy (a sure sign of spring in NH!), and Josiah and I even spied tiny points of green in the flower bed in front of the library today when we stopped in for a few minutes.  So happy that spring is on the way!