Clothing myself in: My "uniform": jeans, plain t-shirt and cardigan. Do you have a go-to uniform?
Around the house: We have been pretty busy around here with Thanksgiving break. Joel painted some of the exterior windows, cleaned the gutters, cut some firewood, and helped his brother with his house project. I am finally, after 2 years, putting the finishing touches on our room. I think the reason I don't like house projects is because neither of us are good project finishers. Our bedroom for example: we painted it right before we found out about Xavier, moved the bed around, got new curtains and hung up one picture. That was it for over a year. Then I finally talked Joel into getting a new crucifix for the room and we hung that up. Wait another few months. Now we are getting some nightstands for the room (after 7 years of marriage I will finally have my own nightstand), another picture for a big wall and few other odds and ends and the project will be finished.
Tomorrow my folks are coming out to help with a few house maintenance things. They are also going to help remove the hanging cabinet and cabinet doors and drawers from the bathroom so I can re-stain and varnish them. It's a really big project, so if any of you (or your husbands, *cough* Erin) are skilled in this area let me know. I will promise you panicked phone calls!
Whew, that was long. Sometimes I long for those days when we rented the convent from Sacred Heart and someone else fixed our appliances, painted our walls, built our roof, and mowed our lawn. Sigh.
Baby Xavey: Lots of fun! He has finally! decided to walk (at just under 14 months). Isn't it amazing how much a new milestone can make you love them and want to squeeze them tight so they don't grow up? The walking usually ends up in a dive at the end right now, but it is really fun seeing him walk to his older brothers. I love it. And they do too. However, the clinginess has not worn off.
Reading: Something besides Christopher Dawson ;) I just finished The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I think it's time for some non-fiction. Pope Benedict just released his final installment in his own trilogy (Jesus of Nazareth), so I'm going to start that. I'll probably start something fiction in the middle, maybe some Evelyn Waugh.
In the kitchen: My first Thanksgiving turkey turned out great! I brined it and followed this recipe. Pat on the back. The gluten free pumpkin pie however, was just meah.
On the menu this week: turkey pot pie (surprise!), Lazy Sunday casserole, roast chicken, lentil soup, and sweet potato soup
The kiddos: You know, its the end of Thanksgiving week after a week with everyone home and I still really like them all. They have had a great week. A day at grandma and grandpas. Getting to play with numerous cousins. Discovering old school Nintendo games with Joel and getting to play way too much. Helping Joel and uncles on a project.
Crafting: Since the Regan is over, I have been getting all my energy out in projects. I finished Xavier's winter hat, and I love the yarn I used, it makes his baby blues look amazing. I also converted two pairs of pants into skinny jeans. I know I should have taken some pictures of the whole process, but Zelie was keeping me company the whole time and she kept playing with the pin cushion and all the other fun stuff in my sewing room. But, they turned out much better than I expected. I decided to do this because I bought a pair of pants online on clearance and they didn't fit (they looked something like this on me), but because they were on clearance I couldn't return them. So yes, I'm trying out skinny jeans. I'm 5' 3(ish)", and not thin, we'll see how it works...
Bringing me joy: Mad Men with my babe at night. That show is so good. I can be in the middle of an episode and so dislike the emptiness and by the end be ready to watch another one. My kids playing together. Jude reading. Gus' remorsefulness and sincerity. Seeing all the sleeping animals and dolls tucked in around the house care of one little mama. How wild and silly Xavier can get with the boys.
Thinking about: The Year of Faith and what a fellow Steubenville alum wrote about it. As Advent approaches I've been struggling with and praying for happiness in what I already have, not being envious. "It is all gift" as our parish priest reminds us.
Pictures to share:
The kiddos: You know, its the end of Thanksgiving week after a week with everyone home and I still really like them all. They have had a great week. A day at grandma and grandpas. Getting to play with numerous cousins. Discovering old school Nintendo games with Joel and getting to play way too much. Helping Joel and uncles on a project.
Crafting: Since the Regan is over, I have been getting all my energy out in projects. I finished Xavier's winter hat, and I love the yarn I used, it makes his baby blues look amazing. I also converted two pairs of pants into skinny jeans. I know I should have taken some pictures of the whole process, but Zelie was keeping me company the whole time and she kept playing with the pin cushion and all the other fun stuff in my sewing room. But, they turned out much better than I expected. I decided to do this because I bought a pair of pants online on clearance and they didn't fit (they looked something like this on me), but because they were on clearance I couldn't return them. So yes, I'm trying out skinny jeans. I'm 5' 3(ish)", and not thin, we'll see how it works...
Bringing me joy: Mad Men with my babe at night. That show is so good. I can be in the middle of an episode and so dislike the emptiness and by the end be ready to watch another one. My kids playing together. Jude reading. Gus' remorsefulness and sincerity. Seeing all the sleeping animals and dolls tucked in around the house care of one little mama. How wild and silly Xavier can get with the boys.
Thinking about: The Year of Faith and what a fellow Steubenville alum wrote about it. As Advent approaches I've been struggling with and praying for happiness in what I already have, not being envious. "It is all gift" as our parish priest reminds us.
Pictures to share:
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| Gus lost both of his bottom teeth. |
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| Xavier the stud in his dirty pajamas. |
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| A snapshot of life with these 4: Laughter, Gus with a camera, a Hulk Hand. |
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| I love this one. So much to be thankful for! God is Good. |
Your life is very full indeed! Sounds like you guys are going to be quite the project people in the weeks to come, good luck! I am the same way with avoiding those sorts of things as well, which is only being reinforced by the fact that the color I picked for the half bath isn't turning out to look anything like I had wanted it to. *sigh* I hope your projects go smoothly, and I enjoyed the pre-skinny jeans photo. Just what my pregnancy-induced insomnia needed :)
ReplyDeleteYay! I was afraid you might not come back, I can relax now. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou do have a beautiful life, so, so GOOD. :)
I still wish I could have come to your class, I hope it went well.
I'm glad the turkey worked out! I can't imagine anything you cooking not being good though.
Thanks for linking that article again, on the Year of Faith, I still haven't gotten through it all but have been thinking about almost daily.
It's been nice to focus on "faith".
Wow, I am serioulsy impressed with your skinny jean project--can we see a picture of the final product? You are so thin! I'm sure they look great on you....although I would have liked to have seen you in those M.C. hammer pants! :)
Yay, X is walking! It's so fun when they start that. I love the cute rookie-toddler walk.
p.s. we still use those cheap 'TV tray' folding tables for our bedroom nightstands and we're going on year 10 so don't feel too bad.
I was afraid you weren't coming back either. So glad to "see" you :)
ReplyDeleteI love first baby walk. That last picture is so adorable. I would have really liked to see a "before" picture of the pants on you ;)
We still don't have bedside tables. Maybe someday. We could also use some respectable end tables for our couches. But currently the one that we have mostly gets used as a jumping off point for George sooooo... that might wait.
Hello! That is so funny about the jeans. On my Christmas list I gave to my parents, I included "an afternoon from Mom to help me alter some corduroy pants." And let's be honest, "help me alter" basically means my mom doing it for me. Well-done, Jackie.
ReplyDelete