What We Are Eating This Week:
- Monday- Easy Nacho Bake
- Tuesday- Quiche
- Wednesday- Goulash
- Thursday- Staff Christmas Party and Theo/kids will probably have pizza
- Friday- I’m honestly unsure
- Saturday- potluck with some coworkers (also not sure as of yet what I will be taking)
- Sunday- lunch at my Mom’s place, dinner is grilled cheese
What I’m Reminiscing About: There was a lot of arguing this week about whose turn it was to put the star up on the tree. I honestly had no idea, so I had to scroll back through pictures from last Christmas to find out who had put the star on the 2021 tree. And that led me to remember that our last four Christmases have all been spent at different homes. It’s no wonder I’m exhausted!
2019- Our Lancaster home (this was the disastrous year where we had moved out of our house for 7 months and then moved back in in November).
2020- Our pandemic home on Carrier Ave in Kettering
2021- Our cozy rental on Galewood
2022- First Christmas on our homestead!
What I’m Loving: My newly arranged cozy living room, having a wood burning stove warm our house, and evening spent reading by the fire before I go to bed. I really, really love my evening routine right now. Also, kitten snuggles!
What We’ve Been Up To: Along with the rest of the United States, we have been busy celebrating Thanksgiving and now looking forward to a full month of December! November was not a slow month for our family and it involved a road trip to North Carolina, being in a parade, celebrating Ezra’s birthday, and getting together with family for Thanksgiving!
What I’m Dreading: Honestly, 15 more weeks of being pregnant and the potential for winter germs. I’m glad to have the baby on INSIDE during germ season, but I’m also just ready to skip all of it and just get to Spring.
I’m also dreading this holiday season with Theo working Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day. If you happen to know one, don’t forget to thank a first responder/hospital staff and their families this season.
What I’m Working On: Growing a human. It. is. EXHAUSTING. Oh, yeah…and I’m also still trying to run our household, keep the animals alive while Theo is at work, teach first grade and make sure the holidays are magical. Let’s just say it’s all been a bit overwhelming for me.
What I’m Excited About: This seems strange, but I am excited for January/February just kind of hibernating at much as possible (this is SO unlike me lol). I am also excited for March and the new baby!
What I’m Watching/Reading: I just finished reading Little Women and it was just so good I can’t seem to get into anything else! But I am reading Slow and Everyone Brave is Forgiven. Both are really good- just not as good as Little Women!
Honestly, I don’t watch too much of anything. I find it hard to concentrate on movies/shows- it’s easier for me to focus on a book in my hands. Is this weird? This is weird, isn’t it? After I put the kids to bed, I curl up and read a book before climbing into bed by 9:30. Theo gets home around 10 and we are asleep by 10:15 most nights.
One thing I am watching with all my heart is the World Cup! I remember watching World Cups growing up and the energy and competition surrounding them. Now it’s fun to watch as an adult and have my kids watch, too! Also- fun fact- I’ve been pregnant for all of the last three World Cups. 2014 with Tera, 2018 with Ezra, and 2022 with this little babe! *Hopefully* in 2026 I’ll be able to go to a game!!!
What I’m Listening to: Christmas music on the radio and some fun Spotify playlists!
What I’m Wearing: Maternity Jeans, maternity tops to work, and sweatshirts at home. Our house is pretty chilly since we only use the wood stove to heat, so I tend to bundle up at home.
What I’m Doing This Weekend: We have our staff Christmas party on Thursday night, then on Saturday I am planning on hitting up One Dollar Book Swap for their big sale. On Saturday evening I have a potluck to attend. That doesn’t seem like much, but I will be exhausted by Monday!
What I’m Looking Forward To Next Month: The week between December and January is one of my favorite weeks of the year. It feels like we just get to be home and think about our lives and plan for the next year. I know that a new year is NOT a magical new beginning, but it sure does just feel like the perfect set up to get there! The long, cold days of January are not my favorite, but I am hoping for a bunch of snow days this year 🙂 Also, winter sunsets and sunrises are pretty beautiful around here!
Favorite Amazon Find: Um, my chicken egg spiral holder! This thing makes me smile every time I see it on the counter. I’ve had it for just over a month now and it’s still one of my favorite Amazon purchases EVER. LOVE IT.
And that’s a wrap! Hard to believe that December is here!
First time reading your blog Thank you to you and your husband!! Both of your careers are very important!! My uncle was a firefighter and my aunt worked for the post office. There were many times they were working during the holidays. I can’t imagine how tired you are! My 3 kids are college age so life has gotten alot easier!