With Praise and Thanksgiving

Inspired by this Modern Mrs. Darcy post, I thought I'd do a 7 Quick Takes: What's Saving Me Now edition (linking up with Kelly (hilarious today, BTW) because I like to pretend I'm a real blogger). I needed a reminder to stop seeing everything that's annoying, or angering, or just plain crappy, and see some good in my life, of which there is plenty. So without further ado: My  Out of Control Center  from a few weeks back is standing strong! There's a big mess of stuff I need to go through hiding under my planner, but I've mostly been able to keep the island cluttered with only appropriate items like a zillion water cups, bagel crumbs and sticky spoons. In an apartment with a house's worth of stuff, the small victories matter!  Read Aloud Revival book lists ( found here ). I'm loving the Read Aloud Revival podcast and book lists right now. They have boosted my enthusiasm for reading to the kids. I printed the annual calendar to mark off days we rea...

I just know the internet is dying to read my thoughts on today's Washington, D.C., festivities, right? Right? I'm mostly refraining from scrolling Facebook today, because I pretty much know how most of my friends feel about our new President, in office lo these last few hours, and I actually give zero craps about what celebrities are sharing on Twitter. I hadn't even planned on watching any of it, because listening to almost any Washington politician or pundit talk makes me throw up in my mouth a little. But I talked to my mom this morning and she mentioned how interesting everything was to watch, so once the boys were done binging on Curious George, I flipped on our one network channel (Fox), about 45 minutes before President Trump was sworn in. My first and most prominent thought is in regards to all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the transfer of power. There are times when stuff like that makes me roll my eyes, but it didn't at all today. I loved it! Our c...

My new Out-of-Control Center The blog is still in the midst of an identity crisis, but that won't keep me from using up some of my beloved nap time alone time to pound away all my thoughts onto the interwebs. Pretty random thoughts coming up here.  Above: I was (am?) ever so sick of the mountain of miscellaneous crap that kept getting piled in the middle of the kitchen island, mostly by me. I'm famous for my "I'll deal with that later" piles, and then dealing with them by just making neater piles. I finally got fed up and decided to create a little, for lack of better word, control center. I'm in control of nothing, so the irony does not escape me, but I needed to see a clean island, at least for a few minutes. We had this old box floating around full of more miscellaneous crap, so I cleaned it out and made space for a couple of magazines and fliers I wanted to keep and added the little sorter for mail that needs attention. My planner fits perfectly...

Trying to link up with Kelly for 7 Quick Takes. I've never done it before, because I'm not a real  blogger, but it's a new year and I'm drinking peach whisky and orange juice, so I'm really living on the edge. You can read Kelly's fantastic blog, and link to other great blogs there as well. Once you're done here, I mean. 1. Earlier this week, I drafted up a post all about the feeling of refreshment, about how the new year brings me a sense of feeling refreshed. Or maybe that was just how I felt upon returning home from our 9-day, 2-state, 950-mile Christmas bender. Before I had time to publish the post, I was back my usual grumpiness and figured it wasn't "authentic" of me to post such a happy piece when I was actually a grouch. Although I don't really have New Years resolutions to post, I really do enjoy the excitement surrounding a new year and its potential. I'm still trying to take a moment each day to acknowledge gratitude, but I...

Poop! This has been sitting in draft since Saturday and I forgot to publish it! Classic! It was a leap year so there's actually 366... It's day 366! I can't believe it! I know I fell woefully behind on gratitude posts at some points throughout the year, but I made it! For the few who have been with me since the beginning, thank you! I am certain that God put this idea and desire in my heart at the end of 2016 because He knew I would need it this year. The grace that has been poured out to me as I contemplate my daily gratitude aided me so greatly in what has been a difficult year in many ways. Finding a thing, experience, person or song to be grateful for each day has helped me maintain perceptive in trying times, and has definitely enhanced my life in positive ways. I'm not sure where we go from here on ye olde blog. New year, new beginnings! We'll see where the new year takes us. This very morning: coffee, chatting, reading, planning. #myfavorites S...

I know that we celebrate Christmas to rejoice over the birth of a savior, of God coming to earth as man, but the simple fact is, gifts are a part of the celebration. And that's good! One of the ways we express our love for each other and for Jesus is through giving gifts.  I used to think my love of gifts was because I was the baby of the family, a bit of a spoiled brat, if you will. I delight in both giving and receiving gifts, but I know not everyone does. My delight was validated when I learned about the Five Love Languages . Gifts are a thing, and loving them is legit!  This year I had fun with much of my shopping, especially a custom necklace I ordered from Etsy for my sister, who is deep into her life as a hockey mom. Imagine my pleasure when I opened my gift from her to find a book-lover's necklace from the same shop! It's been on my Etsy wish list for a while, but so have a million other things and it made me so happy to have (kind of) matching necklac...

Many families' Christmas celebrations are over, but on the fifth day of Christmas 2016, we are just gearing up for round two. My husband and I are both grateful that we get along with our in-laws so well and look forward to spending time together. I've heard countless stories of visits to in-laws' houses that are less than joyful, and so we know to appreciate the relationships we have with each others' family.  We're happy to be at grandma and grandpa's, awaiting the last of the cousins. There's snow, footballs, Legos, cookies, movies, sleds, wrestling, lots of old toys, and a fridge full of Bud Light, so we're doing great! Merry Christmas!