I thought we might be past the stage of getting cute photos while shopping for pumpkins, but these are alright.
Since Whitney turned 10 last week I feel like it's really official that I am the mother of BIG kids. Gone are the days of little-kid cuteness, now we've moved on to big-kid amusingness and independence which isn't bad either.
When we arrived home from church last Sunday we found this big box of goodness waiting on our porch. It was not your typical October Boo Treat that goes around the ward. This was a full on chocolate bundt cake with raspberries (somebody's signature fruit) and homemade whipped cream in a jar. We've been eating it all week.
I finally got caught up with my coupon clipping the other evening while watching "Lark Rise to Candleford". It was a big job!
I babysat my friend Cathy's kids for a couple hours this week as part of our Relief Society Service Auction. Cathy went to the temple, so I played with her kids at their house for awhile then we walked over to the church for a presidency meeting. They did really well and were quite funny. Her little girl said several amusing things like, "Are you a girl?" and "Girls are princesses." I have never thought that my gender was in doubt, but maybe from down where she stood it was unclear.
It had been long time since I'd pushed a stroller uphill while hefting my big, heavy church bag, so I was worn out by the time we made it back to the house. Phew!
After babysitting, I treated myself to a Pork Tostada from Cafe Rio and then finished watching North & South on Netflix streaming. Oh how I love these BBC movies!
My mom dropped all her plans for the day in order to go to the temple and take me to lunch on Wednesday for one last hoorah. We did a session then went to Chili's and then shoe shopping for a little while. It was rather painful to be bending over trying on shoes (boots to be exact) after stuffing myself with chips and salsa, salad and soup!
Michelle and I had our last, official, weekly Creative Friday yesterday and I am at a loss as to how to post about it. This is pretty much the sorest sacrifice for me with going back to work.
And finally, my blogging friend Lindsay emailed me last week to see if I was interested in having her backlog of coupons. Apparently she was receiving 5 papers (for the coupons) for awhile there, but then realized it just wasn't for her. She held onto them in the hopes that she could give them to someone who would appreciate them...hello! I jumped at the chance to get them and stopped by her house last Saturday. I was overwhelmed with the amount of them (they go all the way back to June) and her generosity in thinking of me. Then she completely undid me when she offered me her coupon binder full of baseball card sleeves. I've known I needed to get one of these to organize my coupons, but didn't know where I'd find the sleeves or how I'd pay for them. This was a HUGELY generous gift and came so out of the blue. I immediately started crying as I gushed my thanks (I seriously don't recognize myself anymore, what is with all the crying?!). It was a miraculous gift and was truly thoughtful and humbling. It was yet another reminder that the Lord is mindful of me and that we just never know who He is going to send to help us out!
**Where do you get your pumpkins?
Did you get "boo-ed" this month?
Has anyone asked you if you're a girl?
Have you seen North & South?
Did you cry this week?
Has the Lord helped you in an unexpected way lately?**
Did you get "boo-ed" this month?
Has anyone asked you if you're a girl?
Have you seen North & South?
Did you cry this week?
Has the Lord helped you in an unexpected way lately?**
Comment Window Tidbit: Every Halloween I find myself wishing I had a costume or at least some Halloweenish clothing to wear. I'm wearing an orange shirt with a black tank top under it, but I wear that regularly so it doesn't really count.
22 comments:
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Creative Friday will have a whole new creative twist to it in the future.
I'm not very Halloweenie, either. I considered wearing a black and white dress today and then thought, "Why?" And went to a multi-fall-colored print instead.
Where are Whitney's bunnies camped out today?
Sad day.
Here are my four pieces of work advice:
1. Decide when you're going to clean your house/run errands. It will either be during the week after work so you can have your weekends free, or on the weekends so you don't have to do anymore work when you come home at the end of the day. Pros and cons to each.
2. Plan dinner ahead of time, or you'll hate your life. You may think you'll be fine with whatever you can throw together at the last minute, but you'll be kicking yourself that night. Plan ahead so you don't have to scramble come meal time. Some nights you won't mind cereal dinners, but some nights, after being gone all day, you'll want an actual meal and you will hate. your. life. if you have nothing decent to eat.
3. Lay out your clothes the night before, even if you're just wearing casual clothes. It's a little thing, but it's one less thing you have to think about in the morning.
4. You will now have to pack ahead of time anything you think you'll want to eat during the course of the day. From lunch, to water to snacks to gum. Everything.
Put these things in your purse:
1. Nail clippers
2. Tweezers (because you always find the stray hairs when you're not at home and near your mirror)
3. Lady supplies
4. Lotion
5. Chapstick
6. Emergency granola bar (do not leave home without it)
7. Deodorant
8. Gum/mints
9. Headache medicine
10. A mirror
11. Tissue
12. One of those Tide stain sticks
I know there have been other things I've needed and no one has had, but I can't think of more at the moment...
Just keep your eye on those winter and summer breaks, baby.
Forgot this one...
6. Don't let the night hours get away from you. Some nights you'll just want to crash, but every other night you should do some kind of low-key activity -- a craft, a house project, reading, a family thing -- otherwise you'll start to feel like all you ever do is work, clean, and sleep, work, clean and sleep. Or work, clean, and sleep x 6 + church on Sunday. Boo.
I love the picture of Landon and Whitney exclaiming over the fabulous dessert. They look so cute in their church clothes! The raspberries are a dead giveaway.
It's so like you to spend part of your last week of freedom babysitting for a friend. And I'm cracking up over your gender being in doubt. Apparently she didn't know that modern-day princesses wear knockout red jackets.
I want to watch North & South! I LOVE those BBC movies.
The coupons and binder from Lindsay are a wonderful windfall. A perfect example of someone being able to give something that is weighing them down to someone else and having it be just what they needed! (That was a terrible sentence, but you get it, right?)
Too bad our last official C.F. self-portrait finds me looking so very hideous. I am totally at a loss as well. In a funk, actually. I've cried multiple times this week. What is happening?!
Sorry I still haven't sent you the picture.... no good excuse.
Even I know (at least I think I do) who the cake if from. So nice.
We still don't have any pumpkins.
I'm impressed you babysit and go to the temple.
So so nice of Lindsay. I'm kind of in shock but so happy for you. I'm with Michelle, probably (almost) as much of a relief for her not to look at that basket anymore as it is for you to have it...
I'm sure at least some of the crying is non-med induced and I know you know... but I enjoy emotions... even crying. Life is full and I like feeling it. I still think you are doing amazing with your "new normal" and hope you have an easy transition to working girl.
Ditto to all Rebeka's suggestions.
Selfishly, I hope your "new stage of life" won't find you blogging less.
Maybe she meant are you a girl as opposed to a grown-up and not a girl as opposed to a male?
We took our Squishies to a patch this year. Loads of fun. I might even get a post up about it before Sunday.
I don't think I've ever been asked if I'm a girl. Maybe the red lipstick makes it obvious to little people?
I have not seen North & South, nor have I cried this week.
I dress up for Halloween every year. I love it. I'm going as a school girl this year while J goes as a professor. :D
I picked up pumpkins from a roadside stand and probably paid more but felt good for supporting local growers.
I have to look into net-flix and this instant streaming stuff. I haven't seen any BBC production except Pride and Prejudice which I own.
I cried over dropping Ethan off at school when he didn't want to be there- not in a bratty, I don't want to way but in his super sad, "It's too hard today" kind of way.
You'd think with five kids, I would have bought a great costume years ago to wear every year to their classrooms and such, but I haven't and I kind of hate costumes now.
Ok Jill, I'm lost...what job did you end up getting afterall? The one at the Jr. High?
Well, I had to go back and catch up. How did I miss the big exciting job news? Congratulations! Such wonderful news! You dazzled them.
Your crock pot just became your best friend.
I'm sure that the Lord has helped me lately, but I'm just to dense to recognize it.
Your Creative Friday photo is so adorable; you both are trying to smile with sad eyes.
xo
And may I just say that i LOVE North & South. That Mr. Thornton....mmmm, mmmm, mmmm.
LOVE that picture of Randy and Landon at the top- it made me cry- not sure why- they just look so happy.
didn't get pumpkins this year. that's a first. sad. no time... plus we won't be home on Halloween...
we didn't get boo-ed, but we did some booing!
The Lord helps me constantly- usually in the form of friends- so willing to help me out!
I think you spent your last week home full time really well. Such balance.
I think it bodes well for your return to work - that you'll find a balance there as well.
We did get pumpkins at Payson market this year. We have gone to the pumpkin patch in the past but Blake really didn't want to go and with Jason gone every week we opted for the latter.
We did get boo-ed this month and did extra families.
I get asked if I'm expecting a baby but not if I'm a girl or not.
I cried at the Primary program but that was it! I had a pretty good week.
The Lord is constantly helping me I feel like. Your note today helped a lot. Thank you so much for it!!
Oh, I love North and South.
I had a couple mission companions who, post-mission, would tell people, "Kelsie taught me to cry"--and they meant it as a compliment. I think crying is healthy.
And I think it's so great that you record the tender mercies in your life. You--and your kids--will some day love reading about the Lord's hand in your life.
Lark Rise to Candleford is such a great series isn't. I actually broke down and purchased the third season from ITunes because I couldn't stand the thought of waiting for it to come on Netflix. Of course, now I am impatiently waiting for season 4. And then its over. Boo!
As for North and South...oh I love that movie. I often watch just the ending for a little pick me up. Such a great scene. Have you watched Wives and Daughters? It is also by Elizabeth Gaskell and on Netflix instant streaming. I'd also recommend some of the other recent BBC Jane Austen series. There is a new Emma and a new Sense and Sensibility.
Oh how I love Lark Rise to Candleford. I am anxiously awaitins Season Three at Costco. North and South is one of my all time faves. I think you and I were in the same "movie loving" line in heaven!
Congrats on the new job! I hope it is one you will really enjoy.
It has been a very very hard week for me....and ohhhh my full of emotions....and I was going to tell you something but i forgot......I will remember later.
lv.
claudia
we didn't even go shopping for pumpkins at all this year. in fact i think we carved 1 night was all. not our usual.
i need you to make me a list of all your favorite bbc movies. I tried looking for the last one, but couldn't find it on netflicks or else it wasn't instant. can't remember now.
I'm sorry you and michelle are going to be missing out on your creative fridays. It will be a loss to the both of you no doubt. Perhaps you will have to make those days off school/work be creative days.
also...i think it's amazing when those tender mercies come from the lord and you know you are not alone.
love you tons.
we booed 8 families on our street to get it started. They had not heard of it before. It was so fun to see all of them get so excited.
and I cry every week!
Post a Comment