Hello and Happy Monday filled with ☀️ from the northwoods!
I hope you had a wonderful weekend friends. It was a fun one here. Annie had some friends over this weekend (safely wore masks). We got pizzas and I did some baking for them and they had fun playing some games and just hanging out for a while and feeling a bit more normal. We had one rainy/snowy day and one beautiful day. On the gorgeous day Annie and I had fun out in the sunshine - hitting golf whiffle balls on her golf mat and Ruby and I played outside a lot. It felt amazing and truly like Spring. Annie had her end of season hockey party yesterday at a roller rink and she said it was so much fun! Also, my Aaron had been out in CO visiting his gf on her Spring break and he, thankfully, got home safe and sound. He brought back such sweet goodies for Annie and I.
On the yucky weather day I focused on the required pre coursework for my EOL doula classes and put in quite a few hours. This class will be taking up a lot of my time in between family life. I'm loving it already and finding it so interesting and I'm ready to begin this chapter! Thank you Lord for the happiness in my heart I feel pursuing this path in Your
name. 🙏 💕 I also worked on some things around the house, including changing out some photos. I have a little gallery wall that still had photos from a family trip from quite a few years ago. And since my life is so changed now it was time to switch them out. I've been slowly changing things about every room in this house. I've gotten new furniture for 3 of them already. Next up, a full kitchen renovation. 😊
It's a gorgeous day already here and it's giving me such energy to jump into this week ahead...
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING
strawberry activia yogurt, coffee
HOW I AM FEELING THIS MORNING:
Ready to go soak up some of the beautiful sunshine! Also, I can't stop smiling. Just got a text from a special friend. We have chats for hours at at time and I laugh so hard sometimes. I enjoy our chats so much and 3 hours feels like 5 minutes. Definitely a light in my life right now
ON MY MIND:
Easter weekend ahead. I talked to my brother and SIL the other day and also my Mom & step Dad and they are planning to come for an Easter meal and gathering here. I will have the patio furniture out on the deck and it looks like good weather ahead, so it will be nice for spacing everyone to safely gather and eat. It will be SO wonderful to have the holiday feel more normal.
AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
Still clean and tidy from the weekend. The sun is shining in and I have some windows open. Annie was extra helpful cleaning this weekend, as her gathering included a few boys from her school too. I'm not sure I've seen her room that clean in a long time. Lol
CURRENTLY READING
I still want to go back and read some books I never finished. But just got Freely and Lightly: God's gracious invitation to a life of quiet confidence by Emily Lex. I love her illustrations - they're so peaceful.
ON THE TV TODAY:
Spring Baking Championship, Escape to the Chateau, New Amsterdam, Masked Singer, Greys Anatomy, This is Us, The Good Doctor, Lone Star 911, the Unicorn, Men in Kilts: a roadtrip with Sam & Graham, When Calls the Heart, some netflix shows - I jump around on there
ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:
MONDAY - stuffed french toast, bacon, breakfast potatoes, fruit
TUESDAY - wrap sandwiches, leftover chicken soup
WEDNESDAY - pesto gnocchi with toasted pine nuts, roasted broccoli with lemon & parm
THURSDAY - tomato soup, homemade red lobster biscuits, veggies & dip
FRIDAY - ? maybe order in
**EASTER MEAL ON SUNDAY: glazed ham, cheesy potatoes, spinach salad with strawberries, mandarin oranges, red onion, homemade candied pecans & poppyseed dressing, corn, dinner rolls, crudite, fruit pizza cookies, vanilla cupcakes with lemon curd filling
TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:
soak up some sunbeams, play a game with my kiddos, bake, chat with friends, craft time, look at spring magazines & recipes
FROM THE CAMERA:
More signs of Spring...the bears are awake! Had one on the deck and it tore down my birdfeeder. 🙈
Also, Ruby got her haircut and they put a pretty bunny bandana on her and colorful bows. 😍
In the back hall that heads down to the media/kiddo hang out room - I changed out family trip pics from about 6 or 7 years ago with photos from a couple of years ago. It was a trip the kids and I took to visit my Dad & step Mom in AZ. They spend winters there and I took the kids for their Spring break. It was such a fun trip!!
Got my bake on this weekend...is there anything better than homemade chocolate chip cookies? They will forever remind me of my MIL in heaven, whom I miss so much. She was known for her chocolate chip cookies. I still miss her every day. 😢
many hours of videos, written exercises, & note taking this weekend
and a lot of looking like this with eyes going buggy after a while 🤓
Even at Easter time, I like to have evening glow
Enjoyed a gorgeous day out in the sun hitting golf balls with my girlie
And welcomed my sweet boy home from his trip with homemade chicken soup (one of his faves) - did it ramen style this time
And he brought back the sweetest gifts for me - I was touched and moved especially by the hummingbird necklace (he knows they have special meaning for me) and the little prints with one of my favorites (lavender) and this saying that went right to my heart. It's what I believe is my absolute truth in this new chapter of my life. Love my boy so much. ♥️
Annie had so much fun at her hockey party. It was a great season!
PRAYER LIST:
I pray for an end to this virus. For peace, healing and unity in our world. I pray for anyone sick, suffering, isolated, and afraid - for their peace and comfort. Please Lord give strength to those fighting the virus on the frontlines. 🙏 And may the vaccines continue to help the numbers go down and life become more normal. For everyone to have a blessed and safe Easter ahead. Prayers of thanksgiving for such blessings in my life and the excitement of what is ahead in this new chapter and where the Father is leading me. 💕