Happy Homemaker Monday

Hello and happy Monday Friends ~

And happy November! I know I'm a broken record, but I can't believe how rapidly this year is flying by. Here we are only one month away from the Christmas season. Wowzers! Being gone so much makes it harder for my brain to compute what time of the year it actually is. But my planner sure had cute scenes in it as I opened to this new month:

So many seem to want to skip over this month. I hear young people say "forget Thanksgiving" - just focus on Christmas now. But I really love this month. It's a time of preparing, anticipating, and most of all being thankful and reflective on so many gifts. It's not to say that having some of Christmas in your heart is a bad thing during this month. I'm already listening to Christmas music as it's my fave and 1 month isn't long enough - I need 2 months to really enjoy. 😉 And I may even decorate outside earlier this year to avoid doing it in the snow. And maybe put up my trees even if I don't decorate them yet. Thanksgiving is so late this year - so I think it's just being smart. 

I just mean not to skip Thanksgiving all together. The time for gathering with loved ones. Eating the best meal of the year (and leftovers!) and sharing our thankful hearts. That shouldn't be missed. 🙏🏻🍂

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We took a visit a few hours away to see my son Aaron and his sweet Jill. We went to a Wild hockey game, ate great meals, played games at their cute apartment, they belatedly celebrated mine and Matt's October bdays, and we just had a great catch up in general. Their place is so nice and right along the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities area of MN. They're loving it and doing so well! 

Matt and I stayed at a hotel in the Mall of America. We did some Christmas shopping and probably walked 4 miles over the course of the weekend. It was so much fun! 

This week I will do a post or 2 (depending on length) of our recent Europe trip and being on the Queen Mary 2. I will share info and pics. So stay tuned!

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

fasting for a labs appointment so no coffee either :(

ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:

labs appt, MD appt, errands later in the week & groceries, work on putting away summer and Fall decorations outside, clear off the deck for winter, clean out the dryer vent from outside (Matt does each year), home projects, hospice work

THINKING ABOUT:  

I'm so glad Matt and I went and voted early last week. I have a feeling it's going to be crazy tomorrow! 

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE

It's warm and cozy. It's been gray and rainy all morning. I have a fire going in the fireplace and I'm listening to Amy Grant holiday radio on my Alexa echo show. Sipping pumpkin spice Republic of Tea and listening to Bubba purr next to me. Pure contentment ☺️

CURRENTLY READING

 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab 

*I have a confession to make: i forgot my kindle on the plane from the Europe trip, and didn't remember until it was too late. 🙈 When Matt and I were shopping this weekend we got each other some Christmas gifts. He got me an ipad mini and I'm just loving it! And the nice thing is I have the kindle app on there and can still finish my book!! 

ON THE TV TODAY:

Dancing with the Stars,  Survivor,  Great British Bake Off, Jeopardy, Golden Bachelorette, Ghosts, Shark Tank, Grey's Anatomy, Love is Blind, cooking shows, Walking Dead catch up

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

    MONDAY - leftover ham & scalloped potatoes, spinach salad with veggies, dried apple, cheese crisps and raspberry walnut vinaigrette 

TUESDAY -  tacos we didn't make last week

WEDNESDAY - pork chops, roasted veggies with balsamic glaze

THURSDAY - keto breakfast sandwiches, fruit, fun coffees

FRIDAY -  out for dinner with my Bro & SIL

TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:

read, play with new ipad & pen doing a new game on there, crafting

TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:

FROM THE CAMERA:

Some hockey pics and I took a few of some of Aaron & Jill's apartment:

crossing the mighty Mississippi

that pathway out their window, goes right down to the Mississippi River and those trees are along it - so you're seeing the river in that pic even though I didn't get a good shot out the window

a few pics in the MOA:

some northwoods moments - it looks like November!:

even frost on the ground one morning

sleepy Ruby and a little color out our bedroom yet

PRAYER LIST:

 For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence.  For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace. For peace throughout the election ahead. 

For Christ's Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere and help the world find its way. 🙏🏻

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

Amen to that! Blessings to you Friends. I'm sharing this with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

Hockey & This Holy Weekend

Hi Friends

First, an update. Matt finally made it home Tuesday - yay! and thank goodness. And we were able to go to Annie's hockey banquet together this week. I can't believe my baby is a senior and this wraps up the sports I've been following her do since she she was almost 4 years old. 😢 But I'm beyond proud of her. She received some special awards. Then the seniors all got up and said some words and Annie looked at Matt and I and thanked us specifically and talked about her hockey career at her school and the connections there. She was so eloquent and Matt & I both had to wipe away some tears. Pretty cool moment. 

💗💗💗

But today, Good Friday, is about this for me. Time with my Lord and thanking Him for all He did for my sins. I will be fasting all day, doing more devotional time, and working in hospice today in His name. 

Saturday will be a time of anticipation. We will clean and tidy and I'll prepare some of the menu ahead for Sunday. And I will continue in deeper devotional time.

And then Sunday will come and shine bright (it's actually supposed to be in the 40's and sunny - yay for melting the snow!) ☀️ And we will go to church and worship and rejoice. And then come home to host family for Easter dinner in the afternoon. My Mom & step Dad, my Brother & my SIL Jill, my kiddos (+ Aaron's sweetie, another Jill), and Matt & I will all gather and eat ham dinner with all the sides, visit, laugh, have dessert, play games and enjoy a wonderful day together. I even have little easter basket goodies for the kids (can't help myself). I'm so grateful for abundant blessings in my life thanks to He who saved us all! 😊💕

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a very Happy Easter if you celebrate. Blessings to you always!

✝️🌷🐰 

**images courtesy of Pinterest

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

Happy Monday sunshine to you blogland Besties!

How was your weekend? 

It was such a fun one here and felt like it flew by...but I think the time change "springing forward" always helps with that feeling too. Lol 

We got asked to go to a local division 1 college hockey game by our friends the C's. Mr. C is in banking and gets box suite tickets to the games. It was so fun having such great seats, but also visiting with them and their daughter. Munching the nibbles provided. And watching an awesome game where our team came from behind - went into OT and WON! Great night! 

We also did our usual errands and went to church on Saturday this weekend. Annie wanted to hang out with us and do some shopping and then we went out for sushi (a fave of the 3 of us). So we tried a place we had never gone before. It was small and so cute and had amazing food! Matt and I especially loved the wasabi wontons you dip in sweet chili sauce. Yummy!  We also caught up on jeopardy episodes with Annie & her bf in FL (through facetime). And she and I did some prom dress shopping too. I can't believe it will be her senior prom soon! Hold me please 😢

The weather was mild this weekend, so we got out more of the deck furniture and the grill - yay!! We soaked up some sunbeams too. Today and tomorrow are both going to be unseasonably mild for where we live and I'm here for it! 

We also put away the last of the greenery outside and got out the windchimes and I put out my spring wreath on the front door. A lovely true Spring weekend overall. 

☺️🌸

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

part of a sourdough english muffin with some lighter whipped berry cream cheese, coffee

ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:

groceries, Matt's 2nd eye surgery, appointments, Annie's local all stars hockey game, projects, hospice work

THINKING ABOUT:  

Getting outside to walk in the gorgeous sunshine on this amazing weather day! ☀️

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE

Clean, bright, spring and Easter decorations up, sun streaming in, listening to beautiful violin music on pandora. Window is open and I can hear my windchime in the breeze now and then. This is the absolute earliest I can ever remember getting out the grill and some deck things.

CURRENTLY READING

 reading Ready or Not by Cara Bastone

ON THE TV TODAY:

Jeopardy, Shark Tank, Ghosts, LPBW, The Good Wife, Grey's Anatomy,  Survivor, Love is Blind (we're almost done)

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

    MONDAY -  leftovers & clean out the fridge

TUESDAY - ? (need groceries & we might run to the meat market to throw something on the grill)

WEDNESDAY -  will thaw pork chops with wild rice stuffing from the freezer, roasted broccoli

THURSDAY - maybe veggie spaghetti that my daughter loves

FRIDAY -  out with friends?

*might bake up some lemon poppyseed scones this week

  

TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:

go for walks with my Honey, read, enjoy the sunshine and work on what I want to plant in my little garden this year

TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:

FROM THE CAMERA:

saw my first robins of the season

the fun hockey suite  - a great game & yummy food with some of my favorite peeps :) 

sushi night: my spicy tuna roll and my cute pot of green tea 😋

Matt's sushi feast. 

Matt caught this pic of Annie being very "Vanna" about her food display. Lol

we soaked up lots of sunbeams this past gorgeous weekend 

PRAYER LIST:

 For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence.  For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace. For His Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere.  For healing for both of Matt's parents as they continue to deal with their health issues.  For Matt's 2nd eye surgery coming up. 🙏 

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

Wishing you sunshine days ahead my Friends! I'm sharing this with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.