Around Here Week 2: 01/09-15

 A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this moment. 

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 3+ hours (of 1000)
Ughhh, the goats are still hanging out on the porch which is super frustrating because of all the poop. Bullet is about 12 years old, so he herds them up like four times and a day and then is like, "nah, I'm good." Rust and I built up a little pallet playground for them in their pen and then stayed down to play for awhile. The whole time we were playing in their pasture - they were with us and then the moment we headed back up to the house - here they come. Anyone want to volunteer to just live in the goat house with them so they will just stay in their own area? K, thanks. 

Reading Everything Happens for a Reason by Kate Bowler and loving it so much. It's too beautiful and meaningful for me to really even talk about - I just read it and let it go down into my soul like hot tea and let it rest there. I'm also still chipping away at Free to Learn by Peter Gray. Also, just so so good. 

Signing up for Noom. I'm really enjoying it so far and feeling motivated. Also still sticking with GrowWithJo workouts and every workout I have at least a kid or two working out beside me! 

Grateful for more Christmas tree donations! Thank you all who have dropped off whether we were here to visit, you tossed near the mailbox, you dragged to the pasture (and sent a pic of the goats surrounding your truck - hah!), or you delivered for other people - THANK YOU!! The goats are loving eating them and the chickens are loving the extra roosting areas during the day! Grey and Gem built a little hideout with them and it's a big chicken hit (and Rusty&Reddy hit!)

Soaking up the cute squishiness of all the babies all day every day.

Encouraging Gem to be diligent with her vision therapy exercises. The is still going once a week and thank goodness for my mom who takes her to and from most weeks since it is about a half hour away and at 4p (ie. right around bus pick up). A little more than halfway through her sessions!

Slashing all the extra fluff from our monthly bills. I talked to Verizon this week to straighten out and slim our bill, postponed all our Amazon subscribe & save, and canceled random teaching subscriptions I still had linked to our credit card. 

Renting a trumpet for Gemma's fourth grade intro to band. It should be in by the end of the month and then....maybe ear plugs will be in order. 

Deciding on a venue for prom with the junior officers. Yay! The one big thing is done, now on to all the details and the fundraising event! 

Believing in myself and diving headfirst into a new project. I will be announcing soon! 

Visiting the skating rink as Vi attended the K-2 annual roller-skating party. I was cracking up at all the kids falling everywhere and parents just strong-arming them back to standing. I didn't rent skates because it's been so long and honestly if I would have fallen only one time I would be in pain for days!? Violet (and almost every other kid there) fell approximately 896 times. She had a blast and although I really, really hadn't wanted to go; it turned out okay. 

Sending Grey off to a bowling & lock-in night with the youth group at church. He was the singular boy (hahah!) but he had fun playing games all night with everyone. 

Binge-watching the entire season 2 of Cheer on Netflix. 

Crossing our fingers one last time for buck - but no luck. B and Grey spent the day in a mini-yurt with Uncle Jonny waiting for an opportunity but only to end up with some goofball memories (always the case with those three) and freezing themselves to the bones. 

Sporting with basketball & bleacher butt in full swing (LOL). Brandon had a game. Greyson had two games and a practice. Gemma had two games and an open gym. Violet had her first game and it was the most fun to watch! It is a league of first and second graders - they play 3v3 with 8ft nets. She is' a little aggressive hustler (just like on the soccer field) and the whole extended family showed up for her first game! She said, "I can't believe they all just kept piling in!" 

Making loaded baked potatoes, shredded chicken parm over noodles, taco potato bowls, sirloin tip roast in the crockpot with potatoes and carrots, ground turkey stirfry with veggies, breakfast for dinner (pancakes & sausage!), and sloppy joes with baked beans and mac & cheese. We also had dinner at Mimi's house with our cousins - we had a pizza party with buff chicken dip and brownies!