Around Here Week 4: 01/23-29

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

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 4+ hours (of 1000)
I didn't get out much this week except for the animal chores for the farm. It was a cold week and I was fully occupied with the two babies, toddler, and 5 year old during the day while also trying to figure how to get Team Studer Mom up and rolling. It was a wacky week, but I am (already!) daydreaming about spring and summer days that I can just let the kids right out the front door and sip my coffee on the porch in the sun! 

Reading and finishing Everything Happens for a Reason by Kate Bowler (amazing, big recommend!) and continuing Free to Learn by Peter Gray. 

Ordering our garden seeds! We sat down and combed through our Annie's catalog while talking about what worked last year, what didn't, and what we hope to try this year. As we were compiling our list, I texted our cousin Heather (fellow lover of all things garden) and she texted me a pic back that she was doing the exact same thing at that moment - hah! Great minds! Heather sent me a beautiful snail mail card this week too - so grateful for you! xxo

Walking up the driveway after Sheila couldn't make it up with all the ice and snow we got. The kids obviously thought it was a fun adventure and it was mostly okay (although carting a 17lb baby in a car seat up our quarter mile driveway in the snow and cold isn't a great time). Gem was a little momma (per usual) and carried Reddy the whole way as he clung to her knowing he was safe with his big sis. Just another perfect example of why I love big families so much. It ended up being great timing for B to get new tires on the truck - which he did on Sunday night! 

Cracking up every time I go to the basement because the kids (specifically Grey) has turned it into our personal dojo (thank you Cobra Kai). They hung up photos (LOL), washed and put up the punching bag, and spent a whole afternoon thoroughly cleaning and vacuuming. I'll take that kind of free play any day! I asked Grey what the symbols he printed off meant and he said, "I don't know? I just searched 'karate symbols" I was like, "dude, how do you know they aren't curse words or say like 'soup?!" Anyone know what they say? Good grief. 

Launching Team Studer Mom and so incredibly overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and support from you all. My official launch felt a little rushed on my end because I wanted everything to be all connected and ready to go. But, come on Tab - when are you going to learn? Almost nothing happens when you are perfectly ready! I still have plenty of things that need tweaked and still learning new things every single day, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in me. 

Clapping for our fully mobile baby girl. Liv is full blown crawling all over the house and even pulling herself to standing already in the crib. This girl really would rather just learn to walk - she is constantly pulling up to standing on anything that can support her - but I'm hoping we have a crawler for at least a few months! (Gem and Red both were walking by 10 months though and Liv is 8months now). 

Boosting my immunity with the covid booster vaccine on Wednesday. Zero side effects, unless insomnia is a side effect? I was up at 1:30am on Thursday morning and stayed awake the whole night. At least I got to watch a bunch of Dawson's Creek episodes (hah!) 

Meeting with the NS junior class to talk through our upcoming fundraiser event for Prom! It was so nice to see all my teacher friends and hug about 100 students during my short visit at the school on Friday morning. Always sending love and grace out to teachers doing the good fight. It is so tough out there - how grateful I am for you. 

Sending Grey and B to High Ridge for the last Jamboree event. Grey got to sleepover on Friday night (thank you Stankans!) and B spent all day Saturday as a guide and then having a little celebration. 

So surprised and grateful for a visit from my thoughtful friend Kelly and her daughter Gracie. Honestly, warmed my heart and blessed me so much! (thank you!!) 

Always thankful for one on one time with Abba and Chum for the kids. They took Gem to her vision therapy this week and then had a visit with her at their house (dinner, homework help, full attention). On Saturday, they took Gem, Violet, and Rusty and kept them for the day. The kids love the time with them and with Grey and B out of the house for the day - that left just me and the two babies. Naptime was amazing to accomplish some much needed tasks off my to do list! 

Sporting with all the basketball all the time (hah). Violet had two games and Gemma had 1 game and an open gym. Grey had a slow week with just 2 basketball practices. B had a football meeting with the league to plan for next year too. I dug into my annual 'yes girl' duty for the youth baseball league creating and sending out sponsorship letters to local businesses. All you local businesses out there that support your youth leagues in any sport - you are the heroes that keep those communities thriving! Thank you from all us youth league organizations and athlete families!

Making a roast turkey, then using the left overs for turkey pot pie with homemade noodles from Gigi (!), crockpot copycat Olive garden chicken over penne, fried rice and kielbasa, baked potato fries and quesadillas, and a pork roast with carrots and potatoes in the slow-cooker. Gemma was in charge of making dinner on Thursday night after she put together a grocery list earlier that week. She made lasagna from her Usborne Start to Cook with a little help from me and we ate all of it - no leftovers. It was a big hit. I also whipped up a batch of the Pioneer Woman's bowtie skillet lasagna that night to send over to a local family/friends - their momma, Sabrina, is going through chemo for breast cancer and she is amazing and inspiring. You can follow her journey here. For after school snacks this week - we had oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, baked ham & cheese pinwheels, and homemade pizza.