Here's a taste of what I did last week.
A lot of nothing. Last week's news about my dad knocked me off of my feet. And that's not necessarily a good thing. Too much sitting around lets my mind go to fearful places in regard to my dad and his health right now. Remember my laundry system and my two-loads-a-day? Yeah, well, let's just say that I got WAY off track last week. (I never said I was perfect.) My sweet husband helped me get caught up over the weekend, and I'm so grateful. I'm sure my family is too, since they all had clean clothes this morning.
We've also been working on our Thankful Chain. It's something we make every year. I've posted about it here and here. Beginning in November, we keep strips of paper in a bowl on the kitchen table. Every night after dinner, we each write something we're thankful for on a strip and then fashion them into a chain. I hang our chain up in our kitchen and I try to leave it up until the next November as a visual reminder of our many blessings. I say "try" because I've only managed to leave it up for that long once before. However, all of our past thankful chains are hanging up downstairs in the playroom. Here's a pic from last week of Abbey holding what we've made so far...
It also snowed here last week...twice, actually. This is a picture from Friday morning. I think we ended up with almost 3 inches. It looked like this for most of Friday morning, but it stopped snowing around noon and the sun came out and melted the snow on the roads. It also melted the snow on our driveway and sidewalks which meant I didn't have to get out and shovel! Yay!
I have a love-hate relationship with snow. I love it most of the time, and I love it when I can stay home (even better when the kids get to stay home too) and be lazy. I don't love driving in it, and I don't love it in March-April-May. We haven't had much snow yet this year, and the girls were already home from school on Friday for a teacher workday, so we stayed cozied up in the house. It was perfect!
One great thing about living in Colorado is that we get 300+ days of sunshine a year. Friday was freezing cold and snowing, but the weekend was beautiful and we were back up in the 60s. Yesterday afternoon, we drove over to Palmer Lake for some ice cream (Rock House rocks!) and walked around the lake. It was a gorgeous day, and this time of year, it's important to take advantage of nice weather. Here's some pics...
Like I said earlier, last week was a bit rough for me. I've been in a bit of a funk, and even though we NEVER do this, John and I decided to put our Christmas tree up this week. I've always been a day-after-Thanksgiving kind of decorating girl, but honestly friends, we could use an extra dose of joy and cheer around here. SO...one night this week, we're going to put it up. We would have done it yesterday afternoon, but the weather was so nice we wanted to get outside and enjoy it!
Speaking of Christmas, I got some new cds this year and have been enjoying them so much.
I LOVE the song "Let There Be Light" on this new Point of Grace cd. It is amazing! I tried to find it for you guys on YouTube...and I did, but the video that went with it was So anyway, check out that cd, and I also highly recommend this one and this one.
25 comments:
Sounds like you certainly needed some blogging downtime. I pray everything is okay with your dad.
I love the thankful chain. We do that as well and we love it.
Have a great, restful week, Meredith!
I am so glad that you got the blogging break you needed ;)! I hope that the days to come are brighter!!!
I love the thankful chain...very good reminder!
We normally do the Thanksgiving chain and only do it from Thanksgiving to Christmas and then put it up with the Christmas decorations. However, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the idea of keeping it out all year, so I am going to steal this idea from you.
Your kids are A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!! Is this the lake you ran around? I love the picture of you on the monkey bars - so cute!
It was so sweet of your hubby to help you get caught up on laundry. It always goes faster when there's someone helping out.
I hope you have a wonderful week!I am going to definitely check out the Point of Grace CD.
Well, you should break when you need it and not do laundry either :)!!
I love your pics...especially that one of you on the computer..I could've showed that from a distance to my kids and said "who is this"? "YOU!" they would've quickly replied! And you and your photoshopping self...honey, we've all had babies...you are beautiful!
That snow is unbelieveable!! I am sitting here typing this in shorts (now, it's too cool outside for them) but inside it's fine...Colorado is absolutely beautiful and so are those sweet kiddos..
We are going to start a Thankful Chain tonight! Thanks for the idea!
Oops..one more thing! Can't wait to check out the Barlow Girl Christmas CD..love them!!
And I was going to recommend the new Casting Crowns Christmas CD..just got it last weekend!!
Hey sweet Meredith!!!
I totally understand the funk business. It's not fun is it? Please know that from one fellow funker to another...I'm praying for you! :) And, I mean that.
Now, get those Christmas decorations up and enjoy the beauty!
Big hugs~
Fran
I'm glad you're back. And I am in awe of the snow you've had. It would cheer me up to look out and see snow, even better with a Christmas tree in the window.
I love the Thankful Chain idea. I guess I wasn't reading your blog a year ago because I don't remember it. It's the perfect thing to work on at dinnertime.
I picked something up for you this weekend, so shoot me your address when you get a chance. It looks like you need some coffee for that snowy weather!
Well, I for one missed you, but I know how refreshing it is to take a little break and not feel like you HAVE to post. I have been much the same way...I put so much pressure on myself when it comes to the blog, and I know that's not so good. I'll be very interested to read your thoughts on it...I've been trying to formulate my own into a post also.
I am so excited that you are putting your tree up. :) Since I can't do it yet (per my hubby), somebody should be able to enjoy a little Christmas cheer. :)
I think anytime I take a break from my "normal" it is refreshing. The times in my life when God spoke the most to me were the times when I took time to prune out much of my busy-ness.
I know how hard it must be to be so far away and feeling like there is nothing you can do. I will continue to pray for peace for you and your family as you wait.
Glad you had some good down time. We all need that. I'm with you on the snow, however I only like it until Christmas, then I want Spring!
I think I'll be putting up our Christmas decorations sooner this year too. We buy a fresh tree, so usually don't get it too early.
Have a great week,
Brenda :)
STILL not in the reader. What is UP with that?! But you have several comments, so maybe?? I know my posts have shown up in other people's readers before mine before... who knows.
I'll have to look up that cd! I'm always on the lookout for more Christmas music, this time o' year.
Hope you get back into the swing of things and find some joy this week! :)
I never thought I'd say this because I used to live on your side of the mountains and survived some pretty horrible snowstorms, but I miss snow. We rarely get enough to measure out here in Grand Junction. I'd love a freak storm to stall over here and dump a foot.
I never enjoyed driving in it either, but like you, I love, love being inside on snowy days.
Your lake photos are beautiful. And I'm keeping your dad in my prayers.
Sara Groves? Lurrrrve! And, I'm becoming quite the POG fan.
Praying for your dad, and wishing my tummy was as "big" as yours. :) I am a tigress myself, with lots of silvery pink stripes on my abd, too.
LOVE the Thanksgiving chains. What a great idea!
Looks like you guys had a great time playing in the sun! FUN!!!
I love the Christmas mood! Decorating the tree is really very fun! Your entry has made me feel all Christmas-y, Mer (:
mmmmm, your kids are sugar! And I LOVED the photo-doctoring you did on your midrift... hysterical.
we're putting our tree up this week too. its very unusual for us, but b/c we are traveling away for Christmas, we won't be here much of Dec. to enjoy the decos.
I know how hard the waiting for a confirmed diagnosis can be, Mer. Praying for the best possible outcome for your Dad.
I love snow, but you know how random our snow events can be here in NE Arkansas. Hope we get a lot this Winter!
Have a good week, and keep busy. It really does help keep you from worrying quite so much.
Love and hugs,
Diane
There was so much in this post I could relate to -- the blog pressure, the love/hate relationship with snow. Right there with ya!
I love Point of Grace -- I'll have to check out that cd, we could use a new Christmas cd. And the thankful chain -- LOVE that idea. I'm going to start it with the kids tonight! :)
I love the chain idea. I'm going to do it this year!
We had a dusting of snow last Friday that melted quickly. It was our first real snow so far. It seems strange to be so warm this time of year. I'm right there with you on a having a love/hate relationship with the stuff. As long as I can stay tucked up inside with a good book I love it.
This is my first time here. I found you from Moriah's blog.
My husband grew up in Colorado and I grew up in a very warm climate. We thought of moving there, but I chickened out for fear of freezing!
Congrats to John on his book deal!!! So exciting - I know you are so proud for him.
I love the idea of the Thanksgiving chain. I am sentimental so it makes me smile that you have the ones from years past in the basement. We make one for Christmas but we will have to do this next year.
It is so weird to me to see how much POG has changed over the years. Only Shelly and Denise are left.
I am caught up - yea! Now I will stop polluting your in box! Ha, Ha!
Congratulations to John -- and you! What a sweet accomplishment.
That snow gives me hope that we aren't too far apart, today's weather notwithstanding. (Have I told you my parents are 95% sure they will be moving to Denver next summer? Colorado's never looked better....)
Great pictures! I enjoyed the last break I took, and I think I am probably going to do another one before the holidays are over. I think I'm going to need the time. I haven't done the first thing for Christmas this year, and I'm starting to feel panicked about it :)
Have a wonderful day!
Ugh! Meredith, I'm still not getting updates on your new posts in my Reader. I keep forgetting to click in.
I'm sorry to hear about your Dad's health concern. I just prayed for him and will be thinking of you all as he goes for his next procedure.
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