Today we are taking time to slow down and capture the memories we are creating and things we are loving. I look forward to rereading these moments in the future to see how much things have changed.
CURRENTLY ENJOYING: THE CHANGING SEASONS
We are currently enjoying the changing seasons from warm, long summer days to crisp, short fall nights. Leaves are changing on all the trees, fall mums are blooming and seasonal decor like pumpkins and scarecrows line the entry to one’s home.
The crunch of leaves beneath shoes and the scent of “fall” fills the air. Leaves change from green to red, red to orange and orange to yellow before dropping off the trees leaving their branches exposed. Driving down the highway or biking through neighborhoods makes it hard not to stop and stare at the surrounding beauty of fall.
CURRENTLY READING: THE HOBBIT AND M IS FOR MAMA
There are many books which lay upon my nightstand. Currently in the mix are The Hobbit and M Is for Mama.
I have been reading M is for Mama over the past few months. The book is about how to be anything but mediocre in motherhood by focusing on Christ centered parenting. Each chapter explores a different topic about motherhood including emotions like being overwhelmed or anger, time management, focusing on children, comparison traps, self care and more.
The chapters each have new topics and end with devotion, scripture, reflections, a journal prompt and a prayer. This book is great for independent study or in a group format. I know of quite local church womens groups which are reading this book together right now.
My husband and I are working our way through books in series and tend to complete one series per year! This year we started The Hobbit and Lord of the Ring series. In years past we have read The Chronicles of Narnia and hope to read the picture version of Harry Potter with our little ones in a few years.
CURRENTLY EATING: MARSHMALLOWS AND GLUTEN FREE OATMEAL SCOTCHIES:
Both of these sweet treats have been on repeat! While we have been getting a lot of use out of our solo stove when the fall weather allows, we have been roasting marshmallows. We bought these skewers and have been loving them for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows on.
When the days are dreary, Spencer has been roasting me a marshmallow or two over our stove top. He has perfected the golden brown marshmallow and that is the key to my heart right now. For my gluten free readers, has anyone found a good gluten free graham cracker yet? We tried the Kinnikinnick Brand and but they are ok but have a chalky consistency and are a little thick for our liking.
CURRENTLY WATCHING: THE OFFICE AND LORD OF THE RING MOVIES
Though we tend not to watch much TV nowadays, we purchased a new LG TV from Costco and have been enjoying watching movies and occasional shows in our basement.
Our rule of thumb is watching something that we can easily turn off on the weekdays which has been The Office! A few years ago when we lived back in our apartment, we watched the show from start to end together. Now we use the random episode generator and get a few good laughs in.
I always love that the show can be picked up at any time and each episode feels like it’s own. Plus who doesn’t love “three hole punch Jim” for a classic Halloween costume idea?
If we are unwinding with a movie, which definitely happens in segments nowadays, we started with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The scenery is amazing and definitely inspiration on future travel locations.
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: PODCASTS AND AUDIOBOOKS
Spencer and I have the luxury of commuting to the office together at least one time per week. While on our commute to and from work, we have been listening to the Stuff You Should Know podcast.
The hosts, Chuck and Josh, do a great job providing information on the topics which they spend hours researching. They compliment each other with providing history on the topic as well as facts about origin, changes through time and what something means. We always leave with tidbits of information and are looking forward to listening to episodes like ‘The History of Watermelons’ with out little ones someday.
I have also been making a conscious effort to listen to an audiobook or podcast when I am cleaning up dinner, washing dishes or while on longer commutes to the office as opposed to watching a video on YouTube or scrolling the internet (obviously not while driving).
The book I am listening to this month is ‘The Four Winds’ by Kristin Hannah. This historical fiction novel is set during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era.
The book follows the journey of a family that will do anything for each other as they move from Texas to California chasing a better life than the one they had on the family farm which was devastated by the dust storms. They work together with other families in the same situation towards a better life and navigate the hardship of unfair wages picking cotton, struggle to find a place to call home due to barely making enough money to survive, having no healthcare in times of need and at many times, fighting for their lives.
If you have a library card, check to see if your library has access to the ‘Libby’ app. Our digital library has a variety of audiobooks and kindle books- free for all users.
Having read two other popular books by the author ‘The Great Alone’ and ‘Firefly Lane’, I knew I would enjoy this popular novel and for a good reason! Hannah’s writing style very visual and descriptive enough where you feel transported to the story and feel present in the setting. It is a fine balance and Hannah nails it yet again. I would recommend listening to this book on audio!
CURRENTLY IN AWE OF: LITTLE ONE’S DEVELOPMENT
Our daughter is officially eight months old! Seeing her develop on a multitude of levels from her communication, observation, strength in her core and legs and how she eats solid food, is astonishing.
My dad made a comment that stuck with me recently- babies during this time of life are like time capsules and each week feels different as they continue to grow.
I am constantly astonished by how much she can do and love seeing her focus as she becomes proficient in new movements by repeating them again and again.
She is currently:
- Strumming the air vent while looking back and smiling to see if we noticed (which we immediately follow up with claps and praise because it makes her exude joy)
- Throwing her head back to touch the back of her high chair (When she does this we call out ‘drama’!)
- Opening and closing her hands
- Working on her pincher grasp (and being very particular about the piece of food she wants on her plate)
- Starting to crawl by moving forward on hands and knees or inchworming as opposed to rolling to get to where she wants to be
- Taking anyones hands to walk with her as she explores her surroundings and puts each foot down in front of each other with determination
This portion of her development continues to amaze us as she builds strength, confidence and shares her personality.
CURRENTLY PLANNING: OUR FIRST FAMILY VACATION
As the cool weather begins as the transition to fall starts we are already missing the warm sun on our skin. We are in the midst of planning our first family vacation!
Though the location is not yet determined, we are already thinking of all the things we have to plan before heading across the country. We plan on flying as opposed to driving, which will bring its own learning curve and a new change to our schedule (specifically navigating naps with flights).
Things we are thinking about that we did not have to consider prior to having our little on:
Navigating the airport, plane ride, sleep schedules and feeding schedules with a toddler
- Tricks and tips to keep a toddler entertained on a flight and avoid ear pain while taking off and landing due to pressure changes
- Traveling with a breastpump, car seat, stroller and items that we might not be able to readily purchase when traveling like: baby safe sunscreen, toddler approved snacks and toys
- A rental car – what kind we want and whether or not we should get one which includes a stroller and car seat
- Little one sleeping in a new location that differs from home, grandparents homes or day care
- Water and sun safety
Though none of these decisions are overwhelming, they definitely present their own challenges which we are excited for! We can not wait to make new memories traveling as a family and learn from the process.
CURRENTLY GETTING MOVEMENT IN: OUTDOORS
As summer comes to a close, we are taking spending as much time as possible outdoors before we are bundling up in layers and strapping Yak Tracks onto our shoes while hitting the nearby trails.
The trees lining our home have dropped their leaves. Spencer and I have been raking them into piles before transporting them to our garden in preparation for building a leaf mold and using next spring as another addition to our compost. Stella has been enjoying jumping into the leaf piles too.
We are also on the look out for a winter stroller that handles snow well. While our Uppa Baby Vista stroller handles off road terrain ok, we do not want road salt to cause nails to rust. If you have any recommendations on what strollers are good for all season terrain, we are open ears!
CURRENTLY REMEMBERING: OUR ENGAGEMENT!
Back in October 2019, Spencer created a master plan to propose to me within a local park near Grand Valley State University. While I knew we were going for a walk on this trail, we also had date night planned to get Thai food and possibly meet with friends afterwards.
His plan involved us going for a walk viewing the beautiful sights on the nature trail we used to explore frequently, meeting my brother at the end- who was holding the cutest little puppy, and proposing underneath the perfect backdrop. He even had a surprise photographer, our friend Evan!
After meeting the newest furry addition to our family and gratefully saying ‘yes!’, we made our way back to Spencer’s apartment. When we arrived, we opened the door to a surprise engagement party filled with our family and friends.
Spencer never fails to surprise me and fill my heart with joy. It is a day I will never forget and can not wait to share with our kids someday.
What is one thing you are currently enjoying this season? Let me know in the comments below!
