2017

again, it's been a while, but I am planning to flood the blog w/scrapbook pages this month as I am playing along with Calvinball over at Get It Scrapped.  So how about a currently post to get things refreshed??

 PREPARING |  for our tax appointment tomorrow & for Tim's weekend hunting trip at the end of the month. 

UNPACKING |   from last weekend's scrap crop, a week later. 

LISTENING | to a wide assortment of podcasts- Young House Love, Criminal, & What Should I Read Next? depending on what's going on around me.  -still true!

WATCHING | lots & lots of scrapbooking YouTube videos any chance I get, catching up on my shows on the DVR, -NCIS(all 3), Blue Bloods, Madame Secretary, Grey's Anatomy, & Bull, to name a few- since I watched nothing but Bones on Netflix for the entire month of December, January & most of February!

PURCHASING |  albums to put my scrapped pages into so they can actually be viewed instead of laying in piles in my scrap room.  

READING |     The Kindle has kept me reading off & on all winter, unlike years past.  Currently reading Shelled & Shucked. 

LOADING & UNLOADING |  kids on Fridays in & out of the van to get the weekly groceries is totally worth it! today we even got to venture out to the local farm store to see the new baby chicks & then play at a city park for a bit!

GIVING THANKS |  to still have enough families to pay the bills & keep me busy for the next 6 months. 

Stay tuned for an overload of scrapbook pages! :) 

currently: February

What a difference a year makes!!
2014  vs 2015

planning what shows (Hairball, Home Free!!!, Big Smo-for Tim, & maybe Here Come The Mummies) I hope to catch on the free stage at the Iowa State Fair in August, dreaming of the scorching heat we usually have that time of year on this -7 degree day! 

going to have lunch out tomorrow w/Bethany & the kids, after a quick trip to the city, way excited for both. 

thankful a husband that enjoys cooking.

watching so very much DVR these days.  Suits, The Blacklist, Grey's Anatomy, all 3 of the NCIS shows, The Mentalist (I think it just finished), The Good Wife, The Bachelor (hey, he's from Iowa, I couldn't pass it up!), Perception, Person of Interest, Elementary, maybe this should have been a whole other post..

reading  nothing at the moment & missing it. 

celebrating my big 4-0 quietly on my actual birthday to be followed with a surprise party on Sunday, they really, really got me.

loving having individual servings of homemade soups in the freezer -defrost overnight, slide in oven w/the kids' lunch prep & hot soup for me.--I need to repeat this one NOW! 

eating homemade bread from the bread machine every week.

enjoying the afternoons of sunshine we have been blessed with lately.--again! 

wearing the same 5 outfits every week, boring but childcare is not a fashion show. .

collecting completed scrapbook pages in my closet to put into albums next month.

working up to running on our early morning walks.--oops, need to start those walks again, soon!

walking -I miss it but not the early mornings. 

trying keep the kids from climbing the walls with the roller coaster temps we've had.. 30s one week, zero the next.

feeling positive about my future.

what's happening in your world, currently? 

Currently: November

Getting: the freezers cleaned out & organized for the fresh beef scheduled to arrive Saturday or Monday.

Realizing: I freeze a lot of stuff; shredded zucchini, baked pumpkin, homemade applesauce, pear butter, beef & chicken stocks, the oatmeal I cook in a big batch then freeze in meal size portions, store bought french bread (makes the best french toast), veggie ends for stock making, berries that are plentiful in the spring or summer but I have no interest or time to make into syrup right then, Some of this I will be able to pressure can when I am out of childcare, as of right now, USDA prohibits me from feeding home canned items to childcare children on the food program.

Spending: .too much money this week. My only 'excuse' is that it doesn't happen very often.
Starting:  to think about what to send for Christmas cards this year. Last year, we had the pups' photo taken with Santa & used that, the year before was our 15th year anniversary, so we had a photo shoot & used a collage from that, I prefer a photo card but starting to wonder, who wants a photo of us old married folk anymore LOL but I don't like sending impersonal store bought cards... dilemma...
Finishing: getting my clothes swapped for the seasons. bagging up the race shirts for a friend to make into a throw blanket, bagging up those that aren't flattering anymore,
Creating: a plan for justifying time I will take off, unpaid, over Christmas & New Year's this year.


Becoming: a much healthier & happier me & loving it all. 

Waiting: 
Watching: lots of dvr'd shows from the past month while I was busy doing Scrap Pink prep. Last night: 4 weeks of NCIS: New Orleans & a week of Grey's Anatomy.
Sipping: iced coffee made with my new coffee sock. then switching to water.
Eating: Tim's leftover cheeseburger soup he made 4 quart crockpot full of it on Saturday. YUMMMM

Reading:  a novella on my phone for a writer friend. Having the privilege to beta read for her is truly a treat. 

Reorganizing: .some cupboards, its a fall thing for me. Since summer is so crazy busy w/the kids & their day time activities and our love of outside time on the evenings & weekends, I tend to let things go & get chaotic, but now that fall is really here we are cooking and baking daily, we need to be able to find things easily.

Loving:  the runner's high I am still having in spurts after Sunday's Fairgrounds 5k.  its the first time I have run that far consistently (without walk breaks) & it felt amazing. Finishing 16th in my age group helped too!

Staying: home on Wednesday evenings is such a relief w/busy evenings Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday every other week. 

Using: the dryer & the oven daily to keep the childcare toasty. not sure how we will feel when it gets Really cold for Iowa.

Taking:   time to watch tv after a month of busy evenings feels like an odd combo of being lazy & being pampered. I am slowly getting that dvr cleaned up though. 
Working: my way through 2010 photos & getting them on scrapbook pages at record speed for me.
Anticipating: Thanksgiving weekend. Tim has a get away planned & I cannot wait to find out where we are going. 

Currently: September 2014 (ahem) October 2014

Getting: in the mood for fall activities, wearing jackets & jeans, going to the Harvest Barn, Farm Crawl & Pierce's pumpkin patch & burning cinnamon & maple scented candles & wax melts.

Realizing: I need to make time for girl friends, SOON.

Spending: a few minutes each Sunday to pick up & vacuum the house makes a world of difference on how we feel about our home.
Rejoicing: in the fact that my part of the playground rehab seems to have come to a close, or at least a pause for
winter.
Becoming: a much happier person lately.

Waiting: for March to put completed scrap pages into sleeves & covers ~~~> can't wait to see how this shelf looks by then.

Reading: nothing right now, thinking about Scrap Pink & scrapping is keeping me busy. 

Reorganizing: our entire schedule to fit an early pick up heading to preschool has led to earlier lunch, earlier naptime, and earlier wake ups.

Loving: that I have re-evaluated my scrapping theory & am shortening the chapters as I scrap from here on out. 

Staying: under the warm quilt until the last possible second in the mornings because we are still sleeping with the windows open & often time, the fan is on. brrrrrrr

Using: Pickle Creek roasted garlic infused oil on grilled cheese sandwiches instead of butter. ground breaking for me! YUMMMMM

Taking:  time for me, makes me feel amazing for days after.

a image of an image of the nieces playing photographers at the anniversary party.. LOVE!!!

Currently: August

Getting: acquainted with 2 new littles.

Realizing: how much more time its taking me this year to regain my bearings once school is underway.  I am blaming age...

Spending: every Monday evening with my grandparents is the most rewarding time I have right now.

Missing: my brother this week at odd times. excrutiating hurt like I haven't felt in a year. the kind that brings tears at the drop of a hat, without warning & for no apparent reason.

Reading: Debbie Macomber's Rose Harbor series. 

Reorganizing: my scrap table soon. Since I finished that summer chapter, its time to move it off the workspace & replace it with something different.

Loving: that I have worked scrap time into my evenings this summer. Its not often a priority in the warmer months when there is so much to do outside. 

Staying: on track with a cleaning schedule for a month is amazing for me.  Usually I just 'hit a lick at a snake' when the feeling (or need) arises, but lately I have been cleaning the childcare on Friday afternoons & then the upstairs on Sundays. Its working for now.

Using: the heck out of the Iowa Food Coop products available right now.

Taking: time to read or scrap this summer is truly saving my sanity.

Deciding: on various Scrap Pink details. 

currently: July

Getting: ready to take my crowd to the county fair

Realizing: just how strange it is to have such cool temps in July, in Iowa.

Spending: an extra few minutes throwing the ingredients of a beef & veggie stew in the crockpot will pay off when we come home from the fair hungry.

Missing: some camping & boating time, but enjoying a pretty schedule free summer.

Reading: like crazy! currently waiting on Blossom Street Brides to be returned to the library as well as Tales from a Blue Bike to arrive through inter-library loan. 

Reorganizing: 

Loving: that I have a scrap day on the calendar in the near future! 

Staying: on track with my water in take --proudly

Using: the heck out of the Iowa Food Coop products available right now.

Taking: time to read or scrap this summer is truly saving my sanity.

Deciding: to eat at the cook shack at the county fair on Friday--best decision ever. 

Currently: July

planning another fun day out with my mom for August.

watching Covert Affairs, Suits, Rizzoli & Isles, Graceland & Perception. so fun to have a few good summer series shows.

reading  books! I have slowed down in my reading but still at it so that's something.  In June I read Back on Blossom Street,Twenty Wishes, & Summer on Blossom Street. Next up is Hannah's List & a couple more in the Blossom Street series, then I plan to request the inter-library loan to get This, this & this

celebrating  the sunny days & the growing garden. The garden is loving the rain & cooler temps but its JULY in IOWA, we are NOT supposed to need jackets & jeans to sit outside at night :/ 

thankful to be able to enjoy the change of pace for this summer with the boat broken down & more weekends at home.

loving our twice weekly park days! one is a short one 9am-11:30 then we come home to something in the crock pot for lunch & the other I pack a picnic & we stay until 1pm.

eating  smoked brisket & homemade apple pie & ice cream for the 4th of July--can.not.wait.

enjoying the easy peasy summer schedule we are doing this year, deciding the previous week where to go.

wearing capris or long pants this week in these cooler temps.

walking several early mornings each week-still. hoping to add in some running next week-then it will probably decide to act like summer weather ;) 

feeling refreshed after a weekend with my mom junkin'. (that's a whole other blog post)

planted tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, sage, basil & lemongrass for our garden this year. the sage died but everything else is thriving.

currently: June

planning to combine some of my supplies with Grandma's plants & create some great pots for my deck & house soon

going to not let group dynamics change me.

watching the kids figure out where they fit in our group is fascinating to me. 

reading  books! I read Wonder, 1225 Christmas Tree Lane, & Christmas in Cedar Cove all in a little over a week.  I am about to start Back on Blossom Street, then I plan to request the inter-library loan to get This, this & this

celebrating  the sunny days & the growing garden.

thankful to be able to participate more fully in the Iowa Food Coop these days.

loving that the local Farmer's Market has kicked off its season on the courthouse lawn.

eating  local (in Iowa made) cheese curds, locally grown (in Iowa) salads & homemade sweets as much as possible.

enjoying the change of seasons.

wearing capris, shorts & dresses every day. I love my summer wardrobe!

walking several early mornings each week-still.

trying .to get our Friday Fundays scheduled. I have no idea why this one is taking me so long this year.

feeling lots of change ahead in our summer plans.

planted tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, sage, basil & lemongrass for our garden this year.  looking for suggestions for something that takes 100% shade to put in our 'mud hole' corner of the yard.

Currently: May

planning our 'summer kick off' weekend, in just 2 weeks, doesn't seem much like summer yet..

going to get myself in sync with the newest itty bitty before summer hits in full swing.

watching the sunrise during the week, whether on my morning walk or from my computer chair.

reading  blogs on my phone, not near as rewarding as reading them on the computer.

celebrating  the school year is coming to a close (YAY!!)

thankful that I was able to spend the day w/Mom on Saturday. An early Mother's Day for her, we hit 2 high school plant sales, the big city farmer's market & she tagged along for me to hit 2 running shoe departments.

loving the hum of the sump pump after this last few days of overwhelming rain.

eating  my self crazy through the Iowa Food Coop shopping list-still.

enjoying working on Scrap Pink again. another worthy family in need of assistance.-still.

wearing new running shoes, was really hoping they just needed time for my feet to adjust but it was too much pain. so the super cute hot pink & teal Brooks must return to Scheel's. so sad

walking several early mornings each week.

trying .to eat cleaner, more fruits & veggies, less carbs

feeling cozy with this fabulous new s'mug & cuppow lid for my pint jar/ice coffee glass

planted these beauties on Mother's Day. the left is a tiered hanger that was here when we moved in, I usually try but rarely succeed in keeping plants alive in them. wish me luck. the middle is a really cool hanging basket I have had a couple of years that I put 3 varieties of Wandering Jew plants in love the green & purple they are & if they survive the summer, I can move them inside for the winter as they are originally house plants but like them on my deck. The right is a jade plant. I have been wanting one ever since I saw Elise doing fun stuff with them from her back yard. Ta-da! It jumped in my arms at one of the plant sales we attended on Saturday.  It is also a house plant but will live on the deck for the summer. luckily there are a ton of pins for their care, propagating & such too. 

.

How is your May going?

Currently: April

Since I kind of skipped the March post, I am doing April's early-or had planned to & didn't get it finished to post early.

planning on a scrapping day with Mom for her birthday - yea, it was last Saturday & so much fun.

going outside every day last week morning & afternoon!

thankful that I scrap. I was able to pull out the 2010 scrapbooks (as much as are done anyway) to share with the current childcare kids while a set of siblings was visiting us last week. It showed how some of my currents were little tiny while these visitors were bigger during that time & that they did play together even if they don't remember each other very well.

watching my normal shows, almost always on DVR. getting excited about some of my summer shows I didn't realize I missed in the winter until I saw previews for them.

reading  Diary of an Alcoholic Housewife its like a window into that type of life & realize how very close to that line I was living back (what feels like 100) years ago. good read.

celebrating every day that all the littles nap at the same time. even if its 30 minutes of silence, I treasure it knowing that the school year is coming to a close (YAY!!) & that quiet time definition is about to change.

loving the sun shining almost every day again

eating  my self crazy through the Iowa Food Coop shopping list

enjoying working on Scrap Pink again. another worthy family in need of assistance.

wearing lots of tshirts that have been buried in my drawer since the warmer days of fall, even if I have to wear a sweatshirt over them for part of the day. Totally worth it.

working up to running on our early morning walks-still.

walking several early mornings each week.

trying .to eat cleaner, more fruits & veggies, less processed foods

feeling almost ambushed by the other half on the food front. we have very opposite opinions on the quality of food effects on the quality of life. *sigh*

the other morning, the neighborhood dogs were all going crazy & the boys could hear motor sounds so we took a walk to find them.  Luckily, they were right around on the other side of the block so we sat & watched them trim up 2 trees running everything through the chipper. 

currently: February

planning some weekend cooking- fried pickle wraps, queso fundido, molten lava cakes

going back to the chiropractor this Wednesday & then will be on a maintenance plan. 

thankful for a thoughtful husband who made surprise reservations for last weekend, packed food & clothes & basically took care of it all with out me having any idea at all.

watching Disney Junior while I type this.

reading  a friend's draft of her new book on my phone. makes me think I need a kindle or a nook or a tablet of some kind & then I remember how little I really truly read anymore. 

celebrating Valentine's weekend a the cabin at the lake was a great relaxing idea.

loving having individual servings of homemade soups in the freezer -defrost overnight, slide in oven w/the kids' lunch prep & hot soup for me.

eating the last of my Amish made Almond Joy bites this morning made me a little sad. 

enjoying the afternoons of sunshine we have been blessed with lately.

wearing flannel pj pants & coordinating long sleeve tshirt for pajama day at childcare on Monday. LOVED IT.

collecting more recipes to try.

working up to running on our early morning walks.

walking several early mornings each week.

trying to remember that spring is right around the corner each time I get blue about the cold temps, snow on the ground or dismal grey skies.

feeling positive about this summer & our activities.

wishing I would have worked more diligently on getting the tax prep done before this week-appointment Saturday.

(closing w/a totally unrelated photo from the last crop I attended. Scrapping for Soldiers w/my Aunt & her friends.

our supper out at Zombie Burger.)

right here, right now, January

(this is a 'shopping trip' from the freezer-ham slice, italian sausage, ground pork, ground beef x2, apple pie filling, applesauce, ribeyes, & bacon ends)

planning for a couple of fun weekend crops in the near future.

going to swap the Christmas & Snowman decor out for Valentine's goodies tomorrow.

thankful to be healthy after last week's bug got me.

watching NCIS marathons every chance I get.

reading Lots of blogs & His Needs, Her Needs, slowly since life seems to have sped up.

celebrating some girl time this weekend.

loving that I am on a cooking & baking roll again. 

eating homemade food ROCKS. salisbury steaks, homemade meatballs, mississippi roast, spicy potato soup.

enjoying trying new recipes from Pinterest (& reviewing them here)

wearing layers upon layers for our current cold snap.

collecting breakfast recipes.

working on getting the current group of littles ready for an itty bitty to start at the end of April.

walking almost every morning. We found a way to get in earlier so we can get our 3 miles in every time.

trying to think about running soon since I am planning on the Red Flannel Run 2/8!

feeling happier w/a more together daily schedule.

wishing for warmer weather.

--working up a pin it & do it post for tomorrow!

currently: December

appreciating that almost all of our Christmas shopping is done.
eating white chocolate peppermint M&Ms like -well,  candy.
watching as many Christmas movies as I can :)

loving today's sunshine & 30+ temps
planning our food for our Christmas gatherings

walking at least 3 mornings each week in the high school halls.(still)
enjoying the scant amount of Christmas decorations I pulled out this year.
ordering pizza for supper once a week-guilt-free.

attending the 3rd of 3 elementary age, Christmas programs tomorrow evening.
wanting to keep the rest of the month as stress free as possible for the kiddos.
buying thoughtful gifts is tough, time consuming yet OH SO rewarding!
playing lots of Christmas music during the days when Tim isn't around to 'grinch it' ;)
drinking hot tea or water these days.

working on the last couple of Christmas cards.
clearing
looking forward to Christmas break.  I know many providers do not, but I sure do enjoy the break in our normal routine/schedule & the ability to do whatever we want throughout the day.

currently: November

appreciating a rejuvenated friendship in a running buddy.
eating salads every day for lunch, no matter how I feel.
watching a ton of shows on the DVR-watching life tv is almost painful now.
loving today's rainy day.
planning our Thanksgiving trip.

walking 3 mornings each week in the high school halls.
enjoying the growth of my group.
ordering Christmas gifts locally as possible-YAY!
wanting to join the littles for a nap today.
buying squash, hummus, indian corn, yogurt, carrots & leaf lettuce this week from the Iowa Food Coop.
playing darts on Tuesday evenings again.
drinking iced coffee in the mornings, water in the afternoons & hot tea in the evenings.

working on listening to my body to tell me when to rest to heal from this cold.
clearing my mind of regrets.
looking forward to our Thanksgiving weekend away.

right now-October edition

So grateful that grandma's stroke left so little damage.

planning a long weekend in a quiet, country cabin, just the 4 of us, very, very soon.

thrilled to have been blessed with a box full of gently used cast iron pans

celebrating to have been able to donate so much good stuff to my Scrap Pink family this year.

excited for the Fairgrounds 5k on Sunday afternoon. followed by a fair square & corn dog, yes please.

preparing for the addition of another 2 year old boy in 2 weeks to my already mostly boy group.

making so many yummy things from the ingredients already in hour freezers & pantry.

living in the present is so very soothing.

breathing in the cool, damp, clean air of fall today.

eating clean after a short break of mostly junk.

loving today. The power walk this morning in the fog+drizzle was very emotionally cleansing making way for a beautiful day.

sleeping earlier than normal these evenings.


seeing these flowers reminds me how good it feels to do good for others that appreciate it.

currently::

enjoying the change of seasons.  It is slowly cooling from summer to fall in our area.

planning Scrap Pink details, its getting closer.

thrilled to be getting donations & registrations in the mail almost every other day.

celebrating the wedding of 2 good friends this weekend.

resisting laying in the grass & soaking up some sunshine.

embracing a running schedule of 3 early mornings a week with a great running buddy. photo~~>current running gear; brightest wicking T I own, off brand headband, running capris & these super fun sleeves.

preparing for a well-fed winter.  Lots of goodies in the freezer! applesauce, corn, green beans, peaches, beef & chicken stocks & soon, fresh beef.

making lots of iced coffees for breakfast, ok, throughout the day.

living in the present is so very soothing.

eating amazing homemade food just about every night.

loving that Tim has discovered a love for cooking & most recently, canning.

sleeping 4 in the bed we are sure to keep warm this winter.

Currently...

enjoying the quiet of nap time.

planning our Labor Day weekend trip.

thrilled to have a full house all summer.

celebrating the growth of all of my kids this season.

resisting the urge to take a nap w/them.

preparing for a downsizing & move-even if it is 5 years away, every little bit helps.

making granola this morning, the 3rd batch since May.

preparing for school to start. losing 2 entirely, 5 to school days & 6 to 4 different preschool classrooms/times of day.

living more simply every day.

ordering my first ever Origami Owl locket.

eating popcorn leftover from morning snack.

loving the cool weather this week.

currently

celebrating the end of the school year & beginning of summer.

feeling a bit behind on my summer scheduling.

waking up with a daily to do list running through my head.

eating Tim's new smoked meat recipes every weekend. Pizza & apple pie were the most 'different' so far.

drinking water & coffee. all day. every day.

enjoying having the windows open.

loving that there is laundry on the line.

so appreciating our little things after seeing so much devistation on the Oklahoma tornado.

waiting (not so paitently) for the long weekend.

thinking its going to be a wet & chilly weekend but don't care at this point.

wondering how Kora will do on the boat & in the tent.

currently

smelling the fresh spring rain that fell this morning.

listening to the 2 groups of littles. One coloring at the table talking about their drawings, the other playing by the mirror & talking about their faces.

tasting leftover coffee I warmed up this morning-not my favorite & homemade pumpkin bread for morning snack.

looking forward to a mini-girl's night out on Saturday to the Neal McCoy concert.

counting down the days until Memorial weekend. 4 days away from home+work+all other commitments-yesplease!

craving campfire food, sunshine & the sound of the water lapping on the shoreline.

loving that I am still in a scrapping mood.

enjoying gently figuring out a balance for all of my different 'hats'.

planning out our summer schedule.

updating the calendar on my phone w/all of our lake weekends vs all of the other activities-so far there are no conflicts.

wishing I made more time to quietly play with my camera.

reading The Spirit, an original book written by a friend.  I am loving it, excited for her, & thrilled to be one of the first to read it.

watching a lot of season finales this month.


show me your currently list.

currently

Loving: my new found feeling of freedom. My mind already feels lighter, less cluttered, less stressed.

Working on: our summer Friday Funday schedule.

Reading: REALLY lots more of the blogs I have been only half following. 

Watching: Lots of season finales. I am always looking forward to them this time of year so I don't feel so married to my tv schedule.  The DVR has helped that feeling a lot tho.

Listening to: discovered I still have my running playlist on my phone, so I plan to hit play there when I need some ambition.

 

Anticipating: A return visit from my certification agency. Mostly paperwork but I am always a nervous wreck w/someone of authority in my business.

Enjoying: The sunshine. With the extended winter we've had this year compared to last year's sparce one, its been great to have some 70* sunshine-y days lately.

 

Thinking: About camping.  No matter how much work it is to get there & back, its always so soul-soothing to go & do.

Eating: fresh tomato & lettuce from the farmer's market! YAY!!

Drinking: lemon, cucumber, basil water-surprisingly sweet. I really was plesantly surprised.  If you are on the fence, try it!

Feeling: a bit behind my summer scheduling schedule.  By now, I usually have helper schedule as well as the Friday Funday & Park days all on the calendar- eek! 

Praying: for peace for a great great aunt in the nursing home, its time for her body to let go as her mind and soul are ready to move on.