The Suits Sisters

 Just gonna sneak back in here like I didn't up and leave you almost two years ago Just gonna pretend that the new blogger format/layout/changes don't have me completely thrown off and feeling like a confused granny Just gonna drop a truth bomb that's been on my heart for awhile YOU CAN'T COUNT AUDIO BOOKS ON YOUR "BOOKS READ" LIST.  I may step on some toes, but people that pop up at the end of the year like, "I"m an avider reader, I read 100 books this year" I stand in awe of my avid reader friend/stranger on the internet but the awe slightly tanks when I find out that 54 of those books were audio books that were listened to. Do you read a sermon on Sunday? Do you read a song in the car? I say this with a smile on my face but also, let's aim to assign the correct numbers to the correct categories this year and be up front from the beginning. Here's an example largely inspired by my recent three years of Saxon Math.  This year John read ...

All I Want for Christmas is... 1. Jeans. And they're magic:: They fit like they're supposed to, stay up and stretch/shrink as needed through the years. Think Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. 2. Thick cut bacon sizzling on the stove, that someone else is cooking, every morning in 2020 3. For Kent to organize the kitchen rubbermaid containers and lids (again) 4. A single day where none of my children ask for a piece of gum 5. A single day where I can eat a piece of gum without my children asking for a piece 6. For our library to announce they're doing away with late fees 7. My garage door to close on it's own 100% of the time 8. Markers and marker caps that mate for life in my house and are never separated by time or space 9.  The ability to snap my fingers and tidy my house a la Mary Poppins 10. World Peace

Making: Festive plans to see Christmas lights Cooking: "Cooking" seasoned pretzels, deviled eggs and a dessert for our church lunch today Drinking:  Coffee in a gingerbread girl cup  Reading:   Whiskey in a Teacup   Wanting:  Hair like Reese Witherspoon (and okay, her wardrobe too)   Looking:  At Taste of Home recipes  Eating:  Almonds for breakfast Wishing:  For a good balance between holiday activities and All is Calm before December 25th  Enjoying: Watching the girls get excited about Christmas, each in their own way Thinking: About wrapping presents, mailing packages and clearing off our dining room table   Celebrating:  All things Christmas  Loving:  Our Christmas tree   Hoping: My throat & voice are on the upward swing and not teetering on sickness  Needing: A break from first grade. Soon!   Listening:  To Liza whispering to Kent in the living r...

TWO WEEKS, PEOPLE! TWO WEEKS. We are in the full Christmas swing over here which looks like a partially decorated Christmas tree, artificial wreaths lying on the floor (Possibly until December 25th?), Caris singing "Haste! Haste! To bring him laud" from all corners of the house. Then there's the 12 Days of Christmas book she found and has used to carol to different family members in different rooms of the house. Audrey saying, "Merry Christmas" ranks high up on the cutest things we've ever heard and today, during rest time, Liza jumped down the stairs yelling, "C'MON SAINT NICHOLAS!" while holding a sword and shield. Kent has been gentle and diligent to lead us in a daily advent reading (As opposed to me who would go all Chris Farley on them, "AW'RIGHT everybody sit down for advent reading or you're gonna be LIVIN' IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER) Could this be the first year that we read most  every day of advent? I hesitate to...

On my first  blog I featured Sunday Snoozers and I thought I had carried it over to this blog, but I guess the only sleepers around here these days are babies and toddlers and I wouldn't touch a sleeping  toddler with a 10 foot pole (or snap a picture of them)  2 things you don't ever want to hear, much less on a Sunday morning.. (before church) "MOM AUDREY DROPPED A TOY POT IN THE TOILET AND GOT IT BACK OUT EWWWWW" (after church) "Mama? Can we craft with glitter today?"  "Queen of the Merpeople"

We had nine fun years with our puppy, Patch, before he died earlier this month. We packed a lot of life into those nine years and he took it all in stride.  He loved snuggling, sniffing too far in people's bottoms, treats, playing fetch, when Kent got home from work, always being near us, licking peanut butter jars, waiting by the highchair for dropped food and/or hand outs, Gigi, lying on the steps, lying on dirty sorted laundry piles, barking at the pool guy while living in Florida, eating tissues, etc. out of the trash can, riding in the car, taking walks and swimming in the lake.  He was a good boy and loved our family well  Thanks for the memories, Patches!!!