Inside..Outside...as we continue to journey through winter.

Inside...
..growing plants.
....homemade granola.
..warm breakfasts.
....books.
..sweaters.
....sourdough bread.
.....sweet visitors.
..little toes that don't care much for socks.
{this he gets from his mother}

Outside..
...quiet scenes.
....silent roads.
...snowy men.
..white air.
....brisk breathing.
..peace.

XxOo

We do school at home...and sometimes I don't like it very much...like today.

Most days I love that we homeschool.
I am very blessed to have the daily opportunity
to sit around the dining room table with my children.

I teach, they learn, we also laugh and talk and have fun together.
I feel like I know my kids deeper, know who they really are, I know their hearts.
I love that I get to spend so much time enjoying their childhood right along with them.

Today however...was not one of those days.

It started at 6am with an empty whipped cream can.
How is one supposed to fully savor her morning coffee without whipped cream on top?

Then...the location of my scissors. The pink ones I bought for ME!
Sitting in mud, on my front lawn where the snowman melted and they cut string.

Then..the messy-ish house. I hate messy.

The "missing" schedule?..the one no one remembers me passing out.

By the time I finally sat down to do school...I was not in a good frame of mind.

Do you want me to tell you how our math lesson went?
No, no you don't. I never knew subtraction could make a person so angry.
..and I'm not talking about a child. yeah...not my best moment.

I had to run out and do a few things later in the afternoon...
I was by myself and I had time to think.

Everything I was aggravated about earlier in the day, they were all selfish things.
My scissors.
My whipped cream-less coffee.
My time...I didn't want to sit at the table do math with my kids!
I wanted to work on other things that I wanted to work on.

You see...when we choose to homeschool, it's a commitment.
I'll be honest...sometimes I don't feel like keeping that commitment.

Everyday is not perfect around here.
Sometimes, just as much as kids don't feel like doing school...neither do I!
Some days I just down right hate the thought of sitting
with a lesson plan book opened up before me.

..and on those days, little things that are no big deal, turn into a big deal
once they start piling up...and a mom can lose her cool over the ridiculousness.

We homeschool moms can get into a slump, am I right?
{Especially this time of year}

If you feel like you want to throw in the towel..you're normal.
If you feel like you can't do this anymore....you can.
If you feel like you aren't cut out for this job...you are, you're a great mom.
If you feel like you want to scream and light math books on fire..
...go ahead and light em up!!!!..oh wait, maybe don't.

What I'm trying to say is...
You are going to have bad homeschooling days...weeks even!
Don't expect perfection...that is not reality.

Reality can be a mess. and messes are okay.
They can be cleaned up!

Get in the car. Go to Starbucks and buy yourself a skinny, vanilla latte..
..tall in a grande cup..with extra, extra, extra whipped cream!

Then pray! I'm telling you...there is a peace that only God can give.
I promise when you return home, things will look better.

It's just a bad day, not the end of the world.
You've got this homeschool mom! You are amazing!

*Note to self...remember to read this on a weekly basis*

XxOo

How about an {Un}-Love Story for Valentines Day...let's call it ...Space #17.

I LOOOOVE this man...I do. He is my favorite person on the planet...in the universe!
I couldn't live without him...he makes life so much better.

But....like every couple in God's creation, there are things that annoy us about each other!
Today, on this holiday of love..I will share with you of one of the things that annoys me to no end...
...since it is such a recent happening. Recent like..last night!

Now..we have had an ongoing argument about this subject for most of
our {almost 21 years} of marriage.

Liz needs to run into the store for something quickly....Jeff drops Liz off at front door of store...
...then Jeff proceeds to drive the car to the very back of the parking lot where he will then wait.

Winter.Spring.Summer.Fall...
..I would stand searching while freezing, sweating or getting drizzled on.
{I'm sure there were nice days mixed in...but today, let's focus on the negative, okay?
..it makes for a much more dramatic story.}

Pre- cell phones, post children, he would put the kids on "Mom watch"...then he would take a nap.
He would pay the first child to spot me, a quarter.
Yes..I am being serious.

Now that we have cell phones....he tells me to text him while I'm in line,
to let him know I'll be coming out soon...
...that way he'll have time to shave, shower, drink a cup of coffee, do our taxes and
whatever else it is he does in the waaaaaaay back of the parking lot while he waits.

I once forgot to text while in line and had to reach into my pocket for the phone...
..it slipped out of my hand because I was also juggling bags and
my phone crashed onto the sidewalk, screen side down and broke!
Of course it was Jeff's fault..he didn't see it that way...
...but that's another marriage story for another time. {wink!}

Sooo...let's talk about last night.
I had to run into Target for a few things.
Jeff dropped me off at the door of Target and went to the car wash across the street.

I finished in the store...then while standing in line sent off my..
"I'm in line"  text. Then..."Checking out" text. I wasn't getting any response.

I walked outside....looked around...sent another text. "I'm outside..."

Exhibit A

As you can see in Exhibit A....my husband and my Nissan Armada
were parked in the back of the lot. Space number 17 to be exact.

After a minute, which felt like 10... I started to walk aaaaaallll the way to the car.
Yes, I counted as I walked...stop judging!

I saw he was changing the back windshield wiper...hence no answer.

It was no big deal..but of course, what was flashing through my head?
..."He can't change the stupid thing in space number 1? 2? 3? The lot is practically empty!
It's late at night..the store is closing!!!"

He was getting back into the car as I came pushing a full cart
to the back of the car in the big empty lot.

I wasn't sure if he saw me as I was saying.. "Hey..Jeff.."
I pushed the button to open the back door at the same time as.....


Exhibit B

...he drove away toward the FRONT of the store leaving me stranded in Space#17.
He didn't hear me...please note Exhibit B.

I called him on the phone to let him know he drove away and left me in the back.

He was laughing...which then of course made me laugh.
...and I'm sure for anyone watching it was hilarious.
I know if I had witnessed such a scene, I would have been laughing as well!

{I will say though...had this situation been reversed and I was in the driver's seat...
..and Jeff was the one with the cart..I'm not sure how funny he would have thought this to be..}

It drives me CRAZY that he always has to go to the last parking spot while he waits!
Why? I ask....

...as he asks...Why can't my wife be on time for once?
{again..another story for another time..}

Now all of you men {and perhaps a few wives} are probably wanting to say to me..
Hey, at least he drops you off at the door and picks you back up. What a gentleman.

While yes, this is true and he really, truly is always a gentleman and I am thankful...
...I'm still annoyed at the in between! I would gladly walk to a "normal" parking spot!

Join us next time for another {Un}-Love story,
when we discuss how people clog shower drains with hair because they don't use the little
metal thing Jeff bought to put into the drain to stop clogs.
*cough*...or maybe not.

HaPpY Valentines Day!!!
XxOo

It's Monday....we had a great weekend...and can we just talk about how important time alone with your spouse is?

The kids and I were busy running through our usual Friday morning routine...
..when my sister in law called and told me she was picking up my children for the night.
"You're not allowed to say No!" she said...to which I did...but then finally agreed..."Okay!"
Is that not the BEST gift to give to a couple with a busy household?

Of course our kids had no problem ditching our pizza/chocolate cake/Olympic opening ceremony
party we had been planning all week for an over-nighter with cousins!

I still baked a chocolate cake...and we still ordered pizza...
....but when Jeff stopped to pick up the pizza on his way home,
he thought it was for the family.

When he arrived home, it was just me {dressed up} and a pretty table lit with candles.
I can't remember when the last time was we had a dinner, at home, alone, together!
So fun. So romantic. So perfect.

The next morning we went for breakfast.
Again...so fun.

I can't tell you how nice it was to have time together.
To talk. To not be interrupted. To just laugh...it was amazing.
Time alone is vital for your marriage!
Time alone keeps your relationship in balance.
Time alone reminds you how in love you are with each other.

It was Jeff's turn to preach in church Sunday morning...he spent most of Saturday night studying.
After church, while the snow continued to fall outside...
...we said we would lay down for 15 minutes....an hour and a half later...there we were.

Over the past few days, 19.2 inches of snow has fallen.
My kids have loved every.single.flake.

Hope your week was off to a great start.
XxOo

I don't want my own apartment anymore.

My perfect house gets messy...

...but I have a dependable and thorough clean up crew.

Quiet mornings are often interrupted by little chatterings...
....but I now know listening is precious and moments are fleeting.

A fresh pot of coffee is sometimes empty before I get a cup...
....but Hey! French Press to the rescue!

Our backs will often ache in the morning...
....but he won't be climbing in bed with us too much longer. {sniff, sniff}

We're expecting another big snowstorm tomorrow...
...but our shoveling staff is always on top of things.

I told the nice lady at Anthro I'd go online so I didn't have to carry more than 2 mugs....
....but there are more mugs in the world, right? {sigh}
{I want to know who the people are that ordered the rest of MY mugs.
....I'm coming for you.}

We endured through the beginning process....
....but now they play so well..I could listen all day long!

I tell them I'm going to get my own apartment that stays clean and
organized and always smells good and nothing ever gets broken...
....but after having half of my kids gone this week...I don't want it anymore.


I'll take them and the mess and the chaos and the nine million dollar grocery bill!
These days I will miss very, very, very much.
I have a blessed life.

XxOo

Wrapping up the week....with last weekend and now I'm dreaming of Chicago pizza.

One of my favorite times to have a weekend in Chicago is mid-winter.
Lines are short. Clearance sales are fantastic. Hotels are cheap!!! and parks are empty.
...and sometimes you're blessed to have amazing weather like we did!
Saturday was 59 degrees! in January! We'll take it.

Last weekend while Jeff and the older boys had a "man's weekend" with his brother
and his nephew, I took the girls {and Frankie} down to the city.

We hopped on the train Friday evening and stayed until Sunday afternoon.
We walked and walked...and ate doughnuts and pizza.

We made a deals like...
I could stay in Anthropologie for as long as I wanted, trying on as many things as I wanted...
{I found the best jeans and the loveliest mugs}
..and they could stay in Dylan's Candy Bar as long as they wanted,
looking at the exact same candy that is there every.single.time. we visit the store. ;)

{Thanks to everyone who gave us gift cards for Christmas....
...our weekend hardly cost a thing! Ha!}

Elevator and cab rides were pretty much the highlight for the littlest.

"Can we take a taxi?..I've never been in one." {he has had many cab rides by the way..haha}
"Didn't you just ride in one last night?"
"Yes, but not a green one..I've never been in a green one." Now that is true.
We did not wait for a green one. ;) ..maybe next time.

I am laughing way to hard at this.
{thanks Nicole}

Cute little love song I've been listening to all week.

I am a Chicago style pizza lover... first time eating here.
I was impressed.

Something I've been thinking about today...
Jeff this morning sent me a question from the commentary in his devotion..
"When we pray, do we go to God as a customer of His or a child of His?
Ouch! I think I often go as a customer.
How easy it is to become selfish in life and in our prayer life.
We need to remember Who we are talking to when we pray.
The King of the universe.

Hope you have a great weekend.
We are expecting a big snowstorm..and I'm looking forward to it.

HaPpY Friday.
XxOo