The Slice of Fall

Outside My Window - Today the sun is shining brightly and it's cold. The grass and rooftops are covered in white frost. Beautiful! The photo above was taken several weeks ago on a girl's weekend getaway to the beach. It was beautiful too.

From The Kitchen - The kids are cutting pieces of leftover pumpkin pie to have as a second breakfast. Today's lunch will be snack left over from Thanksgiving AND dinner will be leftovers that my mom sent home with us. Yum! I will be hoarding the gravy. So good.

Also from the kitchen is a huge stack of dishes waiting for me. Phooey.

I Am Thankful - This morning I'm especially thankful that Cam didn't have to go to work. He was on call. He got up early and took Mr. P to his basketball tournament....an early game. I'm thankful I was able to stay home with a the other kids in our pjs. Sis has a bad cold and needs to rest and stay inside today.

I Am Wearing - Ummmm.....pjs. Of course. Really cute new ones....polka dotted pj pants and polka dotted night gown. AND my new favorite thing, a cardigan, made of cozy sweatshirt fabric with a fleece lined shawl collar. It's like a warm robe but short like a bed jacket. I'm in LOVE with it. And slippers on my feet. Toasty warm.

I Am Creating - I took my sewing machine out of deep storage recently and have been sewing up a storm. I have three quilts ready to have the backing attached. So fun! 

I Am Going - Outside today! A nice walk in the sunshine. No shopping for me. Don't get me wrong...I love shopping but not on Black Friday. Ever. I think the whole world should stay home in pjs and eat leftovers....oh, and go for a walk.

I Am Reading - I just finished Little House In the Big Woods. I read it outlaid to the kids...mostly George was my audience. It was fun reading the other night when we had a huge windstorm and no power. We had candle light and lanterns and we could imagine ourselves right in the Little House. Although we ate cereal and bagels for dinner instead of cooking on a nice hot wood stove.

I Am Hearing - Rocket is chewing a dog bone. Sis is petting his head and telling him, "oh, I love you", in her best baby voice. Tuba is laughing and I can hear George and Moses talking in their room as they clean it. Actually, they are singing, "shake shake shake, shake your booty". They are hilarious! I guess shaking your booty helps you clean faster.

I Am Planning - I'll put Thanksgiving/fall decor away today in preparation for Christmas decor. We usually get our tree this weekend...we shall see. What I'm really planning is to have a chill holiday season. So far so good. I have taken a few things off of my annual festivities and I'm feeling calmer this year. I plan to do less, go less places, decorate less, cook less, entertain less and ENJOY more. Slow down and soak in my kids and have peace. 

One Of My Favorite Things - Books! And kids reading. It's so wonderful to see my kids reading and enjoying a good book. 

Other favorite things.

Hummingbirds

Geese flying overhead

An afternoon coffee with cream

Having my hair brushed

Dark chocolate

Glitter

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week - Basketball tournament, indoor soccer game, tree shopping and tree trimming, church...and that's just the weekend. 

A Picture Thought I'm Sharing - 

It's a Dog's Life - And a boy's life. 

The Spring Slice

It's A Dog's Life -

Outside My Window - Sunshine!! And wind. I can see the trees blowing and swaying. But, the sun is amazing! The sky is brilliant blue with white puffy clouds. The trees are bright shades of green and lots of beautiful bright pinks, reds, and orange blooms on rhododendron and azaleas.

From The Kitchen - Meatloaf for dinner. Yum! Some of my people didn't used to like meatloaf but the last time I made it I put BBQ sauce on top before I cooked it and now...viola...they all like it. I love baked potatoes and green salad with my meatloaf.

Also I have a roast ready to go into the oven. George and I watched a YouTube video on making the best roast beef sandwich. We are slow roasting the meat....which has been rubbed in olive oil, coarse salt, pepper and rosemary. After cooking it to a perfect rare tenderness I will put it in the fridge over night and then thinly slice for sandwiches. Oh...it's going to be good.

I Am Thankful - I've gone on several field trips each year with my kids. I love going! I'm lucky that I am able to go so often.


I Am Wearing - It's a miracle people! I'm wearing clothes. Not sweats, not pj pants. I'm wearing dark navy jeans, white t-shirt, denim long sleeve shirt....and slippers....but I have my hair fixed AND jewelry on. It feels like a Sunday....since that's really the only regular day I wear an outfit, with cute hair and accessories. Alas, it's a Thursday but I'm trying something new....it's called WEAR THE CLOTHES IN YOUR CLOSET BECKY!

I Am Creating - A flower garden with the kids. We tried vegetable gardening two years ago and it was okay but really the plot is so small and the hedge next to the plot isn't so great for the garden. This year we picked out some flower seeds and started them in Dixie cups. It's been fun to watch them sprout up. This weekend we will put them into the plot. We hope to have lots of beautiful flowers for cutting and also for just looking at in the garden.

I Am Going - Camping this summer! Yeah! The kids are over the moon excited. We are renting a camper...that's the best part!!

I Am Reading - I'm almost done with Gone Girl. I saw the movie with Cam. HOLY MOLY!! So, I decided to read the book for more info. Actually, the movie is very close to the book. When I'm done with it I will start my book club book called The Girl With All The Gifts.

I Am Hearing - A lawn mower buzz in the neighborhood. My dog snoring and George in his room cleaning up. 

I Am Planning - Cam has a new job. Well, same job as an ICU ARNP but he is changing over to the surgical ICU and his schedule is changing. This is a BIG change for us. He will work very long 13 hour days. But, he will work three days one, one off (Sunday), then three more on and then.....SEVEN days off. Yeah!!

Cam is excited to the max! I'm of course excited too but it is going to be new...and different and have it's own challenges.

This week he is trying out the new schedule so he had the weekend off and then Mon.-Wed. off too. That was nice!! He was a huge help around the house and with the kids. Now we are onto the part of the week where he is working the 13 hour days. Eeeeek!! So the planning for me is crucial. For example tonight Moses has practice and usually Cam is home to hang with the other kids but tonight I've got to take everyone with me. Tomorrow same thing...plus pick up and drop off the other 5 boys in the carpool for Mr. P's team. Good thing my van seats 12!

So, I'm busy planning dinner so it's ready on time, and packing a bag of items for the kids to do in the car during practice. Then home and into bed before Cam will even get home.

One Of My Favorite Things - This year Mr. P and Moses are both playing Flag Football. I LOVE watching my kids play sports. LOVE!! I don't follow any pro sports...don't watch the games on TV or live nor do I read about them. The sport's page is just fire starter around here.

But, I adore cheering for and watching my kids play. They've played soccer, basketball, and flag football for team sports. It's the best!! Go Team!!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week - The rest of the week will be busy and tough without my help mate. I'm going to plan accordingly and pace myself. School to sports to bed...repeat. Then Saturday games and planting our flowers. 

A Picture Thought I'm Sharing -

The Slice - Let It Snow

The Slice

We had a snow day awhile back....way back before the Christmas busyness. But, I wanted to post the pics. I thought I'd just intersperse the photos on today's post.

Outside My Window - Foggy mist that's burned off some. I can now see the water and the sun is just starting to come through. Just in time for it to set behind the mountains. The water is still and there are a few boats out today. I don't see any eagles soaring today....they are my favorite.

From The Kitchen - It will be left over Mac n Cheese for dinner tonight. Yummy! It's Martha Stewart's recipe with sharp white cheddar and Gruyere cheeses. Delicious!

For after school snack we just had popcorn. I pop the kernels in olive oil and then sprinkle with a little coarse salt. It's the BEST popcorn in the world!! My friend Joy told me how to make it....so I call it Joy Popcorn.

I Am Thinking - About Spring. Do you start dreaming of springtime as soon as the new year begins? I do! I have a few daffodils pushing through the dirt and it's getting me so excited. Plus, each day is giving me a couple more minutes of daylight. Yes!

I Am Thankful - For healthy kids. We had very sick kids over the holiday break. More on that when I post about Christmas.

I Am Wearing - Black and grey running tights, lavender tshirt, purple pullover hoodie, hot pink socks and new black slippers. Cozy! And yes I did work out today and haven't changed out of my gear.

I Am Creating - Really I'm not doing anything creative. Before Christmas I made some fun Christmas pillows for the living room. The kids and I made pillows and little sleeping bags for some of their stuffed animals/dolls. It was a blast and they loved learning how to sew. I love sewing and wish I had more time to make things. I keep telling myself that I'm going to make the time. Perhaps now that the kids want to sew I will do it.

I Am Going - To a dear friend's bridal shower this weekend. Very excited! Sis will get to come with me...she is the flower girl.

I Am Reading - For book club I am starting The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I am also excited to read my new magazine....Country Living. I love magazines! I subscribe to Sunset, Real Simple, Cooking Light, and Better Homes and Gardens.

I Am Hoping - To take a yoga class next month. I am not a very flexible person and it really helps my tight muscles.

I Am Hearing - Sis, George and Tuba are painting with water color paints and chatting about our friend's wedding. The other boys are downstairs practicing piano and visiting.

I Am Planning - Our summer vacation....and hoping for a small get away for our spring break. Plans depend on finances.

Around The House - Things are getting back in order after the chaos of of Christmas and the holiday break. I have one tree still up. It's an artificial tree in my bedroom and it's decorated with my teddy bear collection. I thinking of leaving it up right through Valentine's Day. It has lots of red and white and th

e lights are so pretty...and what the heck....I like it.

One Of My Favorite Things - At the end of the day I love to sit and chat with Cam. We often sit in our room (he on the window seat and me in the warm cozy bed) and visit about our day. He really is my best friend and I enjoy our time catching up.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week - It's Cam and my 18th wedding anniversary this weekend. We are going out for appetizers and drinks to our favorite Thai place. Yummy! I'm really looking forward to a night out to celebrate.

A Picture Thought I'm Sharing -