currently

currently...

planning :  to take this painting of my grandmother in my hometown and have it reframed so that it can go up in the dining room.  My Aunt painted it years ago; for a while it hung in my parents' entryway but then I wanted it.  Yay Christmas money!

hoping :  to get a little more serious about this blog.  I would LOVE to try to post 3 times a week... I am still trying to figure out a direction I want to take in those regards.  This blog started out being about our move and medical life, and then went almost exclusively to Myles, so I need to do some more dreaming and thinking about what I want this to be.

baking :  tonight's dinner was inspired by a recent trip to Macaroni Grill last week.  Myles LOVED the spinach and cheese manicotti and so I thought I would attempt to make such a thing Kyle friendly by throwing in some ground chicken to the filling.  So these are my chicken, ricotta and spinach manicotti with a basil and garlic tomato sauce.  Semi-homemade for the win.  (Boxed pasta and jarred sauce).  I tried to get it assembled during Myles' afternoon nap but had to finish with him crying in the floor.  Yay toddlerhood and teething.

wearing :  I really do love the look of long tops and leggings during the fall/winter when I can but unfortunately I just don't really own any long-enough tops (and having a terrible time finding any).  So out comes the summer too short (for me) to wear as a real summer dress so I wear it as a bathing suit cover-up, and since it is some great muted colors... turns into a long top with a cozy sweater and boots for the currently not too freezing SC winter weather.

resolving :  to be more present.  To put the phone down more often.  To take in what is happening instead of trying to find that perfect angle for the perfect photo.  To listen more and talk less.

As usual, I am linking up with Anne and Jenna today!  Thanks for hosting ladies!

Christmas 2014

Taking a break from my December hiatus (Kyle is on a relaxed rotation so free time is all family time) to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas this year!  Just wanted to share our yearly pajama bed pile up photo like last year.  What a year of differences in this photo!  Weight lost (me), weight gained (mini man), new glasses, new bedding, smiles all around!  My family for years and years have given each other pajamas and piled into the bed for the yearly family photo.  I have been so excited to carry this on in our little family down here in SC.  I picked out Kyle's and Myles', and Kyle picks out mine.  Kyle has some pretty hilarious Star Wars boxers from Target because I thought this year he needed functional PJs.  Every year, he gets sleep pants, and every year, I end up being the only one that wears them (He prefers shorts)!  He saw his gift bag last night and said his PJs looked small this year... he was a good sport about it.  He hiked up those white socks just for me.  One lucky lady right here.  So now Myles and I will enjoy a country ham breakfast with my parents and wait for daddy to get home from work before we open presents.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

currently

currently...

making :  I snatched up a boxwood wreath from Trader Joes this week ($9.99) and some berry branches from the HobLob ($0.59 each after discount).  Just deconstructed the berry branches so that I could spread them through the wreath and tied it to my door.  Pretty happy with the end result!

listening :  I mostly only listen to the local Holiday Music radio station when I'm in my car but I do enjoy my previous church Sojourn's Advent Songs CD.  Also, if you hadn't noticed on any talk show recently, Seth MacFarlane put out his own Christmas CD this year... I haven't heard the whole thing but I'm pretty shocked at how amazing he can sing.

wrapping :  Not really any of our own Christmas presents yet because I know Myles will try to destroy anything I put under the tree right now.  I was introduced to #scarfament this year on Instagram by Danielle Burkleo.  150 people signed up for this national Secret Santa to send their partner a scarf and ornament by Dec 1st and to receive the same from someone else.  I had so much fun getting this together for  my partner... unfortunately according to USPS tracking, she still hasn't received her package.  I had mine waiting for me when I returned from KY last week!  So much fun.

watching :  Everything on the DVR.  I agreed to not watch any of "our" shows while Kyle was gone so we spend all of our free time catching up on those... Agents of SHIELD, Bones, NCIS, White Collar to name a few.  While Kyle is gone, I watch "my" shows.  The Flash, Arrow, Somebodys Gotta Do It... Christmas wise... I always attempt to watch Its a Wonderful Life, the old Rudolph movies and A Christmas Carol.

anticipating :  Next week is Kyle's department Christmas Party.  We had to miss it last year since Myles had just recently been born and we are still trying to secure a babysitter for this time... I am pretty determined to make it this year.  I just really need to go shopping for a fancy winter dress now!