• parented.
  • ate.
  • created.
  • learned.
  • gave thanks.
  • About Me
  • Home

2015

Strong – One Little Word – 2015

Posted by Carolyn on December 31, 2015 1 Comment

My word for 2015 was STRONG.  I wanted to increase my strength in many ways.  I wanted to show my girls what a strong woman looks like.  I wanted to strengthen my body, my mind, and my relationships.

I had plans of getting my wrist party everyday.  I wanted to do a sun salutation everyday.  I wanted to floss more often.  I didn’t do all of these things.  I didn’t increase my physical strength much at all.

The thing about STRONG as my word was that it was hard to find tangible ways to incorporate it into my daily life.  Not like GRATITUDE in 2014.

When I started thinking about this post, I thought it would be a post about how I failed my word this year.

Then I kept thinking… I thought about this past year.  Let me tell you, this past year was a doozy.

We started the year with Jesse in a new job.  A new job that, from the start, wasn’t a good fit for our family.  He was working long hours – going to work before the girls were awake, coming home for dinner, and going back to work after the girls were in bed.

The company had some internal problems, and Jesse’s position ended up being eliminated.  I have never been more relieved to hear about someone being laid off.  I knew that a period of unemployment would be hard on our family, but I also knew that it wouldn’t be long, and that Jesse needed a rest.

I worked as much as possible during that month, but also took some days off so we could be together as a family.

After only about a month of unemployment, Jesse was offered an amazing job at the University.

Looking back at the first half of the year, I remember the stress, the tensity, the long hours, the time spent missing Jesse, and know that I was strong.  I was strong to be able to support Jesse during those months.  Strong to support the girls.  Strong to keep my shit together.  Those months seem like forever ago, the feel like a dream.

Actually, now it feels like we’re in the dream.  Jesse loves his job.  He loves where he works.  I love visiting him there.  I’m so proud to tell people what he does and where he works.  His job is making a difference in the world.  He’s part of something important and worthwhile.

This year, Jesse and I also celebrated being married for a whole decade.  We took the time to renew our vows in front of our daughters, our friends, and family.  The past ten years haven’t been easy, but they have been fun.  I feel the strength of our marriage, and the strength of our commitment to each other and to our family.

Anyhow, all this just to say that I have surprised myself with the strength I’ve shown this past year.  My strength didn’t show itself in the ways that I expected, but it has shown itself in ways that were necessary.  We have come through a tough time, and we’ve come our ahead.  If that isn’t strong, I don’t know what is.

Photos by Katrina Henry, Edited by Me

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
Posted in: gave thanks., gratitude, learned., one little word, STRONG | Tagged: 2015, marriage, one little word, strong

Autumn To Do List, Wrap-up

Posted by Carolyn on December 29, 2015 Leave a Comment

Here’s our updated list from Autumn.  I have to say I’m surprise at how many of these items we got checked off.  Autumn was a fun season full of family, friends, holidays, pumpkins, apples, and gratitude.

Look for our Winter To Do List tomorrow!

  1. Drink hot cider.
  2. Drink pumpkin beer. We did this, and compared and rated all the best (and worst) of 2015! 
  3. Go to the pumpkin patch. Yes, we did this, for sure.  Many times, in fact.
  4. Make art. Hmmm… did I do this?  I don’t really think so.  Unless you count the December Daily album.
  5. Make Halloween costumes. Little Red Riding Hood and her Big Bad Wolf. 
  6. Go trick or treating. Yes, we braved the rain (and still have candy leftover!)
  7. Make new Beatrix top. Yep, this time in plaid flannel.
  8. Christmas gifts.
  9. Make apple crisp.
  10. Jump in puddles.
  11. Go on a date.
  12. #30daysof thanksgiving on Instagram.
  13. Go on a hay ride.
  14. Go to a Halloween party.
  15. Find some snow. Thanksgiving at Sun River was full of snow!
  16. Put the garden to bed for the winter.
  17. Decorate for Autumn. Done!
  18. Make Christmas banner for CaroMade. It’s up on my Etsy shop! But I did forget to put it up for Christmas…
  19. Prep the December Daily album.
  20. Get some Advent things ready like:
    1. The Goodness Gnomes (or whatever they will end up being.. I bought some little fairy things at the Country Fair this year).
    2. Other traditions for Christmastime/ Advent.
  21. Drink tea. Done!  That one was easy!
  22. Do a puzzle.  Oh how I tried.  Puzzles and toddlers don’t mix.
  23. Eat some cheese.
  24. Plan our 10th Anniversary Party.
  25. Go to the library.

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
Posted in: 35 Until 35, gave thanks., learned. | Tagged: 2015, autumn, autumn to do, to do, to do list

Autumn To Do List, 2015

Posted by Carolyn on September 23, 2015 Leave a Comment

It’s the first day of Autumn!  Officially!  Finally! Here are some photos from last Autumn and a list of things to do this Autumn.  Feel free to play along!andthenthey autumn to do 6 andthenthey autumn to do 5 andthenthey autumn to do 4 andthenthey autumn to do 3 andthenthey autumn to do 2 andthenthey autumn to do 1

  1. Drink hot cider.
  2. Drink pumpkin beer.
  3. Go to the pumpkin patch.
  4. Make art.
  5. Make Halloween costumes.
  6. Go trick or treating.
  7. Make new Beatrix top.
  8. Christmas gifts.
  9. Make apple crisp.
  10. Jump in puddles.
  11. Go on a date.
  12. #30daysof thanksgiving on Instagram.
  13. Go on a hay ride.
  14. Go to a Halloween party.
  15. Find some snow.
  16. Put the garden to bed for the winter.
  17. Decorate for Autumn. Done!
  18. Make Christmas banner for CaroMade.
  19. Prep the December Daily album.
  20. Get some Advent things ready like:
    1. The Goodness Gnomes (or whatever they will end up being.. I bought some little fairy things at the Country Fair this year).
    2. Other traditions for Christmastime/ Advent.
  21. Drink tea. Done!  That one was easy!
  22. Do a puzzle.
  23. Eat some cheese.
  24. Plan our 10th Anniversary Party.
  25. Go to the library.

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
Posted in: 35 Until 35, gave thanks., gratitude, learned., parented. | Tagged: 2015, autumn, autumn to do, to do, to do list

Summer To Do List, Wrap-up!

Posted by Carolyn on September 22, 2015 Leave a Comment

Here are some updates from our summer to do list.  I think we did quite a good job checking things off the list.  We didn’t get to everything, but we got to a lot!  At the beginning of the summer, I was so anxious and scared about what I was going to do to keep all of us entertained for the entire summer.  It all worked out and we had lots of fun.  We got into a groove and had lots of help.

  • Pick a summer theme song. Right now I’m thinking of something by Jenny Lewis or Rilo Kiley.  We just saw Jenny last week, so I’m on a Jenny/Rilo kick.  Or I might throw back to some of my favorite summers, and go with a Dave Matthews song.  DMB songs always make me think of summer.
    I decided on Budapest because it’s fun, it’s on the radio a lot, and Peter just did a cool version.
  • Take, and post to Instagram, a photo every day, starting June 21st and ending September 22nd – the first and last days of summer.  Recently I’ve gotten into sharing my day to day stuff on Snapchat, and haven’t been posting as much on Instagram.  I think I’ll look back and wish I’d taken more permanent documentation of these days.  This summer, I will post (at least) one photo a day and I’ll use the hashtag #93summerdays if you want to play along! I did this pretty well!  The past few weeks, I sort of stopped because it hasn’t felt very summery.  I did have one friend play along, and it was fun to see our photos together in the #93summerdays on Instagram.  Thanks for playing, Meredith!
  • Run through the sprinklers.  I tend to be an observer in this activity.  I vow to participate this summer. I did this a couple times, but I also got in the kiddie pool, too!
  • Play outside everyday.  This is a long-term goal to get my kids to play outside everyday, rain or shine or snow or fog or whatever.  I think they’re getting to be old enough, and creative enough that I can start this.  Best to start in the summer, I figure! Not sure we did this absolutely everyday, but pretty darn close!
  • Have a dinner of corn on the cob.  When corn is in season, there’s nothing better. Nope. We had some good corn, but not a full meal.  Then we started Whole30 and couldn’t eat corn anymore at all.
  • Go to a concert. We went to a few of the free concerts at the Hult Center.  It was fun to have things to do out on the town.
  • Stargaze with Alma. Ideally, I want to take her out into the country or wilderness where stars are brighter.  I think it would be fun to let her stay up late (or get her up) and take her out, just the two of us. Nope.  It got dark way too late for this.  Maybe we’ll bundle up and do it this winter.
  • KonMari Method everything. This will likely be an entire blog post, but I have read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and am in the process of getting rid of things that don’t spark joy.  It’s already been incredible, I can’t wait to continue. We are soooo close to being done!  I did the photographs last weekend, and there are just a few boxes in the attic to tackle.  I’ve been waiting for it to cool down so it’s not an oven up there. 
  • Go on a day date with Jesse. 
  • Hike.
  • Camp.  We went to my parents’ annual campout for Harriet’s first camping trip.  She loved it and we all had fun!
  • Ride bikes.  We didn’t ride as much as I thought we would…
  • Make lemonade from scratch.  Nope.
  • Watch fireworks.  Big ones this year, I think. Nope.  Next year.
  • Build a sandcastle. In Coronado, Alma spent lots of time digging and building and ruining sand castles.
  • Make ice cream from scratch.
    We made a cherry dark chocolate ice cream.  I liked it, Alma didn’t, Jesse was indifferent, Harriet likes anything.
  • Redecorate the living room – specifically the mantel. It still is covered in Easter decorations.  Come on.  Jesus has already ascended into Heaven and we’re fully in a new church season.  Seriously, Carolyn. We did this, but now it’s time to do it again!
  • Go to the beach.  This should be easy.  We have another vacation to Coronado planned. Yep.  Alma loved it, Harriet fell asleep every time we went to play in the waves.
  • Go to the mountains.
  • Bake a crisp, or other summery dessert.   Blueberry cobbler ftw.
  • Swim in nature – ocean, river, lake, stream.
  • Eat wild berries. Nope.  What?  How did we miss this?
  • Make s’mores.
  • Take each Harriet and Alma on an adventure, just us.  I don’t think we really did this… I mean, I spent some time with each of them, but not on purpose.
  • Plan our tenth anniversary celebration.  Ten years!  What? We are still working on this one…
  • Learn how to shop at thrift stores.  They totally overwhelm me and I never buy anything.  I love to idea of not wearing new clothes – better for earth, better for the workers who make clothes, cheaper – I just don’t know how to do it. Nope.  Someday, maybe!
  • Go to the Country Fair. Photos here!
  • Go to new parks.  Maybe try for all the parks in Eugene?  Is that crazy?  Anyone want to attempt this with us? We went to lots of new parks and found some new favorites! 
  • Shop at the farmer’s market as often as possible.  Maybe make it a weekly activity. We never really made it to the farmer’s market, but we went to the farm a lot!  I decided it would be much easier with the girls to go somewhere that they can run around, feed goats, climb in hay, etc.
  • Have a water balloon fight. Ugh!  We never did this!  Boo!
  • Buy some treats from the ice cream truck. I tried hard for this one.  We never even saw an ice cream truck, darn it!  A couple times after the kids were in bed I heard one in the distance…
  • Go to the library.  Another weekly activity? We went a lot, but not weekly.
  • Swim in a pool. We went to my parents’ club pool a few times.  Both girls love being in the water.  Alma got really brave with jumping off, and even went off the diving board!
  • Tie dye something. Nope.
  • Go berry picking. Nope.

 

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
Posted in: 35 Until 35, gave thanks., learned., parented., writing | Tagged: 2015, summer, summer to do list, to do, to do list
If God said, ‘Rumi pay homage to everything that has helped you enter my arms,’ there would not be one experience of my life, not one thought, not one feeling, nor any act, I would not bow to. -Rumi

Recent Posts

  • 3 for 1 Pumpkin Brew Fest (2019, 2021, 2022)
  • Pumpkin Beer Fest 2020
  • SEPTEMBER 2019: Currently
  • Dear Harriet, Age 6
  • OCTOBER 2018: CURRENTLY

Archives

Categories

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2023 and then they....

Theme by ThemeHall.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.