Week 5: Looking Back on This Past Week + What I’m Reading, Listening to, and Watching!

Welcome to my weekly post where I share some photos and highlights from the past week + what I’m reading, watching, and listening to. I also share links to posts or other interesting things that I don’t want you to miss.

This past week has been fun with lots of snow and ice here. From Saturday to Tuesday, things were closed at our place and we stayed at home. Wednesday was the first time I left the house and it was a little surreal. I didn’t expect how bad it was going out in my neighborhood (see video here).

We have lots of indoor activities (see a video here for a sneak peek at our two snow days).

I did quite a bit of baking – including making homemade sourdough bagels and trying to make Garbanzo Bean brownies – which was disappointing.

It’s been a week since the snow storm and we still have snow on the ground in places and many are still without power here! (We never lost power somehow – which we still can’t believe because MANY did!)

Since it was very cold and they were recovering from illness + it was very snowy and there were a lot of branches falling at the beginning, they stayed inside for six days (and I had to work most of those days so that I was not as available as I would have liked to be), so they started going crazy on Day 5. But we survived and I kept thinking how many blessings we had, warm water, warm water, and plenty, warm water, so much water!

We made Energy Bites together and we did lots of LEGO buildings and games and we made chocolate cake and we read and we did lots of workbooks and we watched quite a few shows. I was really excited when it was announced that school would be back on Friday! 🙂

I LOVE this sweater — and it’s still on sale for two more days! Get the deal here.

On Thursday, the roads were opened enough for us to visit Kathrynne in Murfreesboro for her 21st birthday. Jesse and I went to take him out for lunch.

It was so special to meet just the three of us! We went out to eat at a new place for us (Goat). It was fun!! And we talked about his future and some opportunities on the table for him right now. He sought our advice and opinions and took notes as we shared.

I’ve said it before but it’s worth repeating: watching your kids as adults is wild and weird and oh so beautiful!!

You spend years pouring so much into them and taking care of them and meeting their practical needs and taking them places and washing them and cooking them lunch… and then one day, they’re fully grown, sitting on their own, taking care of every detail of their lives, and asking you for advice on their future.

And you sit there and you realize that all those days, weeks, months, and years of washing and cooking and LEGOs and listening and answering questions and having difficult conversations and silly inside jokes… it all added up, even though it felt mundane and insignificant most of the time.

A reminder to you moms in the trenches: it’s worth it! And you actually work without a job!

In this year of not setting goals and significantly reducing my work hours, I am learning to love and depend on my “Grandma Hobbies” — baking, watercoloring, puzzles, and now crocheting. And I find something surprising… these hobbies not only bring me great joy, they also control my nervous system!

I finished this scarf for Kierstyn this week (I still need to add the hem) and I couldn’t believe the level of fulfillment I felt in creating something with my hands like this (and, she was so excited about it!!)

When I first started working with my functional medicine doctor, he told me that my nervous system was always in a fight mode. That I basically live on adrenaline and I’m always in this mental and emotional state of being ready for whatever the next big challenge is going to be – whether it’s work, kids, another situation, etc.

He has been gently encouraging me that it is not healthy for my body – especially for a long time – to live in a state of hyper-vigilance where I cannot let my body relax and breathe fully.

I had been like this for a long time (we’re talking YEARS!) I didn’t know because it had become my routine. And it was a process of finding out how to stop living on adrenaline. But little by little I am freeing myself from bad habits and patterns and learning to control my nervous system.

And things like watercolor and crochet and watching cool shows like When Calls the Heart and sitting still and slowing down have been so good for my soul. It’s like I can take a deep breath and actually see, hear, and feel my surroundings in a whole new way!

Now I’m thinking of knitting and picking up embroidery and tinkering more in the kitchen and even gardening (after a break of over 20 years!)… because I love this slow pace of life and creative space!

What “grandma hobbies” should I try next??

Psst! If you want to learn how to crochet, check this out! Just $0.75 for an entire academic year!!

Since he had a free school schedule on Friday, we went out for lunch during the day, which was great! Also, I forget how tall he is until we stand next to each other!!

He and I had a little date on Friday after school and before the basketball game!

I have been teaching her how to cook and she loves it and is getting better at making things herself!

Kaitlynn did my hair on Saturday!

Being a cosmetology school guinea pig is the best — I get to hang out with my girl, practice, get pampered, bring my laptop and phone to do some work, and leave with perfectly done hair!

We started a new tradition and went out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate our 21st birthday. We told Silas and Kaitlynn that they would be able to pick out the best restaurant for their 21st birthdays, and Silas immediately went ahead and added a reminder to his Google calendar six years from now! 🙂 (It was Silas’ first time going to a restaurant with a dress code and boyfriends came, and we had such a great time!)

Happy 21st birthday to the girl who made me a mother! Kathrynne: What a gift you are to my life – and to everyone who knows you!

This past year, you’ve gone through some really tough things – from health battles, to heartbreaking situations, to taking on new responsibilities in your life. I have watched you face the storms and challenges of life with perseverance and maturity beyond your years.

You are an old soul who cares deeply about everyone you know, who wants to know what you believe and why you believe it, and you listen to others and want to hear their stories and get along well with them. I love that about you — although sometimes I have to remind you that you can’t carry everyone else’s burdens and you need to let other people carry yours, too!

You are such a servant – always going out of your way to do things to bless and help and make others happy. You’re funny too – a few days ago, you and your roommate made me laugh so hard on the phone that I was crying.

And you amaze me with all the things you do, all the people you hang out with, and how you always have time to talk and listen to me, too.

This year has been filled with so many special memories together – including our spring break trip just the two of us! It means a lot to me that you always want to hang out with me and introduce me to your friends!

Above all, your love for Jesus shines brightly in you! I am excited to see His plans come true for you this year as you continue to seek Him and trust Him for your future! You are one person and I love you so much!!

Books I Finished This Week

And He Woke Up – This book is touching but also hopeful about the story of a writer who lost her husband in a tragic bicycle accident. It’s a story of great loss but also great redemption – and how he chose to live when he felt like his life was falling apart.

What I’m listening to

I haven’t listened to anything this past week as it’s been snowing inside/frozen so I haven’t been driving (which is usually when I’m listening.

What I’m watching

I continue to watch When Calls the Heart during some of my afternoon work that I can easily do while I’m working. I finished season 4 last week and I’m just starting season 5. I honestly can’t believe how much I’m enjoying this show. It sounds like it has a calming effect to me!

In Case You Missed It – This Week’s Post

Chicken Alfredo and Roasted Carrots ($10 Family Dinner Idea) – Your whole family will love this hearty family dinner with creamy chicken Alfredo and caramelized carrots – and it all comes together in less than 45 minutes for under $10!

Brigette’s $104 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 4! — See what my sister, Brigette, bought

This week’s Podcast Episode:

Tell me about your week! Something interesting happening? Did you read any good books, watch any good shows, or do any projects?