Guest House { weeks 17-20 }

Not sure where the last month has come and gone... but we are another month down. The last of the siding up top by the dormers was completed, as well as all the roof flashing to make sure there will be no leaks... and it's safe to say, the outside of the guest house is done (minus the landscaping, some gutters, and a paint job...) So now, we begin to move to the inside... which is a slower process but exciting. The hubby started drilling all the holes for the water lines (in the bathroom) and for the electrical... Other than that, he's been squatting in the guest house the last (almost) two weeks... with being on nights, he retreats to the unfinished space with our spare mattress, blankets and a space heater... and sleeps during the day, to escape from all the noise going on in the house. More pictures to come of the inside, but I'll have to wait until it's vacant during the day. For now, the kids are enjoying all the holes in the yard (that fill with rainfall water) and the dirt piles that still need to be graded... The landscaping will all come together in the spring.

Full Table and a Full Belly

Every year, Thanksgiving is up there, with what I look most forward to (it rivals with the arrival of spring, PNW summers, and that snow globe snowfall that we get here in our parts of Washington.)  This year, I was a little hesitant for the holiday to arrive... mostly because the hubby was working nights for two weeks, through the holiday. When one of us is out of synch... it messes with all of our routines/rhythms.  I was determined to cook up a yummy meal despite his schedule change... and with the help of all the little hands, we managed to pull it off. The day before, I made the voyage to the grocer with all 5 kids in tow... I was just going to wing it... but Charlotte insisted we needed a list. She knows what my scattered brain needs... or is a natural list lover... either way, it was super helpful. While everyone was melting down (usually they're soooooo good at grocery store runs, but for some reason, this time it was pretty awful) that list, saved us... I ordered a pre-rubbed turkey from our natural, local grocer... that saved us as well. Anyone else not like to handle the raw bird? Since the hubby was sleeping while the bird needed to be prepped and put in the oven... I went with the second best thing... paying a little extra to have someone do it for you. That left me with pies (which I made gluten free this year) and some simple/staple sides. Friends showed up right in time for the cranberry and brie... and we sat down shortly after for our meal. It was a great day... thankful for a full table and a full belly.

I Want To Remember part 10

With Thanksgiving just a day away, these are the things I want to remember, but with a thankful twist...

-  After the twins were born, I was delivered a meal from the hospital cafeteria... and was given milk in a carton. Usually I would have overlooked it, because... it's milk. But, I gave it a try, and then immediately asked my husband to get a few more cartons for me, it was THAT good. When I looked at the carton, I noticed it was a brand I had never tried before.. Smith Brothers, made here in Washington, in a town not too far away (just a quick 30 minute drive)... I vowed from that day on, that I would never buy any other milk. Over the years, we've fallen in love with their half and half for our coffee, and chocolate milk... we make weekly runs to one of our mom and pop grocer's to buy it. A few weeks ago, I decided it was time... time to look into having it delivered (I knew they delivered a year ago, but just didn't think that it would be something for us to use, since we drink SO much of it), because I made a run to that local grocer, and they were OUT of our favorite milk and cream. Milk delivery has been LIFE... I couldn't recommend it more, if you live nearby.

-  All the flowers are starting to die down for the season. I've begun cutting some of the plants back, and raking out the flower beds... dahlia tubers have been dug up and divided. Wow what a process that has been... to dig up the tubers... to see how they have multiplied over time. It's a little nerving... washing them off and getting them ready to divide. They're fragile little things, but if done correctly, I could have gone from 6 dahlia plants (that I planted this spring/summer) to over 30 for next year. There's something so cool about that, and as much of a tedious process that tends to be for farmers who have 100's... it's such a fascinating process for me. One that I'm excited to explore even more when all the kids are off in school. This could be "my thing"... I'm thankful for that dream.

-  The days have begun getting darker earlier and earlier. Fairly sure that the sun sets near 4 o'clock... which is really difficult for this light loving lady. But what the darkness is good for, is for hunkering down and cuddling and getting to bed earlier for all the littles...

-  With the days being shorter, our time frame for that daylight is at an awkward time of the day. By the time the girls are off the bus, the sun is setting. It makes us relish in the light during the weekends... and the kids have been SO creative. They're picking mushrooms (not for eating) and old flower buds, and building flower stands, and grocery stores.... I love watching their imaginations go wild. The twins are learning from them... and it's precious. We take walks around the yard, discovering parts that we haven't yet experienced... Making the most of the daylight that we are given.

-  Charlotte is starting to work on "projects" more and more at school... getting her ready for middle school. She recently shared with us her slides for her "human body" report... and it took every ounce of me not to CRACK UP WITH LAUGHTER while she read it out loud. It's precious... she's precious...

-  The twins are starting to hug each other and love on one another more and more... Before they go to sleep (for nap or bedtime) they NEED to hug one another... and say "night night!" It's kind of their routine, and it's kind of cute... okay, it's really cute.

-  When I ask Finn to do something... his reply is always, "Okay, my cute cute Mama"... alright child, you're my favorite.

-  Marley, for awhile, was experiencing night terrors, every night. They would last for about 1-2 minutes... and they were scary. She'd scream and not recognize me or her Dad, when she'd call out for help... it was traumatizing for us. Mostly because, she didn't realize what was happening, and definitely didn't know it even happened the next morning when we'd talk to her about it. We bought a weighted blanket for her, and created a new night time routine for her: teeth brushing, potty, tucked in with a prayer, and then an audio plays for her to decompress any harbored anxiety... it's soothing, and seems to have done the trick. She occasionally has a few seconds of an outburst every couple of days, but for the most part, we hardly hear a peep from her anymore... and boy is that good for all of us.