What's new?

Hi friends!
I don't post as often as I used to for a couple of different reasons. 1. I might just not have the time! and 2. Sometimes I feel like I just have a "little bit of something" to share and its not worth a full post.  I thought today I might share what's been going on with us---just some "little bits of somethings". 

I am loving and hating winter right now. I feel like contrary to an earlier post, I am suffering from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  Don't you hate it when you get humbled like that?!  However, I still feel that my family has the best "margin" in the season of winter.  Our farm requires a lot less maintenance in the winter.  We usually chill at the house on the weekends---playing a lot of board games, watching movies, popping popcorn, and cooking together. 

When we do go out it is to Reese's basketball games.  He has really gone nuts for basketball. When we are headed out to school in the morning he pops out to the driveway to shoot a little bit before school. As soon as we hit the driveway back from school he is out on the driveway shooting again.  Oftentimes even in the evenings he will want to shoot with the driveways lights on.  We are enjoying seeing this drive in him and watching him get better because HE wants it. He is learning a lot about playing as a team too---often assisting his team members rather than being the shooter.

Emma has really been more loving with us.  We feel like we are getting to know her better. I know that sounds strange because she is our child, but her personality has changed so much since her toddler days.  She is much more social than Reese and requires different ways of filling that "love tank" of hers.  Her love lanuage is definitely quality time and Marty and I joke that it feels like it will never get filled!! (Marty often says the same about me---my love tank is huge and often requires more and more and more!) 

Those who know me, know that I'm very into natural living. I like household cleaners and hygiene products to be free of chemicals. Lately I switched to goat milk detergent. It is expensive but I can't believe how much better it cleans (and of course is better for your skin.)  I am also loving goat milk lotion sticks particularly the tea trea oil.

I have two bulging discs in my back that have been giving me problems again. I really need another MRI because my chiropractor thinks something might be going on in another area we have not imaged.  My back continuallly goes numb in certain places depending on my position and what I'm doing. At times this numbness will extend to my extremities, more specifically my hands.  That can be very inconvenient although not painful.  Most of the blame is mine. This summer when I was faithfully going to the chiropractor and using my inversion therapy table that I bought for my home (Inversion therapy counteracts the forces of gravity on the body (particularly the back) by decompressing and elongating the spine. Not only can this relieve pressure on your spinal cord's ligaments and nerve roots, but it can also relax the back muscles that support the vertebrae) I was doing much better.  I relaxed a bit on my therapy and here I am again.  Most people hang upside down on the inversion table.   I am supposed to only hang at a certain angle. It is amazing how it makes me feel though.  Strengthening my core through yoga and pilates will also help my back according to my neurologist.  I love yoga and pilates and am currently trying to incorporate them back into my schedule.

Last summer my friends and I started attending tap/jazz dance class.  This is such a stress reliever for me and something I look forward to each week.  Because we are adults/moms we can schedule a late class and go after the kiddos are in bed.  Such fun!

Marty is almost ready to drywall his tool room downstairs. Once he does that we can move all his tools there and start on the rest of the basement. We are moving at a snail's pace with the basement redo, but are committed to not lettting it interfere with daily life.  We only do it when we have some time.  No rush.  We aren't going to miss out on time with the kids to do it.

One thing I've let go of is scrapbooking like I used to.  I still enjoy it but our lives have different priorities right now.  I will still do crafts and cards just not as much scrapbooking. Last week I had some ladies over and we made Valentines treat bags. Emma and I made some homemade lip gloss to put in them and she has been ecstatic over who she wants to bless with these bags.  She really does love this stuff like I do.  It gives us the chance to something we both enjoy together. 

I am thoroughly addicted to my crock pot these days---using it at LEAST 2-3 times a week now.  I have been making all kinds of things in it: potato soup, chicken tortilla soup, BBQ chicken, roast, Italian chicken, and the list goes on. Pinterest has opened up all kinds of possibilities of crock pot recipes and it makes my life so much easier. I can start dinner when the kids are in school and it opens up my whole evening. I love it!!

A week ago we got a letter from our Compassion child Karen.  I LOVE this girl!! She is so incredibly sweet and sent a picture of what she purchased with her birthday money.  We are really getting to know her through our letters and I hope to one day meet her.

Through this winter the Lord really has me pondering some big things: among them pride, materialism, judgement, prayer, and managing my thought life.   My spiritual gift is mercy and with that I put my heart out there all the time, not guarding it one iota.  I rarely judge others because I really feel like given the right circumstances I'm capable of doing any wrongdoing myself.    However, this causes me to get hurt in my relationships (family, friends, etc.) a lot!  In this season I feel like God is refining me in a lot of areas----none of which are too fun if I'm completely honest with you. 

My Grandfather has been in and out of ICU recently.  Just Friday Marty and I made a long trip up and back to visit with him.  Our conversation on the way home centered around the stories he told while we were there.  We both enjoy hearing old stories and feel that we should spend more time with our older family members.  I would really like to record some of these stories.  I regret not writing down my Gran's before Alzheimer's really set in. One of my favorites that my Grandaddy told Friday was about when he and my Grandmother were married and attending WVU.  This was when not many went to college obviously and I'm so proud of both of them for going and finishing. My Grandfather went on the GI bill and ended up being a teacher and prinicpal.  His first job was a principal! He hadn't even taught yet. They needed a principal so badly they offered it to him and he took it.  My Gran ended being hired as one of his teachers. She went on to an administrative position at the local Board of Education and worked mostly with implementing differenct curriculums with the teachers and supervising their implementation.  Anyway . . . back to the story. They had to walk a mile to campus and also had my mom at the time.   My grandaddy took morning classes while my grandma took afternoon classes. They would take my mom in the baby carriage,meet halfway on the mile walk and trade off.   They made sacrifices but created a good life for themselves.  They divorced while I was in middle school so I enjoy hearing about their happy times together.

That's what's new with the Carpenters!  If anyone has any wonderful crock pot recipes send me a message!