Life Lately

I am so glad, this dreary Monday morning, that you could come over so we could catch up.  Thanks to my oh-so-thoughtful Illinois farm-living friend Kristina, my kitchen table has a bowl that is used to be full of apples. It's about half full now, because last night I made apple cake with  my mom's recipe.

I will tell you that when I gave myself a taste of the frosting, I teared up because the taste made me physically ache, missing her.  But other than the emotional outburst that it's awesomeness caused, it's pretty much the most delicious thing I've tasted since I got here.

So, let me get you a piece to go with your coffee, and we'll sit down & chat.

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{moonrise}

 If I seem a little extra chipper this morning, it's because I actually slept last night! I went upstairs for bed at 9:30pm, not bad considering my goal was 9pm. And I was asleep by 10pm.  I set a small goal this week to wake up everyday before the kids.  So my alarm went off at 5:30am.  It was hard to get up. I may have laid there for 15 minutes deciding if I was really going to get up or not... But once I did, I was so glad I did.  That quiet time is priceless.

It lasted about fifteen minutes, and then Jack was up. But he was pretty good, letting me finish up what I was doing without interrupting, which I appreciated.

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Our weeks have been really crazy. And by crazy, I mean, Josh has been gone more often than not in the evenings.  Feeling overwhelmed about it last Monday, I decided I needed a game plan to get through each day. So I jotted down the days, picked out meals (dinners & lunches) and decided what I would do during my free time in the evenings once the boys were down.  Having a daily plan, plus knowing what fun thing I'd get to do once I got the boys down, really helped me get through the long days.

We are in full swing with Homeschooling, which also helps us get through because it give our days such great structure.  Working toward my September Goals has kept me going each day, too.

I have started some October goals, which I will share next week.

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I took an afternoon this week to hang new pictures in the house.  

I am especially happy with how it looks above my sink.  

Nice to have something happy to look at while I'm doing all these dishes.

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Something that's been heavy on my heart this month is my new goal of "No Yelling."  I knew I couldn't tackle this beast on my own. So I did a little research and found this book: 

Peaceful Parenting, Happy Kids by Dr. Laura Markham

I will be doing a post all about the book (which I am not even half way through), but today I want to share that Saturday I went an entire day with no yelling! Hooray for success!

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Another biggie in "Life Lately" has been food.  A few weeks ago all the teachers came together to place a Span Alaska grocery order for both dry & frozen/refrigerated goods.  While waiting for our order to come, we ran out of both flour & milk, which are key ingredients in nearly every food we cook.  Finally, after about two weeks, we found flour at the co op, which made me happy beyond belief! (This five pound bag was $7.00!)

And our neighbor came to borrow batteries and "paid" us in shelf milk!  Then Joe (the principal) was in Anchorage and brought us back a big box of powdered milk.  He was our hero!

Then last night, after dinner, the call came in:

Our Span order had come!

We got about 3/4 of our order yesterday. Hopefully the rest will come today or tomorrow.  I can't remember if I shared with you, but our Span order was $2100.00. Ouch!  But man, let me tell you, knowing I have enough food to feed my family, and seeing that freezer full of goods, it's totally worth it!

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The temperatures here are dropping.  

This frosty tundra greeted me one morning last week.  

The boys are already having to wear gloves and hats when we go out, and this girl is pulling out the wool socks!  Brr!

Josh took this picture of his phone Thursday.  

It was calling for snow Tuesday.  This was a little bit breaking our hearts.  

Well, we didn't have to wait until Tuesday. Instead it snowed yesterday.  First day of fall and it's snowing in Marshall. That's life in rural Alaska for you!

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The last "Life Lately" update is that Wyatt is finally getting his two year molars.  I have been kind of waiting for them to come, and when he was tantruming & crying, completely out of character, on Saturday morning, I knew I should check his gums. Sure enough, I can feel one poking through on the upper right.  He's been more emotional, needy & just plain grouchy.  Knowing the cause makes it easier for me to scoop him up & love on him because I know he's just hurting. Poor guy!

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I hope you have a good Monday & a great week, friend.

Thanks for coming by.