Category Archives: Family

Highlights of 2016

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It has admittedly been a tough year for me in my personal life and in the life of our country but I thought I’d end this year with my highlights.

[+] The Warriors had the best record in the NBA and made it to the NBA Championships AGAIN!!!

[+] CLEVELAND LOST THE WORLD SERIES!!! (For those who aren’t aware, hating on Ohio sports teams is one of my core values after living in central Ohio for 2 1/2 years and dealing with Ohio sports fans hating on my teams.) My Warriors have been avenged!!!

[+] The Cubs had one of the biggest gatherings in human history for their victory parade. Not to mention, the Cubs winning the Series is so much of a BETTER ending than it would be if Cleveland had won because the Cubs have had the longer drought and were a much better team.

[+] I achieved one of my dreams of living in Washington when I moved up here in June 2016.

[+] Hillary Clinton was the first female to win the nomination of a major political party and won the popular vote.

[+] I was able to go back to school this fall, discovered a deep love of Accounting, and had a 4.0 for my first quarter!

[+] My Huskies made it to the semi-final game against Alabama!

[+] My Giants made it to the play-offs.

[+] THE DODGERS SUCKED IN THE NLCS!!!!

[+] MY NINERS HAVE A BETTER RECORD THAN THE CLEVELAND BROWNS! (Granted, they have the second worst record in the NFL but at least they’re better than the Browns.)

[+] I rocked the Write 31 Days challenge!

[+] I got a Fitbit (finally!!!!) and won a few challenges.

[+] I got to introduce my little beach boy to snow!

[+] I discovered that my school district here in Washington had a YUGE team ready to work with Daniel when we arrived. TWELVE PEOPLE were at the IEP meeting SPECIFICALLY for Daniel. His PT and OT were at his parent-teacher conference and are positively smitten with my little monster. 🙂

[+] I joined a FABULOUS parish up here. I’m seriously still being sustained by the joy from the Christ Mass on Christmas Eve night.

[+] Daniel WILLINGLY takes his ADHD meds without us having to restrain him. He just asked for peanut butter and meds. 🙂 (Granted, he asked for M&M’s two seconds after getting his meds but I’ll allow that.)

I’m looking forward to a FABULOUS 2017!

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: December 25, 2016

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For Today… December 25, 2016

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… dark. We still have some of the snow we got on Friday.

I am thinking… about the coming week and what we’ll be doing with Daniel at home.

I am thankful… for an amazing Christmas Eve Eucharist last night. I definitely arrived home filled with joy at the birth of Christ.

One of my favorite things… NCIS reruns.

I am wearing… jammies. Clothes for today were a long-sleeved black shirt from Lands’ End and jeans from Kohl’s.

I am creating… some socks for my mom.

I am watching… an NCIS rerun where Gibbs returns to his hometown for the first time since he left to join the Marines. I heart Gibbs and Abby.

I am hoping… the pharmacy is open tomorrow so I can get my Effexor refilled.

I am learning… that Patons Kroy Socks Yarn is a pain to unravel.

In my kitchen… shrimp pasta, salad, garlic bread, a homemade gingerbread stout cake, and maple ice cream.

In the school room… Daniel is off until the 3rd.

Post Script… this piece on defeating terrorists with religious extremism is amazing.

Shared Quote… “The movement in our relationship to God is always from God to us. Always. We can’t, through our piety or goodness, move closer to God. God is always coming near to us. Most especially in the Eucharist and in the stranger.” — Nadia Bolz-Weber in Pastorix

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: The Holidays Edition

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Yeah… no. A friend of mine posted a 1930’s marital test on Facebook. Let’s just say that I would not have been good housewife material then and I’m quite OK with that!

My score: a -3.

— 2 —

Prerequisite sacred music take. We’re doing this for Christmas Eve and then this and this in the next few weeks. I’m excited!

— 3 —

O Antiphons. As part of my parish’s Advent Game, I’ve been reading the O antiphons on the USCCB page for the last few days. They’ve been good but I think I might just read verses of “O Come Emmanuel” next year as they touch on the same things and I can actually sing them.

— 4 —

Festivus. I’ve submitted my grievances for Festivus tomorrow. Have you?

Also, go google “Festivus” and see what you get for the results page.

— 5 —

One of the better ways to celebrate Christmas Eve. This may be what I do after church on Saturday night.

Happy Christmas Book Flood!

— 6 —

Plans. We’re having a family dinner at my cousin’s house tomorrow. On Saturday, we’ll have my uncle and grandmother over for dinner and I have church in the evening. On Christmas morning, my uncle and aunt (and possibly grandmother) will join us to open presents and we’ll spend the day together. We’ll miss my brother and his wife but they’ll be with her family in Arizona. (We get them for Thanksgiving.)

— 7 —

Kelly. Our intrepid hostess Kelly is answering questions about hosting orphans this Christmas through Project 143. Go surf on over and read what she has to say!

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

{five favourites}: Things Keeping Me From Getting Too Grinchy

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#5Faves

Those who know me in real life know that I really don’t *LIKE* December very much. I hate the materialistic aspect of Christmas, decorating the house is ONE MORE THING TO DO (probably why I haven’t decorated on my own in years and usually delegated it to Jon), I loathe secular Christmas music, and besides, IT’S FREAKING ADVENT, PEOPLE!!! CHRISTMAS DOESN’T START UNTIL THE 24TH.

Having said all that, here are some of the things that are keeping me from being *TOO* grinchy this holiday season.

One

My Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar. If you don’t know about Jacquie Lawson, you need to surf over RIGHT NOW! She does interactive cards with beautiful artwork and music. Every year, she puts out an amazing Advent calendar which is under $5 to download onto your computer. This year, it’s a seaside Christmas and I know I’m always excited to see what I’ll be opening every morning. She also has an ornament smashing game which is great when I need to think something through but need to be doing something brainless to do it.

Two

My church’s “Advent game”. On the first Sunday of Advent, they were handing out envelopes with slips of paper in them. The game is simple: take out one slip of paper each day and do that activity with your family or on your own. There are ideas for prayer, suggestions for things like building a fire and roasting marshmallows, writing a letter to someone you haven’t talked to in a while, read the O Antiphons, etc. Even though I missed a few days (OK… more like a week), it’s given me an interesting Advent.

Three

My Advent playlist. It’s nice having music that fits the season and what we’re focusing on in church.

Four

Family gatherings. With the amount of pain that has happened in my family this year (not just my divorce but other things), it has been really helpful to gather for things like celebrating my cousin’s graduation. We have a Christmas dinner we’re not having to host on Friday and it will be good to see everyone.

Five

Getting to write the prayers we’re using for Christmas. My priest asked if I wanted to write the prayers being used for Christmas worship. This should be fun and definitely will help me get into the spirit of what the season is all about.

Go love up Bonnie, DeBalino, and the others.

7 Quick Takes: It’s Thursday?!!?!?!?

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

What do you mean it’s Thursday?!?!?! Choir practice got rescheduled to tonight so part of my brain was saying that I had another day to do Quick Takes. Oops!

— 2 —

The Big Bang Theory. I’ve been dealing with insomnia by catching up with clips of The Big Bang Theory on YouTube. It’s been interesting to watch this way because I’m getting the highlights and getting to skip commercials.

— 3 —

Done until January. I sent my Access final in on Saturday and took my Practical Accounting Final on Monday. I ended up with a 97.7% in my Accounting class. Score! I’ll probably find out my score on my Access final tomorrow.

— 4 —

A message of acceptance. I’m accepting the challenge to be that person.

— 5 —

Priorities. Most of you here already read Kelly’s blog but I really recommend reading it today because of her post on priorities.

— 6 —

One more item off my to-do list! I got cards sent out on Tuesday! Yay being done with school!

— 7 —

Prayer request. I could really use prayer for a special intention. Please and thank you!

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: November 27, 2016

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For Today… November 27, 2016

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… grey and rainy. I love it.

I am thinking… about the accounting cycle review problem I’m working on. My Trial Balance numbers aren’t right and I’ll be pretty much starting over from scratch once this post is up.

**UPDATE** I GOT IT TO BALANCE!!!!!!

I am thankful… for a good time with family from Wednesday night to Saturday afternoon. My evil twin and his long-suffering wife were up and we had various people over for meals over Thursday and Friday. It was also fun to watch the Apple Cup with them and the UW completely trounced WSU. 🙂 I would have liked Michigan to have annihilated Ohio State but I guess it was an exciting game for those who watched it.

One of my favorite things… grey kittehs, especially the one sitting on my desk.

I am wearing… my indigo v-neck shirt and jeans. Church clothes were the v-neck with a black paisley skirt, my black cardigan, black tights, and my flats. My boots arrive from L.L. Bean tomorrow and I hope they fit!

I am creating… a two-column journal entry on scratch paper to try and work out my errors in the accounting cycle review problem.

I am listening to… the Advent playlist I created for this year.

I am hoping… I can get everything to balance for tomorrow.

I am learning… about employer taxes in my Practical Accounting class. Not too hard.

In my kitchen… leftovers or something.

In the school room… Daniel continues to do well in his program.

Post Script… this piece by Barbara Kingsolver is fabulous.

Shared Quote… “Stop, you all. I know where you all live and I’m not afraid to use you as a sermon illustration.” — a seminary classmate of mine in response to some good-natured teasing on her husband’s Facebook wall.

A moment from my day… The Annunciation/Magnificat portion of Holden Evening Prayer.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Non-Traditional Thanksgiving

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7 Quick Takes

Everyone is talking about how thankful they are for food and family and stuff like that today. I’m thankful for all those things as well but I’m also thankful for some more… non-traditional things today. 😉

— 1 —

Priests who start impromptu Godspell singalongs after Thanksgiving Eve Eucharist. Worship was already done acapella (and done beautifully) because our organist had the night off and we were trying to find Thanksgiving hymns to sing. Someone suggested “Day By Day” out of the 1982 Hymnal and Rev. Helen said we should do it to the tune from Godspell. Okie dokie. Then we started singing parts of the finale and went on to “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord”. It was awesome.

— 2 —

Evil twin brothers who restrain small children so that their moms can clean the black Sharpie pen off of their faces, arms, hands, necks, feet, and toes. Let’s just say that Daniel went for the Maori tribal look and leave it at that. 🙂 Rubbing alcohol prep wipes are what gets it off well. I think we went through 40 of them? He was also chill with Sean (my evil twin) restraining him while I worked on him. I’m sure the purplish color from the ink/alcohol mixture will leave my nail beds eventually…

— 3 —

Coffeeshops that are open on Thanksgiving for emergency latté runs. I had a migraine this morning, OK?

— 4 —

Soft grey chest kittehs. This is especially true of ones who prevent their humans from doing anything other than watching the season premiere of The Big Bang Theory.

— 5 —

Those who create Biden memes. Y’all make America a greater place to live.

— 6 —

Mythbusters marathons. Because science.

— 7 —

Accounting problems that balance. My homework is refusing to balance right now so I’m thankful for times when things have worked correctly.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.