A Little Bit of Time

Jerrel bought a new range finder with his Cabella's points a couple weeks ago. Anyone else's husband rack up and hoard those points like it's their job? It took him weeks of researching (ahem, obsessing) to decide which one to get. Then one night he said "Cabella's has this one on sale...I wouldn't have to use as many points." 

BUY IT. PLEASE. 

So he did and now I don't "get" to hear about all the features and options of the various models. And he's moved on to a new mission-rack up points and spend them on a new firearm. Men. 

But when the range finder came in we boogied on over to his parents house so that he could test it out. It was a beautiful evening and Jerrel asked me if I wanted to go along.

Millie was in the kitchen with Gramacita and so we went outside together and spend a little bit of time together-with Chester. Well kinda together he walked around range finding and I lagged behind snapping pictures.

It was weird to have both hands to take a photo. It was odd to not say "Not in your mouth Millie." But it was nice to just have a little bit of time with just us.

Us and these weird little berry things.

I like to get up close and personal with nature as these pictures prove.

He'd walk a ways and then tell me how far he was from me. It was a riveting adventure.

Jerrel's parents have a really great area to shoot. Both for the firearm variety and the camera variety.

I kinda got left behind. There's my boys. This fall has been gorgeous, in color and weather. 

Once I caught up. We discovered I have a gift. A gift that will make Jerrel's range finder obsolete. 

I am impeccably good at estimating distances. He would tell me where he was finding I'd throw out a number and lo' and behold I would be pretty dang close.

Think of all the points he could have saved!

My range finding secret? Oh I'll never tell.

Our walk was nice-a little bit of time with just us.

Blessings!

Fall On A Friday

I surely don't mind waking up to this smell. 

This. This brownish mush. Crisp but cozy. Spicy yet sweet.

We have the makings for apple butter in our crock pots. They've been stewing all night. It took much of my willpower to not get a spoon and just dive in. But no. Save it for the homemade bread. Save it for the pretty jars. Ok, just one tiny taste. Apple butter-it's a good thing. You guys...seriously, my entire house smells delicious. I can't get over it. 

The leaves out my window are orange, the apples are about done, and the inside of my house smells delectable. I think I'll make some bread too to just finish off my senses. 

Good Fall on a Friday. 

Blessings! 

Millie And An Autumn Afternoon

7 Months of Millie

The 4th of the month has come around again. This time it seemed to be here much quicker. For I feel like I just sat down, uploaded a slew of pictures of my then 5 month old and wrote silly captions. But yet I'm here again. With a new slew of cuteness.

This month has been full of walking around anything we can stand up next to, playing with our puppy, and screeching. Lots of screeching. 

Oh and chewing. There is always the chewing. 2 teeth worth of chewing! 

Baby hands, baby skin, baby lashes. Sigh. 

Laundry Lady. 

Many people have asked me. How is she at night? Well she's a baby, an exclusively breastfed baby. A textbook exclusively breastfed baby. Yippie for me. So what does that all mean? Ask the Milk Meg.

Falling asleep while eating, but put her down and she's right back up. So we have short naps unless we are held or put right back to sleep by nursing. 

Still waking frequently to nurse at night. I can tell you the last time I got 4 hours in a row. It twas night of March 2nd. 

Cluster feeding in the predawn hours. My best sleep happens between 12 and 5. But remember I'm up between then at least once too. 

Sometimes the nap is the entire nursing session. 

This is natural. It's normal. That's my mantra. And sleep? That's just somebody that I used to know. But the new somebody. Well their cuter and more fun anyway. 

See... 

We went to the Funky Junk Market. And one of the artists brought this fun "little" thing. We propped Millie up, had Jerrel spot her, and snapped a shot. Remember the giant chair a few months ago? I'm telling you people-this is why you have kids. 

We are highly mobile and prefer to be upright as to crawling. And sometimes that preference is hard on our wardrobe choice. You can about guess how productive this situation was. 

And then there is Chester. Lovable, silly, patient, Chester. My friend asked last week how the two were getting along. I said. "Well, right now Millie's got her hand in his mouth and is laying on his neck. So pretty well I think." 

Don't worry I did get her hand out and washed immediately. 

Sometimes I worry Millie is being too mean, or rough with him. We talk about being gentle and nice. But my girl just does what she does right and now. And Chester's kinda the same.

But while Millie is using him as leverage to stand up, or pulling on his tongue (true story), or poking at his eyes he just lays there, sniffs her, licks her, and takes it with a smile.

It looks like somebody's up to something...

Eh. Never mind. Chester give me a head up. Thanks!

We have also been making our way to some football games. Unfortunately Uncle Ev has an injury that has him not playing the rest of the season but we still like going to cheer on the home team!

Resting up before the big game!

We had homecoming and Evan made court. We decided to get a picture to remember the occasion.

Millie didn't like that idea.

Millie REALLY didn't like that idea.

Ready for Husker Game day now! Uncle Ev also got Millie some Husker apparel-she's ready every Saturday! 

Millie can stand for about a second on her own. I can get out One thousand one, one thou....then she falls. It's makes my heard skip every time.. And she is always trying to transfer to the next available object.

Mom, this dog is so crazy fun! 

So today marks 7 months of meeting MIllie and it was a breathtakingly beautiful day. We were able to bundle up a bit and head to the lake for lunch and the better part of the afternoon. 

We played with Grandpa and Grandpa.

And ate leaves.

But just a couple leaves.

Then we came home to a sleepy daddy and tried to get a 7 month picture.

But ate a remote instead. 

Then Daddy came around and made Millie make this goofy face. 

From 6 months to 7 months. 

Tonight we were in the kitchen and Jerrel was looking at Millie. He said, "Millie stop looking at me like that. You look 13. Then before I know it you will be 20 and then married." Well I don't think she looks quite like she's 13 but whatever you say Daddy...I think you are starting to get sentimental...

Happy 7 months baby girl. We love you big much!

Blessings!

Thrifty Thursday...It's Back!

Thrifty

Thriftier; Thriftiest 

1. Thriving by industry and frugality: prosperous. 

It's Thrifty Thursday, the time of the week where I share my thrifty finds from garage sales, antique shops, and of course thrift stores.

So check us out on Thursdays...even if it's late because you never know what I will have found. 

I've decided to bring Thrifty Thursday's back. Something lighter, something fun, and something I'm doing quite often. 

This week- a Pea Green Coat. 

Or is it a Green Pea Coat?

Either way I'm pretty fond of this find. It still had the prices tags on it...that read $89.95. And I got it for $2.00! That's right $2.00. 

I just think it's adorable. And because I live in small town America...if the past owner of this coat recognizes it. I have one thing to say to you. THANKS! 

Blessings! 

Us Lately

I didn't post last week. And I'm not sure why. Maybe it was the baby. Maybe it was the dog. Maybe it was my husband. Or maybe it was me. Either way the blog didn't get opened up and the words didn't make it on a page. So what's been going on?

We had a night out a couple weeks ago to get family pictures and to enjoy some weird pizza. Think fig butter sauce, pistachios, bacon, and spinach. Told ya it was odd. But-deliciously odd.

The pictures turned out incredible. Now I cannot wait to get them on my wall. I just have to decide what, where, and when.

We just love Emily Davidson, her personality, her photography style, and her convictions. It's a wonderful fit. Millie loves her too.

I've also had some job offers in the last few weeks. A couple babysitting while at home and one I just turned down that was harder than I thought it would be. It involved teaching. 

Something I miss mildly-it gets in your blood. Plus the opportunity for my own classroom and space was enticing. And then, there was the every alluring temptation of more money and some of my own money. This part of being a full-time parent has been one of the most difficult things for me. My monetary earning power since being married has basically went to zero. Sometimes I feel like I'm dead weight, or spending the cash without a way to replenish-which I am.

Not working outside the home started out as a choice, then school started and it was necessary, then Millie came and again it was a choice but a necessary choice in our family view. 

God bless my delightful husband who assures me this lifestyle was his dream for his family too. 

And I love it I really do. But the prospect of going out, doing something I'm good at, trained to do, and earning a dollar or two was enticing. But then I realized that I can't make that choice. Nor should I right now. 

I have the option to stay home with our girl-just us. Right now it's a choice I can make. We live intentionally so the way we live is feasible and enjoyable. Not everyone makes the choices we make or is able to. Babies aren't babies for long and frankly I'm not willing to give up or divide that time with any other child that's not mine right now. I believe Millie needs me and that no one can do as good of job as me. I know things about her that no one else does. 

Even her spectacular Daddy. Ask him. He'll agree and hand her to me. It's just part of the job description as Momma.

So I said no to the jobs, the teaching one being the hardest. When I looked around though, and then under the table of my little girl toddling around the chairs, I realized the classroom I already have. The real life, real world classroom we live in. And the pay? The pay is even greater even if it doesn't always feel that way. I am so grateful for this opportunity.

I did however, jump at the chance of one opportunity. A writing opportunity. Before Millie was born the desire to write for more than just my blog was laid on my heart. So I started praying. And a few weeks ago someone from our local paper was expressing a need for a writer. 

I mentioned that I would love to try to do that for them. And so my first tip was given, the story was written and published and I enjoyed it. So much.

So now I've got a little gig for our small-town newspaper as a freelancer. I'd like to find more and I'm exploring a few different avenues. So that could also be why the writing here has slowed a bit. My writing energy has been elsewhere. But the more you write the more you write so I'm working on putting more time into both to hone my craft. 

Thus far I've had a couple of really fun stories. I love interviewing the people and learning about the topic.

It works great for our family. Which I'm happy about because if it doesn't fit-it's out. I've got to keep my priorities straight. I write while Millie is content or while she's sleeping. Or while her and Jerrel are training Chester. Or when she's not trying to chew on electrical cords. 

It's all about balance. And those big blue eyes.

Oh those eyes. 

We've slowed on the preserving season finally and have a nice stash of goods in our basement. It's so gratifying to go down there and see the fruits of our labor lined up in pretty glass jars. 

And I use the word "our" loosely. Jerrel did much more in the garden this season and basically all the canning. Thankful for him!

I also celebrated a birthday. 24. That one seems so much older than 23. Next year is 25-in case you didn't know what comes next. I celebrated with the day before junkin' at The Funky Junk Market. Then on the day of my birth I stayed home on a dreary day-my favorite. Decorated for fall with my finds and cleaned my craft closet. I know...party girl. But do you know how gratifying it is to do get something accomplished when your baby isn't fussing for attention? She and Jerrel spent the day following me around while I was getting something done. Everyone was happy, happy, happy.

Then my aforementioned spectacular husband prepared me a meal of Pioneer Woman's Best Grilled Cheese Ever (she ain't kidding!) and Tomato Soup and we enjoyed supper with my family. It was bliss. 23 treated me pretty dang well. Let's see what 24 has got in store. 

Our girl is almost 7 months old. That's just not possible. I'm sorry but does it get any more darling? That dress? It was my Moms. Circa...1960somethingish.

So us lately? We are good. We are great. We are busy. We are silly. And we are happy. 

Happy Fall from Jess, Jerrel, Millie, and Chester. 

Drink some cider, eat some punkin', jump in some leaves. 

Blessings!