Seven Quick Takes: XIV

--- 1 ---

My mama was taken to the hospital by ambulance a little over a week ago.  After a miserable day and a half, an emergency surgery, and several days of recovery, she is home to finish recovering.  The girls and I are going to go spend some time with her, but we are just overwhelmed with gratitude that she will heal.  Here's hoping February is far more sedate than January has been.  No more illnesses, deaths or other bad news would be greatly appreciated, I think. 

--- 2 ---

Superbowl, oh the superbowl.  Did you know that was happening?  Ah, well, my dearest husband is (and has been since, well, always) a big ole Broncos fan.  Since we have no TV/Cable, his options are limited to watching it through his computer orrr finding someone with far better accommodations he can mooch off of.  So far, it's looking like he may be stuck with his us as his fellow cheering section in our little basement... but I'll try to make up for that with some yummy food if that ends up being the case (yummy food includes delivered pizza, right?)

--- 3 ---

We leave in about a week (with Daddy staying behind).  While I'm leaving him with a pretty hefty "honey-do" list, my goal is to unpack the last of the boxes in our room before we leave.  Yes, you read that right.  We moved last July, but there are still two or three half-empty boxes just hanging out in our bedroom.  It's time to reclaim our space!

--- 4 ---

This week was full of that incapable mom feeling.  You know the one I mean, right?  Where my babies are beautiful, my husband is wonderful, but I just can't seem to get on top of anything: work, weight, homeschooling, unpacking the boxes that have been in our room for nearly six months... you get the picture. 

--- 5 ---

Speaking of reclaiming our space: curtains.  The ones the previous owners left are, well, kind of nasty.  It took me a little while to realize it, but even after washing them, they are super stained and yucky.  However; we have small windows placed rather high in our walls, and long curtains interfere a lot with our heating...  I don't even know if short curtains are design-wise, kosher, but they are so hard to find in a non-kitchen pattern!  All I want are some simple, light blue curtains.  That's it.

--- 6 ---

Have you checked out my 365 Photos in 365 Days project?  I'm pretty proud of myself for making it through the first month... only 11 more to go! 

--- 7 ---

This blog needs  a redesign, for serious.  I need something fresh, clean, and photo-friendly.  Because I have time to re-work the whole thing... right? 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

N Week

Oh, golly, that break was so good for us!  Jumping into "N" week was a blast (I'm posting this a few weeks after the actual week... my apologies!)  Our grab bag this week had a nightingale, a picture of baby nugget (Anni's nickname as a babe), and a sweet mini nativity.

We did the cutest "nun" puppet craft from our Catholic Icing book.  Anni's was Sr. Mary Agnes and Lucy's was Sr. Margaret.

  

Later in the week, we put together a little "noodle" craft... which turned out much better than I thought it would (and was free with random bits of open boxes of pasta we had!)  The different sizes and shapes were great for her to manipulate into the glue "N" shape.

 

 An orange octopus and other fun awaits in O week!

365 Photos in 365 Days: Week Four

Colette's new hobby... toilet papering the whole bathroom.  Oh, her look of shock just cracks me up every time.  Now if I can just remember to make sure that door is closed when she's crawling around!

Oh, there are lots of new hobbies... emptying the "kids' cupboard" is up there, too.  Perfect for when I'm cooking!

An ice cream date with my sweet eldest.  We've been needing some one-on-one time with no distractions (well, for me, I would say chocolate ice cream is a big distraction for her).  We discussed that her best friend is Lucy and her favorite thing is ice cream dates with Mommy.  She told me she loved me a few times, but when we got in the car and I told her I loved her as I bucked her in, she replied, "I love doors."

I couldn't pick.  I know, not really allowed, but, I do what I want.  This first is the girls watching their Daddy brush the snow off his car before he headed off to work.  That little arm around her big sister?  Melts me.

A little snowy interlude on our way to the library.

Making bread sticks with friends!  This may be a new favorite "cook with Anni" special, since it's pretty hard to mess up.
 

Grandma Bessie

My grandma always smelled of roses.  There were always cookies on the dryer next to the dining room table, jello in the fridge, and favorite cereals in the upper cupboard.  She went to early Mass nearly every day... I don't think I ever went to a Mass at the little Czech parish in town without her right in front in her regular spot.  She once walked through the pronunciation of every word in a Czech song so I could teach it to my class in high school.  Nearly every bit of her walls were covered in photos, and every time I visited, I liked to make a loop through the little house to see my dad and our family through the years.  She always sent $10 on our birthdays, no matter what (and, with as many grand-babies as she had, that had to add up!)  She was stubborn.  None of us has ever doubted where our stubborn streaks come from.  I can only hope she knew how loved she was, and that knowledge brought her peace.

She died on January 14, 2014, was buried on January 18th, and everything smelled like roses. 

365 Photos in 365 Days: Week Three

Week three may seem a little less put together, with a sudden trip to Nebraska for my grandmother's funeral, but it truly was our everyday this past week.  Some days there were very few (or just one!) photos to choose from, but this week is in the books.

 Oh, my girl!  She just looked so grownup as we got ready to go to the store... she is a strange mixture of toddler and little girl, time truly slips by.

 My grandma's passing away brought us all back together to Wahoo, Nebraska.  The evening of her rosary, the cousins (great-grand children to my grandma) lined up at a big table in the hotel conference room to eat their food.  This was the only picture I took that day, but it makes me smile at all of the sweet life that my grandma helped bring into the world.

A little junk food picnic at our halfway point driving back from Nebraska.    

We made a pit stop at my in-laws on the last leg of our trip, both because we were pretty sure we couldn't handle any more car time, and so we could watch the Broncos game (well, so they could watch it.  I took a nap for the first three quarters and just watched the end.)

 

   Home again!  We soaked up a little bit of sunshine and got some headbands photographed that had been waiting on the back burner for quite awhile.  Oh, my sweethearts, so good for my soul.

 More sunshine!  Dance parties, playing Mass, and pretending to go to Miss Elena's sleepovers are all on Anni's list of outdoor favorites.

365 Photos in 365 Days: Week Two

I think Colette officially fell in love with the library this trip.  It clicked with her all of the sudden that this place was full of books!

Even when Anni is in her room because she was too rough with Colette, Colette misses her so.  She waits outside the door and slides her little hand under in hopes that her sister will play with her under the door (which, she usually does).

A farewell to naps for the three-and-a-half year old.  Quiet time has now taken it's place, and, these days is filled with drawing and stickers.   

Outdoor time!  Living in an apartment in the winter always meant very little time outside.  I'm trying to break that habit now that we live in our own house and get Anni out a little each day that it's even a little nice!  Daddy is always up for an outdoor adventure, so weekends definitely mean more fresh air, even if Lettie is sleeping.

Ah, football.  Anni loves to snuggle up with Daddy and watch his team (the Broncos!)  If I'm being honest, I usually nap, work or read during the games (though, now that they're in the playoffs, I think I'm expected to care a wee bit more).

Some more outdoor time with our girls.  Daniel was laughing at how strange playing outside is with a three-year-old girls.  It was all pretending to be at a sleepover with "Miss Elena" (from Daniel Tiger, yes, I know) and playing Mass... the kickball was mostly ignored. 

 

Until next week!

Seven Quick Takes: XIII

-One-

"I don't want to pray. I just want to dance!"
-Anni

-Two-

I'm boring all of the sudden (maybe I always have been?) so I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to fill seven of these.  Daniel got back from conference and all of the sudden my body went into exhausted and maybe possibly getting sick mode.  Why can't I have my husband and feel motivated to clean, cook and not lie down at every possible moment?

-Three-

Sure, it's tradition to celebrate the epiphany with one of those lovely King Cake's.  I; however, was not going out in the storm last Sunday (and probably wouldn't have attempted one anyway), so, instead we made a giant cookie cake with a "crown" of extra chocolate chips.  It was delicious, so, don't worry, we weren't missing out!

-Four-

I'm getting that "travel" itch.  Daniel loves to travel (and has done a lot of it) and I have barely traveled (mostly just that Ireland trip), but we've agreed we'll try to do big trips every 5-10 years (have to leave a lot of leeway in there for finances and hopeful future babies).  Anyway, we're planning on the Czech Republic as our next locale, someday, so, share any fun travel thoughts you have about that lovely country.

-Five-

-Six-

School kickstarted again this week... so stay tuned for an awesome "N Week" post coming your way... we may have done one of my favorite crafts this week!

-Seven-

My darling grandma's health is failing, so, if you could say a prayer for peace, whatever that may mean for her, I would greatly appreciate it.

Linking up at Conversion Diary.  Check it out for more Seven Quick Takes!

365 Photos in 365 Days : Week One

I've decided to do a 365 project this year, just something fun to organize my thoughts each week.  I'm going to post the photos once a week, because, well, I may get the photos taken every day, but I don't think I'll have the wherewithal to get a full post up each day.

1/365

January 1st - our last day with Daddy before he left for conference.  This girl, well, she is a Daddy's girl, so there will be much wailing and grinding of teeth as she misses her partner in crime. 

2/365

This umbrella is one of Anni's favorite Christmas gifts.  She carries it all over the house as her "walking stick" and it brings some extra sunshine to our days, especially with Daddy gone.  It's crazy how big of a hole he leaves in our days being away on a trip, even though he's normally working a good portion of the day.

3/365

The new toothbrush is a big hit... she keeps sneaking into the bathroom to brush her teeth.
 

4/365

The end (of the day).  My girls are darlings, but with no backup this week, I'm definitely ready for bedtime when it rolls around.  Baths are a little slippery with the two of these crazies (especially a certain baby who thinks it's her duty to stand as much as possible in the tub), but sweet, clean babies are worth it.

5/365

Snow day!  And by snow, I mean snow.  Between the cold, snow, unpaved neighborhood, and being by myself-ness, we had to miss Mass for the sake of safety.  We spent the day snuggled into our little nest, extra lucky that my in-laws made the trek later in the day to bring us sustenance.   

 6/365

This happened right before dinner, and oh, it makes me smile every time I look at this photo.  Colette used Anni's dress to pull up, and Anni stood oh, so, still and sweet, just encouraging her.  I need this snapshot of sisterhood for all of the pushing, shoving, and generally jealous moments we've had lately.    

 7/365

He's home... which means so are we.