Lately

*NOTE* This post is super long and incredibly linktastic! Don’t feel pressured to click any of the links, unless of course you want to know what I’m talking about. And you have loads of time. And maybe some tissues.

This long absence from the blog was quite unplanned. I would think about things to write, fully intending to sit down and get to it, but never made it happen. I’ve missed writing, but most of all I’ve missed reading other blogs!

But blog time can sometimes seep into other time, like cooking time, or cleaning time, or gym time. And then I end up eating junk food in a dirty kitchen and feeling bad about my fitness level and (lack of) time management skills. But blog time is me time, so I’m going to make sure I get some of it back into my life on a regular basis.

Now, today I can have as much blog time as I want, because my awesome husband took care of the house yesterday while I was sick in bed. It’s nothing serious… just a really annoying head cold. Andy gave me express orders to take it easy today, so I am.

Before I dive into long hours of reading and sipping tea, I want to give you an update on what’s been going on around here lately.

We’re almost done with Our Year Without Buying! I just finished a post about that, which will go up after this one. C’mon, February First!

The canine population of the Boyd Abode has been en flux over the past twelve months. With two litters of puppies coming and going, we had lots of youthful excitement. In bitter contrast, at the end of November we said goodbye to our sweet old Courtney Rae. Liberty has been a bit strange since then. She’s more needy now than before. If you know her, you are no doubt wondering, “HOW is that possible?”

I can’t explain it. It just is what it is.

We had a very quiet Christmas this year, completely unintentionally. With much of the family out of town, the schedule of celebrations shifted and we strayed from tradition. This gave me the opportunity to prepare my first ever holiday meal, which was quite exciting for me. I served it to my little family of four on my great-grandmother’s china. Next year will be very different, I’m sure. For one thing, we’re hoping that our little family of four will have expanded to five or maybe six.

Speaking of which… We are officially licensed to adopt! We’re just waiting to be the right family for the right kid. Or kids. God is leading this journey, and only He knows for certain what destination awaits us. We are so excited to be on our way!

Right now, we are fasting with our Fellowship Church family. This is a Daniel Fast, which is a partial fast... Basically a vegan diet. It’s definitely a stretch for me, a girl who loves to eat animals and things that come from them. Sorry, PETA.

A favorite Deep Thought, by Jack Handey:

“If God didn’t want us to eat animals, why did He make them out of meat?”

Any who… Last year, I found ways to satisfy my sweet tooth while still following the fast. This year, I’m more into soup. And straight up syrup. I feel like Elf, adding pure maple syrup to my tea and whole wheat spaghetti.

Now to be serious.

There are two families on my prayer docket who I am feeling led to talk about. Even if you pray for them for just one little second, it would be really cool. And maybe life changing. My prayers for them are similar, though their circumstances are rather different. I am praying for each family’s strength and comfort as they wait and cope, and for the wisdom and ability of the medical staff involved.

The first is the Heim family, Toben and Joanne, and their two young girls, Audrey and Emma. Joanne has suffered a stroke and is fighting for her life. I don’t know them at all. I’ve read Joanne’s blog a time or two, and became aware the situation through another blogger, Marla Taviano. This has forced me to consider the fragility of life in general, and my own plans, specifically. For Joanne, I pray for a miraculous recovery, that her health would be completely restored in every way.

The second is the Ridder family, who we have known personally for nearly a decade. Nick and Alecia, and their kids Kate, Luke, and infant twin girls Brooke and Layne. I just got word this morning, while typing this very post, that little Layne is very sick. Her tiny system is battling two illnesses at once: Strep and flu. As a parent, I know how helpless I feel when a child is sick. I pray that Laine gets well in a hurry, and that these contagious illnesses are not passed to anyone else in the family.

I know that God has things well in hand, and that His timing is perfect. Thank you for joining me in praying for these families!

13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
                      Psalm 27:13-14

Things I Love About Baudelaire (BO-de-lare)

When Liberty had her first litter of puppies last Thanksgiving, we weren’t planning on keeping any. But by Christmas, one little fur ball had snuggled his way into our hearts for good.

I ADORE him. Seriously. Look. At that. FACE.

He likes to lay on my feet. If I am relatively still for any amount of time, he will come and lay down on my feet. He lays on my feet when I do dishes. He lays on my feet when I’m at the computer. He’s doing it right now.

When I do the laundry, Baudie sits on the floor facing the dryer. He seems to be fascinated as I pull out the dry clothes. He gets excited when I throw in the wet clothes. Sometimes he even sticks his head in to get a closer look.

He closes his eyes when I pet him.

He leaps and dances in circles when it’s time to eat. “Food” is the magic word to send him spinning.

He eats toys, especially small ones, thus motivating my children to keep their rooms clean. This same dynamic is what motivates us to keep the lawn clean. Gross, but highly effective.

He chases his tail. MADLY.

His favorite chew toy is an empty water bottle. It doesn’t last long, but that’s okay. If we have one around, I’ll let him chew it until it’s almost unrecognizable, and then I’ll toss it into the recycle bin. It’s like recycling twice!

He fetches sticks. I’ve never had a dog that would do that!

Baudie’s latest toy-that-isn’t-really-a-toy is his stainless steel food dish. He pushes it around the floor, and runs around the house with it in his mouth. It makes me laugh every time.

 He loves his momma. And NO, I don’t mean me. I mean his actual momma, the Liberty Belle. Chances are, if he isn’t laying on my feet, he’s laying on hers.

My Little Baudelaire was cute as a tiny puppy, but I love him even more now… I can’t walk past him without petting him. I can’t stay mad at him for anything. I love to see his sweet face when he has just woken up.

And now, we have an entire litter of baby Baudie siblings!

Baudie is a very attentive big brother. I don’t think he realizes how much bigger he truly is!

I’m sure you’ll want one for yourself. Maybe this one.

It's just easier to SHOW you.

I have so many words buzzing around in my brain right now. So many, in fact, that I can’t form a coherent post to describe what I’ve been doing lately. Instead of lengthy descriptions, I shall give you pictures with captions. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'm sure you'll be quite glad that I went with pictures.



This is what our hallway bathroom looked like a week ago. I forgot to take a picture before we took the big mirror down, but you get the idea. Notice the mauve stripes and frilly border. For once I am thankful that my boys are colorblind. They had no idea that they should have been embarrassed by this feminine wallpaper.



And this is what it looks like now! This is the best project that Andy and I have worked on together. Well, other than our children. But we’ll have to wait a while to see how they turn out.



This family tree originated in my mind several years ago, even before we had our own home, inspired by Owl’s house in Winnie the Pooh. We come from a long line of good-looking individuals! No wonder my little boys are so handsome.



Our tree went up a bit early this year. We had so much going on during the Thanksgiving holiday that I wanted to have this done ahead of time. Truly, the tree and the holiday music seemed a bit out of place until I watched the snow fall this morning. Now it all feels just right.



And this is my favorite little project of all. My Liberty Belle and her ten beautiful puppies! I’ve been planning, preparing, and praying for them for months now. I’m so glad they are finally here!



Somewhere in the midst of all of this, my little oak turned bright red. I love it!

So that’s my last three weeks in a nutshell. I hope you had a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving!