The past several days have been a pleasant but chaotic whirlwind. At the eye of the hurricane is a big change I'd like to share with you. After a decade of hard work on the streets, a whole lotta prayer, and no small amount of late-night conversations and sleepless nights, Jacob made the decision to resign from his position as a police sergeant for a new job in the hunting world. It has been a bittersweet step of faith for our family, especially Jacob, of course. He will keep working as a police officer on occasion, "auxiliary" they call it, but it is still going to be a big change for all of us. And a big blessing, in many ways. Oh the pages and pages I could write as we end this season and begin a new one. Pages of reflection, contemplation, and anticipation. God is truly good.
So our recent winter break and snow days have come at a good time. This has allowed me to stay at home and keep the balance and harmony of home during this transition. God always seems to work things out that way.
The early-morning phone call was a beautiful sound today. I mean, I love my job, but I'd be lying if I said I don't want a snow day every now and then.
So our recent winter break and snow days have come at a good time. This has allowed me to stay at home and keep the balance and harmony of home during this transition. God always seems to work things out that way.
The early-morning phone call was a beautiful sound today. I mean, I love my job, but I'd be lying if I said I don't want a snow day every now and then.
Teaching from Home
I'm a teacher everyday; I can't help it! It's in my blood. Look back in the family tree- I can prove it! Today, Reed and I attempted a homemade lava lamp. Unfortunately, we didn't have any food coloring, but Reed thought it was cool anyway. Water, vegetable oil, food coloring, and salt is all you need for a little at-home science lesson.
New Recipes
The best thing to do on a snow day is hole up and cook warm, yummy, beautiful food. This morning, Reed and I made Eggs Benedict for the first time. I don't know if I can really say I made it, though, because I didn't poach the egg. I've never poached an egg before, Reed was being, well, 3... and I decided to just make the egg over easy. Gasp! I know that's not really Eggs Benedict, but trust me. All of the mommas of threes out there will stand with me, call it Eggs Benedict, and dare you to disagree.
This afternoon, I made Ree Drummond's Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies. I've wanted to make these for ages, and boy, were they worth it! They were so yummy and satisfying on this icy, gray day. Out of the two recipes I tried today, I will make this one again. To be fair, it had an advantage to begin with. Chocolate wins against eggs... what a surprise.
Oliver
Oliver is ALWAYS one of my favorite things. Snow days give me extra time to cuddle him, a win-win-win-win! Today I listened to him snore for about an hour. He just melts me.
A Stack of Books
This one's a no-brainer. I love having a giant stack of books to read at all times. My current stack has some old favorites, like Corrie Ten Boom's The Hiding Place alongside books I've always wanted to read or ones that have been recommended to me, like Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. Hmmmm... where shall I start?
Pampering Myself
Oh, yes. My new Gideon Spa Foot Bath Massager! Jacob got this foot spa as my "big" Christmas gift this year. I am in love! With Jacob, yes, but I meant the spa. My sister and I do a girls' spa night each weekend, and this beautiful addition makes our nights even more luxurious and fun. On a completely unrelated note, Valentine's Day is coming up in about, oh, 37 days (give or take). This spa bath would make a wonderful gift... just in case anyone is interested.
Spring days will be upon us before we know it, so I've resolved to enjoy every moment of this snowy winter. These are the things I like to do to make me happy when I'm surrounded by snow, cold, and ice. Please share some of your favorite things in the comments below!