August Daily Prompt Round Up

I ended up only posting once on my blog related to the Daily Instagram Prompts from Creature Comforts in the month of August. But, I really enjoyed thinking outside the box on the photos I was taking. It challenged me to look around and find beauty in little moments throughout my day. Here are the results.

I think my favorite one is "light" I spend so much time looking at his crib and not seeing it as anything beautiful, but on the day "light" was the prompt the morning sun came in through the window and highlighted the simplicity and loveliness of his bed from right where I sat nursing my son. It was a beautiful moment.

What's New

It's been a crazy couple of weeks! We spent two weekends ago moving my sister and her family into their new house 2.5 hours away. A lovely cabin in the woods overlooking a peaceful lake. The epitome of serenity and escape. I love a good cabin. One of the added perks was very poor internet service. Just kidding, that isn't a perk. I mean if you're into that whole "disconnect from the world for space and tranquility" kind of thing then it would be a perk...but i'm cool with that for about a day. And then watching that spinning icon at the top of my phone while waiting for my google searches to load and facebook feed to load pushes me over the edge...

I should work on that. I should get to the point where being disconnected actually is a perk....

Then last week I decided I was ready for it to be fall and I started knitting again. I always knit in the fall. Scarves and blankets mostly...who am I kidding, scarves and blankets only.... who am I kidding a blanket is just a big scarf. So I decided to knit my little sister and her fiance blanket for their wedding. Since they have lived with us the giant blanket I knitted last fall has received more use than it has in the last year.

So instead of blogging the last week I have been knitting up a storm in my free time. I'm hoping to find a bit of balance and not completely neglect my bloggy blog over the next few weeks while I'm making said blanket, but I really want to get it done before their wedding.

I've been spending a lot of time out and about with Felix during the day. Playground, Barnes and Noble, grocery, Costco, walks, pool, Starbucks. I've discovered he stays awake longer, stays happier and naps harder when our schedule is full. I absolutely love the age he is at now. We have so much fun together. He has such a sweet and content temperament, loves to adventure and discover things and is so chill! More on that in his 8 month (!!!) update next week.

In other news, Josh and I spent last saturday together for the first time in about 3 weeks. We went to breakfast as a family, took a walk downtown franklin, then felix napped, josh watched football and I found a few good deals at Goodwill for their 1/2 off first Saturday of the month sale. Saturday night Josh and I went to the pub across the street for drinks and more football and Emily sat with Felix after he went to sleep. It was all around a great Saturday.

Then on Sunday we got news that my sister in law was in labor! She delivered a perfect and beautiful baby boy on Monday morning at 3:45 am. Josh, Felix and I drove up in the wee hours of the morning to meet baby Elliot True and I spent the day in Kentucky visiting and holding my newest nephew.

That's what is new!

Row 1: Best friends, Jenni's Ice Cream, after a walk, Sister stroll

Row 2: Moving, family night out, knitting and Bartlet, Sisters

Row 3: Buddies, At the park, friends, Elliot True

Another Farewell for Now

Chips, salsa, queso and two cold beers sat on the table in front of us. There is not much in life that the Ewing family loves more than mexican food and it seemed right for me and my older sister to celebrate our last hurrah together in Franklin at our favorite little mexican restaurant - Pueblo Real.

The little hole-in-the-wall is half way between out two houses and it has become a tradition for us to meet there for much needed sister-friend time. The salsa ran out 4 times over the course of the meal, but it was so nice to sit together and linger chatting like it wasn't the last time we would eat there together in a long time.

This weekend the Cahills move to Byrdstown, TN. They have lived in Franklin for 3 years now and we have been through a lot together. Two jobs and stay-at-home-momdom for me. Two jobs for josh. Grueling residency for Cynthia. Early mornings and late nights at the farm for JP. Two precious Cahill babies and one much-longed for Michael baby. Countless belly laughs and late nights out and many stressful phone calls to vent or cry together and celebrations galore. We have fully lived life together letting each other into the ugliest and most beautiful parts of each others lives. They are not only family, but they have become our closest and dearest friends.

Spontaneous cookouts with sweet corn, roasted veggies and burgers in their back yard while the kids chase fireflies and splash in a baby pool. Football games on the big screen with spicy chili, cornbread and cookies. Movie nights. Game nights. Wine nights. Just-come-over-for-the-heck-of-it-nights. I'm going to miss them dearly.

Luckily they are only 2 hours away so instead of spontaneous nights together around their back yard, our new MO will be weekends at their cabin. Renting boats on the lake. Watching our kids sled down hills in the forrest, farmer's market saturday mornings in Franklin and Let's-meet-half-way dinners in Lebanon. I cherish the time we have had together and I know there are still many memories and good times that lie ahead in our future.

I know it's lame, but this was one of three photos that contained JUST the 4 of us and even though it's old and at a mini golf course it was the best one.

Expectant Mom Delivery Basket

I'm one of those strange people who love pregnancy. And I don't just mean the idea of pregnancy or seeing another person full of life and glowing...I mean I actually loved going through pregnancy myself.

My pregnancy was one of those special, not-a-lot-of-complications-no-morning-sickness-relatively-easy pregnancies. (I know, I know...try not to roll your eyes). Even stranger, not only did I like pregnancy, but I liked labor. Don't get me wrong, my 20 hours of intense contractions and 2.5 hours of pushing was the hardest thing I've ever done. But in that process I felt more connected to my body, more connected to my husband and at time more peace (in times) than ever. It was like little bits of heaven and God's grace meeting me in each intense wave of pain and getting me that much closer to meeting the sweet red-headed child of my dreams was even better.

But, the whole process of packing the hospital bag. The anticipation of waiting for those first real contractions. Talking through different labor techniques and distractions we will use. Birth classes, books, blogs, youtube videos, documentaries and more all designed to help us prepare for something that we couldn't possibly grasp or understand till we went through it ourselves.

Today is my sister-in-law's due date. She is expecting her second boy and when we went to visit them a few weekends ago I got all excited thinking about her labor and adding another little boy to the Michael family tree. So before we left for our visit I put together a little goodie basket for her labor, delivery, and postpartum time in the hospital.

It was mostly snacks for her to keep up her energy during labor, but there were a few extra things as well. A headband, hand cream for her hubby to give her a lovely distracting hand massage during some rough contractions, a back massager, chapstick, tea for a sore throat postpartum, cold packs, tucks pads, nursing pads, some emery boards for the baby (hospitals don't provide files or nail clippers so it's a good thing to have to avoid baby scratching their own face), and some travel sized hygiene essentials so she can use them at the hospital and then leave them when she goes.

All of these items were really inexpensive or things I had around my house already. The new baby is usually the one getting all of the attention and gifts, but it's totally rad to think about the mommy and all her body, heart, and mind will be going through as well. If you have a friend who is getting ready to go into labor, a little basket like this might brighten her day!

eucharisteo: simple thanks

eucharisteo: simple thanks is a weekly post where I compile all my notes of thanks from the past days and share.

Medicine for my sick little

Sunflowers brightening my kitchen and my day

Giant pots of spicy curry veggies over quinoa

A spice bottle providing 20 minutes of entertainment for Felix

A husband who balances out my bad

phone catchups during a morning walk

Safe travels

Car naps and my husband the road warrior

Wildebeest (aka willow)

BBQ made by my brother in law at Brothers

Giant chocolate chip cookies

Big pregnant bellies full of life and ready to burst

Little pregnant bellies, just as full of life and glowing with anticipation

Housemate dinner around homemade pizzas

Freedom to stay home with my son

Sister wedding plans and excitement

afternoon thunder storms and listening to raindrops hit the tin carport

Free gourmet bagels

Homeopathic remedies

Dinner on the patio

Felix enjoying pizza crust

A stretch of 6 hours of sleep for my wee one!

Sunny pool time

Baby pulling up on everything and learning how to get back down

top: my men, colorful playground, afternoon treat, baby led weaning

middle: grass discovery, hearty lunch, worship snuggles, gift wrapping fun

bottom: labor love package, adventurer face wounds, yummy affordable vino, unexpected benjamins.