Monday Rundown- Holiday Edition

Whew! What a week! Sorry I failed to post last week, but Jacob made it in early on Sunday morning and the rest of the week from that moment on was pretty much a whirlwind!

We got to spend 6 glorious family days together cooking, baking, playing and visiting. We retired early on the night of the solstice and slept extra long. Even though we didn't do anything particularly special I think getting the extra sleep was a fitting way to mark the longest night of the year. The next two days were passed by preparing for Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.

When Christmas Eve finally rolled around we had a wonderful day visiting family. Then on Christmas Day Jacob made duck and other delicious dishes for our Christmas dinner and I got to pull my Great Grandmother's linens out of the closet and use them for the first time in two years. The kids made out like bandits both days with some beautiful and thoughtful presents.

Friday was spent enjoying each other's company, having a nice dinner out and then visiting the Christmas light at the Louisville Mega Cavern. We had to be up early the next morning to drive Jacob to the train station in Indianapolis to catch his 6am train. Saturday and Sunday were spent putting the house back together, resting and nursing the wound that Jacob's leaving always causes.

In the coming week I plan to pack up the Christmas tree and put away the lights. It seems like I just put them up not too long ago. Funny how time seems to pass by more quickly the older I get. I hope that in the coming week I can carve out the time to plan for the new year. I plan on making plans to savor every bit of time I have with my growing baby, my ittle boy and enjoying the fleeting moments I get with my husband.

Hope you all had a great holiday season and are making grand plans for the new year! Have a great week!

Goal Setting Sunday - 12/28/14

Last week I decided to dedicate each Sunday evening to setting and reviewing my weekly goals. I think that this week I will print out a copy of this post and pin it to the fridge so that I can see it and remember what goals I set. 

Here are my results from last week's goals. 

Last Week's Goals

1. Christmas baking on Tuesday.- Done!
2. Do one reiki session for my husband on Friday. - Didn't do. Sorry Jacob!
3. Christmas presents wrapped on Tuesday. - Done!
4. House cleaned by Tuesday night. - Didn't do on Tuesday, but it got done eventually. 
5. Shopping finished on Monday night. - Done!
6. Banks and bills on Monday morning. - Done, except the fact that I tried to pay one bill out of the wrong account and overdrafted. Womp. Womp. I'll remember to check the next time bills are set for autopay. 
7. Return all correspondence Monday afternoon.- Still haven't done. I am truly terrible at this! Sorry to anyone I owe a response!
8. Christmas cards sent on Monday afternoon. - 3 lefts to send. 
9. Enjoy this time with my husband and don't get too rushed. - I think we did okay!
10. Make it to the gym Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.- Didn't do. :(

This Week's Goals

1. Return all correspondence by Tuesday morning. 
2. Do one reiki self session.
3. Finish my Life and Biz workbooks for 2015. 
4. Put all Christmas decorations away. 
5. Get Will signed up for after care if school office is open. 
6. All laundry put away by Monday night.
7. House cleaned by Tuesday morning.
8. Gather Will's school items Sunday morning. 
9. Meditate at least once. 
10. Finish Christmas cards.

If you are inclined to set your own weekly goals go ahead and post them on your own blog and leave me a link in the comments. Next week we can review our goals, report on our acheivements and then set new goals. Let's help hold each other accountable!

{this moment} -12/26/14

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

If you're inspired to do the same, head on over to Soule Mama and leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Goal Setting Sunday

With the new year on the horizon I've decided that I'm hoping to improve my thought collecting skills so that I can more readily meet my daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. In order to do so I've decided that I will start off each week by listing my goals so that I can get a clear idea of what I need to do.

Here's my list for this week:

1. Christmas baking on Tuesday.
2. Do one reiki session for my husband on Friday.
3. Christmas presents wrapped on Tuesday.
4. House cleaned by Tuesday night.
5. Shopping finished on Monday night.
6. Banks and bills on Monday morning.
7. Return all correspondence Monday afternoon.
8. Christmas cards sent on Monday afternoon.
9. Enjoy this time with my husband and don't get too rushed.
10. Make it to the gym Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

If you are inclined to do the same go ahead and post your goals on your own blog and leave me a link in the comments. Next week we can review our goals, report on our acheivements and then set new goals. Let's help hold each other accountable!

Monday Rundown- It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Last week I told you that we weren't sure if Jacob was going to make it home for Christmas. After much finagling and some logistical acrobatics it looks like he may just make it. It involves a train, a bus, a dog sitter, a mailbox and maybe even a thumbed ride by the time it's all said and done, but as long as we can get him on the train this Friday he will be home on Sunday morning. I hope. Keep your fingers crossed blogfolk!

In the meantime we've been rushing around trying to get all the Christmas-y things done. I only have a few more gifts to buy, cards to mail and gifts to wrap. I'm planning on spending the next couple of days doing some baking and cleaning. I still have to find some type of roast beast to adorn the table. Jacob wants a goose, but I'm not too keen on spending $70+ for one. Any ideas on where I can get one for less than $70 are welcome!

Will has had a wonderful week which included his first every party with friends. He has such a great time and it was nice for me to be able to talk to some of the other parents n his class. In just the few weeks that he's been at school he has changed so rapidly for the better that it's truly amazing! They also had their Winter Spiral ceremony last Friday and I was amazed at how beautiful it was and how reverent all the children were. Sending him to school was definitely the right choice!

Litha had her first real food yesterday. She thinks unsweetened applesauce tastes funny, but baby oatmeal is pretty good. She also finds it rather amusing to blow raspberries with her food. She's a delicate flower, that one.

So, all in all everything seems to be falling in to place! Have a great week y'all!

{this moment} - 12/12/14

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

If you're inspired to do the same, head on over to Soule Mama and leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Holiday Joy!

In case you haven't noticed I've been rather obsessed with essential oils lately. As you can see from my etsy store in the sidebar I've been making some neato essential oil diffuser jewelry. I'm also a representative for doTERRA essential oils. I've always been a fan of essential oils, but lately it seems I've been immersed in the world of essential oils and I really want to share them with you. So, each week, I will spotlight one of my current favorites and tell you what I love about it. If you think you would love it too please help our family out a bit by visiting my site and purchasing it.

When used in a responsible manner they can be incredible helpers on the path to wellness. However, the essential oil I want to talk about today is pure holiday fun! It called Holiday Joy and it is a delicious blend of wild orange, nutmeg pine, cassia, cinnamon bark and vanilla absolute.

I've been diffusing it almost daily since early November with my Aroma Ace Diffuser. I've also been using it on the terracotta ornaments that Will and I made for our tree We just put a drop on each ornament and it makes the tree smell wonderfully festive!

When it came out this holiday season I bought two bottles and I'm so glad I did because I'm pretty sure that by New Year's Day they will both be all gone!

To get your bottle of Holiday Joy or any other essential oil you might be interested in please visit my website.

My doTERRA Essential Oil Website

If you are in the Louisville, KY area, please Contact Me and I will be more than happy to share doTERRA's amazing oils with you in person. 

Monday Rundown- I'll Be Home For Christmas, If Only In My Dreams...

I'd hoped my first Monday Rundown after my long hiatus would be a bit more positive, but unfortunately, no such luck.

Jacob's truck has broken down and getting it to someone who can fix it is going to be an epic undertaking since he's 40 miles from even the nearest gas station. We thought it was just a frozen gas line, but after increased temperatures, gas treatment and warming lamps it appears that it is something more serious. Even if he can get it to a mechanic the likelihood of it being taken care of in a timely manner is pretty much nil. Nothing in North Dakota gets done quickly. Mechanics will likely have a backlog of vehicles to repair, parts will take forever and then the fact that if it's a problem with the engine the expense will likely be phenomenal.

I'm not holding my breath that he will make it home for Christmas and I'm completely bummed out about it. I don't know how to tell Will, but I'm planning on refraining from doing so until the end of next week so that it doesn't affect how he's settling in at his new school. I find myself crying and cursing the oilfield and then feeling guilty for it because I feel like I'm biting the hand that feeds. Whatever. I just want my husband home for Christmas.

Of course, I'll rally, just like I always do and turn my focus on things that are more positive. I'll work on my etsy store, I'll use my oils to keep my mood uplifted and I'll be extra mindful with the children, just like I alway do when the oilfield interrupts my life. But for now I'm going to lie down and wallow around in it awhile.

If your loved ones are near to you please give them a hug today. If they are not, be sure they know you love them. And if you have some extra positive vibes or prayers to send, please send them our way. We need a Christmas miracle.

It's been awhile...

It's been almost two years since I last posted here. At the time I thought we were going to sell Walnut Cottage, go off on a grand adventure to North Dakota and live in a camper. I started a new blog about oilfield life and was excited to tell you all about it. But the house didn't sell, the permanent camper living proved untenable and we added a new member to the family.

We attempted to sell Walnut Cottage as the housing market was gaining steam. It should have sold easily. It didn't. Now I know why. We weren't meant to leave it. We've now been back here for nearly a year and I'm ready to start blogging about our sweet little life here at Walnut Cottage again.

Some things are the same. Jacob is still working far away and our hearts ache for him and we miss him daily. I regularly scheme up ways to get him home while maintaining a good quality of life for our family. I am grateful for the oilfield and the life it provides us, but it has also brought us much heartache. This is why I choose not to blog about it exclusively anymore. While I appreciate it I don't want it to be my identity.

Some things are different. We have added a new beautiful little girl to our family. Her name is Litha (her due date was the summer solstice) and she was born right here in my bedroom in Walnut Cottage. I believe this was the primary reason why Walnut Cottage did not pass from our hands. That is, it stayed with us in order to provide a warm, comfortable entrance for our sweet gal.

In light of our peaceful birth experience  I am currently studying to become a birth & postpartum doula and childbirth educator. Since I was blessed with such a peaceful, quiet birth I feel like I have a duty to help other women acheive the birth they want. I will be finishing up my first few classes on my journey in January and will then be certified in pregnancy and postpartum nutrition education. I can't wait to begin this journey.

Of course, I can't go any time without arts and crafts so I've been working on getting my etsy store back off the ground. It will include the batiks that I've always sold, but I've also been working on essential oil diffuser jewellry as well. Please check it out and buy something if you see something you like.

In closing, I hope you will once again join me at Walnut Cottage. It is our family's home and we love it. We may spend some time away from it to visit Jacob in North Dakota from time to time, but we will always come home to Walnut Cottage.