Life, lately

Happy 2022!

This is not a New Year's resolution post (if you've been around for a bit, you know I don't really make resolutions).  It's also not a "recap of holiday celebrations" post (though I'd love to share all that!).  It's more of a "here are some things we've been doing, lately, that I haven't gotten around to posting about on social media" post.  😬  The holiday season just made for busier days - you can probably relate - and I just didn't get around to sharing everything I'd hoped. 

Also - and this probably sounds a little trivial and silly - the app I like to use for making photo collages (Layout by Instagram) isn't working since updating to IOS 15, and I haven't found(taken) the time to find/learn a new app.  Is this happening to anyone else?  Again, I know this seems so silly, but it really put a kink in the efficiency of my posting preferences.  

So, here are a bunch of random posts all in one "photo dump" of a blog post.  Enjoy.  😊

This handmade jumper and saddle shoes were hand-me-downs from dear friends (who babysat me from infancy, then I babysat their girls, then they babysat Jacob), and I wanted to get Lydia in them while they fit, even though it was well before Valentine's Day.  These were taken when she was just starting to free-stand on her own, and she looked so grown up to me!

These scenes from a Lego Nativity book we got from the library made me laugh out loud.
Have you ever seen a pregnant Lego person?!

Thanks to an Instagram influencer I follow, I forewent baking Christmas goodies with a preschooler this year and made stovetop potpourri jars, instead.  (Don't worry - we bake together often and did make a few small-batch treats this season.)  Jacob was a true helper, and it was really fun for both of us (I'd forgotten how much I love an assembly line and seeing the finished product).

Thanks to Amazon for the bulk spice offerings, HyVee for a significant cranberry coupon, and Home Depot for the free scrap tree cuttings!

♥

I had plans for most of the ~24 we made, but we had a few extras, and it was so nice to just be able to easily grab a homemade gift from the fridge when an opportunity presented itself.

In all humility, I thought they were just so pretty...and with very little effort to make them so!

Another Christmas project was thanks to Scraps KC (the arts & crafts thrift store I love).  I'd gone to browse and ran across a kit for clothespin reindeer.  It seemed as though someone had put it together for a crafting event and donated what was left of the supplies.  Growing up, I had (and still have) a Rudolph clothespin necklace, and because Jacob was particularly interested in the character of Rudolph this year, I knew he'd be excited about this nostalgic project.  We were happy to give these (ultra-cheap) supplies a second life!

My original. ☺

The herd at the top are the ones he made for himself, and the others were gifts.

I don't consider myself a "crunchy" mom, by any means, but I've been reminded repeatedly of the importance of kids getting ample outside time and opportunities for encounters with nature.  In my first round of motherhood, I was fairly concerned about Jacob putting things in his mouth, getting dirty, etc., but this time around is different (for several reasons, I'm sure).  While Lydia may put some things in her mouth, she is pretty good about taking them out upon request (or even not by request - she'll just hand me something slobbery I hadn't even seen go in), so she spends plenty of time roaming freely.  One thing that kept her particularly occupied this fall was picking the little spores off oak leaves.  Super random, I know.  I don't even remember how it started, but she would happily work her way through several leaves for many minutes before losing interest.  Thanks to winter's mild beginnings, we were spending lots of time outside through the end of December.

It was definitely a win for fine motor skill practice!

Only took a few corrections for her to remember they weren't edible.

I think I've mentioned Favorite Things parties here, before...if not, forgive my memory.  The ones I've attended in the past have been fairly small gatherings and are just so fun!  So, when there was a strong desire and several requests for a women's event at church, a Favorite Things party quickly came to mind.  Since we hadn't gathered as a large group in quite some time, it was my hope for everyone to get to talk to as many people as possible, so we did a Favorite Things party speed-dating style!  Everyone brought one of their favorite things (around $10), and over the course of the evening, each lady had a couple minutes to talk one-on-one with everyone in attendance.  If nothing else, they could talk about the favorite things they had brought along!  As with most things, there were a few unforeseen kinks, so it didn't go quite as smoothly as it had in my head (in my late-night run-throughs of the event (ha)), but everyone still had a lovely time and got to connect with friends, old and new.  I had some wonderful help with this event - a couple talented, capable, and generous ladies took care of the amazing decorations and delicious food!  Their work was Pinterest-worthy:

My favorite thing about these parties is seeing what everyone else brings...

...so, I documented the items the ladies brought. 

One of few out-and-about dates with these two. 
They did so well after being out of (or having no) practice being in public.

Speaking of dates...Bryant and I took advantage of our school-aged sitters being on break and went out on a mid-week date after Christmas!  Of course, we hadn't considered how many other people might have the same idea, so we tried three restaurants before finding one that could seat us without a reservation...haha.  Regardless, it provided quality time for uninterrupted conversation and dining, and it was so refreshing!

My picture of our actual dinner didn't turn out (seriously - this latest phone update has been terrible), but I did get this one of dessert.  "The Chocolate Bag" was filled with white chocolate mouse, whipped cream, and berries.

The Plaza lights were still up, so we enjoyed a (brief) after-dinner stroll!

Dates these days aren't complete without a trip to the store.  This evening's quest was a clearance storage bin for Jacob's growing Lego collection.  Not only did we find one on clearance, but it was 95% off!  Post-Christmas clearance shopping is one of my very favorite activities, so I can speak from much experience when I say this level of discount is unheard of!  (My heartrate accelerated even typing about it here - I still can't believe it!)  A deal like this is exponentially better when it was something you actually needed AND actually stopped for at that exact time, in my opinion.

The neighbors had a tree removed, and they were so thoughtful to let us know it would be happening.  Provided at solid hour+ of entertainment; Jacob said, "It's like I'm watching television!"  (Pretty sure we have my dad to thank for this vernacular: "television."  Cracks me up!)

Bryant made this stool for Jacob a few years ago, and it came in clutch during lunch prep the other day!

She did such a great job actually helping (and I didn't mind at all if she snuck a bite or two here and there.)  She was so proud of herself, and so was I!

Thanks for reading and caring and showing interest!  You know these blog posts are fewer and further between, these days, so wanted to make the most of this one - haha.  I know the subject matter of past posts may be a little more spiritual/deep/interesting/universal, but in this season of life, these daily happenings are the bulk of what I have to offer (mostly because they represent the bulk of what occupies my brain power, time, and resources, at the moment - haha).

While I don't make resolutions, I'd love to hear about yours!  Perhaps you don't call them "resolutions," though.  Goals?  Things you'd like to implement/improve?  Growth you'd like to see?  This year more than others, I'm feeling the need for a reset/regroup, now that the holiday season is behind us.  Maybe you feel the same way.  Either way, wishing you all the best in your endeavors in this new year.  Praying you find the direction, wisdom, resources, and will power to make the changes you set out to make.

Convictedly,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

the Kindred Conversations podcast (an episode was recently recommended, and I've really enjoyed catching up on previous episodes, as well - very relevant for my own season in life)

my electric blanket

These two. 
Jacob asked for a selfie with Lydia...then asked for a "video-ie," but Lydia was ready to move on to the next thing.

How does your garden grow?

Yes, I'm still here.  No, I don't have any one/good explanation as to why I've not posted in so many months.  Yikes.  I have been waiting to share a few things till they're fully completed and wrapped with a shiny bow, and sometimes, things take longer than originally anticipated...and in the meantime, since we're busy working on these projects, I run out of time to tell you about anything else.

One of the things I've been wanting/meaning to share about is our flower beds and garden.  I tried to take pictures throughout the growing season of allll the things we planted.  Some of these continued to flourish well into fall, and then Thanksgiving and the holiday season hit...and for once, I didn't have the post started and ready to add finishing touches to once we had a hard freeze and things stopped growing...so...you get to read this in the dead of winter.  Maybe it was for the best, and this can serve as a reminder of the warmth and color that is to come.  Haha.

You might remember another post about these projects from a couple years ago.  Since everything was well-established this year, I thought I'd fill you in on how everything filled in!  ;)

Anyway, this will be mostly pictures along with some brief explanations.

We inherited iris from a few different people.

(This variety was one of my grandma's favorites.)

They didn't bloom last year, so it was fun to be surprised by what came out this year!

"Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?"

This sweet rose bush came with the house.

A neighbor gave us some "surprise" bulbs, so we were surprised by these daylilies!

Sweetspire

Our first bee balm blooms.

This stuff blew our minds...it covered probably twice as much ground by the end of the season.
PLEASE let us know if you want any starts - we have two patches this size!

These lilies were not a surprise.  ☺

We thought we'd lost the mums after they were confused by a couple unseasonably warm days in the dead of winter, but two of the three pulled through!

Our neighbors shared some hostas shortly after we moved in, and they've done so well!
I even used some of the leaves and blooms as decoration for a church women's event at the end of the summer.

Of course, I didn't get a picture of the full bed...mostly because things were in full bloom at different times (which was intentional), but you get this idea!  Now, for the garden:

Just a bunch of baby plants out there!

Our first harvest!
(We got maybe five more snap peas after this...)

My little helper, who had previously turned down cucumbers, appointed himself as "Quality Control" for the entirety of the season.  No argument here...this is one of the reason we planted a garden.  ☺

We probably should've counted the amazing number of cucumbers our five plants produced over the course of the very wet, not-too-hot spring/summer.  No, I never put up any pickles - we just gave a bunch away...and ate a lot.

Tomatoes were a welcome addition to our produce collection once they finally started turning!

We had no problems with deer this year, PTL!

Our one watermelon vine!

Pulled these off right before the first freeze.
There were MANY more on the vine, at one point - we'd taken several off early on and left a few on to chance the freeze.

Not too bad!

I think I've already told you about this little surprise petunia, but as a refresher:
I thought it was a weed, at one point.  It was a tiny little leaf of a plant growing among (obvious) weeds in my annual pot, and I almost pulled it in preparation for more annuals this year.  But...I decided to leave it, and I'm so glad I did!

It just kept on growing...

...and surviving...

...and blooming...

...all the way through the end of October!  I've never seen anything like it.  It was the best surprise!

There you have it.  Like I've said before, one of the purposes of this blog is to document pieces of my life for posterity's sake.  So, while I don't expect you to have been waiting on pins and needles to see how all our new plants fared, I do appreciate the interest (some of) you have in the less-exciting details of our life. ☺♥

Gardenly(?),
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

Baja Shrimp Tacos from Twisted Fresh

Favorite Things parties! 
And my favorite thing for the parties this year?  Handmade greeting cards! 
I made 8 sets of 10 over the course of several months to take to two different parties.

everything about this...but really, my husband
I snapped this picture a couple months ago.  It's what I came home to after a morning of playing on worship team at church...and after a night of being up with a sick kiddo (his/our first run-in with "throw up").  Not only did Bryant stay home to care for Jacob that morning while I was gone, but he also did the laundry, baked bread, and did all the dishes. ♥
This is just one shining example of how well he cares for us.