Life Lately | Merriest of Merry!

The house has been full of a lot of Christmas cookie making, wrapping of special gift's and holiday music on repeat. My Holiday favorite's have been on repeat throughout our home and our little one's footsteps pitter-pattering back and forth dancing is just the cutest sight to see.

 It is so hard to believe that Christmas is almost here. Here's to wishing you and yours the most merriest! Merry Christmas!

Life Lately | Sunday Afternoon

What a nice Sunday afternoon, well spent walking the streets of Dumbo. This has always been one of my most favorite treasured spots in the city. Justin and I decided to drive in to go to church at Brooklyn Tabernacle and then spend the afternoon taking our time putzing around those cobble stone streets. Blake loves playing at the playground there and of coarse his eyes light up like a christmas tree when we head towards Janes Carousel. Afterwards, we headed back to our car and snagged a few slices of pizza and a warm cup of coffee for the road. I just love a good weekend with my family and though always so sad to see it go, it sure makes a long week worth all the while.

Life Lately | Farm Fun

We took off for a windy and brisk Sunday drive and headed off to check out a farm, nearby. It was about an hour away, but we were taking advantage of Mr. Daylight Saving's and making the best out of the long day. What a pretty, golden sunlight and yet brisk and windy day! Luckily we came prepared with mittens and an extra warm jacket for Blake, just in case.
It really reminded us of our hometown in Pennsylvania and any place with chickens and goats makes me happy. One day, a dream of my very own chicken coop will come true. I cannot express to you the balance of living in the suburbs, and having the city and yet the country roads, all within reach of us. I sure get homesick and lonesome at times. A good dose of a drive home to visit family in PA always seems to help but finding farms like these are a great way to soothe a lonesome 'homesick' heart.
We walked around the farm, watching Blake roam the fields and wave to the chickens to feeding the goats. Though the wind started to pick up and the sun was slowly setting, we made sure to pick up a few goodies to take home with us and warm up with a mug of hot apple cider.
This time of the year is just so wonderful and it was so great to see Blake running around in the hay tunnel, playing peek a boo with Justin and watching him smile at the farm animals. I'll take rosy cheeks and wind blown hair any day, as long as I get to spend time with my guy's. I hope you all adjusted to the time change and were able to sneak in a little extra fun for your Sunday, as well.

 

Life Lately | November Promises

I read these beautiful words one morning, while drinking my coffee and the words resounded into my heart.

Gracious God,

Thank you for the gift of today.

Refresh me. Invite me to discover your presence

In each person that I meet

And every event that I encounter.

Teach me when to speak and when to listen

When to ponder and when to share.

In moments of challenge and decision

Attune my heart to the whisperings of your Wisdom.

As I undertake ordinary and unnoticed tasks,

Gift me with simple joy.

When my day goes well, may I rejoice.

When it grows difficult, surprise me with

New possibilities.

When life is overwhelming, call me to

Sabbath moments

To restore your Peace and Harmony.

May my living today reveal your Goodness.

Amen.

-Pat Bergen, C.S.J.

I don't know how you feel, but it sure is a gift to awaken each day, a new day, with a healthy and fresh start. That whole passage is beautiful but those precious 5 words, "Gift me with simple joy" spoke to me. Sure, we all get led into the pressure's of the everyday need/want mentality. How can you not, we live in a crazy world. The trick is shutting it off and finding the solace of desiring your own life.

This month of November, I want to simply start it off right with as much Thanksgiving and gratefulness in my heart. Seeking only to be happy with what I have. A cozy and warm home filled with snacks and food to curl up on the couch as a family. The weekend's where time is never an obstacle and we truly get to sit down and converse over the day, watching our little one dig into his basket's of toys to find that perfect one to coyly look up and hand to us, with an eagerness to allow us to join in on his creative world of play. Oh his little mind...
Those moment's are good enough for me, a lasting joy! So for this month, I am eager to keep faith and join in on seeking happiness in all things. My wish for you, is to find that joy and hold onto it as well. Allow November's Promises to really seep in and smile, because you have more than enough, you are enough, life is good.

photo via Pinterest

Life Lately | Halloween Fun

We had a great time in our new home, trick or treating. Last year, we were eager to find a new place to call our home and we were so unsure if we should have looked into the city, or find a home in the suburbs. It was a tad stressful looking at homes and our first one at that. Coming from being a renter and dependent on someone else to do things for you, it can be a shock looking at something that is utterly all yours. Alot of projects and the sense of overwhelming and anxiety struck me a bit and besides a few minor headaches, we have had a great first year in our little gingerbread home. This is the first start to the holidays that I can truly get into the spirit of things around here and really eager to keep our home cozy and decorated to the hilt! We started off our Halloween morning with a little pumpkin paint art. Blake had so much fun painting on the paper and gushing the colors together in his hands. We pulled one of the mini pumpkins off the porch, where Blake could freely paint with it. I thought it would be great for each holiday, to try to have some fun creative outlet to make art and for him to play with and incorporate the associated colors with each season passing. It will be great to add to his childhood treasure box I keep for him. 

I just am in awe when I see how much Blake has changed and how amazing the growth and change in everything from his tiny hands to his little laugh. When I look back at last year, Blake and I went trick or treating without Justin due to an overload of projects but oh no! not this year! Justin was away on business in LA mon-thursday and he had taken off for Halloween so we could spend it together as a family. We went hand in hand and enjoyed the whole experience together. We snapped a few pictures quickly of our Lumberjack outfits. There was a lot of chasing around our little busy-body to get him into his outfit ( I am sure any of you with children know that one all too well) played some spooky and fun Halloween music. Yes, Monster Mash, Ghostbusters & Werewolves of London, sure made it in the mix! We snacked on sweets and watched our little lumberjack run around pulling his hat on and off. He now says 'hat' and want's to do it himself, whenever we are headed out the door. We walked around our neighborhood a bit and then drove into town to see if anyone was still out and about only to find the chill in the air and smell of a light frost sent us back to the car for warmth and hungry bellies eager for pizza. I hope you all had your very own spooktacular Halloween fun! 

Life Lately | The Zoo

It was a chilly day, but we took off for the local Zoo, here in New Jersey. We loved watching Blake look out the large open window for the bear and foxes. Watching him point, laugh and say his new favorite word "whoa" when the bear came up to the window was a hoot! We did end up finding this pile of leaves to play around in for a bit. Though it was a chilly day, we ended up taking our time walking through the whole place and taking a break on a cute train ride that was about 1 mile long in the woods. It was a fun day for our little family to enjoy, and though a few pictures were captured, the moment of walking around and taking turns holding Blake's hand to point out and see different animals made for a great day!