Country Farmhouse Christmas

We have spent the past few days in the country, outside of Peoria (Jon's hometown is Brimfield, a small town just outside Peoria).  We have been sharing a beautifully restored/updated farmhouse with Jon's mom and stepdad.  It is really a great place; I'll try to link in photos if Judy, Jon's mom, has time to show me how tomorrow (I'll have to remember to ask, because she is really computer savvy!  She sends us electronic greetings for every holiday that are so clever and beautiful.). 

We had been debating about whether to drive to Florida for Christmas or not because Jon doesn't get to see his mom nearly as much as I get to see my parents.  The situation worked out very well, though, when he located this great farmhouse on a home vacation rental site.  It has only been in use as a vacation rental a very short time (beginning of November) and so is still in its "new" stage.  The people who bought it live in California, but grew up across the street and always loved this house.  When it went up for sale recently, they bought it and updated the things that needed it (the two bathrooms have new fixtures, tile, etc.) and restored the things that needed it (the hardwood floors are gorgeous).  It is very nicely furnished:  the rugs are beautiful and thick, most of the beds are super comfy with that memory foam on them, warm and cozy bed linens, including thick and soft blankets under pretty quilts.

We have really been enjoying all the family that have been to visit and dine with us here.  Judy has been baking and cooking non-stop since she and Win arrived last Tuesday night from Florida.  She is an excellent cook and baker and we have eaten quite a bit of delicious food.  Quite a bit!  I'm so thankful that we didn't need to make that drive to Florida after all and that we came here instead.  It is really quiet and peaceful out here, and when there was a fresh snowfall last Thursday, it was just magical.  I don't love snow; in fact, I want to live someplace that rarely to never sees snow, but I must say that I do really love when the snow is coming down, so gently, in big flakes (which are really clumps of snowflakes stuck together), especially when landing on evergreen trees, which surround this house.  No matter which window you looked out on that day, it was just pastoral.  It made me feel very much like we had just moved here when the house was built, over 100 years ago, and that we were very far from "civilization."  I don't normally like that feeling of isolation, but it was actually nice for those two days.

I am not someone who can stay cooped up for a very long time, however, so today, Dartagnan and I headed out to take back the gloves I bought him for Christmas because they are not the pair he really wanted.  We ended up buying him a winter coat to replace the one that has been lost, a pair of dress shoes (his first pair since our wedding three years ago), and some t-shirts (everything was on sale!).  I went to lunch with him at Longhorn and my carnivore had an order of chili cheese fries, a 9 oz. steak, and root beer float.  The loaded baked potato and mac n cheese side dishes were too much for him to finish, so we brought them back here with my baked sweet potato (yum!).  I had a strawberry pecan salad, and we shared their warm, fresh bread.  It was so good!  After lunch, we headed out to the other mall (started at Grand Prairie and ended at Northwoods), and got a few more things.  One of the funny things that happened was that I purchased perfume at Macy's and when I unwrapped it to show Jon tonight, found that it was not the scent I intended to buy:  I wanted Eau Tranquility by Clarins and instead got something very similar, but not that.  It turns out that I really love this new scent too, so I'm keeping it.  That was a good "mishap!"

Well, I am absolutely wiped due to all the walking today, which felt so good to get out and move around more, so I'm headed to bed.  Getting up early tomorrow morning to make fruited oatmeal in the rice cooker and have to get the towels out of the dryer in the basement to fold and put away.

Break!

I was reluctant to get out of bed this morning.  Yesterday my ribs were aching so much that I had to breathe shallowly.  I slept OK, but really just wanted to snuggle back down under the down comforter for some more zzz's instead of going to PNS.  I'm very glad that I did not snuggle back into my bed because we ended up getting a 2 point quiz in PNS today!  That is really unusual.  Dr. Schmiedel's past pattern is to give the quiz in the week before the upcoming exam.  We just had our exam the first Friday of December and won't have the next until the second Tuesday after break.  So we were very surprised and over half the class wasn't there.  Two of my friends missed the quiz, sadly, because they are re-taking the class, too, and could have used the points.

I stopped by the Clinic after class to get adjusted.  It took several attempts and methods, but my thoracics, which had subluxated anteriorly, finally cooperated.  I am feeling better now, but am still craving a little more sleep...

I went to Wallace's Garden Center afterward and picked up a few of their Christmas items that were marked down to 20-40% off.  I love going in there and just browsing for when I have time (which is not often).  They have such creative people on their staff who put together beautiful displays.  After blogging, I'm going out to the garage to pick up the things I'll be using to put together the gifts we'll be giving this year and I'll get that set up on the dining room table before I leave to head back to Palmer to judge the Admissions contest.

The prizes for the contest are great!  One is a day off work, others are an overnight stay at the Radisson, half days off work.  I wouldn't mind winning any of those and I'm sure that everyone who decorated her/his (more ladies than gentlemen in the department) cubicle will be delighted to win.  It will be fun to be part of it!

Once the judging is over, I'm headed out with my friends Trine, Sheila, and Jen to celebrate Christmas, Jen's Birthday, the Break and some time off school.  We are very much looking forward to hanging out together and having some girl-chat over Mexican food - yum!

When I get home, I'll get to work on the Christmas present project & I might go ahead and wrap the things I picked up at a garage sale for Lani this Fall.  I remember that one of the items was a Melissa and Doug wooden "paper" doll set.  The dolls & their clothes are magnetic and they have multiple outfits.  I know she will have fun with that.  And I also found some more train cars and figures to go with her Thomas the Tank Engine train set she has.  She loves getting it out and setting it up and driving the train on the track.  I can't remember what else was in the bag;  I hid it about 3 months ago.

I have to get the laundry done today, too, because we'll be headed to Peoria sometime tomorrow morning for our Christmas with Jon's dad and stepmom.  Will be nice to see everyone and visit.  Looking forward to going.  Jon hasn't decided if we'll stay the night or not.  It doesn't matter to me either way, but it would be nice to get to go to our church on Sunday morning.  If we don't, we can always go to the wonderful church that Jeff and Mariola attend.  We really like it, too.

Headed out to the garage...brrrr!

The Countdown Begins...

OK, Finals begin Friday. Trying to not get too nervous, but definitely have a lot to do today to feel more prepared. Will be working on Nutrition and Public Health today because those are the Friday finals. Too make things just a tad more stressful, we'll be leaving for Peoria as soon as we finish our Friday finals because we have a family reunion on Jon's mom's side of the family to attend that day!

Yesterday, Jon and Dartagnan worked hard on the patio and have half of the bricks laid. They are doing a fantastic job. Jon's hips and back are really bothering him, though, from the standing, squatting, leaning, standing, etc. Today, to make this a little better, Dartagnan is stacking bricks next to where Jon will be placing them, so he doesn't have to get up every 2 bricks to go get 2 more to bring back to place. Once all the bricks are placed, then Jon will be working on the perimeter, which will be limestone set in a thin bed of concrete to help shore up the deck so it doesn't spread out over time. Once that is complete, then Jon will fill in the spaces between the bricks with sand. I'm hoping we have no rain until the patio is completely done, so that it doesn't settle or move the bricks from where they have so painstakingly been set.

Our friend Julie (a weight-lifting champion) helped Jon and Dartagnan on Friday afternoon. Jon had rented a plate compacter and got the first layer of gravel for the patio compacted. Julie and D helped get the second layer of gravel down so it could be compacted and that was completed Friday night. She helped Jon load the heavy & awkward compacter back into our van and he was able to get it returned Friday night, so one less thing to do on Saturday morning. We really appreciated her help!

I got laundry (3 loads!) done yesterday and have one in now. Made an egg bake for a late brunch since we went to the 8:00 am service & didn't eat breakfast before we went. Was really yummy with the leftover potatoes O'Brien I made a few days ago. Also made my signature smoothie, below.

Kristi's Signature Smoothie:

Makes about 4 servings

(use as much organic as possible for best health benefits)

2 frozen wheatgrass squares

1 acai puree smoothie packet (Sambazon)

5 frozen strawberries

8 frozen blueberries

4 frozen blackberries

4 frozen cherries

3 frozen peach slices

4 frozen mango pieces

10 frozen red raspberries

1 banana

2 T. brown rice protein powder

2 T. ground flax seed (Barlean's)

1/2 cup vanilla soymilk

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup pomegranate juice

1/4 cup Naked Green Machine or other drink that has spirulina, chlorella, etc.

1/4 cup 50/50 Bolthouse Farms passionfruit/carrot juice

1/4 grape juice

1/4 goji juice

Blend well. Enjoy.

Freeze remainder if you like, in individual cups (plastic), cover with Press N Seal or waxed paper, and then top that with aluminum foil. Secure with a rubber band around top of cup. Perfect to take with you (don't forget to take a spoon!). Defrost in about 1-2 hours on their own.
Because we are vegetarians, I also add a powdered packet of B vitamins (supplement of 6 and 12) to our smoothie.

Delaney loves that smoothie and has been drinking it since she began eating solid food. I love that it is full of good things our bodies need and that it tastes so yummy.

Called my best friend Trish this morning as it is her birthday. Pretty cool that it is 10/10/10. I wonder if she noticed that, too. Sang the birthday song on her voicemail. She was at church. Haven't been able to see her or my other best friend Laura for a while. Going to make some time over break to see them for sure. Really, really looking forward to break!

I really liked today's sermon at church. It was in reference to 2 Timothy 2 where Paul tells Timothy to act as though he is already approved. Pastor Marohl challenged us to think about what life would be like if we behaved as though we are already approved, or already accepted by God just as we are and stopped worrying about what other people thought of us and stopped actively seeking approval from those around us. He also challenged us to view each person around us in the same way: as accepted and approved of by God. Wow. That is really a deep thought. Would really help us shed being judgmental if we could operated that way. It is a good challenge.

Well, just laid Lani down for her nap, so I need to get to studying and using this time wisely.

Tri is nearing the end...

I'm not doing well in PNS and after tutoring only got me 6 points higher on the second test (which I cannot blame on the tutor, because I didn't study enough on my own), I decided to see what I can get done on my own again. It is hard to set aside the time to study when so many other things/people are calling out for my attention. But I must. I must pass it this time.

Over the weekend, I worked on getting us organized in our filing again. So much was out of order and I had a stack of papers to sort (seem to build up over a month). Spent some time sorting out old files, shredding, putting together new files. Feels good to know where things are and have a system that makes some sense. While I was working on that and other things (did some cooking, cleaning, 3 loads of laundry, took Lani to her swim lesson), Jon was hard at work on Dartagnan's bedroom, priming and painting the trim. He alternated that with working outside on our berm. He's remodeling the earth to form really cool yin-yang type patterns (ariel view) so that there will be gravel pathways between for easy access to weed and plant and prune, etc. It is "shaping" up really nicely.

Sunday Jon and I dropped the kids to my mom & dad's and went on a 10-hour road trip. Jon's mom asked us to meet her in Milwaukee to pick up Jon's sister, Jani, and take her back home from her visit to Washington Island. Was so good to see family and have a leisurely lunch together. Jani was so animated on the way home and catching up with Jon. I was studying, mostly. :) Got quite a lot of studying done in the van that day, actually.

Before we left Sunday morning, Jon had finished the final touch-ups on Dartagnan's new room's paint. So when we arrived home Sunday night, Jon put together D's bed frame and we got his mattress moved from our sunroom floor downstairs. He finally got to sleep in his new room!

Had a test in Systems Pathology yesterday & am still feeling a little exhausted from it. It was a tough test. There was an entire section that I didn't review because I thought it was on the last test. Not sure how I did, but felt confident on the material I had reviewed.

I've had too much cheese/dairy products the past few days and feel a bit yuck. I think I'll make a double batch of waffles tonight to freeze and have for dinner.

Jon had to leave for Peoria late last night. A relative had a stroke and is in the hospital. Jon wanted to be there to support his family, of course. He will be back home this afternoon; I miss him, which is a little silly, since we are together almost all the time! But really, he is so laid back and great to be around, that when he's not here, it is weird. I was single for so long and never thought I'd feel that way about anyone, not even Dartagnan. Although I really do miss Dartagnan when he's not here too, even though he doesn't talk much now that he is a teen.

Time to head back to class. Systems Path. We'll see what funny stories Dr. Taylor has for us today. :)