The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.201: Intentions for Advent

the thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices…

I am SO ready for Advent this year.  As we enter the last days of 2018, I’m tired.  Weary from what’s happening in our Church, from parenting struggles, from financial difficulties, from the everyday wear and tear of being in charge of so many moving parts.  Still, in the midst of it all, God is faithful.  He still shows up, showing His love for me, even when I’m feeling numb.

I want to record one example that just happened last week.  We recently received an L.L.Bean catalog in the mail and I looked enviously at all of the gorgeous fresh evergreen wreaths.  But bills need to be paid and presents need to be purchased, so I placed the catalog in recycling with the hope that maybe I could get one next year.  The very next day, we had an unexpected visitor: the small business owner that we hired last spring to install our front flower beds!  And what was she bringing to wish us a Merry Christmas?  An enormous, fresh evergreen wreath.  By my reaction, you would have thought she was holding a big check from Publisher’s Clearing House!  I was so surprised and thrilled and overwhelmed, I probably scared her.  But what are the odds?  Something so small, something I didn’t mention to anyone…and there it is, literally at my doorstep.

This Advent, I plan to slow down as much as possible, to ponder Christ and what it means to follow Him, and prepare for His birth in the simplest of ways.  I don’t have fancy reading plans or devotionals or journals this year.  I just have open hands and an eager heart, letting Him lead me where He wants me.  Even in the midst of this hard season, God is here with me.  What a comforting thought. 

Wishing you a peaceful Advent season. XO

No.200: New Habits, Little by Little: Cooking at Home (November 2018)

Birthdays, an anniversary, holidays and broken appliances galore – November really kept us on our toes this year! 

Week 70 (cont.): 
Thursday, November 1: Mark had a work event so we made english muffin pizzas and salad
Friday, November 2: baked chicken breast with an oregano cream sauce and green beans

Week 71:
Saturday, November 3: white chicken lasagna soup
Sunday, November 4: leftover soup
Monday, November 5: the boys had Little Caesars between activities, the littles and I just had cereal at home
Tuesday, November 6: Election Day! tacos
Wednesday, November 7: eggs with biscuits and gravy breakfast casserole
Thursday, November 8: garlic-parmesan sausage and veggies
Friday, November 9: frozen pizzas

Week 72:
Saturday, November 10: Marine Corps Birthday! leftovers and cake
Sunday, November 11: Refrigerator Clean-out Night
Monday, November 12: the boys ate out between activities, the littles and I had popcorn and leftover pumpkin crumb cake (#sohealthy)
Tuesday, November 13: one skillet cheesy chili mac and salad
Wednesday, November 14: hearty beef stew
Thursday, November 15: chicken pot pie soup with homemade biscuits
Friday, November 16: M’s Birthday and no power! out for burgers and cake

Week 73:
Saturday, November 17: frozen taquitos and chicken fingers (since we had to throw everything in the fridge away)
Sunday, November 18: we ate random things from the pantry after discovering that our cooktop isn’t working (whyyyyy??)
Monday, November 19: Little Caesars pizza (cooktop still broken and we still haven’t gone grocery shopping since the power outage)
Tuesday, November 20: porkchops and roasted vegetables
Wednesday, November 21: brisket tacos
Thursday, November 22: Thanksgiving! turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, squash, mac & cheese, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls, and lots and lots of pies
Friday, November 23: Early anniversary date! we had Mexican – nachos supreme and burritos

Week 74:
Saturday, November 24: post-holiday laziness at its best – we just ate random things from the pantry
Sunday, November 25: leftover brisket and roasted veggies
Monday, November 26: breakfast for dinner – crepes and apple slices
Tuesday, November 27: Refrigerator Clean-Out Night
Wednesday, November 28: garlic-parmesan sausage and veggies
Thursday, November 29: Mark worked late, so we had random things for the freezer and pantry
Friday, November 30: J’s birthday! tacos

No.199: What I Learned in November

Linking up with Kelly’s Quick Takes!

1 // WE MADE IT TO NOVEMBER 12th BEFORE TURNING THE HEAT ON.
I’m a little bit of a crazy person about this, but there’s just this tiny sweet spot in Virginia where you don’t need the A/C or the heat.  I take advantage of that electric bill savings for all its worth!

2 // WE HAD OUR FIRST SNOWFALL (AND FIRST POWER OUTAGE) ON NOVEMBER 15TH.
Don’t laugh, northern states, but this is pretty early for us!  We probably got around four inches of snow and Mark and I had to shovel our long driveway in freezing rain.  Fun.  We were without power for 18 hours, but were thankfully more prepared than the last time. 

3 // KEEP YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL.  EVEN IN CHURCH.
We had an incident before mass at our church involving an unstable individual causing a disturbance.  Police were called and it left me very shaken.  (He was less than five feet away from my family.)  Mark and I have since had hushed conversations about worse case scenario plans.  It makes me so angry that you have to even think about these things in a place of worship.

4 // BEST MARRIAGE TIP AFTER 13 YEARS: LEARN EACH OTHER’S LOVE LANGUAGE.
We went probably seven years into our marriage before attacking this head-on and it’s been life-changing for us.


5 // NEVER JUDGE A RUN BY THE FIRST MILE.
I tend to hate running during that first mile.  I come up with all the excuses – I’m tired, it’s cold, I’m needed in the house, etc etc.  But if I manage to shut that voice off and get to mile two?  I’m golden!  My legs are loose, I feel great and I’m ready to finish the mileage I set out to do.  Funny how that works.


6 // “FRAGRANCE” IS A WORD USED ON PRODUCTS TO AVOID DISCLOSING CHEMICALS.
I’m still slowly working my way through Estrogeneration and coincidentally came across a documentary on Netflix called Stink! that touches on the same topics.  It really is mind-blowing to discover what exactly we’re putting on or in our bodies.  The secrecy is astounding.

7 // YOU DON’T REALIZE HOW DEPENDENT YOU ARE ON AN APPLIANCE UNTIL IT BREAKS.
After the power outage, we discovered that our cooktop wouldn’t turn on.  And shortly after that, our dishwasher died!  I’ve scrambled to find recipes that can be 100% cooked in the oven (did I mention a certain toddler shattered the lid to my slow cooker as well?!) and it’s definitely helped me see all the things I take for granted.  I’ll be so thankful to have my kitchen up and running again soon.

No.198: My Latest Reads // November

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BORN A CRIME: STORIES FROM A SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDHOOD by Trevor Noah
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

 My mom would always say, “My job is to feed your body, feed your spirit, and feed your mind.” That’s exactly what she did, and the way she found money for food and books was to spend absolutely nothing on anything else. (20%)

 We tell people to follow their dreams, but you can only dream of what you can imagine, and, depending on where you come from, your imagination can be quite limited. (27%)

 The first thing I learned about having money was that it gives you choices. People don’t want to be rich. They want to be able to choose. The richer you are, the more choices you have. That is the freedom of money. (62%)

This memoir was a mix of humor and deep thoughts.  I love seeing life through someone else’s eyes and this one didn’t disappoint.  The last chapter about his mother and the domestic abuse she suffered was so powerful.  Solid three stars.

BEING MORTAL: MEDICINE AND WHAT MATTERS IN THE END by Atul Gawande
My Rating: ★★★★★

 Death, of course, is not a failure. Death is normal. Death may be the enemy, but it is also the natural order of things. (3%)

 This is the consequence of a society that faces the final phase of the human life cycle by trying not to think about it. We end up with institutions that address any number of societal goals—from freeing up hospital beds to taking burdens off families’ hands to coping with poverty among the elderly—but never the goal that matters to the people who reside in them: how to make life worth living when we’re weak and frail and can’t fend for ourselves anymore. (25%)

 As our time winds down, we all seek comfort in simple pleasures—companionship, everyday routines, the taste of good food, the warmth of sunlight on our faces. We become less interested in the rewards of achieving and accumulating, and more interested in the rewards of simply being. (42%)

 Technological society has forgotten what scholars call the “dying role” and its importance to people as life approaches its end. People want to share memories, pass on wisdoms and keepsakes, settle relationships, establish their legacies, make peace with God, and ensure that those who are left behind will be okay. They want to end their stories on their own terms. This role is, observers argue, among life’s most important, for both the dying and those left behind. (84%)

 It’s been a while since a book has deeply impacted me like this one.  Such an important topic!  As I read, I started thinking about plans for myself someday as well as conversations I’d like to start with family members.  I also now know the questions to ask when we have to make difficult decisions on treatment options.  Highly recommend.

THE STORY OF BEAUTIFUL GIRL by Rachel Simon
My Rating: ★★★★☆

 There were two kinds of hope: the kind you couldn’t do anything about and the kind you could. And even if the kind you could do something about wasn’t what you’d originally wanted, it was still worth doing. A rainy day is better than no day. A small happiness can make a big sadness less sad. (86%)


I read this book right after Being Mortal and kept making comparisons between the two.  This fictional account about individuals with disabilities had many of the same themes: dignity, respect and as much independence as possible.  It was heartbreaking and sad, but finished on a positive note.  It also inspired me to learn some American Sign Language.

SOMETIMES I LIE by Alice Feeney
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆


We are all made of flesh and stars, but we all become dust in the end. Best to shine while you can. (14%)

Some people appear happy on the outside and you only know they’re broken inside if you listen as well as look. (90%)

 After a few heavy books in a row, I like to change things up.  Psychological thrillers are like palate cleansers for me – they are quick reads that you can’t put down.  Sometimes I Lie did just that for me; I finished in two days!  The quality of this one was just okay for me though.  There was a rape scene that was pretty graphic and the ending twist was confusing and not as great as I was expecting.

THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY by Gabrielle Zevin
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

 They had only ever discussed books but what, in this life, is more personal than books? (7%)

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is a sweet story for anyone who loves books.  A quick read with some quirky characters, it wasn’t what I expected but I liked it anyway.  Three and a half stars.




GLOW KIDS: HOW SCREEN ADDICTION IS HIJACKING OUR KIDS – AND HOW TO BREAK THE TRANCE by Nicholas Kardaras, Ph.D.
My Rating: ★★★★☆


Yet as screens glaze children the world over, parents either ignore the problem or just throw up their hands and sigh, “It’s just the way kids are today.”  But kids haven’t always been this way; it’s only been six years since the invention of the iPad – and in that blink of time, an entire generation of kids has been psychologically impacted and neurologically rewired. (pg.5)


Have you ever read a book that you needed right at that moment?  With Christmas on the horizon and gift decisions to be made, Glow Kids was that book for me.  Kardaras presents scientific study after scientific study and it really rocked me.  My gut feeling was proven in a little over 300 pages!  Needless to say, my Christmas shopping list is a little different after this book.  I’ll definitely be thinking about this one for months (years?) to come.

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MY 2018 READING IN NUMBERS
Books Read: 63
Fiction: 37  //  Non-Fiction: 26
Kindle Books: 39  //  Paper Books: 24
Original 2018 books “to-read” total on Goodreads: 443 // Current “to-read” total: 424

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