The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{#100daysproject} Finding Joy in my Extraordinary Ordinary: Days 19-36

Part two and the next 18 photos, from September 14 to October 1:

These two really are best friends.  I hope they continue to stay close as they grow | Watching the babies play outside and feeling so thankful for our perfectly imperfect home |  Even though TJ really has no idea what a “birthday” is, the rest of us are anxious to share in his special day.  Only a little longer to wait! |  There is something so beautifully surreal when I watch them all together | Our new couch can hold all of us now! | Taking the glucose test today and feeling peace, no matter the outcome | 29 weeks: getting anxious to meet this little one | D has been furiously writing and illustrating stories in his notebook, something I dreamed he’d enjoy someday.  So thankful for his teachers who have ignited that interest in him | Our home is never clean with TJ around.  Embracing the chaos because it all just goes too fast


Sitting in the car line and all I can think about is how old he looks | Our beautiful, smart, funny little girl is four!  We are more thankful for her everyday | His imagination is so fun to watch | “Every day the sky is a deeper shade of blue, When I’m with you” | Sent home from school and headed to the doctor | So excited to see “our” birds | A simple dinner and no one complained – a huge deal! | Headed to the wedding and in awe of the view | Feeling all the lovey dovey emotions today: for my brother and his new wife, for my children, for my husband and our marriage of (almost) 11 years, for our extended family…today was a good, good day


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PART ONE OF #100DAYSPROJECT

{learn goals} Some Goals for October









Things to Look Forward To
– birthday celebrations for me and D
– pulling out warm quilts and blankets
– cozy evening decaf coffee “dates” with Mark
– baking batches of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, a fall tradition
– inching closer to the end of this pregnancy
– pumpkin carving

Things to Work On
– hosting a pajama drive for Northern Virginia Family Services
– implementing some of the ideas in Trim Healthy Mama
– starting a few meals for the freezer
– finding that dresser (!!!)
– switching clothing from summer to fall

Things to Think About
– an apple pie recipe to bake
– ways I can serve others while in this season of life
– a new book to start
– throw pillows for the couch
– a nail polish color to try (if I can still reach my toes!)




{via}

{around here} Week 39/52: Week of 9.26.16

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.


Around here, I have been:



celebrating Sophia.  How is she four already?  She started her special day with a date with her dad to get breakfast bagels and donuts (a tradition!), and opened her gifts to the oohs and ahhs of her brothers.  Her big gift was a pink scooter and she is a pro already, flying around the house!  She requested rotisserie chicken and homemade mac & cheese for dinner and a carrot cake for dessert.  She is so smart, funny, kind, beautiful and just a little bit sassy – we love her so.  


wearing long sleeves for the first time this season!  The weather has settled into the 70s and it’s awesome.  Being able to turn off the AC and feel the cool breeze through the open windows…there really isn’t anything better.  


dealing with TJ and a random case of Hand, Foot and Mouth – we can’t catch a break!  He looked horrible, but was still his happy self most of the time.  Unfortunately, he also passed it on to two of his brothers, which resulted in a couple days home from school.  Hoping October is better health-wise for these kids!


taking Tums all.the.time.  My heartburn is unreal!  What’s the old wives tale?  Heartburn means a baby with lots of hair?  At this point, I’m thinking this boy has enough for a ponytail, hah.  


reading The Gap of Time, but not sure how I feel about it.  It was another chance to read outside of my comfort zone, but way more graphic than I’m comfortable with.  I’ll be happy to finish and move on.

researching for Big White Farmhouse.  The holidays are right around the corner, so I’ve been reading everything I can to prepare.  It’s exciting and nerve-wracking, especially with having a baby in the midst of it all, but I’m ready for the challenge.  Other things to note:
+ Our big news this week: we’ve added beautiful wooden toys to the Children’s Room section!  The craftmanship is unbelievable and they are definitely a toy that could be in a family for generations.  I purchased an airplane for a Christmas present for TJ and was so impressed that I quickly ordered a bunch for the shop!  We are carrying five vehicles: an airplane, a firetruck, a police car, a blue jeep and a pink coupe.  I also love that each vehicle comes in a fun drawstring bag – so easy for gift-giving.
+ I reordered the popular Love Grows Best signs in both black and gold.  Available for presale and should be ready to ship around October 10.
+ I also added eGift Cards, which can be sent directly to the recipient via email.   


making White Chicken Chili aaaand that’s about it.  We ate a lot of random leftovers and cereal for dinner.  Not my best culinary week, but life is sometimes like that.  Better culinary endeavors next week!  


preparing for an exciting weekend: my brother’s wedding!  


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{100 little things} September Review: New Pajamas, Little Margaret & College Care Packages

September has been a tricky month.  With the beginning of the school year, most of my focus has been on creating a new fall routine.  And then there was all the sickness and the germs…yuck.  I think that’s the best part of 100 Little Things, though – sometimes life is full and this list takes the back burner, sometimes it’s just what I need to fill in a gap.  Ebb and flow.  Current totals: 7 completed and 7 partial finishes.


#9. Financially support a family raising money for an adoption. 
This was one of those goals where I prayed for the Holy Spirit’s lead.  I wasn’t sure what month I’d be able to complete it, but trusted that God would lead me to just the right couple when the time was right.  So when Hannah mentioned her friends’ fundraiser in a blogpost, I couldn’t hit that Paypal button fast enough!  Jonathan and Amanda Teixeira are currently fundraising for the adoption of their second child – please consider helping them too!


#14. Send a care package to a college student.
I sent my sister, a college freshman, a little package of fun things: a book, hair ties, fun paper straws, drawings from the kids and candy.  Of course, I was rushing to beat the mailman, so totally forgot to take a photo, but picture a preppy pink & blue themed package.  I hope she likes it and more importantly, knows she is loved.    

#20.  Learn about a new saint.
I came across the name Blessed Margaret of Castello while reading the Incorruptible article in the latest Soul Gardening Journal.  It only took a quick Google search to quickly become endeared to this sweet lady, the patron of the unwanted.  A few great links, if you’d like to learn about her too:
+ Her Biography
+ The History of Little Margaret of Castello
+ A Novena for the Intercession of Little Margaret


#84. Buy new pajamas.
As someone who typically just wears old t-shirts and yoga pants to bed, I’ve really wanted a set of nice, “grown up” pajamas for the postpartum time after the baby is born.  Imagine my surprise when I found a package in my mailbox with an early birthday present from my aunt with the exact pajamas I’ve been considering!  I was so touched and can’t wait to wear them in December.    




#19. Pray 5 novenas. (2/5 completed)
Saint Therese is one of my favorite saints (and my confirmation saint too!), so I prayed her novena as her feast day comes up on October 1.  This novena is extra special because I joined countless others as we prayed for Rosie and her unborn baby.

#52: Watch 15 documentaries.  (4/15 completed)
The Perfect Human Diet: Mark and I like to watch health docs as a way to jumpstart better eating when we’ve been slacking, but I’d pass on this one…we were falling asleep, hah!
Fearless (Netflix documentary series): I really like watching documentaries about things I know nothing about and bullriding is right up there on that list!  The sport is so dangerous and crazy, but I can understand the fact that intense love can drive you to do something anyway (namely, running a marathon just for fun!).

#68: Grow Big White Farmhouse’s Instagram followers to 400+. 
I lost a bit of social media steam this month.  My numbers went from 254 to 356 (as of 9/29), which is a step in the right direction, but still slow going.  I’m realizing that creating brand awareness on Instagram requires a lot of time: discovering interesting accounts, interacting with those accounts as well as the people who comment on our photos, liking liking liking…sometimes it’s all too much for this introvert.  Trying to find the balance.

Less Materialism, More Intentional Living

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