Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Joyce from Joyce from This Side of the Pond today for her weekly Hodge Podge post.
1) June 12th is National Simplicity Day. In what way is your life simple, and what's a way that it's not? I love the thought of having a simple life! In some ways, my life is like that, in the fact that I have such a routine with things. I feel like I do the same things all the time, which is something I don't necessarily want to do, so I try to make an effort to switch things up on occasion. I have done this recently with my mornings, and more recently I've started doing this on the weekends, thanks to Todd's new job.
Do you ever wish that your life looked totally different? Sometimes I dream of what it would be like to live in a completely different place, or to have a totally opposite lifestyle. I blame Ree Drummond for this, and the years the boys and I spent watching The Pioneer Woman on The Food Network. 🤣
My life is not simple in that I feel like it's complicated at times with schedules, dogs, and routines. I feel like we're all over the place, Todd and me, and I'm constantly adapting and coming to grips with changes.
2) What is something you remember from a simpler time? The thing that comes to mind for this one is when our sons were little. I hope I enjoyed all the moments, you know? I think I did; I also remember how I thought things were so difficult when they were little. Oh, Jenn. If you'd only known!
3) Do you like squash? If so, which variety is your favorite? What's a favorite way to prepare it? I like squash! It's not what I would consider a favorite vegetable of mine, but I do like it and will it at someone's house. That being said, I really don't cook it here at home, but my favorite way to eat it is in a casserole at Thanksgiving and Christmas with cheese, onions, and Ritz crackers. My sister Lisa makes the best squash casserole!
4) Do you shop the warehouse stores? How often? What's something you always try or buy from there? We shop at both Costco and Sam's! At Costco we get protein bars, hummus, tortilla chips, drinks, toilet paper, salsa, soap, shampoo and conditioner...I could go on. At Sam's (I have my own card through my church because I order for the bookstore there and can use it personally), I buy our Premier brand protein drinks.
5) Father's day is this coming weekend. Do you have plans to make the day special? Tell us about your Dad, or your husband as a dad. I don't really have plans for Father's day, but I plan on us swimming on Sunday. I'm hoping that the two boys that are in town will want to hang out at some point. Todd is such a great dad to our sons! He always has been, and let me tell you, they wear him out in their adult years! If it's not car troubles, it's something else, but he is so patient with them. I am also fortunate to have some wonderful men in my life who are such good examples of what a dad is. Not only is this true in my dad, but also with my dad-in-love Wiley and my stepdad Bill. I'm so grateful for all of these amazing men!
What are your plans for this weekend? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends! Love to all.
Jenn 🖤
It sounds like your husband is a great dad! I chuckled when I read that about your adult children. I seriously had no idea we would still be "parenting" when our kids were grown!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa! I laugh at that all the time; though it looks vastly different from how it used to look, he still helps them figure out all the things that come with adulthood. I don't know that I ever realized this either!
DeleteLife was simpler when the kids were little but it was not easy. Young kids can tire you out and be frustrating (though thankfully they are adorable!). I enjoyed reading your answers to these thought provoking questions! I started to answer them yesterday but actually got very busy (which is unusual for my new normal of a simple life!!) and did not finish my post.
ReplyDeleteRight? I like what you said: that it was simple, but not easy. It's so true! I also feel like the adult years can be exhausting in a whole new way, mainly by keeping me on my knees in prayer. Thanks for that! I'd still love to hear some of your answers to these!
DeleteI definitely agree on life being simpler when the kids were little - for sure! I try to focus on enjoying every stage and I think you do the same :)
ReplyDeleteYes! I get that about you and I try to do the same thing. The current phase of life is always my favorite, and that's true for now, even with two of them on their own and seven hours away! Noah and I talked on Monday about what his dinners had been, and we had a good laugh over him saying that he'd made eggs that didn't turn out so well and that they were new to them. I cracked up!
DeleteGreat hodgepodge! Tom's birthday is Thursday so he gets to dictate both Th and Sunday! Too much power! Ha! I hope that Sunday comes together for Todd and the swimming sounds great. It's gonna be 92 here. We've been spoiled by these cool temps.
ReplyDeleteThanks, my friend! You made me laugh about Tom and too much power. I hope y'all enjoy being out on the water that day! Maybe that will help cool you down. It hasn't been quite that hot here yet, but we've had some temps up around 87. It's going to be that way over the next few days, so it's great swimming weather!
DeleteI’m always reading, rarely commenting… Probably because am so hit or miss with both reading and commenting and blogging. I feel like I have more of a “routine“ in the winter time… In the summer, I just want to spend as much time as I can outside and “doing all the things” That I let this go to the wayside.
ReplyDeleteTruth be told, I have never wanted to live a “simple” life. I love a routine and know that’s one of the reasons I chose the classroom as a career, because of the schedule and routine of it all. I loved being at home, and full-time mom. Although it was crazy busy, there was a rhythm to it and I miss it so very much.
I like to stay busy, I like to be challenged, and I like to work hard. I don’t feel like life in my 50s has much of any of that so I am trying to embrace this season, hoping I’m being prepared for the next :)
Loved reading your answers - happy Father’s Day to Todd!
Hey there, Jenni! I totally get wanting to be outside and do all those types of things in the summer. I'm not quite to that extent, unless there's a pool involved. I'm too hot all the time! I am sure you do miss that; there are times when I miss it as well! I hope that you find a way to fill your time and to be all of those things sometime soon. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
DeleteI relate to your thought about how life can be complicated in this season. I sometimes feel like we're all over the place too, and we would like more at home days. With our family so spread out that will continue to be a challenge. Pioneer Woman...yes, I feel this too. Lets just pack up and move to a ranch out west. All the work required gives me pause on this one though lol. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteYes! I get that. That was our dream at one point in life! For all six of us! It would be hard work, for sure. I think they all basically just wanted to go set up camp near her so they could eat her amazing food!
DeleteMy kids are 10, 14, and 16 and I feel like sometimes, this time is easier than before, but then I look back and that was simpler in the way that when they were little, I was in charge of everything. Now, they do their own things and I have to back off, which is still frustrating.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right on both accounts! It's hard learning to parent differently as they get older, right? I felt like I was always making changes and adapting to a new phase in life; but honestly, I'm still doing that today!
DeleteYour reference to Ree Drummond and Pioneer Woman made me smile! I also got caught up in her lifestyle and imagined life on an Oklahoma ranch with my family! Enjoy your pool time during the coming weeks... that sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWe loved her so much! The boys were all fascinated by their lifestyle when they were younger, and they loved that they were also a homeschooling family. Thanks for that, Laura, and thanks for stopping by today!
DeleteI think I have a simple life, I have a routine and I like it. Life did seem simple when the kids were little. I enjoyed the simplicity of it all. They would play for hours with a box or sink full of water.
ReplyDeleteI hope Todd has a wonderful day on Sunday.
That sounds so nice, Kim! I remember similar days; they were always content to go for picnics, or to take a summer drive in the country with the windows down and music blaring. Those were the days!
DeleteI think we're in the sweet spot right now where life is pretty simple; they're young enough to still listen to us and mostly follow our rules but old enough to take care of themselves! I think we have always tended more towards a simple life anyway, I tried really hard to raise my boys like both my husband and I were raised (as far as parenting goes since neither of us were homeschooled like our boys)... just with nicer and more frequent vacations/day trips/ etc.
ReplyDeleteI think you are too, and amen to that, right? It's so nice! I think that's great about how you've raised your boys. Todd and I did the same thing with ours, we just raised them how we had been raised. I love all of your frequent trips!
DeleteI agree with everything you wrote in this post and was just shaking my head the whole time. It does feel like life was simpler when the kids were little, but then I will see a blog post about a tough time I completely forgot about. So maybe I just remember the sweet times and not the stressful! And I don't think any of us knew we'd still be "parenting" in the adult years. <3
ReplyDeleteI can certainly relate to that aspect of constantly adapting to changes. It can be exhausting sometimes! I also hope I lived right in the moments when my kids were young and that they have good memories of their childhoods. Hope you're having a great week!
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