10 Things on a Monday

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Ten Things on this Monday...

1. My kids are watching The Emperor's New Groove today, a first for them.  Why? 

2. It's another No School day for us, due to another plunge into the Arctic.  Oh my. There is only so much to say about this. I'm actually kind of tired of the extremes, even talking about it.  And I know it's not just here, it's all over the country.  So wild.  Here, it's 2:00 pm in the afternoon and it feels like -29 with tons of sunshine.  This winter is proving to be the longest and coldest ever.  And we haven't even hit February yet.  Someone hold me.  

3. College Basketball.  I CANNOT get enough this year, particularly because IOWA is having such a great season but also there are so many other fun teams to watch in the BIG10!!  The rankings are changing constantly because every week someone goes down, but I have to say in this cold weather all these games are the perfect distraction.  My sister Stacie, my Dad and I have a new thing going this year, we are the Iowa fan junkies in the family and we've been live group texting through most of the games.  Super fun!  The kids are even into it, Ava spontaneously broke out her Iowa cheerleading outfit the other day when she spotted the Hawks on TV and Carter came running out with his big foam finger to cheer too!  I've never been so proud.  You know, in a college sports fan context :) 

4. & 5. And speaking of dress up, my kiddos have invented a new "activity" around here.  They love to pretend they are ice skating and that usually involves emptying the baskets of hats, scarves, and gloves while picking some boots to glide across the kitchen floor with.  I believe they got the idea from a Mickey Mouse episode featuring a skating Minnie, but they think it's so funny on this particular night I got a kick out of their style choices.  They've been real troopers with all this indoor playing and our limited space.  I'm proud of them and thankful for their creativity and imaginations.  That's not to say we don't all reach a cabin fever freak-out every now and then!  But mostly they are being really good sports and I have given them lots of free reign to play all over the house with just about anything that isn't valuable or dangerous.  

6. 17 weeks on Friday and this baby is really making an appearance now!  I'm enjoying my new profile, although this is the week that I've realized a whole new crop of clothing no longer fits.  Maybe because it's winter and because this is #3 for me, but I just don't want to buy a lot of maternity clothes again. However since I do have to leave the house occasionally, I am going to be forced to pick up a few things soon.  Pants in particular.  Some of my favorite leggings are just too tight around the waist now and now some of my shirts are too short.  I've got plenty of maternity clothes to dig through but some holes here and there.  Off to some stores this week I suppose. 

7. Most of my time, and the biggest reason I haven't been blogging lately is because of a Women's Retreat coming up in 2 weeks with our Church.  I'm excited about it but I'm also honored to be teaching one of the sessions on Chp. 3 of Colossians.  It's humbling and a big responsibility, but I'm grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to it.  I've been reading and studying Colossians for months and months but now I'm in the final stages of getting my talk together and doing lots of editing.  I enjoy this part of it but it's also the part that gives me the most pause.  Just want to be so careful to share what the Lord wants to say through me, not just what I think.  Anyway, it's going to be a great weekend and I can't wait!  But I'm definitely logging the hours right now and spending tons of time at my desk.  I like to reward myself with warm drinks in my favorite mugs and chocolate.  Lots of chocolate! 

8. I keep giggling as I look through photos like these that keep appearing on my phone.  Ava is into this app I downloaded for her called "Princess Pet Salon" or something like that.  She LOVES to play it when I'll let her and every time she does, I have 20 new photos of smiling princesses with their corresponding pets decked out in bows and ribbons and curls.  She thinks it's amazing! I think it's a great reward when she needs a little pick-me-up but I'm getting sick of deleting pics like this one! 

9. I got a craving for granola the other day, specifically the kind that we eat at our Junior High Summer camp.  The gal who runs the kitchen makes it from scratch and it is one of their things they are known for.  It's delicious and I have her cookbook, so I pulled it out the other night and made a batch.  I also have a great recipe from my Mom, but this one is a little different and I love it too.  It's very heavy on cinnamon and it makes an incredible topping on applesauce and vanilla ice-cream!  We also love it on yogurt or just with milk but Trav and I can't get enough of it right now.  I keep snacking on it sprinkled over applesauce, seriously, it's the most amazing flavor combo!  You can find the recipe here, on her daughter-in-law's blog.  It's so good!  And easy!  

I'm too lazy to write it out, but I promise it would be worth your effort! 

Camp Shetek Granola

10.  Two addictions of mine.  Right now I am consumed with knowing if this baby is a girl or a boy and then daydreaming about what his/her name will be!  We have about 2.5 weeks to go before we can find out and I'm barely going to make it.  I cannot wait!  Yes, we will find out and share the gender, although I'm not sure if we'll share our name this time.  We don't have them officially declared yet, but we have it sort of narrowed down, we'll see what happens after the ultrasound :) 

My other addiction? If I have one naughty craving right now it's a glazed donut with chocolate icing.  I don't really have a donut shop close to me, which is God's grace to me, but if I did I would be getting one daily.  They sound amazing to me every day of the week and at all times of the day.  I like to indulge on a Sunday morning because our Cafe at Church sells them and occasionally I grab some at Target.  I'm trying to be so good, but oh my word...a donut and a cold glass of milk.  THAT is what I'm craving!  

Happy Monday, friends.  Wherever you live, stay warm!!!