November

Well, another two months and some has gone by since I've updated!  Much has happened and what a busy couple months it has been.  I'll just do November in this one since we have a lot of ground to cover.  Let's start from the beginning...

The Move:

What a year for us!  Back in March we moved from the East Coast to the Midwest, and then after casually keeping our eye on the housing market, we were surprised to find a house and property we loved so much that we put an offer on it!  After inspections and some mold checks, everything cleared and much to our surprise, we closed very smoothly on November 2nd.  I don’t think Zenith or I actually believed everything was going to go through.  It was built in the 70s so we had an extensive mold test done which we both expected to come back positive for mold.  Much to our surprise, the house checked out clean and one thing just led to another.  Even after receiving keys in hand, we both still couldn’t quite wrap our heads around the fact that after over five years of renting and many novenas, we were finally homeowners.  We were ready to move out of our 1000 sq ft shoebox, crammed in among a million neighbors.  With 3 growing boys, the needed the space to move.  We have been so blessed with great rentals that have held us over, but it was time to stop dumping dead money into places that just didn't fit us, especially with a fourth on the way!  Our rental would only allow a max of 5 people anyway, so come February, we were going to have to look for another place.  It's such a relief to not have to answer to landlords anymore, and personalize your space how you want.  And Zenith is thrilled to have good wholesome projects...and projects we most certainly have!

Our house sits on 13 acres, about 7 or 8 wooded and the rest open, right next to a 400 acre cow farm.  There are lots of hills in the area and a bit of backroads country to drive through before you get here.  It's lovely and quiet, and far enough from the city where I can see so many lovely stars right out my window as I lay in bed.  We're about 25-30 mins outside the city, and Zenith's work commute averages about 35-45 mins, depending on where he's working.  My two sisters are less than 15 minutes away as well, which has been so nice!  They are so incredibly helpful, helping when we first moved in as well as when I'm not feeling well or I have appointments and such.  I'm feeling better than I did in the beginning of the pregnancy, with the fainting weak episodes mostly gone, just a few rough days here or there.  Now I just mainly feel huge and uncomfortable, but ah, that comes with the territory!  All of it is a beautiful reminder of the little one I carry.

Anyway, let's just proceed with photos, shall we?

November 2nd, right after we signed the papers

The main areas of the house were painted this awful grey color and made everything look so dark!  First thing we did before moving in...

...painted it!  Or rather, my wonderful father came over and spent a lot of time getting it done while Zenith was at work so it would be ready for us to move in the following weekend! They started the taping and priming together and then Dad finished it up himself throughout the week. 

Look at that difference!  Same spot as the first picture with the grey paint, and almost the same time of day!

Our beautiful sunsets

Meanwhile back at the rental, I was scrambling to get everything packed as I didn't expect to be done painting so soon and be able to move in that weekend!

So done with moving boxes and packing

It was a snowy week!

Fireplace at the new house

...which the boys loved

Snow at the new house

Everyday life:

The boys spent some time at Nana and Bumpa's house while I went back to the rental to clean...this is what you get up to when Nana bakes! ;)

Sunrise from our bedroom window

Our fireplace being very inefficient at heating the house, I went on the lookout for something that we could heat our house with completely.  I found this cast iron insert (which weighed a TON) online used, and with much manly muscle work from Zenith, and much to my great impressment, he and the guy we bought it from got it into the house and installed.

First of many projects...clearing out the overgrown brush and trees from the lagoon

Halfway there!

Trying to keep the baby contained during the rosary?  Try a laundry basket!

When you've been hard at work all day and come home to a million more projects and finally crash in front of the fire with a cuppa

Sunday afternoon BB gun practice while the boys nap

The man showing off ;)

View from the woods looking back up at the house

Thanksgiving:

My sister Jess and her husband Chris hosted Thanksgiving this year.  She’s probably one of the most creative of us all and did a lovely job adding lots of little “extras” to make the day festive.  It was a great day filled with family fun and good food.  We wrapped up the day with Jess and Chris teaching us how to play the “name game,” which had us all in stitches.  The boys had a blast as usual, playing with their cousins all day.

I was responsible for one of the turkeys...this is Tucker the Turkey languishing in a lovely brine treatment before he hits the sauna...aka smoker

Tucker nicely tanned and ready for his debut 

Lovely spread of appetizers 

Jess' very creative menu

Spiritual bouquet Jess organized for the priests at our parish

The Thankful tree where everyone wrote on a leaf to say what they were thankful for that year

Kid table

Adult table

Jess also made up these lovely name tags with prayers associated with each person's vocation...it was quite beautiful

Turkey Man doing his thing

Cousins

Dinner spread

The day after Thanksgiving we drove to a tree farm out in the country to tag a Christmas tree...it's done so early around here that if you want to get a tree, you have to go out the day they open for the season or they're all gone.  Since we don't decorate until Christmas Eve, we usually end up with a dead tree that has been sitting around precut all season and is now a fire hazard.  This year we went to the tree farm to tag a tree and then went back the weekend before Christmas to cut it down and bring it home which worked out beautifully as it meant we had a lovely fresh tree for Christmas that will last all of the Christmas season.  

Tractor ride up to the field

Loving it

Not everyone was as thrilled...

I told them that the way you pick out the best Christmas tree was to run through a series of tests...first you have to smell it to make sure it smells just right...

...then it has to pass the "feel test"...are the branches just right for ornaments?

Showing then how to properly feel the tree

We found the perfect one!

A few Saturdays during Dominic's nap time, I've been running out to pick up our raw milk which does a drop off only on Saturdays in our area and then doing some errands while out.  I've been taking Marcellus with me, sometimes alternating with William, and loving the one on one time with each boy.  Marcellus is very different from me while William is very similar in temperament, so I tend to try to take Marcellus out more in order to help me form a better relationship with him and "figure him out" a bit more.  

You can't go out with Mummy on a "date" without getting a little treat

Meanwhile back at home, William LOVES to help Daddy do his projects.  He has surprised both of us with his willingness and how hard he works.  He soaks it all up and thrives in the responsibility.

In between chores, you have to saddle up and ride your "horse"

Or "make a ship"

Beautiful sunset to reward you after a hard day's work

And then a nice warm meal

But what's life if it's all work and no play??  That's what Daddy says and so he brought home a huge box from work which the boys went to town with, making a big "house"

This guy is very serious about his projects...even the play ones!  Gotta get that tape measure out and make sure it's all just right!

Time to play!

Snow days!

....which included a bit of plowing as well!

Hands on your head!

Walk through the woods:

One Sunday afternoon during the boys' naps and while I was putting my feet up for a bit, Zenith went out to explore the property and take a walk through the woods.  Even with the bare trees, we are amazed at the beauty of the property.  

Cow fence to keep the "neighbors" contained

Our creek that runs at the back of the property

Animal track!  We found lots of these in the back and we see and hear plenty of wildlife out there from the house; coyotes, foxes, deer, and little critters.

More of the creek

Thus we come to the end of November...I am unable to update often because we're quite out in the country and in order to get Wifi, we would have to pay an exorbitant amount of money for the most basic internet which would get us very little.  So we increased our phone data plan enough to allow us to check email and browse the internet a bit, but little else, and have no internet service for the house.  We had some extra data this month which I am currently using to do this post.  If we end up with extra at the end of the month, I will try to keep up with this, otherwise I will try to get to the library once in a while to blog.  Shouldn't take me too long to get December up (hopefully).  

Honestly, the break from internet is nice.  Keeps me off my phone and laptop and more focused on the kids. Also forces Zenith and I to do other things in our free time...more books are being read, and I've been back to my sewing and crocheting which has been lovely.  Hard to miss the internet also when you're going from morning until night taking care of a family and house with many projects that need to be done.

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and I will update with the December/Christmas blog soon!

~Lindsay