Merry Christmas to All

We're thoroughly enjoying our vacation and family time this week and hope you are able to as well. Here are some pictures from our Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas to you and your family, and Happy Birthday to the One who was born on this earth to save us all.

Today's Pinspiration photo is at the bottom (posting from my phone, all photos are placed after all if the text...) from http://www.sassysanctuary.com/2011/12/christmas-tree-bible-quote.html?m=1

December Happenings

I'm not sure about you, but I feel like these past few months have completely flown by. It doesn't feel like it's as close as it is to Christmas. I have things to do and last week, realized this is our only free weekend this month! It overwhelmed me to realize that, but we'll be able to see lots of family this month which we don't get to see nearly enough. 

I have random things to catch up on!

I've started a Sunday night tradition of taking epsom salt baths. It's great for my fibro pains and gives me time to do some deep breathing and stretches that can help me too. 

A few weeks ago, I also made a batch of chili using random ingredients I had around, even adding ketchup, tomato sauce, and pasta sauce to get the good tomato flavor Nick's mom, Diane, has in her chili recipe. To make sure I had enough flavor, I added some beef broth substitution, 1 tbsp soy sauce and I did about 3/4 to 1 cup water with it. I also added some hot sauce to give it some spice and a few cans of beans, including garbanzo beans. Anyway, I added things here and there and this batch, to my surprise, was amazing! 

I thought I'd share a few of my seasonal swap-outs from fall to Christmas.

We put up our Christmas tree last weekend and I just loooove it. It's also the first year we're using that topper and I love that along with our nativity scenes! Are you feeling the love?! ;) 

I've also been busy working in Santa's shop on some gifts;)

I seeded a pomegranate for the first time. It wasn't all that difficult and the seeds are so delicious and juicy.

We ate salads with pomegranate seeds and also just ate the seeds plain for snacks.

I found a new favorite store too! 

There is so much cute stuff to look at. It looks like there are multiple locations in the Twin Cities. 

Last night, we enjoyed a date night to the Holidazzle (hey, Cameron Diaz!) 

 Hiiii Santa!

We enjoyed dinner afterwards at Taste of Thailand

My date. He's the best. 

 Observing the busyness of downtown Minneapolis on a Saturday night.

It's been snowing all day here today which is our first real snow storm. Local weather guys predicted 3-5 inches, but The Weather Channel says 6-9 inches. We'll see! It's already really adding up out there.

I took these this morning and it's snowed a lot since then. I'll have more pictures to share on my next post. I'm enjoying the beauty outside, but even as we were out earlier, we saw many cars in ditches and getting stuck, probably not realizing how slick it really is. 

Today's Snowy Pinspiration:

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Thanksgiving Travels

I've been meaning to post this, but things have been pretty busy around here! I wanted to write about our Thanksgiving trip to Omaha to visit Nick's mom and dad (and we have to include their dog, Cubby). 

 We left bright and early Thanksgiving morning and enjoyed this gorgeous sunrise.

 Here we are, heading south later that morning. 

There's really so much beauty to be enjoyed. Some may disagree, but I think driving through Iowa is peaceful and beautiful. Maybe just because it's the atmosphere I grew up in? Although I was more in the city/suburbs... either way, I appreciate its beauty.

We jammed out to some great CDs in between listening to Nick's talk radio;)

More Iowa beauty 

We watched some football that afternoon and enjoyed family time. I took a nap to rest up and we enjoyed a great meal together. 

I shared the video I heard that week on the radio, it's such a great reminder of all we have to be thankful for:

We both got in our quality time with Cubby:

 And of course, watched the Huskers and Cyclones games. Our first year of marriage, I learned to embrace these college football days. And I love it:)

 We had a great few days running some errands, catching up with friends, and spending quality time with Nick's parents. They are always so accommodating, and Diane does such a great job of trying to ensure the food we eat somehow fits within my oh-so-difficult dietary guidelines. We're so thankful for all of our family!

 We enjoyed more picturesque views on our way back to the Twin Cities, about a 6-hour drive.

Rain clouds in Iowa

We returned home to snow. I remember seeing some people say it snowed on Thanksgiving, but I didn't really expect to see it when we returned! I shouldn't expect much less in MN in the winter though, it could be much worse.

We've now got our Christmas tree up and have been busy figuring out gifts and all of the Christmas travel plans. I can't believe we're already into December, it hasn't really felt like Christmas around here and seems like it snuck up on us very quickly. We're excited and this is my favorite time of year, so I try to really soak it up. I love the warm and fuzzies of this season!

Today's Christmas Pinspiration;)

The Mud and Mire

I wanted to write a fibro update and sometimes I'm at a loss as to how to explain how it has been going. The hard thing for me is that I've always been an optimist. I like to be (and want to be) a positive person. It's hard for me to write about the hard things and feel like I'm bringing anyone down. I don't want anyone to be saddened by what I write about, but I also want to be honest for myself looking back and for others who think this thing is easy if I make it sound that way. Truly, it's complicated and there are steps forward and back. I want to be honest with myself and share how it really is. 

When I wrote my last update, things were seeming to go in the direction I wanted. Literally a few hours after writing that post, I had a "flare up" that threw me for a loop for a number of days. I've had to miss half days from work here and there which really frustrates me. I don't want this to affect me, and the very last thing is for others to see or be able to tell that it gets a hold of me. When I see progress, I want joyfully to move forward without looking back. That isn't always what happens though, there are many things that can bring my symptoms back harder, and I can't always predict what makes that happen.

Through many hard days, I've tried to figure out how to describe it to Nick. One morning a few weeks ago at work, as I went from feeling awful to feeling so much better, a Bible verse came to mind. 

Psalm 40:2
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 

This is exactly how it feels. During the "flare ups" or even on my typical morning, I find myself in a slimy, deep, dark, muddy pit and can't get out. Once I'm lifted out, I feel like I could sing it to the world, conquer anything I want, and I try to live in and enjoy every second I'm out of the pit and on solid ground.

We pray about what I go through daily. I know the Lord is good, He has plans for me, and I believe he'll use what I've been going through for His purpose. It isn't easy as I face this daily, but the Lord has set my feet on His solid ground and I know He is my rock. With fibro, I have ups and downs, but I always know He is with me.

I can say I believe facing these battles has brought me closer to the Lord, needing Him daily. I would imagine Nick might say the same. He is orchestrating this beautiful life and though we face the battles we face, we know He is in this battle, carrying us when we aren't able to walk.

Today's Pinspiration:

(source)