odds and ends

a smattering of the last month of instagram and a smattering of end o' the week thoughts.

i think we've recently entered a new chapter in all this life change.  maybe it would be titled "there is light at the end of this tunnel".  i have a feeling we'll be here for a while, but it is much preferred to the "homesick and rootless" chapter.  that was pretty miserable and i felt terribly hopeless.  (little h not big H.)

on a side note, these sweet boots now adorn my feet most days.  aren't they beauties?
i am still getting used to calling that stuff on the ground dirt.

stages of moving
so busy you can't think
exhaustion and day to day survival
what an adventure!  kinda like a vacation!
oh wait, i need to get settled
homesick and rootless
there is light at the end of this tunnel

obviously this is a very scientific list.  i spent all of three minutes coming up with it.
(feel free to add your own stages in the comments.)

the last few months have been incredibly difficult on this guy.  so much new, when new is not easy.  we are seeing progress.  sweet, sweet progress.  sunday school is no longer torture for him (or us).  he is sitting through homeschool group class with much more ease.  and our reading lessons have had major breakthroughs.  all of this (and more) take a weight off my heart.  light at the end of tunnel, i tell you.

mmmm, cider donuts.

day 19 of the whole30 and we are going strong.  it is somewhat astonishing to me that i have gone this long without sugar, dairy, grains, and legumes.  more astonishing that i have cooked from scratch every meal for almost 3 weeks.  the hardest part has been keeping the kitchen clean.  for the most part it has been a disaster zone, but today it is finally tidy.  just in time for the weekend batch of bone broth to hit the stovetop.

also, i fit into clothes i haven't worn in over 5 years.  that is what i put in mind when the cravings get bad.

(fyi, those donuts were made and consumed the day before we began whole30!)

in true new mexican style, we bought our bushel of roasted green chiles from the farm stand down the street.

are there ever enough hot air balloon photos?
we are missing the daily colorful distractions now that fiesta is over.

this tiny-big guy is almost three!  and he is more of a handful than ever.  seriously, pray for our parenting here.
he tells stories that are utterly adorable.  hard to understand but oh so sweet.  i'll have to record one soon. 

and this little lady is a true delight.

time to finish halloween costumes, give a spelling test, and unpack another box or two.

(unpacking is slow going.  we are down to those random boxes that i am tempted to toss in their entirety.  drawers and shelves of miscellany were emptied in the rush to pack up the old house.  but i am making my way through them, thanks to the help of netflix.)

happy friday, friends!
xoxo,
annalea