Avett Brothers Concert

So, the Avett Brothers came to town.  My sweet husband ordered tickets at the soonest possible moment and looked forward to it like it was Christmas morning.  Or better.

We dropped off the big kids with Grandma and Grandpa and headed into town.  Dates for us always involve a LOT of driving - usually at least 2 hours - which is kind of nice in a way because it's good talk time, but kind of not nice when it's late and you're ready to be home and you still need to pick up kids and take them home.  But we were super blessed because one of their aunts brought them home and put them to bed for us, since we weren't going to make it back until at least midnight, with a 8pm show, so that did make things a lot easier!


We planned on having dinner at a little pub that specializes in local foods, since we had a gift certificate, but sadly they had too long of a wait for that to work out.  So we walked around the corner and found a fun little Asian restaurant.  Levi chowed down on the stir fried broccoli off my plate, and I really enjoyed my sweet and sour chicken - very good!  I love Asian food and it's not something I'm good at recreating at home, sadly...we also enjoy Mexican food, but I've had better luck at making that at home.

Anyway, after we ate we headed over to the show, where the doors had just opened.  We ran into a friend and chatted for a while before heading inside and finding our seats.  Levi was just along for the ride in the ring sling, and very much enjoying all the new things to look at.  He is usually a pretty regular baby as far as sleep time, so I was unsure how he'd do at a super loud concert at bedtime. As it turned out, with the aid of a pair of junior earmuffs, he did GREAT.  He had a little trouble going to sleep in the seats, since he was watching the lights and enjoying them, but I knew he had to be exhausted so I took him out and fed him and he was out like a light snuggled up to me in the ring sling.  And he stayed asleep... even through the super loud songs, even through the teenagers behind us screaming for an encore, even through ME singing along and whooping.  I was so thrilled!  The reviews had me hoping that these would be the ticket to protecting his ears and keeping him happy and able to sleep, and they certainly delivered. :)

Plus now that we have them, I am sure we'll be using them again.  Maybe for taking in a movie?  Or another concert?  Or for fireworks that might scare a small one?

(Note: I am truly this weirdly enthusiastic about these.  This is not a paid review, nor was I given these by the company.  No, as strange as it may seem, especially to those of you who are not yet parents, I genuinely just am tickled pink to own a pair of baby ear muffs.  True story.  Although, yes, that is an affiliate link.  But beyond that, I am not profiting by extolling the virtues of these things.  They're just that awesome.)

Shelving the topic of the ear muffs, it was a truly fantastic show.  The Avett Brothers gave it their all and really put on a wonderful performance.  They are one of our favorites, and we frequently listen to their music, so I loved recognizing their songs and enjoying the extra dimension that a live performance gives. It was absolutely great being able to see them live and hear them do our favorites.  They even came out and did a very generous encore, even though they must have been absolutely exhausted from doing such a high energy show already.

On a funny note, the crowd was a really interesting mix.  Hipsters, college students, teens, older folks, parents with kids (we were definitely not the only people with a child there, although I think Levi may have been the youngest!) - it was a fun and varied crowd.  Although I'm not sure when I've seen more plaid shirts and Tom's shoes in one place before! ;)

We hit the drive through for some coffee on the way home, and finally fell into bed at 1.30am.  Unfortunately, this all happened to be the weekend of the time change. Hahahahaha. So we lost an hour the next morning.  All I can say is the next day involved a whole lotta coffee.

But it was worth it!

BIG joys and {little} sorrows

{Small} in the grand scheme of things sorrow... I have a headache.

During naptime. 

On Friday. 

I feel like there should be some kind of law against this?


Also, it is cloudy and dreary and I feel lonely and blue. 

And I have accidentally overbaked two! pans! of my very favorite chocolate chip cookies. 

And! I tweaked the recipe and it doesn't taste as good. 

BLAH.  Woe is me.  (I know, I know. I am even annoying to myself.)  Moving on!

If my husband were home he would roll his eyes at me and put his thumb and forefinger together to make the world's smallest violin.  I would laugh and feel better. 

(He would also put the kettle on and suggest I take some ibuprofen.  Hold on a sec while I do that.)

Since he is NOT home, dear internet, I am instead sobbing on your shoulder.  You're welcome.  Or click the red X in the corner of the browser.  Either way.

And yes, I am indeed such a ditz that I have to be reminded to take something for my own headaches.  Frequently! Thank goodness for my husband!  He tells me to take something for my headaches, makes me laugh when I am mad (no small talent!), buys me spray paint and chocolate, and never complains.  He is my favorite.

And thank goodness (and a sweet friend) for new to us activities tucked away for dreary days such as this.  Added points if it is educational but they are having too much fun to notice!  They loved arranging the plastic shapes inside the pattern on the laminated sheets.  Kept wanting to keep going.  So fun watching them enjoy it and feel the pride of figuring it out.  They are becoming such smart little people!

Lord, I thank you for thrifted hoodies, cute handmedowns, my video monitor set up, Earl Grey tea, the afternoon sun that is just now bursting through the clouds and through my windows, and Saturday on the horizon. Amen.

And the ibuprofen/hot tea/sweet silence of naptime is kicking in and banishing the headache.  Yay!

Time for me to go wake up some sleeping kiddos {to make sure to have a smooth bedtime!} and maybe play some play dough! :)

Ta ta, friends, and happy weekend!

Keep your eyes out for the BIG joys and remember that the {little} sorrows will pass...

Wordless Wednesday

(Summer wedding! Congrats, Erik and Amber!)

Some Favorite Children's Books

 Scuffy the Tugboat and His Adventures Down the River

I LOVE Scuffy. It has been one of my favorite read aloud books for many, many years... our copy is one I gave to one of my brothers many Christmases ago, and he passed it on to our little ones so it could give more enjoyment.  I love the storyline -  Scuffy is discontent where he is, so he sails off to find adventure, and then realizes that he really does need the man with the polka dot tie and his son, and wishes that he were back with them... and just as he is entering the ocean, which has no beginning or end, the man and his son scoop him up and he is safe again.

 

                                  One of our board book favorites is Barnyard Dance!  It was a gift to Nathan when he was born, and we've loved it ever since. It has a fun rhythm and shows all the different farm animals dancing.  It has a lot of "moo" and other animal noises, which makes it a toddler favorite, and the fun pictures also make it a good book to entertain the baby during church.

 "Bounce with the bunny.  Strut with the duck.  Spin with the chickens now- CLUCK CLUCK CLUCK!"


We also have another board book by Sandra Boynton called The Going-To-Bed Book- it is fun and is our current diaper bag book, for distracting and calming a wiggly little one in church or elsewhere. :)


It has a really fun cadence to it as well...

"And down once more, but not so fast, they're on their way to bed at last.
The day is done.  They say good night, and somebody turns off the light."


And of course, we love the classic kid books...
- Green Eggs and Ham,  Bears On Wheels, Make Way for Ducklings, The Little Engine That Could, Corduroy



As you can see, we're bookworms, and it seems to be passing on to the next generation!  I think we better get some more bookcases soon, because these are all  full already...  are any of these your favorite stories too?  Have any others we should put on our library/wish list? :)

(contains affiliate links, FYI)

Marrying Young

I've been reading this post from Nancy Wilson on marrying young (not teen, but not waiting till 35 either.) Love it, and especially enjoyed the comments, lots from of women who married young and don't regret it. Yeah, financially it is probably tougher to marry young instead of waiting until you have lots of savings, a very good job, etc. But this quote from Brandy's comment just hits the nail on the head for me- "some parents would rather their child struggle with sexual temptation than have any financial struggles."

Is it better to have young Christians struggling with sexual temptations while getting all their financial ducks in a row, or to encourage getting married younger and provide support for that?

When we got married, we were overwhelmed with the generosity of our church family- from a shower that mostly equipped the kitchen, to the people who asked us if we could use the furniture they were getting rid of (yes! yes! yes!), to the huge generosity of our families (who gave liberally in working on our house, as well as in helping us to equip it).

We don't drive fancy cars, have the latest gadgets, or vacation anywhere exotic. But we're getting to share these years, and I wouldn't trade this for the world.

Us, dancing at our reception and being madly in love. :) Photo taken by Sarie, I think... all I know is I stole it off Facebook and I love it!

More Miriam :-)

(All dressed up for her second Sunday)

Miriam Rose

Sunday night, Miriam Rose was born peacefully at home, weighing 7 lbs 8oz, and measuring 20 1/2 inches long.

Merry Christmas!

Nathan thinks Christmas is quite exciting!

A little stressful, though, when you aren't allowed to eat the ribbons off the presents...

But all in all quite interesting and fun...

... and sometimes a bit exhausting, requiring a long winter's nap...

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas decorating!

Meredith at Like Merchant Ships posted recently on decorating with what you have, and posted a lovely photo of her aunt's mantle, which was decorated beautifully and had glass cylinders with oranges and cryptomeria. When I read her post, I was amused by the similarities between her aunt's mantle and my piano top decorations! (Which aren't done, I'm going to decorate the wreath still, and add a table runner... and see what else ends up there!)

I had the cranberries already (I brought them home in a vase with flowers that had been a table decoration at a wedding reception we attended), and the way-too-tall-for-almost-anything candle, and the vase...
Of course, it looks better with the candle lit, at night, but my attempts to get a picture of it in that lighting were less than successful. :-)

Lord, give me a bigger container...

"It’s good to see our limits and remember we have them. At the same time, as long as it is possible for us, we should be asking God to increase those limits, to open our hearts more and more, to give us the stamina we need on order to keep up with all He has given us to do. As we age and become more frail, He lightens our load. But all along the way we need to be asking for bigger containers to receive more grace and goodness so that we will have a greater capacity to give. And the more we give, the more He blesses us, the more He gives back to us."
- Nancy Wilson, in her latest blog post, "Large Hearts"

(Go read the rest!)