Happy Friday, friends! We are looking forward to a weekend at home working on some overdue house projects and going on a winter clothes shopping trip. I love unscheduled weekends to catch up! But first, let’s take a look back at the highlights of this past week.
/ONE/
Our Fourth Annual Retreat to Capon Springs
This is the fourth first weekend of November we’ve spent retreating at Capon Springs and Farms, where time stands still, I don’t have to cook, and we get to play in the country with our church family. It’s not only one of my favorite fall highlights, but we’ve also come to mark time by it. In 2015 we were newlyweds brand new to the church and DC bravely attending the retreat in the hopes of making new friends. (We definitely did, and they’re still our close friends!) In 2016 I was pregnant and didn’t even know it yet. (Will had to work that year, but I led a small group, did an “outfit shoot,” and had a blast hiking up a storm.) In 2017 we had a three-month-old nugget with us, and somehow my hair was styled(????). And in 2018 we battled illness to get there, but our burgeoning toddler was running around the property, playing in the Play House with the older kids, and rocking in the kid-sized rockers with her buddy Theo (whose mom was pregnant at the retreat last year!). Life is good, but time is crazy.
/TWO/
Pony-Os
I completely randomly found these hair ties on Instagram, and they make my mom pony look so much fancier! It is kind of gimmicky and reminds me of my topsytail from the 90s, but I don’t wear my hair down often enough, so at least I can make myself feel better about my ponytails. 🙂
/THREE/
Victoria’s Second Time at the Voting Booth
Maybe I’m just sappy today, but this is this week and one year ago when I took her out (in the rain again!) to vote in Arlington. It was a good week for civic lessons, and though parking was hard and it was POURING, it’s still a fun little outing to go vote as a family before Will goes to work. It was also pretty exciting when Fox News was broadcasting live from the Show Me Center in my (small) hometown the night before the election and we were looking for people we know in the crowd. We couldn’t see my dad, but he sent us behind-the-scenes photos. 🙂
/FOUR/
The Mini Nutcracker
I have turned to thinking about our holiday tradition bucket list and how to perform the Tetris game of fitting everything into December. One of my most beloved traditions is going to the Nutcracker, and I’ve been dreaming of taking Victoria, but she’s 15 months, and I just couldn’t see it happening. Well, enter the Mini Nut! It’s less than an hour long and meant for kids of all ages, so at the very least we can take her to her first ballet, and if she’s squirmy or fussy we won’t be the only ones in the room with a toddler. We can’t wait!
/FIVE/
First Bump Photo!
Well, I’m choosing grace over guilt about the fact that I started bump photos at 12 weeks with baby girl, and baby brother’s first photo happened this week at 26. But hey, we hung the sign! I’m not too stressed about getting ready for a second newborn yet, but I am trying to start turning my focus to him and making progress on some nesting and newborn/labor prep to-dos, because I don’t want to be super stressed in January! (Lord willing. Please stay in there until 40 weeks, little man!) I think I’ll start writing some newborn and labor posts next week to get my head in the game.
What Else Was Up on the Blog this Week:
How I Decorated our New House for Fall
Victoria’s First Birthday Party (Finally!)
I hope you all have a great weekend!
