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Restful

We had a fairly restful weekend over here. Case in point: Jimmy and Niva shared a blanket on the couch for a little snooze one afternoon.

Husky sleeping on couch with blanket

I had come up from our basement and saw them laying together and thought it was adorable that they were sharing a blanket.

I also found Malcolm doing some sunbathing in the kitchen.

Black cat laying in sun

Sadie got in on the restful weekend when we pushed the couches together to watch TV one morning. TV first thing in the morning was a major treat for her!

Hopefully she doesn’t expect it every morning now 😉

Dad and toddler watching TV with couches pushed together

I did some reading. I started this book and it has been very interesting. There’s a lot I didn’t know about the brain, especially how a child’s brain develops and can be nurtured.

I’ve begun implementing a few of the strategies included in the book when Sadie is upset and they have worked very well!

The Whole Brain Child book

I helped Jimmy in the church sound booth on Sunday morning and got to hear my dad teach a lesson on money in the church. What a difficult topic to cover, but also very important.

My brother-in-law, Josh, preached in the evening and while I was teaching a class, I heard he did a great job. I’m looking forward to catching up on his sermon via Facebook!

Man preaching at church

Other weekend happenings:

  • A few Starbucks dates with Jimmy, Sadia, and Niva
  • We went to a dessert get-together at my sister-in-law’s house
  • Did some cleaning and real estate work catch up

A few of my favorite Bible verses on the topic of rest:

  • “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
  • And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14
  • He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Tell me about your weekend!

Decking The Halls

As I mentioned in a recent post, we are all decked out for Christmas at the Zottola Zoo! Sadie and I spent a recent morning listening to Christmas music while hanging wreaths, stockings, and putting up decor.

Jimmy came home from work to our little surprise and Sadie was so excited to show him the little tree and stocking in her bedroom! It’s a memory I want to cherish forever 🙂

Here’s a look at all of our hall-decking, plus a vlog of the process. 

Merry Christmas garland and lantern

Knit red Christmas stocking with wood burned name tag and decorated corner shelf

Wooden Christmas sign

Christmas wreath on red door and lantern decorated for Christmas

Mini Christmas tree and stocking in kid's room

Christmas throw pillows, garland, and flameless LED candle

Silent night Christmas sign

Along with the decorations we had in storage, I also did some crafting!

I made a few wreaths for our bedroom doors and mantle, up-cycled a mini Christmas tree I found at Goodwill, and made a pom-pom garland (<– probably my favorite decoration, lol). 

DIY Christmas wreath supplies

Homemade Christmas wreaths

DIY mini Christmas wreath

Christmas Tree before and after craft and DIY

We didn’t put up a big tree because a small house + toddler + husky + crazy cat = chaos without a Christmas tree to mess around with. Can you imagine the craziness that would ensue if we did put one up, lol! Some day we will be brave enough 😉

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

When do you decorate for Christmas?

Do you have a favorite Christmas decoration?