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Well here we are, halfway through December! This fall has been full and beautiful and busy…too much of all three to waste time on the computer. =P
Noah has not won any awards for sleeping, even if he wins the “Happiest Baby on the Block” award. Naptimes in the last two months have been used for napping instead of getting things done. He’s now 5.5 months old and we’re starting some sleep training in hopes that these 2-3 hour stretches will turn into all-nighters. Or at least consistent 4 hour chunks of sleep.
We spent a LOT of time outside this fall. Indeed, we had a beautiful fall, with vibrant leaves and mild temperatures far past normal. We soaked it up, and then soaked it up some more in preparation for months of clouds and snow and wind when it’s harder to get outside! We actually haven’t had a big snow yet, which I am completely fine with. I’ve enjoyed getting to know what a “real” winter is like (having lived in the south until 2020, when we moved to Ohio), but the longer I live here, the more appealing the south looks!
Next stop: Nebraska
Back in July we found out that Ryan matched to a program in Nebraska for a final year of advanced gastroenterology! (So far he’s done 4 years of undergrad + 4 years of medical school + 3 years of internal medicine residency in Shreveport, Louisiana + he’s in his third year of gastroenterology fellowship. We started dating right as he was graduating from medical school and got married during his first year of residency.)
This means selling the house we bought and renovated when we moved to Ohio and packing our belongings for a one year stint in Nebraska. After that, we are free to go where we please and are currently undecided as to where that will be. =) We’ve known all along that Ohio would be for only 3 years unless God had other plans, but we’ve made friends and raised our children here so we’ll definitely be carrying a lot of memories with us.
I’m actually excited about moving to a completely new place for only one year…aside from the moving process itself. There’s something very free about moving to a place with no strings attached. But as a gal who grew up and lived in the same small town for the first 20 years of her life, I’m also very ready to settle down somewhere that we can put down roots, plant literal trees, and call home.
(PS – I know I’ll be asked, but I won’t be sharing the exact location in Nebraska where we’ll be moving.)
With a move in mind, we’ve been working on some final renovation projects and I’m getting rid of as much stuff as I can! I’m not a minimalist by nature. More of a hoarder, actually. But the older I get, and the more times I move, the more I’m willing to get rid of. I’m beginning to realize that more stuff = more things to think about AND children actually play better when they have fewer toys!
Leave any tips for minimizing down below. What are some things that you’ve gotten rid of to free up physical or mental space? Did you miss them as much as you thought you would?
I dragged several totes of fabric scraps with me from South Carolina, to Louisiana, and then to Ohio, intending to “someday” make them into quilt tops. (Did I mention that I have hoarder tendencies? And I hate to waste things.) I am NOT going to move them to Nebraska yet, so I have been cutting out quilt squares as I have time. Got any favorite quilt patterns perfect for a beginner?
Also why did I not do this before when I did not have two children??
I’m not sure that I have the time, patience, or equipment for traditionally quilting an entire quilt, much less multiple quilts. (I have a lot of fabric scraps.) Any ideas for speedier ways to turn quilt tops into finished product? I could always just knot them with yarn or embroidery thread like the comforters that we make at our church sewings. I also thought of doing large stitch quilting using embroidery thread. Is that a thing? I’ve also heard of “quilt-as-you-go,” quilting individual blocks. Any info or good resources on that?
I cut out two dresses right before Noah was born, intending them to be postpartum/early maternity dresses, but he’s 5 months old and I’m just now buckling down to sew them together. I also got the brilliant (harebrained) idea to make Hadassah and Noah matching Christmas outfits, and I found the perfect red velvet dress at the thrift store to cut up and use. Will it happen? We shall see.
Travels
In November we did a lot of traveling because Ryan had 2 weeks of vacation.
First we flew to Arizona, where we rented a van and drove to western Texas by way of New Mexico.
We got home Thursday night after midnight and Sunday afternoon left on a spur the moment trip to see Ryan’s family in Ontario.
From Ontario we drove to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving with friends.
ARIZONA
NEW MEXICO
TEXAS
ONTARIO
PENNSYLVANIA
In the kitchen
My new kick in the kitchen is figuring out the whole pressure canning thing. I was never very involved with the canning my mom did when I was growing up outside of prepping the fruits or vegetables to be canned. I’ve dabbled in water bath canning a little since getting married, but so far we haven’t lived in a place with a good garden situation so there hasn’t been much point in that.
But with the world being what it is, I got to thinking that some meat and soup on the shelves might not be a bad idea…so I invested in a pressure canner. Knowing how to operate an Instant Pot was definitely helpful in understanding the pressure canning process, and so far I have managed to pressure can ham and bean soup, turkey soup, turkey meat, and broth. (I also did some water bathed tomato soup.)
Wow – is it ever handy to be able to pull things off the shelf, ready to eat! Highly recommend.
Got any favorite pressure canning tips and tricks? What’s your favorite thing to pressure (or water bath) can?
Ryan really made my 27th birthday special. <3 He brought home roses, and a birthday banner, and wrote me a card, and even got some ice cream cake cups from Dairy Queen! They’re made out of the same stuff as DQ ice cream cakes, but they’re the perfect size for having a small treat without having to…er…dispose of an entire ice cream cake.
I used to have a grand time making my own birthday cake every year, but this year it didn’t happen until after the fact. It was an experimental THM friendly chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, and it turned out yummy (still needs some tweaks), but the day after I made it I realized that maybe some of Noah’s sleeping issues are caused by caffeine. I swore off chocolate and put the cake in the freezer.
Listening to…
The books of Hosea + Joel + Amos
“Tender Shepherd” – Sounds Like Reign (Hadassah’s current favorite. I hear, “Tender Shepherd, pwease?” at least once a day.)
Aled Jones: The Christmas Album
What are you listening to?
Want to see more?
HI Briana, always enjoy reading your posts; I appreciate your recipes for both their quick factor, as I have 4 little ones myself.
I LOVE quilting, and hate to throw anything away too. I’ve made quite a few quilts, and have found that the free tutorials from Missouri star quilt co. are simple and come together so quickly. Highly recommend for a beginner! And yes, tying rather than stitching is fastest by far. I personally like to quilt with a “big stitch” ; use hand-quilting thread for strength (yes, it’s a thing)
You’re the 3rd person to recommend Missouri Star Quilt Co, so I will definitely have to check it out. 😉
How nice to see you again and get caught up! You were just married and moving when last I read your blog!!! Congratulations on being a super Mom!!
The kids music selections are not familiar to me… how to find??
Water Kefir…grapefruit did you say?? Recipe anywhere?
Keep up the good work!!! I love your recipes: I make n use your THM flour recipe. trimtastic choc zucchini in a family fav!! Love n Blessing to y’all from Kelowna BC!!
The music I talked about it linked right there in the post. 🙂 Just click on the links.
You can find water kefir tutorials online. I just add some ruby red grapefruit juice (really it’s a medley of juices, not straight grapefruit) for the second ferment.
From your post: “ LISTENING TO…
The books of Hosea + Joel + Amos“
I am trying to find a good audio version of the Bible. Can you recommend one?
Thank you.
I enjoy your posts, and your cookbooks (I have 2). You have a lovely family.
I often use the Bible Gateway app or website for listening to the Bible. 🙂 There are many different versions available, some dramatized.
If you end up anywhere near here at any point Brianna, I highly encourage a visit here.
https://www.omahazoo.com/
You and your family will absolutely adore it!! Mine do. Really is the best zoo in the country and the children’s play areas alone will provide hours of creative outdoor play 🙂
Thanks for the recommendation!
Look up jelly roll quilts, a great way to easily cut up fabric and make them into quilts. Also welcome to Nebraska! I am from Omaha and hope you find it welcoming and a great place to live and raise your family! There are so many family friendly activities to do here.
I asked my mom to get my kids savings bonds for their birthdays and toys, etc for Christmas. When they each got married I presented them with their savings bonds and they were thrilled to get a small nest egg from their grandma (who passed when they were in elementary/jr. high).
We moved two years ago after living in the same home for 30+ years. Let me tell you, we had a lot of stuff—I didn’t consider myself a hoarder, but a collector! Every day I took 1/2–1 hour and sorted through a particular area of the house-two stories with a full basement and full attic. I asked myself “do I really want to move this?” or “have I used (fill in the blank) in the past year?” Those questions helped me immensely!
Happy packing!
You have a beautiful family!
The savings bond idea is so neat!
I just love your family. You inspire me greatly because I see the love you have for Jesus in everything you do. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Well praise the Lord. <3
Welcome to NE!, soon. I’ve loved here since college and really enjoy it. It you land at NE Medicine, I think you’ll enjoy Omaha.
Hi Briana,
You may want to check out Missouri Star Quilt Company’s app…. She has some very easy videos for quilts and she’s pleasant to watch!
Thanks, Robin! Someone else suggested that too!
For tips on minimalism, I suggest Joshua Beckers blog or podcast.
Your children are beautiful!
Merry Christmas!
My tip on the quilts is if you don’t get them made or decide not to, donate the fabric. When you’re ready to make a quilt later in life, you will have more fabric scraps😉.
A minimizing tip I highly recommend is to go through dishes and containers in your cupboards. Store them with lids on. Put ones you rarely use and extras into a ‘time will tell’ garbage bag. It makes putting dishes away so easy and fun! And my fridge stays cleaner since I can’t just keep pulling more containers out of the cupboard. I need to search the fridge, and usually something is past stage. Blessings! The less you need to pack, move, and unpack the easier it will be!
Beautiful to see your story unfold!
Re: quilting ideas. I enjoy quilting and having something for quick moments “between” such as early mornings as I listen to Scripture aloud before the house stirs, or something I can carry along and do when we’re traveling (I quilt as the car is getting gassed up, or really anytime I find myself waiting). How can that happen? English paper piecing! It’s all done by hand, and I can fit a little baggie of scraps, a few needles & a bit of thread (I like silk best- less tangles) and a little mini scissors in my purse. Knowing it may take a long time to finish reminds me of the way God works in our lives, stitch by stitch & patiently, creating something beautiful. I never buy fabrics but choose to use leftover bits of old clothes or sheets, etc. it might work well with your lifestyle also as it does mine. Love your cookbooks!
English paper piecing is something I’ve been hearing about but haven’t researched yet. I’ll have to remedy that!
A Nebraska must see is the crane migration in central Nebraska during spring. They stop along the Platte river to refuel, rest and mate. Millions and millions of crazy cranes.
Southeast nebraska was where Arbor day was started. Johnny appleseed, and tree planting. There are lots of orchards and fun activities .
Be sure to enjoy the best beef in the country.
Lincoln and Omaha have wonderful zoo’s.
Hope you enjoy your stay with us.
Thank you for the recommendations! A crane migration sounds very unique. 😉
I really enjoyed reading about your travels and daily life with littles. Thank you for posting.
Welcome to Nebraska and lots of cornfields! I so enjoyed reading about your busy life and seeing how your precious children have grown. I am in a very rural area (as is most of the state- lol 😂 ) in Cornhusker land. I gave up canning a long time ago so no hints from me and never had the patience to quilt. God bless you all as you move and enjoy your new adventure.
I love seeing your sweet family!!
Have you looked at southern Oregon to work?
Would recommend it.
I can’t say that we have, but thanks for the recommendation!
I started to learn to quilt when I was home when my children were small. That was in the 1970’s. I went back to work in the 1980’s and put my quilting and sewing things away for 37 years. My fabric moved with us an average of every five years. I retired last year. Now I enjoy pulling out the fabric and using it. Quilting techniques are very different now with the use of rotary cutters, etc. I took a beginner’s class to learn the basics.
I will say, try to move empty canning jars. They are so much lighter. And freezing foods is much easier and easier to move.
Been a Nebraska girl for 65 years, except for 8 spent in nc. Nebraskans are friendly, open, hardy, good people. I think you will love it here. Be sure to take at least one trip to western Nebraska. The sandhills of Nebraska are unique to the world, think Sahara desert covered by grass.
If you get here by September, you will find gardeners with an abundance of garden produce so you can can it up. We were given 4 bushel of tomatoes last fall. Just let your needs be known, and watch marketplace.
During the cold winter when my children were little, we would find the best sunny window, move the furniture, put down a blanket and have a picnic in the sun. Our picnics always included thawed frozen strawberries with sweetner on them. We would talk about summer while we soaked up the sun. It’s good for mom and littles. Find ways to exercise inside. Up and down stairs, around a table, make an obstacle course, march, hop, walk funny.
I love your idea of the indoor picnic!
I always love seeing your life updates! We have moved plenty and it’s a great time to purge for sure. I’m not minimal per se, but I do try to get rid of things we haven’t used in a long time. I also try to not have excessive clothing or toys for each child. As for quilting, I’ve never done it, but some friends were talking about how much easier it was to use a 100% cotton sheet as the backing to the quilt. Maybe look up that hack? Wishing you the best with your move and in choosing a location after that.
Thanks, Aimee! I’ve actually been picking up some nice sheets with just that in mind!
You have such a beautiful family. I so enjoyed running into you at Goodwill and hope I didn’t come across as too “weird.” LOL My favorite recipe of yours still has to be your mother’s meatloaf. That taught me to use liquid smoke, which is great in so many things. I have family in Kansas and Nebraska. I think you’ll like the pace of life out there. Merry Christmas!
It was so great to meet you, Rebecca! Thanks for saying hi!
I would suggest a Bullseye quilt. You can make a top in a day or two and tie it instead of quilting it. They are beautiful!!!
Thank you, Clair! I’ll look it up!
Loved reading your update on Fall and vacation. Your photos are so cute of the kids. Growing up fast. Thank you for taking us along the journey. Merry Christmas
How fun! I live in Sierra Vista and we love walking around Bisbee! Moving is never fun, but it is neat to explore a new city.
We loved Sierra Vista! So beautiful!
Hi Briana!
What a sweet family!
For quilting ideas and tutorials, look up Jenny Doan of the Missouri Star Quilt Company on you tube. LOTS of good stuff from her!
Moving suggestion – if you know you’re only going to be in NE for one year – you may want to consider not unpacking EVERYTHING. But then again if you downsize enough, you may only have the things you want/need on a regular basis! 😊
God bless!
Thank you for the recommendations! We had actually considered storing stuff here in OH, but now Ryan thinks it doesn’t make much sense to have to come back here for it all when we’re ready to move again, so we’ll see!
I love seeing all your posts! If you ever decide to visit with Central Montana, I would love to meet you!
Why thanks, Katrina!
Wonderful to watch your family’s growth and journey. TY for sharing! I’ve never lived in Nebraska how exciting. Hadassah is a precious young lady and Noah is such a happy lil gentleman. Of course you are beautiful inside & out, happy belated birthday 😊
Thanks so much, Charlotte! <3
What a wonderful update! I actually live in Nebraska so I have a guess as to where you might be heading 🙂 I hope you love living here! Blessings on the packing and moving process, especially with two littles! We haven’t moved since my oldest was about 15 months… I know whenever we do again it will be a whole different ballgame with four kids!
I have been listening to some classical instrumental Christmas music and the book of Acts and 2 Corinthians the last few days. And we enjoy Sounds like Reign here too!
I’m excited about it! Any must see spots in Nebraska while we’re there?
One tip for keeping things more minimal with children is letting them each have a Rubbermaid tote and every toy or stuffed animal they own must fit inside it with the lid on. We did this with our girls and each year close to Christmas, they would be very involved in getting rid of things they had outgrown or were not enjoying as much. We donated to the local thrifts stores for other children to enjoy and made room for new things they received at birthdays or Christmas. As they got older, I didn’t even have to remind them. They would take care of it themselves. I’m still learning how to keep all my “toys” in one tote ;-).
That’s a great idea! Thanks for sharing! Most of their stuff is coming from the grandparents. XD We keep birthdays pretty minimal, and we do a book for each on Christmas Eve but that’s it. If I see useful, imaginative toys at the thrift store throughout the year I will pick them up.
A simple patchwork quilt would be a great place to start- just squares. If you can sew a straight line you’re golden!
I’m listening to the Anne of Green Gables series on our library’s digital app. I had read the first 3-4 books a few years back but never made it past that, so this has been a joy and a delight, especially as Anne becomes a mother of young children (as I am). Highly recommend!
Yes! I did the entire Anne series earlier this year and loved it!