Life as Mrs. Emerson

Ah January.  The month of cozy warm fires and large stacks of books to devour.  At the beginning of January I really thought I was going to cut my reading time in half to allow more time for other projects around the house since we moved in December.  After a long chat with my wise husband I changed my mind.  As of right now I plan on reading the same number of books that I did last year.  Here's a look at what I read this past month.     What's up with the Fig Leaves? by Heather Thieneman:  Let me start by saying wow.  What a thoroughly researched and thought provoking book.  I probably haven't taken the time to think long and hard about modesty since the time five years ago that I taught a Middle School Girl's Bible Study.  I was blown away by Thieneman's careful research and clear humility which was coupled with grace.  This was a wonderful read that I whole heartily recommend.  If you happen to come across this bo...

I had a great time spending two days attending the VBS Preview conference in Nashville with this goofy guy last week!  It's always such a treat to accompany him to a conference.  Happy Monday friends!  I hope your Monday is going well.  We had a dusting of snow this morning so it's been a fun day.  There really wasn't enough snow to go play in but we enjoyed a nice, quiet day that we spent completely at home.  I'm convinced one of the secrets to getting more done is simply staying at home and not leaving my house.  After a busy week last week I knew that the kiddos and I all needed a stay-at-home day.  We'll be taking it easy this evening with some homemade Chicken Noodle Soup for dinner and some family time.   I'm pretty sure Eli has plans of us all playing games all evening!  I ended up not sharing my goals last week since I was headed to TN for two days to attend a VBS Preview conference.  It was super fun!   Here's a lo...

Eli had a great time at Art Club this week and I had a great time hanging out just the two of us! Happy Monday!  I have my usual, quirky assortment of goals for the week.  I think I have finally adjusted to the fact that it is no longer Christmas break.  It's time to get back to work.   Last Week's Goals Marriage, Mothering, & Family: 1)  The children and I are headed out of town on Saturday for an out of town birthday party!  It's an indoor pool party and the kids are just beside themselves with excitement.   It was awesome.  The birthday party was an indoor pool party complete with a massive water slide!  Totally worth the hour drive in the rain.   2)  I'm planning on spending some time alone with Eli this week and plan to take him to "Art Club" at the library.   Part of my yearly goal to "settle" into our new community is to take part in local activities.  So far the library has some of the best!  I ha...

Hello friends!  I hope that your week is going well.  We enjoyed such a fun time last week with all of the snow that I couldn't help but share a fun photo with you.  Sledding ended up being a bit of a disappointment but we had a great time exploring our backyard in the snow!  Can you tell Eli loves throwing snowballs?  We recently moved "to town" but we have the neatest backyard.  Most of our backyard is actually woods so we have our own mini forest and even a creek.  What a blessing!   This is our second week back from Christmas break and I'm ready to ease my way back into some serious goals.  Here's what my week looks like: Marriage, Mothering, & Family: 1)  The children and I are headed out of town on Saturday for an out of town birthday party!  It's an indoor pool party and the kids are just beside themselves with excitement. 2)  I'm planning on spending some time alone with Eli this week and plan to take him t...

From This Day Forward: Five Commitments to Fail-Proof Your Marriage by Craig & Amy Groeschel: This book was gifted to me by a ministry mentor couple in early December.  This was my first experience reading or listening to anything by the Groeschels.  I aim to read a few marriage books every year so I jumped at the chance to dive into this one.  I thought this book was filled with some great, practical advice.  It was also very funny!  The five commitments mentioned in the book are: 1) Seek God. 2) Fight fair. 3) Have fun. 4) Stay pure. 5) Never give up.  These are all great commitments to implement in your life.  Personally I plan on working on number two and number three.  We moved this month and Brandon and I have both been working so hard.  We could definitely use a little more fun in our life! The Christ of Christmas by James Montgomery Boice: Every December I try to read some type of Advent devotional as I prepare my heart for...

My bunch playing around at the St. Louis zoo a few weeks ago.   Marriage, Mothering, & Family 1.  Set aside most "projects" this week to focus on celebrating Christmas with my family.  I'm still not unpacked but I'm going to try to put most of that on hold this week.  (This is actually a hard goal for me as I can't wait to finish unpacking!)  I'm looking forward to reading lots of books, playing games, and watching Christmas movies! 2.  Enjoy an at home date night with the happy husband. 3.  Brandon & I are planning on taking our kiddos on some fun outing. Homemaking 4.  Make cookies with the children.  Evangeline received a sweet pretend mixer and she has been so anxious to bake with me! 5.  Sew two final Christmas presents. Personal 6.  Write at least five thank you notes this week. 7.  Finish reading The Christ of Christmas by James Montgomery Boice. 8.  Spend time reflecting on 2016 and praying...

I just wanted to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas!  We just moved (as in we moved less than a month ago) so we are sticking close to home this Christmas.  I'm looking forward to sharing more frugal ideas, organization hints, and tips for intentional living in the following weeks.  For now I'm making memories and savoring the moments.  I hope you are as well.  Merry Christmas!