Little Willow
We adopted this little Doberman/Coonhound cutie officially on September 8th, 2019 almost a week after unofficially adopting her (…also known as taking her home for a trial run) on September 2nd. For Kevin, it was love at first sight and I had to warm up to the idea of having two dogs, hence the multiple date situation, making this the most typical Jacqueline and Kevin decision of all time. We were not in the market for another dog, but when you see an adoption event when you’re driving by Petsmart, you can’t just pass it up like nothing is happening. We both love all the pups and have joked about having a farm some day so we can adopt or foster more, but we didn’t really plan on getting another one this soon.
At the time we adopted her, she was only 12 weeks old and just about as crazy as you would imagine. She wasn’t house trained or really anything trained, so it took some getting used to and lots of new routines. Just like we did with Chloe, we taught Willow to ring a bell when she needed to go out and she learned that in about two weeks. She still occasionally has accidents, but it’s mostly just when we’re not paying enough attention to her.
Willow was the name originally given to her at the adoption shelter, and we thought it was a perfect fit for her and to go with Chloe’s name. We also got to meet her sister, Fern, who looked very similar to Willow, but was all tan with longer ears. The coonhound genes were strong with that one. It was fun to be able to see them together, especially since we never got to see Chloe’s siblings. They told us that Willow and Fern were found together on a county road outside of town and that they searched high and low for the folks she belonged to, but they never had any luck.
Our biggest concern in bringing home a new pup was how Chloe was going to handle it. I always thought of Chloe as a single dog household kind of gal, but she quickly took to loving on and instigating all the crazy play time with Willow. I truly think Chloe is happier with her around. Since we got her, they have destroyed almost all Chloe’s plush toys and have chomped their way through about four antlers.
Weeks with us: 8
Trips to the Vet: 4
Pounds Gained: 5 lbs
Estimated Full Grown Weight: 55lbs
Likes: the toy Chloe has, howling as we scoop her food, cuddling at night, and Chloe’s bed.
Dislikes: having to go in her kennel while we’re gone, cars driving by during walks, and sleeping in her own bed.
We’re lucky to give this little sweetie a forever home.
A Year of Rest | November Goals
I feel like fall came a little later than normal for Missouri this year, but I was happy to start seeing the leaves change colors. I wouldn’t consider fall my favorite season, but the colors sure do make me question myself. October was full of so many good things including Mizzou football, saying “see ya later” to the best neighbors, lots of walks, our first snowfall of the year, and lots of exciting wins for Mizzou Esports.
A lot of people I know seem to be starting to put up Christmas trees, and to be honest, it feels wrong!
November Goals
Monthly Goals:
- Schedule at least 2 days of PTO – I have lots of time that I need to take off, so I’m just wanting to start thinking about how I plan to use that.
- Meet with each of my small group girls in November – I started leading a small group at the beginning of fall, and I’d like to do a check in with each of my girls before the end of the month.
Weekly Goals:
- Exercise 3x/week – simply just making this a habit
Daily Goals
- Close Apple Watch Rings
- Bible Reading
- Meditate using Headspace
October Goals
Monthly Goals
Host a DOPE Tailgate for Mizzou’s Homecoming– Done! So thankful to get everyone together to party. And Mizzou won, so that’s a win-win.Wrap Up Current Reads– Boom! Just a couple more books to go until I’ve read everything on my shelf.Delete Podcasts– The amount of freedom taking un-listened to episodes off my “to-do” list, was kind of incredible. On to find more things to pare down.Decorate the house with autumn decor– Easy, peasy.Regularly post on my blog and Instagram– Could have done better, but I got a couple out there.Create a work and personal Trello board– Yes! This was a huge win.- Visit the sunflowers @ MU South Farm – I didn’t make it again this year…maybe 2020!
Weekly Goals
Prep in advance for Compass 31 Launches– Weekly prep just makes the week of launches that much easier. I’m hoping to continue this into the new year by building it into my weekly habits.Prep our meal plan each week and use pick up for groceries– Meal prep, yes. Pick up groceries, nope.Weekly Sabbath– Yes!
Daily Goals
No spend– I could always do better in this area, but helpful for tracking.Weigh ins– Yep!Close Apple Watch Rings– Hit the move goal 18/31 days in October
Neighbs
We wore out the grass between our houses for the final time last weekend. So thankful for the opportunity to live next to two of our favorite people for the past 3 years. Lots of amazing memories were had here including all the house projects (including peeling paint and completing a tile backsplash in one day), Quiplash game nights, borrowing sugar (even though Schnucks is approximately the same distance away), Reapeford Garden, and all of our plans to tear down/add windows to our fence or somehow connect our basements. Looking forward to all new shenanigans for us to get into in the future. We already miss you, Sarah and Cole!
Currently
A R R A N G I N G
Spending all kinds of time updating and arranging my Trello boards. I’m working on moving all my to-do lists and notes over to Trello, just to have everything in one place. I’ve used it for projects over the course of the last couple years, but I’m looking forward to really testing out all the features to see if it would be more realistic than lugging around a giant planner. I’m a paper gal at hear, so we’ll see how it goes.
L O V I N G
I’m not sure if kimonos are still “in” but I’m still loving having them in my weekly (read: daily) line up of clothing. I currently have enough for an entire work week (which means I have more than basically any other item of clothes HAHA) so don’t be surprised when I show up wearing one. Currently loving this one because #Mizzou.
E M B R A C I N G
Fall always makes me want to embrace hygge. Bring on the comfy blankets, flickering candles and cozy vibes. Even though it’s still pretty warm here – upper 80*F for the highs – I just know it’s coming and I’m definitely here for it.
P U R C H A S I N G
I just kicked off a no-spend month, but I’ve been thinking more about the things I’m buying and how I’m spending my money. I’ve started investing in some nicer pieces for my wardrobe including some second-hand, name brand pieces. My most recent purchase was Lululemon leggings for only $25.
S H A R I N G
I mentioned yesterday that I am volunteering for Compass 31 and part of my responsibilities include posting and creating content for their social media pages. I am absolutely loving digging into the data of when and how is the best to share with the followers. It’s such a fun project and truly amazing to be able to give my time to this great organization.
A Year of Rest | October Goals
I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. – LM Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
September always feels so far away from the end of the year and then immediately when October hits it feels like it’s almost Christmas.
Ya’ll there are 90 days left in this year. A lot can happen in 90 days but it could also just be gone in the blink of an eye if we’re not careful. Sometimes I’m tempted to waste them away, excited for a fresh start of a new year. But God gives us the opportunity for a fresh start with new mercies every day. I am committed to finishing the year well.
I always set intentions at the beginning of the year, and many of mine revolved around my one little word, rest. Most of my monthly/weekly/daily goals for the year are set based off these intentions which are broad enough to work with changes and real life that comes up throughout the year. Here’s what I started 2019 with:
- Rest in secure in God.
- Cultivating a life of less
- Drawing from an overflow of rest
- Listing to my body and heart
- Resting and rejoicing in change and growth
As I look back on these today, it’s really interesting to see how these have subtly impacted so many decisions. I’m thankful to still be feeling positively about my journey with rest. To be honest, I had no idea how this was going to go.
September was a month of crazy and fast paced life for our family – we adopted a puppy, almost every weekend included MU football, and I started volunteering for an organization that helps fight human trafficking. Our days were filled to the brim with all the normal things of life and college students and book studies and multiple vet visits for each dog. Man, it’s a hard and good life.
October goals just seem to fall into place based on the things we have going on. I’m thankful for months like this.
Monthly Goals
- Host a DOPE Tailgate for Mizzou’s Homecoming – Our love of hosting and Mizzou collide. We help to host a big tailgate once a year and our family and friends all come in for it. I cannot wait!
- Wrap Up Current Reads – I’m reading way too many books at one time, so the goal is just to get some of these knocked out.
- Delete Podcasts – I tend to subscribe to all podcasts recommended to me. This is just me needing to take back my time on ones that aren’t truly my faves.
- Decorate the house with autumn decor – I mean, obviously.
- Regularly post on my blog and Instagram – Just a little accountability for what I’m wanting to share in this space and on Instagram.
- Create a work and personal Trello board – I’ve been a Trello fan for the past 5 years, but I just watched on Kimberly Ann Jimenez on YouTube and I really want to implement some of her strategies for using it for to-dos and project workflows.
- Visit the sunflowers @ MU South Farm -I’ve lived in here for so long without knowing that a sunflower farm exists so. close. to me. I’m really hoping I can make it out to see them.
Weekly Goals
- Prep in advance for Compass 31 Launches – I mentioned above that I started volunteering and I just want to be intentional and prayerful about the products we launch and posts we share online.
- Prep our meal plan each week and use pick up for groceries – I hate grocery shopping but I’m not normally head-of-the-game enough for picking up groceries once a week. Hoping to give it a try in October.
- Weekly Sabbath – This has basically been on my list every month this year and even though it’s not perfect, it’s still such an improvement from where I was a year ago.
Daily Goals
- No spend – I’m just hoping to reign in the unnecessary spending, eating out, extras a bit, so just starting with a refresh.
- Weigh ins – Just holding myself accountable to for healthy eating.
- Close Apple Watch Rings – This goes without saying. Looking to hit some goals in October.