November 2017 Family Goals

This is one of our favorite times of the year! November is when, three years ago, Mike and I first started talking to one another! Many of you have messaged us, asking how we met, and we plan on doing an Instagram live soon to tell you our story and answer any other questions you may have. This time of year brings with it joyful memories of our first dates and falling in love with one another. We love November!

Our Thanksgiving week plans are almost finalized. We have a little trip planned and we cannot wait to relax and be with one another and with our family. We are really looking forward to cooking a Thanksgiving meal together. Mike and I find so much joy in cooking. We love going through our cookbooks and looking up different recipes and making them our own. One of my favorite places to find recipes is the New York Times. Every year we eagerly await their Thanksgiving advice, recipes, and spreads. This year’s tutorial promises an entire feast in eight hours’ time with just using the top four burners and a four hundred degree oven. If you haven’t planned your Thanksgiving dinner yet – take a look, the Apple Gingersnap Crumble looks amazing and will be on our table this year!

As the days grow shorter and colder it is getting more difficult to leave the house! This time of year brings with it a desire to curl up with a warm drink, a book, and a blanket. We can only guess what is ahead with our Buffalo winter, so we have found some indoor activities to keep us content during the cold months ahead. We started a little book club with our dear friend and the first book we are reading is called, “Fire Within” by Father Thomas Dubay. I read it a few years ago, and I am so thankful to be reading it for a second time. Each evening after we lay Peter down to sleep, Mike reads the book out loud. I love those moments together, hearing his voice speak such comforting words. Would you be interested in joining our book club? Let us know!

I also joined an online embroidery club! Every month I am sent an embroidery kit that includes a pattern, fabric, hoop, and needle! This is my first time embroidering and it feels so good to be creative in this way. It is difficult to join groups and clubs outside the home in this season of life, so I love being a part of this community – one that I can join in on during Peter’s naps or when I’m listening to Mike read! It truly has been such a gift to my heart!

Mike, Peter, and I took our first beekeeping class last month. We are hoping to get our bees this spring, but we are wondering if we should wait a year because we are moving in August. Researching bees and beekeeping over the past few months has been such a joy. Honeybees are incredible! You can follow along our beekeeping adventures on Instagram with #coucheswithacolony.

November 2017 Family Goals
– plan our Thanksgiving day menu
– write a list of Christmas gifts to make or purchase
– take pictures for our Christmas card
– practice stitching and work on my first embroidery project (Claire)
– make our favorite pumpkin pie
– clean our cars
– winterize our yard and home
– read this book for our book club
– workout five times a week
– make blessing bags for the poor

– M & C