Substance of Faith: Already well into November...

Time certainly seems to go by quickly- especially when I am summarizing each week. Only 4 posts and a whole month is over! And here we are- already a third of the way through November.
Well, it's been a crazy/busy week. Monday was drama, drama, drama. I am so glad Monday is over. All I'm really going to say about Monday is that it could have been much worse and that it left me counting my blessings. Silver lining to every cloud I guess?
What all have we done this past week? Well, we saw Wreck It Ralph (in the theaters!) with the boys. We had 70 degree weather so we spent a lot of time outside- we even raked the leaves at our house and across the street at Auntie's house into big piles so that the boys could run through them and kick them around (what kid doesn't love a big pile of leaves), and Friday-Sunday we had a big snow storm! Dave & I also celebrated my birthday a little bit early.
So back to the beginning- we saw Wreck It Ralph. This was the second time that we have taken the boys to the movie theater (we took the boys to Brave for Ethan's birthday). It was a really fun movie- Dave loved all of the video game references and Ethan just loved the "big tv." It was a great experience for everyone. Emery just cuddled in Daddy or my lap, until about the last 10 or 15 minutes. Then he wanted to get up and run around (to be fair, Ethan wasn't doing much sitting by that point either). It is so much fun to be able to take the boys to the theater, but so much more expensive now too (matinees only for us). We're going to be watching out for more movies to take the boys to- it seems like kid movies are getting better at entertaining adults and kids at the same time? Or maybe my taste in movies has changed?
And then, Hello! only one of the biggest days that happens only once every 4 years. Election Day! Dave and I decided early on we wanted to take the boys with us to vote- introduce them early to the voting process. So Tuesday rolled around, Dave got off of work a little early to vote (Thanks to his boss!), and we met up at City Hall to vote. We tried to be informed voters and then choose the best we could. And then of course there was watching the results roll in that night (I felt like such an adult).
Most of this past week the weather has been 70 degrees. Seriously, our windows were open almost all day and we were going to the park down the street and running around the backyard. It has been great (aside from being November and that was just kind of weird). And then Friday morning- BAM! Snow. (It's a good thing we got our snow tires on Thursday afternoon- nothing like the last minute!). When Ethan & Emery came downstairs I pointed out the window and told them to look. Both of the boys went running up to the window to stare out and Emery, in his little voice, was like "Wow." Last winter, Em was still to small to play in the snow (unless we were carrying him around). So this was really his first taste of snow. I got the boys all bundled up to play in the backyard- Em was more like the kid from Christmas Story that looked like a marshmallow and couldn't move. Ethan was a pro at the snow already, so he was doing fine in his snow clothes. The only down side was the Emery kept falling down and couldn't get back up, so he'd just be laying in the snow as Ethan walked by him (and ignored him). Finally I just had to pick Em up and bring him back inside and Ethan followed a few minutes later.
Then for Friday & Saturday, Dave surprised me by having the whole weekend planned out (he's so good about spoiling me for my birthday). Friday night Dave arranged to have me stay up at my mom's condo (alone) while he took care of the boys. I was able to pack up whatever I wanted to do and have the whole night and Saturday morning to myself. I was able to work on some Christmas presents and catch up on some TV and stay up late reading. And then I was able to spread out in bed and not have to share my space or pillow with anyone. Ahhhh. It was delightful. Saturday morning I was actually able to read in bed a little bit as well. And I'm slightly lame- I worked for a few hours (working uninterrupted, by myself, is actually a small delight, so whatever). Then Saturday afternoon, Dave arrange for me to go get a Prenatal massage. Oh man. I could have done that for hours. I was in that perfectly relaxed zone where I wasn't asleep, but I also couldn't have a coherent conversation with another person. It was awesome. After the prenatal massage I came home to two sleeping boys (thank goodness cause I was so not in a place to deal with rowdy boys) and was able to get ready for dinner and a movie that night with Dave (another treat!). Dave and I went to Texas Roadhouse and then to see Skyfall. It was so great to have time with just Dave and come home to the boys asleep. I told Dave he's probably ruined me for having me pull my weight around the house. It was just so awesome to have a break. :)
And now we're here to Sunday, again. We have just over 5 weeks until this little baby is born. I am so ready. I am so amazingly tired, I just can't believe it. It's like all will to do anything has left my body. Dave has been awesome at trying to let me sleep as much as possible at night (he handles the boys as much as he can), and I have been sneaking in naps during the day, but it just never feels like I can get enough sleep. I am just exhausted. Everything takes so much effort to do anything. I told Dave just 5 more weeks, and then a few weeks after that and maybe I'll be back up to speed. :) Dave is definitely picking up my slack (not that I am giving him much choice).
The boys are doing great. Emery is turning into a daddy's boy. He has moments where he just prefers Dave's company and cuddles. I'm fine with that (unless Dave isn't around and he's all that Emery wants). Em also seems to be heading out of the nap zone. That depresses me greatly. Em wakes up at the butt crack of dawn (or earlier) and then he's up and running all day long. And he just gets crankier and crankier and crankier as the day progresses. Yikes. I try to put him down for a nap 2 or 3 times and it never takes. Until like 4 PM, then Em is like "Okay, yeah I'm ready for a nap now" which is, of course, too late for a nap. Gah. It's so frustrating. Emery likes being up with Dave (special time with daddy?) in the mornings. Dave is up at 5 AM to start getting ready for work and Em tries to get up and run around with Dave as he showers and makes lunch. I know Em is just excited for that extra time with Dave, but man it is early in the morning.
Ethan is doing awesome as well. We have been working with him on early reading and his letters. I'm trying to make homework and craft time a part of our day after dinner- with the hopes of letting Dave have a little bit more time to work on homework and also to work with the boys on whatever they need? So far I kinda suck at it, but we're heading in the right direction, I think.
And for me... well I have been thinking about all the blessings and all the things I am grateful for. (Does anyone notice their FB friends listing something they are grateful for each day?). I was actually writing a blog posting in my head about all the things I had to be grateful for. It was pretty sappy (in my head) and I'm pretty sure hormones had a lot to do with that. But I've since forgotten most of what I wanted to say. Anyway, I'm grateful for so many different things- my family, friends, my neighborhood and the people that fill it, my job, my boys, my health, etc. Maybe I'll actually post something about being grateful before Thanksgiving (which is only a few weeks away now).
Anyway, now off to the rest of my day with the boys and Young Women's tonight. I hope you all have a fantastic (and warm) week planned.