The Housewife Journal ~ February ~

   ~ February ~

flowers from my Valentine💗

February has come and gone and we are now fully immersed in the season of Lent. It's a time of spiritual growth and patient waiting for the Winter to end.

For me, Lent is like going out to an event at night or a party where I don't know anyone. I dread it in the weeks leading up to it, sighing and thinking about about how I really don't want to go... Then I get there, and I'm fine. Actually, I'm more than fine. I'm always happy that I went! 

With Lent, it only takes getting there and from that first week on, I realize how much I need a spiritual boost.

Besides the beginning of Lent, here are some other things we did this month...

~ Out And About ~

 

Leaving our Christmas tree and a few other things up till February 2nd did happen and it was nice although we were definitely ready to take them down by that time to start getting ready for the next liturgical season. We were met with a surprise the day before Candlemas Day, when Father came down the isle in purple vestments. It was Septuagesima Sunday! We suddenly realized we had to get ready for Lent quick!

All that to say, most of our outings were eating out at restaurants to celebrate the last of the Christmas season and to get some fun in before the start of Lent. We tried a new pizza place a few minutes from out house and went out with family for my father in-law and mother in-law's birthdays. 

We did stay in for Valentine's Day. Jonathan took care of all the cooking and cleanup. What a guy! I made crème brûlée for dessert and while we ate it we watched A Hazard of Hearts, an old movie with young Helena Bonham Carter. We found it randomly on Prime Video and it turned out to be pretty cute!

Valentine's Day charcuterie💖

~ In The Home ~

My thoughts on the home haven't changed much since January. We're still waiting for the office to be finished so we can move everything over from home. I'm still wondering what I'm going to do with the empty bedroom. 

What has been added is a small fear that maybe our house is too small to raise a family bigger than three or four. I'm all about children sharing bedrooms and being close as a family. However, our house has three bedrooms. Therefore, if we have a boys room and a girls room and our bedroom, nobody has anywhere to go if they want some privacy. The toys won't have a play room. The TV might end up back in the living room, or in our bedroom.

So I've been racking my brain about how we could expand the house, spending as little as possible. Our options seem to be as follows: finishing the attic and adding stairs, finishing part of the detached garage and part of the deck that connects it to the house, or making the screened in porch more of a sunroom and rebuilding a screened in porch off of the sunroom later on. 

It's probably something that I'm thinking about very prematurely but It's fun to think about and plan it all out. If we aren't able to do any of those renovations, of course it'll be fun to organize and make do with what we have! 

 

~ Kitchen Happenings ~

Lent is upon us and Jonathan and I have decided to give up meat. It seems to be an annual thing for us at this point. It is a good sacrifice but coming up with things that aren't grilled cheese and tomato soup has been very difficult for me. One of the tastier things I made was 'Marry Me' White Beans. We had homemade bread with it for dipping and I think my husband was pleasantly surprised how it worked without meat. Soon I'll probably also make this Pasta Puttanesca which Jonathan really likes. 

Pinterest has been a life-saver in finding good meatless meals. I've enjoyed finding unique things in Lent that I can make year round on Fridays!

~ Things I'm Grateful For ~

I am grateful for Lent. It is always a time of needed spiritual growth and has a way of reuniting my husband and I in our marriage and with God because of course we are trying very hard to grow in virtue. Fasting during this time also seems more fruitful. I could fast on any other day but I never feel myself growing like I do in Lent, especially on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Lent also brings Easter, which I have decided is my new favorite time of year! 😊

~ On The Bookshelf ~ 

Of course I'm reading old reliable St. Francis de Sales during Lent and this year I am determined to finish the entire book! There is a Lenten sermon for each Sunday and Thursday in Lent and I always seem to get behind on the Sundays, resulting in a skipped Thursday. Not this year. (we hope!)

I am also waiting to receive a book about connecting with the adopted child. It is called The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis. I'm trying to read as many parenting books as I can since I have the time. This one was recommended to me by a friend who read it during her adoption process.  

~ Other Random Things Worth Mentioning ~

I started my flower seeds inside last week! Here is the February progress:

We already have Marigolds, Cosmos, Sweet Williams, and Salvia popping up!

I hope you have a blessed start to your Lenten journey! I can't promise I'll be writing anything other than Housewife Journals before Easter, but I have a few ideas...so we shall see!

Gina💕