IT'S CHRISTMAS AGAIN!!!

After a little over four months, today our boxes from Paris arrived in Kansas City!!!  I guess that marks the official end of our Paris adventure!  We had no idea in September when our things were packed and taken that it would take this long to receive it here.  We actually expected it to arrive by Thanksgiving...in fact, we were a little afraid it would beat us here.  How naive was that???!!!

Anyway, we were given a six-hour window for this morning's arrival and at 1:00 (or so) the huge truck pulled up with our few boxes (compared to most people).  And here you see our whole Paris life!!!!

Since we lived in a furnished apartment, most of these boxes are filled with smaller items...clothes, shoes, books, dishes (plenty of those!!), miscellaneous items and a plant stand and antique table we bought at brocantes.

The first thing I opened was the plant stand (you could tell from the wrapping that's what it was).  It's a simple little piece but I was so excited to see it!  We actually had considered leaving it and, at the last minute, thought we could use it in our sunroom (with a big Boston fern on it).  So right now it's sitting in the sunroom waiting for a fern!!

This unnpacking was a piece of cake after all our corporate moves where we had boxes for each room of the house plus all the furniture for those rooms.  We worked hard for about four hours, cleaning up some of the trash as we went and we were done.  Now, that doesn't mean everything is in its right place...but everything is someplace!  Of course, nothing is on the walls yet and we're gone tomorrow for my sister's birthday so Tuesday that will be the project.  I cannot wait to get things on the walls.

Til then, here are some little shots of small areas that are housing our French things and our American things....

This picture was in the dining room in Paris..I'd forgotten about it.  Not sure if this is its permanent home or not!!

Added my French copper pots to my new set..I'm not sure how to hang them where they look the best...for now it's fine.  I also had my French wooden spoons I bought at the store where Julia Child shopped.

We've missed this little antique table that was in our foyer in Paris.  This little nook is the perfect place for it with the French candelabra on it.

I love this little corner of the living room!  It needed something (and I may still look for a little square table or trunk) but,  for now, our French picnic basket (which we used in Paris) and lantern fill in the spot nicely

And this is what's left to put away.  These four boxes are books so it should be pretty fast and easy to find a home for all of them.

Book boxes - the empty wall behind them is waiting for its perfect thing..we're hoping to find an authentic, small church pew but for now it's bare

These three stacked boxes are Christmas boxes,  and they'll go in our storage area.  I'm not really sure what's in those boxes since we didn't take our ornaments to Paris..I know our Nativity scene and the santon village we bought there are in one box...I guess I'll be surprised next Christmas!!

Christmas boxes waiting to go to storage

So, that's it for now from us.  I can't explain it, but I think we both feel our life can really begin now.  And, little by little, it's finally beginning to look like home to me.  I've always had door wreaths for each holiday/season but our front door has been bare since after Christmas when our wreath dried up and was taken down.....

but I'm home now and we're ready for Valentine's Day!!!!

DAY OF REST??????

I know...you're shocked to have another post so fast!!!  What can I say?  I'm full of surprises!!!!

The small group we've kind of connected with at Church of the Resurrection-Leawood wasn't going to meet today due to the weather (what??????!!!) so David and I decided to try their campus downtown Kansas City.  It's closer to us (which would be nice) but receive Adam Hamilton's message by satellite (which we weren't particularly thrilled about).  This way we wouldn't have to miss the small group to check out downtown.  Smart, huh??

There aren't small groups downtown on Sunday morning😢 so the good news was we didn't need to be there til worship..we decided to go to the 11:00 as we always do.  Our expectations were the congregation would probably be small and young and the music would be contemporary.  We were right on the music.  The congregation was a mix of young and old which was good.  The music, though they did sing "How Great Thou Art", was contemporary.  I thought of some of our grandsons and that they might like it.

A picture from their website-no blue skies today!!

Where's the choir???!!!

It's a nice facility but small, which is why they don't have small groups there.  There is, however, a children's area and a small do-it-yourself coffee bar area.  The musicians were very good...if you like that kind of music.  But the staff here was very friendly and kind,  and they're beginning a Wednesday morning "retired" small group that might interest us.

Watching Adam Hamilton via satellite wasn't as bad as we thought since we both pretty much watch the screens at the main campus (better view).  I just wonder if we'll feel as connected at this campus.  They seem to offer many different venues to get involved in...why is this so hard??

After church we came home and put our dinner in the oven - Stay in Bed Stew, a recipe I used to make when there were five of us ready to eat after church.  Then I'd put it together before church, stick it in the oven and it would be ready when we got home.  Easy peasy!!!  So in an hour or so we'll be eating.  I like that.

While many people were gathered to watch their favorite football team (Kansas City played today and won!), we went to the gym.  Yeah!  It's the first time we've gone since joining because we've been out of town.  It was pretty empty and, like others, I HATE going but LOVE when we leave.  I always feel good leaving that I did it...my goal is to go three times a week (minimally) and in between do some yoga at home with a routine I've downloaded.

No selfie though I don't get gross and sweaty!!

It really is a nice facility and the equipment is very nice.  I listened to my own music but they had multiple TV screens (which you can see in the picture) and Hallmark was on one and HGTV was on another (of course, the football game was on one too!!!).

And now I'm wearing a hydrating face mask getting beautiful!!!!!!😂. Hope springs eternal!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Well,  I'd say it's a good thing my little blog isn't a money maker or I'd be broke!!!  Christmas has come and gone as have our post-Christmas visits to Dallas and Virginia Beach.  It's always nice to get back to Dallas and see, not only our kids and grandkids there, but also, this visit, we were able to meet up with our friends, Dan and Carolyn Lawson, and Mike and Susan Curry.  Not surprising, I loved spending time and catching up with them and am grateful for the friendship we share.

Before our trip to Dallas, I did a little "me" shopping at one of my favorite stores (Banana Republic) which is walkable.  When I began having hip problems and couldn't wear the heels I love, I said I would at least wear cute flats.  I haven't really done that...being in Paris threw off my shoe game since walking so much required sensible shoes (what??????!!!!!!).

Anyway, in the midst of a fabulous sale, I bought two pairs of shoes..one for now and one for springtime.  I wore the zebra flats most of the time in Dallas and VA Beach.  They were immediately comfortable and didn't require any "break in" time.  I do love that!!

These are as fun as the leopard I love!

These seem really comfortable and they look so cute with white pants-they're actually more a blush color than the beige they look in this pic

We always love visiting our kids and spending time in their homes.  It gives me a real perspective on how they live when I'm in their space instead of them in mine.  Because Courtney was in the process of moving into their new home, we spent our entire visit at Andy's, which we always enjoy.  I've forgotten the energy that exists in a home with kids in it!  However, it gives me lots of time to visit with, not only my kids and in-law kids, but the "little" boys.  I love that.  Catherine treated Courtney and me to tea at The Adolphus Hotel which was lovely.  

Between our Dallas visit and our VA Beach visit we stopped my sister's in Appleton City, MO, to sit in on her 3-month physical evaluation at the nursing facility where she resides.  After several small strokes and some smoking-induced health issues, she requires the care she receives here.  She seems happy, and I'm happy we can be more available now that we're stateside.  Anyway, we still had a few days to de-Christmas our home before heading to VA Beach (which was nice so we could come home to a clean house!).

Nikki's house is always pretty quiet,  and this year was really different since Scott deployed for six months beginning mid December.   We had a weekend to be out and about then the boys were already back in school the next week before we left.  We did lots of shopping, eating out, walked around the Botanical Gardens (without the boys) and evenings were spent watching movies, David playing games with Levi and talking.  The visiting never stops!!!!  Hard to imagine, huh!!!??????

The weather in Kansas City has been pretty mild over the holidays but last night took a turn to cold.  It was raining yesterday as we did some of our weekly shopping then we woke to a beautiful snow.  The flakes were huge most of the morning (we went to Target) then turned to what looked like white rain.  When we left for Target, not much was going on in "the hood" but it was pretty.  My grandmother, who I adored, always loved the snow.  In her latter years, she lived in a small apartment in South Lake Tahoe on the California side and saw tons of snow for long periods of time.  But she had no where to go so she could stay in her little apartment and enjoy the beauty of it.

Not much action on a Saturday morning!

Our Sunday morning small group cancelled tomorrow (which David and I think is nuts) so I think we're going to try and attend one of the satellite campuses downtown just to see what we think (it would be closer to us than the Leawood campus).  I'll keep you posted.

One last note, I haven't posted many pictures of the apartment but I will.  I'm waiting until we have our things from Paris (they were supposed to arrive in the US Jan. 7 so we're hoping to get them by the end of the month) so we can get things on the walls and finish making things ours.  We've decided not to overhaul my bathroom and do a little in there and have Container Store come in and redo the  closet in our bedroom.  It has been done poorly,  and we really need it to be more functional.  I did, however, buy a fabulous mirror for above my bathroom sink that I absolutely love.  It's vintage and we got it at Bella Patina, a store that is open only on First Fridays of the month.  It's three floors of all kinds of old, new and in between things and we're hoping to get there again in February.  Anyway, here's a pic of my mirror....

I thought I'd return to the US and get a "normal" sized bathroom-guess it's a good thing I lived in Paris for 20 months with small space...

You can also see my little chandelier in the reflection.  It's all such a process...step by step.  But we're in no hurry and I've already had some buyer's remorse about a few things so I'm trying to move slowly until I'm sure of a purchase.

We're in for the night...hope each of you is as warm and cozy as we are!!