This is one of my favorite days

 Today will be one of my favorite days.  First of all, we had that extra hour of sleep last night.  That is always spectacular.  Secondly, other than altar prep this morning at church and a meeting after, we had nothing on our calendar for today.  It was chilly and overcast, and that made for a fabulous day of being home and cozy.  Andrew made a huge crockpot of chili for dinner.  The house is fairly picked up and other than the fact that I have to work tomorrow, it was nearly an ideal day.

Yesterday was busy as I made my weekly trip to my mom's house and then we were invited to the state parking to visit with some people we knew who were camping there.  It was really a lovely evening.  The weather was nice, the food was delicious, and the company was very pleasant. 

Friday was a really lovely way to end the month of October.  Andrew attended the first home playoff football game in decades (possibly ever) and it was a victory!  He's really enjoyed the season.  I was all set to be home and pass out a few pieces of candy...very few.  However,  Thomas and Lyndi wanted to come down.  When I realized there wouldn't be much trick-or-treating happening, I asked if they still wanted to come.  They said they would come down and watch Hallmark Christmas movies with me.  I wasn't overly enthused, but it ended up being a wonderful evening.  In fact, they slept over because we just kept watching!  I'm so grateful they still want to hang out with us.  I'm definitely starting this month of gratitude with a lot of gratefulness!

I feel like we've turned a corner

I woke up this morning, realized it was November 1, and I was instantly excited.  It's a Saturday, which is always a good thing!  A new month always feels fresh, and the beginning of November really feels like the unofficial beginning of the holidays (since I'm not a huge fan of Halloween, it doesn't count for me 😂), and the beginning of November is still very lovely around here since our fall really came later than normal.  And I can't help but feel we might have really turned a corner at work.  We had another incident at work this week, but it was so much more minor compared to other things.  I'd like to think the drama of our school year is over.  And regardless, November and December each only have 14 work days for me, so only 28 work days left for me this year!

The last weekend in October was full

It was a busy weekend, but I wouldn't trade it!  The weather was absolutely ideal.  It was the perfect temp, there was sunshine, and I was able to drive among the gorgeous scenery.  It even started an hour earlier than normal because we had conferences on Friday which meant no students, and I usually take advantage of some extra time off.

Yesterday I made my (pretty much weekly) trip north to work at my mom's house.  My sister and I have been working on things since August.  The goal is for Mom to be able to host a Christmas meal.  I'm beginning to wonder if this is possible, but I think if Catherine spends some days up there before Thanksgiving we can pull this off.  While it is a major time commitment, I'm appreciative of the beautiful leaves changing and how peaceful the drive is.

We then had dinner with our good friends.  It had literally been months since we had seem them.  We had a drink at a winery and then Mexican for dinner.    We were home by 9:30, which used to never happen.  It was the best we could do though!

Today was church and then all the kids were here for dinner.  I got the house cleaned up and it's so nice to be able to start the week feeling "ahead".  It's not a crazy week, and it sure is nice to be able to say that.  Last week was emotionally excruciating and completely exhausting.  I know it was the best thing both for our family and for that sweet dog.  And I am thankful that I no longer have to worry about being bit or what the snarling and growling might lead to.  And I can know that in long run, he is a good dog and I'm sure he'll find a right home where he is the only pet.  But none of that changes the fact that I absolute hate that it was for the best and it makes me sad.  So I'm looking forward to a quieter week, and with November just a few days away, I can get excited about the holidays.  Dinner with the kids was a lovely preview to that as well!

This day sucked

I don't normally use such language, but today was awful.  We had to say goodbye to the pup we adopted this summer.  Bettis had become aggressive to Andrew and myself, and was constantly lunging at and aggressive towards the cats.  It had become dangerous, and it wasn't fair to the animals who were here first.  The hard part is that 75% of the time Bettis was a sweet lover, and we are going to miss that so, so much.  But last night, I was literally afraid to get into bed because of his growling and snarling.  We can't live like that, and the anxiety that the cats were causing him wasn't fair to him either.  I cried during the entire drive, and I cried when we took him in.  They assured us we had done the right thing, and they felt confident they could find him a good home that would work better for him.  Knowing how much he hated being there, taking him back felt absolutely awful.  We NEVER thought we would be the people to return or surrender a pet.  But we know this was what had to be done.  We are so, so sad about this, but are cuddling our cats to love on them.

I really love this time of year

We've made it to another Friday.  Although last weekend was a three-day weekend, there is something about this weekend that feels even better.  After tomorrow, it is going to get much cooler.  Holiday activities are beginning to pop up.  The leaves should really start changing soon, and things seem to be getting cozy.  I'm so grateful for these days, and I'm especially grateful we are at the weekend!

Today was a good day

I have to be honest, today was one of the calmest work days I've had all year.  In fact, probably THE calmest of this school year.  I was able to get things done that not only did I not have time to handle, I hadn't had the "bandwidth" to handle.  The temps are perfect and even though I was the only admin working, it was really just a lovely day at work.

It was also a great day for Thomas.  He had an issue that was resolved with the almost the best possible solution.  He also started a new job last week that he really enjoys, and Lyndi starts a new job next week.  And in other fabulous news, his car has been repaired and they get it back tomorrow and we get Andrew's car back.

Life certainly isn't perfect, but I will happily take the good days when they happen!

A gift full of so many memories

When Andrew was in Vermont in June visiting his aunt before she passed, he fell in love with her digital photo frame.  His mom commented on how much she would enjoy having one.  We bought her one during Prime Days and were able to add 500 photos for it before we gave it to her when she was here in September.  It is super easy to add photos, and I told Andrew it was exactly what I wanted for my birthday as well.  He agreed and was excited to get me one.  So excited in fact, he got confused and thought my birthday was September 27 instead of October 27!  He was so panicked about it that he ordered on my account, which meant not only did I know when it was arriving, but I knew what it was.  It was a bit comical.  I was excited to get the photos added, and got right to it.  Not only do I love seeing the pictures come up on the frame, but just going through the photos to pick ones has been a joy.  I've added some pictures from my childhood, and Andrew has a few from his.  I even have pictures from my Dad's childhood and there are extended family.  There are a ton of photos from during the pandemic, and I remember how much wonderful time we had together.  The pictures of our sweet Abby pull at my heart a bit, as she will be forever missed.  I love photos of big family groups, and of course there are lots of photos of friends, especially those who are truly like family.  I am also so truly enjoying the photos of the many, many trips we have taken.  Those photos make my heart so very full.  We have been so blessed.  There have been amazing family vacations and fabulous trips with friends.  I'm so grateful for the opportunities and for all the memories made, and I'm so grateful to have the phots displayed on the screen!