Our Week - The One with Grandparent’s Day, a Visit from a Friend, Girls Night, and Poker Night

Last week was bonkers… soooo busy.  Hence the reason I’m posting my weekly recap today on Wednesday instead of yesterday like usual.  I ended up having hardly any time to work on the blog, so I got behind, but alas, I’m back today!  Let’s recap last week!

Monday, September 9

Monday was crazy busy.  I started the day by throwing a load of laundry in before dropping the kids at school, I gassed up my car, and then I headed straight back to the school for a Home and School Advisory Board meeting. 

After the meeting, I had to run an Amazon return to UPS, and then I stopped by Target to grab a few things we needed.  They had the beloved Dollar Spot mirror ball pumpkins fully stocked, so I loaded up… as one does.  ;o)

After Target, I had my annual well checkup with my primary doctor.  The main topic was, of course, my vertigo, and she was happy to know that I’ve been feeling decent the last few weeks since I was able to discontinue my braces rubber bands (temporarily).  My bloodwork looked fantastic, and my vitals were all great, too, so I got my flu shot and then hightailed it home to flip that load of laundry, eat a quick lunch, and squeak out some blog work before it was time to pick up the kids.

The kids both had their annual well visits with their primary care doctor, too, so we booked it to the pediatrician’s office right after school.  Jacob had a golf match, and the latest tee time was around 4:30/4:45 PM, so we crossed all of our fingers and toes that we would be done at the doc in time for him to make it. 

Unfortunately, the doctor’s office was running CRAZY behind, so Jacob ended up missing his match.  Sigh.  When we arrived, we ended up having to wait for 40 minutes in the waiting room before we were ever even triaged and put in an actual room.  As soon as we got in the room, Jacob changed into his golf polo, and Brian pulled up outside in the parking lot so he could be ready to grab Jacob as soon as he was done.  Then when the doc came in, I told him we were on a time clock, so he got Jacob all checked out first, and then we sent him to Brian only to have Brian send him right back because the coach had told him we’d missed the last tee time.  Ugh. 

And I know you’re probably all thinking that I should have just rescheduled the doctor appointment, but friends, with this pediatrician, we put their well visits on the calendar A WHOLE YEAR in advance, and then if you have to reschedule, they usually have to push you out months unless you get lucky and get a cancellation.  When we put this appointment on the schedule a year ago, we had no idea that he would have golf on Mondays (he had it on Thursdays last year), so there wasn’t much we could do.

Anywayyyyy, the appointment went well for both kids, and since Jacob came back in, we went ahead and did flu shots for them, too.  I was originally going to skip them for the day and schedule a nurse appointment to get them later to save time, but since we were already there and Jacob didn’t have to leave, we just went ahead and got them.

By the time we finished up at the doctor’s office it was 5:30, so we booked it home, and I made turkey and cheese biscuit sliders for dinner since I didn’t have time to cook something elaborate. 

After dinner, I got out for a walk/jog, and then I got showered and spent some time with Olivia in her bedroom while Jacob finished getting ready for bed.  Her love language is quality time (and touch) for SURE, so I’ve been trying to be more intentional about spending more one-on-one time with her whenever I can.  I had grabbed a few mirror ball pumpkins for her to put in her bedroom, too, and that just made her whole day!

After we got the kids in bed, B and I watched another episode of The Perfect Couple, and then we headed to bed.

Tuesday, September 10

Tuesday was the first of two Grandparent’s Days at our kids’ school (we have to split them into two days because the school is so big), and I co-chaired the event with my friend, Becky, for the fourth (?) year in a row.  This was our biggest undertaking yet as our school’s enrollment has increased yet again this school year, and we also added a few things to make the day more special.  Thankfully, we had a fantastic handful of ladies who showed up to help out, and for that, I was so incredibly grateful.  We couldn’t have done it without them! 

I dropped the kids at school right at 7:30, I ran over to the school office to grab the big balloon arch stand, and then I headed to the event center in our church to start setting up.  I, along with a few other ladies, focused on getting the balloon arch done first as those things take foreverrrr, and while we worked on that a few other ladies assisted our chef with getting the food ready. 

In the past, we’ve always purchased donuts from a local place (nearly 100 dozen for each day!) and coffee from Dunkin, but this year, our chef catered for us, which was just wonderful!  He was able to do pastries and various flavors of muffins + coffee, orange juice, apple juice, and his famous spa water, so that gave everyone more variety. 

We finished the balloon arch just in time for the kids to start walking over for Mass, so the ladies and I all headed outside to welcome the grandparents.  We had quite a few arrive late due to road construction, so I stayed out in the commons area long after Mass started to help a few of them locate their grandchildren. 

After Mass was over, all of the grandparents (and various other special people in the kids’ lives if their grandparents were unable to make it) and the kids walked over to the hall to enjoy refreshments and take pictures.

Two of the ladies who work in administration at the school had decided that they wanted to add a personalized touch this year and take pictures with a school camera so we can print and mail copies to the grandparents who attended, so we had arranged for personal information to be taken down while they waited in line.  I assisted everyone with getting their forms filled out and then I numbered them so we’ll have an easier time identifying everyone afterward.

The day was a success, and I was able to see my parents and in-laws for a bit.  Tuesday was Grandparent’s Day for the middle and high schools, so they got to spend time with Jacob, and then they got to do it all over again on Thursday for Olivia.

After everyone had cleared out, it was time to clean up.  Cleaning is usually pretty quick, but this year with the catering (aaaallll the dishes) and the balloon arch, cleanup took much longer, and we didn’t get out of there until 12:30 PM.  That gave me just enough time to run home, eat a quick lunch, and then head straight back to school to get in the car line.

After school, Jacob had a makeup piano lesson for one of his future piano lessons since we’ll be out of town in October, and he continued working on Clair de Lune.  He has the first three quarters of it completely down, and now he’s working on learning the end, which is even more difficult than the rest of the song.  He’s doing so great, though!

While he had his lesson, Olivia completed her homework, and then when we got home, she had just enough time to get changed and ready for dance, and then she and I rode over there.  I dropped her and headed home where I finished my Bible study for the day, and then it was time to head downstairs to get the kitchen cleaned up from the day. 

Brian and Olivia got home around 6, and then Brian headed immediately to tennis, and Olivia helped me make mini pizzas for dinner.  She and Jacob and I all ate together, and then I got in a stair stepper / arms workout while they got showered and ready for bed.

Brian got home just in time to get them in bed, and then he and I watched the presidential debate.  I have SO many comments, but I won’t get into all of it here.  I could write an entire post about that alone.  Sheesh.

 

Wednesday, September 11

Wednesday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then headed straight home because the air conditioner repair guy was coming at 8 AM.  We had a sensor go out right before Labor Day, and he was able to come bypass the system to get the A/C working until the part could come in.

The part finally arrived Tuesday, so he was there bright and early to fix it, and he was in and out in less than 45 minutes.  This company was a complete joy to work with and, honestly, the cost wasn’t nearly as much as I had expected, so local friends, if you need a recommendation for a good company for air/heating repair, reach out to me and I’ll be happy to send you the information!

Wednesday was also September 11, and as always, I was in my feels all morning.  Every single September 11, I’m taken right back to 2001 when I was just 19 years old.  I relive that entire day from start to finish in vivid detail in my mind, and I’m always so saddened by the memories.  I know most people have that day forever seared in their minds, and I am definitely one of them. 

Those last couple of years in my late teens were such formative years for me, and 2001 was a particularly pivotal year for me, so I think that’s why 9/11 had an even more profound effect on me.  Thinking of that day takes me right back to some of my most cherished memories, as well as some of my most painful memories, so it’s bittersweet reliving that time in my life year after year, and 9/11 will always serve as a reminder for all of those things.

After school, we headed home, I did my Bible study, and then I took Olivia to dance.  Brian had a work party for a co-worker who was retiring, so he stayed there into the early evening, and then we sat down to tortellini soup for dinner when he got home.  He headed to pick Olivia up from dance later after dinner, and I got in a strength workout.

After that, one of his old coworkers (and one of our friends) swung by to say hi and give me a hug while he was in town.  He was only able to stay for a few minutes as he had to drive a long way to get home, but it was so nice to see him. 

We ended up getting the kids in bed really late Wednesday, and then Brian and I weren’t too far behind them. 

Thursday, September 12

Thursday was Grandparent’s Day #2 – for the lower school – so I dropped the kids at school, headed straight to our big hall in the church, and I hit the ground running with a few other ladies who were kind enough to help out.  We put out all of the tablecloths again, we set up all of the containers for the food and drinks, and we fluffed up the balloon arch.  Thankfully, we were able to leave the balloon arch up from Tuesday, and it was still in tact.  A few of the balloons had fallen off and one side was drooping a bit, but we were able to freshen it right up and it ended up looking even better the second day, in my opinion! 

We then headed to the front doors of the church to greet all of the grandparents as they arrived, and I popped into the church to see my parents and in-laws.  During Mass, we set out all of the refreshments – homemade blueberry muffins and chocolate muffins made by our chef, coffee, orange juice, and tea. 

I worked the picture line again Thursday, taking down names and addresses so we can eventually mail copies of the pictures to the grandparents as a thank you for joining us, and it was a whirlwind as it was on Tuesday.

The whole morning was a success and then we spent the next couple of hours cleaning up the kitchen and the hall.  I love these two ladies so much!  We make a great team!  Oh, and I also took some leftover muffins to go.  ;o)

By the time we were done cleaning, I had just enough time to run home and make a green smoothie for lunch, grab Olivia’s guitar and some snacks for the kids, and then I headed to the car line.

The kids both had music lessons Thursday, and it was “bring a friend week” there, so Olivia asked if she could bring her friend Maren.  So, we picked up Maren from school and she rode with us to the school.  Olivia’s friend, Aubrey, takes voice lessons at the same school at the same time as Olivia, and Aubrey had brought their friend Maggie, so it was a fifth grade party up in there!  Haha.  The girls were wild, and they had a blast hanging out together while waiting for their lessons to start. 

Jacob had his lesson at 3:30 and I sat out this time so I could keep an eye on the girls, and then Olivia had her lesson with Mr. Steve at 4.  During her lesson, he worked with her on slides, pull-offs, hammer-ons, and trills.  Those things are all pretty advanced for this stage of guitar-playing, but the subject came up organically and they rolled with it.  Olivia did a great job as usual, and her friend, Maren, really enjoyed hanging out and watching.

After lessons, we dropped Maren off at home, and she immediately told her dad that she wanted to take guitar lessons.  Lol. 

After we dropped Maren, I dropped both kids at home, brushed my teeth and hair, and then I headed back out immediately to meet my girlfriends for dinner.  I basically left Brian with a dumpster fire – kids who hadn’t done homework or studied, a sink full of dishes, a messy house, and no dinner besides leftovers in the fridge – LOL – but it is what it is.

The girls and I met at a new/old restaurant for dinner.  We had a local restaurant here in town for decades that I frequented from the time I was a child until it closed a few years ago.  The whole city was heartbroken when it closed.

Well, another family recently took it over and reopened it (in a different location) so we wanted to try it.  While the food was good (we tried the garlic knots, the bruschetta, and I had a pepperoni pizza), it didn’t taste anything like the original restaurant.  And the atmosphere in the new restaurant is nothing like the old one (which is a bummer because that old restaurant was a VIBE).  So over all, I’d say that I liked it, but only when not comparing it to the old one.  I did get to see my favorite server from the old restaurant, though, as she’s BACK, and it was so wonderful to hug her neck for the first time in years!

Time with my girls was much-needed even though two couldn’t make it, and we ended up staying for a couple of hours catching up.  By the time I got home, I wanted nothing more than to put on my PJs and snuggle up (did I mention it rained all day Thursday and it was actually COOL outside?!) but I did the right thing, and I got in a workout first. 

The workout was a very basic one, but at least it was body movement!  And then after that, I snuggled up on the couch with the fam and watched some of America’s Got Talent because we were so behind. 

It continued to rain all evening and all night from Hurricane Francine, so it was nice to finally be home and out of it.  Brian and I finished The Perfect Couple, and the ending fell a little flat for me.  I had remembered the book being that way a little, but I think the show ended even flatter than the book.

 

Friday, September 13

Friday morning, we woke up to major storms and TORRENTIAL rains.  And when I say torrential, I mean the drive to school was pure hell.  I couldn’t see two feet in front of me on the highway, but thankfully the traffic stayed at a pace of about 40 mph even though the speed limit is 70.  I finally got so tired of being on the highway that I exited one exit early and took back roads the rest of the way to school.

After I dropped the kids, I had to pick Brian up from the car dealership since his car was being serviced, and I took the back roads there, too, because it was still raining INSANELY.

I had the scariest thing happen on the way to get B.  Long story short, it was pouring SO HARD that the front crash prevention sensor in my Telluride went off as I was crossing through a four-way stop causing the alert to start beeping to tell me that I was about to hit something.  I obviously knew I wasn’t about to hit something because I was going 8-10 mph and I didn’t see anything anywhere, but since my foot was on the gas pedal and didn’t push the brakes, my Telluride automatically applied the brakes causing the car to stop abruptly, which made me think that I hit something. 

Well, there was a car behind me and there was no place to safely pull over, so I kept driving until I reached the point where I could turn around, and in that couple of minutes that I was making my way back to the intersection my mind, of course, went to the worst place possible – that I had hit a person or a dog or another animal or something since I hadn’t seen anything. 

But when I went back through the intersection once, and then a second time just for good measure, there was nothing.  No people, no animals, no cars pulled over.  Just an empty intersection.  At that point, I had no idea that a Telluride would automatically apply brakes, so I was still trying to figure out what the hell had happened.  But then, on the way to pick up Brian, my sensor that comes on to alert my that someone is next to me when I turn on my blinker also went off a couple of times, but nobody was there.  The rain was just so freaking hard that it was triggering the sensors to go off. 

When I finally got to Brian, he told me that the Telluride will automatically brake for you if it senses a collision and the driver doesn’t brake, so I was incredibly relieved to know it was just a vehicle malfunction.  And then I was pissed because I had worried myself to death that I had hit someone or something.  Sigh. 

So PSA, if you have one of the newer cars with aaaallll the sensors, chances are, you may also have Autonomous Emergency Braking, and if it’s raining insanely hard, the rain may just set off that sensor and brake for you.  Sigh.  #TheMoreYouKnow

By the time I got to B, I was so dang frazzled that I jumped out and made him drive us home, and I cried a few tears out of sheer relief as my anxiety was through the freaking roof.

The rest of the day was spent catching up on blog work, catching up on life stuff, and washing, drying, and folding all 27 tablecloths that we’d used at Grandparent’s Day.  We don’t have the capacity to do that at the school, so one of the volunteers always does it, and I hadn’t done it in a while, so I offered.

It rained all.day.long so I cozied up in the car line with some good music and my book, and when the kids got out of school, we headed straight to the music school once again because Olivia had a makeup guitar lesson.  We ended up arriving about ten minutes early for her lesson, and Mr. Steve had had a cancelation before her, so he went ahead and called us in.  I thought he’d end the lesson early, but instead, he spent 40 minutes with her instead of 30. 

During her lesson, he taught her a few more chords, and he taught her how to strum with her fingers (no pick) in a couple of very specific patterns – one to play Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and one to play Sweet Home Alabama.  The funny part is that all of us are die-hard Georgia fans (including Mr. Steve), so we all yelled Go Dawgs in the middle of Sweet Home Alabama while we were singing, and Steve was playing.  Hahahaha.

She learned so much during that lesson with the extra ten minutes, and when she was strumming the pattern for Free Bird, Steve kept saying, “It’s so good!  It’s so good!”  He has been so impressed with how fast she has picked this up, and he is truly just the best teacher.  I could seriously gush about him all day long.  Local friends and family, if you are looking for someone to teach guitar lessons to your kiddo, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask me for his information!  We have excellent piano teacher recs, voice lesson recs, and guitar teacher recs!

After we left music, Brian texted to say that his Bronco was ready to be picked up, so we swung by the house and grabbed him, and then we headed to pick up his Bronco.  When we got home, I caught up on my quiet time from the day before (gratitude journal, prayer journal, and devotional) and I did a Bible study.  I’d missed it so much the day before… I truly enjoy reading my Bible every day now and I don’t like when I end up skipping from lack of time.

Our friends, Jeannine and James, hosted poker night Friday night, so we headed there with pumpkin cookies in tow at 5:30.  We all grabbed drinks, James grilled smash burgers for us (in the rain – it was seriously never ending), and then all of us adults had a good ol’ time playing poker all night while the kids ran wild and ate all the snacks and desserts.  As usual, we had lots of laughs, and one particularly bizarre/hilarious conversation we had will forever be seared in my brain.  THANKS, JAMES.  Hahahaha. 

We got home around 9:30, got the kids in the bed, and then Brian and I watched episode two of season two of The Chosen.  We’d watched the whole first season a few months ago, and then put it on hold to watch a bunch of suspense stuff during summertime, but now that we’re settling in to the coziness of fall and I’m finally reading the New Testament, I was SO READY to pick it back up again.

 

Saturday, September 14

Saturday morning, we woke up to pouring rain which made for the coziest day.  Olivia and I made homemade waffles, pulling out our pumpkin waffle iron for the first time this season, and then, I settled on the couch with my blanket, my cup of cinnamon tea, and my snuggly girl, and we watched College GameDay while the kids watched cartoons upstairs.  I also busted out my new Pumpkin Spice oils from Young Living and put those in the diffuser, and it was seriously the coziest morning we’ve had in forever, especially with the rain. 

Late in the morning, Brian drove Jacob over to his friend WJ’s house to hang out all day, and I finally got off the couch to get some stuff done – a mixed cardio/arms workout, some laundry, some house-tidying, and a few other things. 

Brian, Olivia, and I had a light lunch together, and then Olivia and I decorated the front porch together for fall… the inside of the house has been done for weeks, but I always wait a little later to put up the outside décor.  After that, I finally got all of the laundry put away from earlier in the week, and I tried on some new athletic clothes that I’d gotten from Target. 

Here's the porch before...

And after!

I also discovered on Saturday, that Olivia's shoes fit me?!  What in the world?!  How is my baby growing that fast?!

Then, I spent some time in my office working on the blog and getting my Bible study done for the day.  It was a lazy day and a productive day all in one!  The best kind of day! 

We went to 5:30 Mass, and then afterward, we picked up food from the local pub down the street from church on the way home.  Georgia played Kentucky at 7:30 and it was a NAIL.BITER.  Y’all, I died a thousand deaths during that game.  It was ridiculous and it was evident that Kentucky came to play, and Georgia did not.  Thankfully, we squeaked it out with a 13-12 win… and we can all thank Maui’s jersey for that.  Haha.  Halfway through the game, my mother-in-law texted to make sure Maui had on her jersey – and she DIDN’T! – so we finally put on her jersey and that was when things turned around.  You are welcome, Georgia fans!  Haha.

Sunday, September 15

Sunday morning was the usual – cinnamon rolls for breakfast, yoga, my Sunday morning sermon, planning the week ahead, and a Bible study, and then we went to my MIL and step-FIL’s house for Sunday lunch.  We stayed over there for a couple of hours, and then we headed home.

I spent the afternoon working and watching The Wedding Planner, and then I got my grocery list and meal plan done for the week ahead before heading to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner.  My Momma made my favorite meal – meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and black-eyed peas with biscuits.  We had wine to go along with it, and then afterward, we had pumpkin cookies for dessert.  I was positively stuffed by the end of the day.

When we got home, we watched a little bit of America’s Got Talent, and then we got the kids in the bed.  B and I watched some of the Emmy’s, which we never watch.  But Eugene and Dan Levy hosted, and I adore them both, so we were all over it!

And that was our crazy, busy week!

Happy Wednesday, y’all!

Currently… September 2024

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It’s time for my quarterly “currently” post, so it’s time for some randomness!

I’m currently…

Making: Lots of plans!  I just finished planning and implementing Grandparent’s Day at the kids’ school, we’re planning our trip to Chicago for fall break (or, well, we need to anyway!!), I’m planning upcoming holiday blog content, and I just planned the week ahead this morning!  I’m also starting to plan for the holidays… Christmas is going to be here before we know it, so I have already started doing some shopping.  Oh, and we’re planning Halloween for the kids as well… the kids are both trying to decide on costumes and we’ll be doing our Halloween dinner, I’m sure.

Cooking: Last week, I cooked things that were easy!  We had a busy week last week with lots going on during the day while the kids were in school, and we had tons of stuff going on after school last week, so I needed quick and easy!  This week, I’m honestly not sure just yet as I haven’t made my meal plan and grocery list!  I guess I need to add that to my list above of things I need to plan.  ;o)

Drinking: Tons of water, a couple of cups of cinnamon black tea, and a green protein smoothie every day… plus a glass of wine, a beer, or a cocktail on the weekends.  Oh, and let’s not forget the pumpkin spice latte… I did enjoy one of those recently as it made its comeback for fall.  I’m sure I’ll be enjoying a couple more as the season progresses.

Eating: So much protein.  I finally started working on one of my goals that I made at the beginning of the year to get more protein, and I’ve been very diligent about it.  I’m averaging 80-100 grams per day most days, which is way more than I used to get.  A few things I added to my diet to do this?  Low-fat cottage cheese (I add it to my eggs, and it takes them to the next level, y’all!), Kodiak protein flapjacks and Kodiak protein oatmeal (for mornings where I’m in a hurry and need something quick), Kind protein breakfast bars (for protein-filled snacks on the go), and Vital Proteins Collagen in my green smoothies.    

Reading: I just started Two Truths and a Lie by Meg Mitchell Moore, and, of course, I’m still reading my Bible daily and doing my Bible Recap study guide.  I’m also still reading my daily devotional, New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp. 

Wanting: For this nice weather we’ve been having lately to stick around forever.  I know we’re probably just experiencing “fake fall,” but it’s been so nice that it’s been in the 70’s and 80’s rather than near 100 degrees every day.  I have also been enjoying the cloudy days as well as the rainy ones since we haven’t had much rain all summer.  It has pretty much been sunny and blazing every single day for the last two months, so it’s been nice to have a break, even if it’s only temporary.     

Looking: Forward to all of the wonderful things that these next four months bring… college football games, outings to the pumpkin patch, cooler weather, sweaters, fall décor, pumpkin spice lattes, boots, bringing our skeleton back out of storage, trick-or-treating, our Halloween play list, putting together my fall puzzle that I started two years ago (LOL), cozy time on the couch with my babies, fires in the fireplace, Christmas music!!, Christmas lights, cinnamon in my diffuser, and every single cozy thing imaginable.  Contrary to popular opinion, I’m also looking forward to the time change because my body will finally feel like it’s back on the proper time again.  It will be nice to wake up at 6 AM with my body feeling like it’s 7 AM.  I will miss my evening walks and jogs so much, though. 

Playing: Lots of music, as always.  No matter what kind of mood I’m in, there’s always a play list that I can turn on to either amplify those feelings or squelch those feelings depending on what I need at the time.  Whether I need to be cheered up, pumped up, soothed, reminded of sweet memories of the past, reminded to forget regrets from the past, or if I need to work through challenges, music is always there.  It’s truly live giving.  Lately I’ve been listening to Abe Parker on repeat, and I’m also loving David Kushner’s new album.  And of course, Dave and Taylor are always in the shuffle.  :o)

Wasting: Time scrolling through Instagram and Threads in the evenings after the kids go to bed.  I’ve been doing more scrolling recently due to the fact that it’s an election year, and it has been equal parts appalling and hilarious this year.  Appalling because of some of the things that have been said, and hilarious because of the memes and videos that have come from all of it.  I’ll be glad when this election year is over so we can all move on with our lives and *hopefully* not have to deal with a three-ring circus the next time we have to vote in 2028.

Buying: Honestly?  Not much.  My spending has been way down the past few months aside from Amazon Prime Day back in July.  This is the time of year that I really don’t shop much, but that will all be changing soon as I start Christmas shopping!  A few recent buys have been more pairs of these leggings because they are the GOAT, my new planner for 2025 (and EEK, it’s so gorgeous!), this new Pumpkin Spice oil from Young Living (yes, they have pumpkin spice now!!!!), and some mirror ball pumpkins from the Target Dollar Spot because a) how could I not, and b) could they be more Lindsay?!

Sewing: Nothing… because my mother-in-law just handled my most recent sewing need since I can barely use a needle and thread.  Hahahaha. #NotMyStrongSuit

Wishing: That everybody could just get along, or at the very least, just be kind.  We don’t all have to agree on everything, but can we all just agree that we should all be able to have differing opinions and still be kind to one another?  Is it really too much to ask?

Loving: That we have SO MANY CONCERTS to attend before the end of the year!  Kaleo this month, Abe Parker in October, and Pentatonix (Brian snagged tickets for us in the FOURTH ROW!!!!  But the kids don’t know about this, so if you see them, please do not mention it!), Usher, and Straight No Chaser (another fun one with the kids that they do not yet know about) in December.  December is looking extra fun and festive this year, y’all!  Pentatonix at Christmas is going to be such a huge bucket list check for me!

Hoping: That we all stay well for the next four months because we have so much fun stuff planned, I can’t even begin to tell you about all of it!  I know somebody is going to get sick at some point, so I’m hoping it’s during some downtime when we don’t have anything terribly important going on… like one of the many concerts we have tickets for!

Marveling: At how my blog income for 2024 has already surpassed my income for all of 2023 and it’s only the beginning of September.  My income has been consistent year after year, so it has been a very nice surprise to see a dramatic increase this year.  I’m hoping Q4 ends up being better than previous fourth quarters to continue to widen the gap, but I’ll be happy if I perform similarly to previous fourth quarters because I’ll still have an overall increase for the year.

Needing: To start making some kind of loose itinerary or plans for our trip to Chicago in October!  We’ve never been (Brian has briefly), so there’s so much to research and figure out!  I also don’t know that much about Chicago, so I’m not even honestly sure where to start.  I did ask a couple of friends for recommendations, and they both gave us great information, so I’m sure we’ll use those as our main guide.

Smelling: Cinnamon and Clove in my diffuser and aaaallll the fall soaps!  Oh, and Young Living also released a new Pumpkin Spice oil that I’ve been diffusing and it is so good!!  I’ve been hoping for a pumpkin spice oil for years, so I’m glad it lived it up to my expectations!  It just needs a smidge more of cinnamon in my opinion, so I just drop a couple of extra drops of cinnamon bark in with it. 

Wearing: Shockingly, the past couple of weeks have been mild weather-wise as we’ve had a ton of rain, so I’ve already started transitioning to jeans and tees, and I’ve even worn boots a couple of times.  This might be the earliest in the season that I’ve ever worn them.  My favorite thing that I’ve been wearing lately, though, is these leggings.  I bought them in some new colors and I’m so excited to have so many color choices!  They are truly the best leggings I’ve yet to come across.    

Praying: For so many things… for a dear friend who is halfway through her first pregnancy after a long journey of infertility and loss… that her baby continues to grow perfectly and healthily and that she has a smooth and safe delivery in a few months.  For my cousin who is battling cancer.  For one of my aunts and one of my uncles who are battling Alzheimer’s/Dementia, and for their loved ones who care for them daily.  For Maui, who seems to be aging at a rapid pace these last few months after being diagnosed with kidney disease last year.  For all of the victims and their families as well as the other people affected by the school shooting in Georgia a couple of weeks ago.  For the unity of our country after so much division these last few years.  For the best possible outcome in November for the election.  For my vertigo that has subsided to occasional dizziness/boat rocking… that it continues to improve until it no longer exists.  And as always, I’m thanking God for our many blessings… for our good health, for our safety, and for His provision for our family.  I also have several unspoken prayers that I’ve been praying about for quite some time, and I’m hoping they are answered soon.  Right now, they’re still in the “not yet” phase, and even though the “not yet” can be frustrating, I am choosing daily to believe that God is working.  He never stops working.  <3

Noticing: That the leaves are starting to turn colors here, and it’s a beautiful thing!  We usually reach our peak around early November, so we still have a while to go, but I just love the whole process of fall and seeing all of the beautiful reds and yellows and golds and oranges as they eventually turn to brown and return to dust.  We didn’t have much rain this summer (until the last week or so), so I don’t think the colors will be as vibrant this year, but I’ll take what I can get.  ;o)

Knowing: That I will be going to vote as soon as possible.  I’m so ready for early voting to begin so I can go cast my ballot!  This will, by far, be the easiest vote for a presidential candidate that I have ever made since I turned 18 in 2000 and voted in my first election.

Thinking: Of how excited I am that Jacob decided to join Velocity this year.  Velocity is the middle school version of Teen Advisors, and they do some great things for their fellow peers and for the community, and I’m excited to watch him grow in his faith and do great things to help others.

Opening: Target packages!  I bought those new leggings and some new sports bras to replace a few of my old ones, and I’m loving all of them.    

Giggling: At videos that Brian and I have been sending back and forth to each other, most of which are about the current political climate.  Sometimes you just have to laugh so you don’t cry.  Haha.    

Happy Monday, y’all!