Fall 2017

I'm not going to lie - Fall 2017 was a difficult one. Even bracing myself for the transition of going back to full-time teaching, there were many nights where I came home questioning my decision. It was hard getting into a routine - between the kids' extracurricular activities (cross-country, cello, girl scouts, basketball) and my extracurriculars (cross-country, liturgical choir, forensics, parish council), lesson planning, homework, cooking, cleaning, it was difficult to maintain a balance and some sanity! I missed my mornings at the gym. My time to sew or blog or read or be. I missed being able to fully be present to help with homework or reading. I felt frantic. Always. Add into the mix finding out that my mom was sick. And then Justin started a new job himself. It was almost unbearable.

But, somehow, (gratefully!) shortly after Fall Break, I started getting into a rhythm. An imperfect groove. I even found that it was possible to leave work at a decent time and, shockingly, still make it to the gym at least once a week. Yeah, the laundry is often waiting and the cooking has had to be limited to "easy" or "instant pot" most days, but we're starting to get there. And, I must say, I'm happy overall. I have always loved teaching, and I am grateful to be back in the classroom - especially at a school that I love and where my children are - and, thankfully, it just took a little time to get back in the figurative saddle again!

First Day of School Pics:

It was my first day, too!

This picture makes my heart melt.
She was so happy he was going to be at the same school as her!

Labor Day Weekend: We planned a quick getaway to a small Georgia lake resort with Lissie's godfamily! It was such a relaxing weekend with good company, conversation, and - of course- the beach!

My birthday: Another low key birthday in the books. It's getting to the point where I sometimes forget how old I am. Has another year really gone by? Haha. We celebrated with lotsa cakes and, of course, noodles for a long life.

Fall Sports: The kids and I did cross-country this year, and Xavier decided to forego martial arts to try a new sport - basketball. In October, Justin and I ran the Bourbon Chase relay race with friends.

Running through the bourbon trail and stopping at a few distilleries en route!

It was a hilly course, but look - horses!

A celebratory shot of bourbon at the finish!

Camping: We took two fall camping trips. One with friends to a lake in Kentucky to jumpstart Fall Break. It was a rainy weekend, but we did manage to stop by Mammoth Cave. The other trip was with our church at the not-so-far Montgomery Bell State Park. We opted for one night at the last minute since we weren't up for another soaked adventure!

Halloween: Despite not knowing anything about Pokemon, Xavier has been fascinated with Pikachu and somehow ended up being him (it?) for Halloween. Lissie opted for a fairy. We did Trunk or Treat at school, which was rained out so we had it in the gym. We also did Haunted Museum again. And, thankfully, I had somehow convinced the kids that that was enough candy and we didn't need to go out on the actual night of Halloween for more goodies. (I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get away with that again!)

We also ventured to Cheekwood Harvest and Franklin's PumpkinFest to roundout the pumpkin festivities.

Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving was very lowkey. Mom had just had a second surgery, so I opted to purchase a precooked turkey and a Honeybaked Ham so I could focus on the sides I like best anyway. At the last minute, we invited some close friends who were not feeling up for cooking, either, and we all enjoyed a lovely feast. Xavier, more than all of us as he somehow forgot his "full" button and literally ate until he got sick.