October was such a crazy time for me at work, that I almost neglected Halloween altogether. We usually decorate and get costumes by the end of September. This year I think I had the house decorated around mid-October and costumes were almost an afterthought. Kirsten recycled pieces of her old costumes to make herself into a cat. We splurged and got her kitty cat ears and a tail though. Nicky settled for a skeleton outfit that was literally a last minute purchase the morning of Halloween. Yes, I know...bad Mommy. What can I say? All month I was totally preoccupied with work. As I've previously mentioned (I think), I travel this year and it has been a tough transition and very time-consuming. November would only get harder with the onset of report cards and parent conferences to prepare. Aaaargh! BTW, if you look closely at this picture of the kids, N is quite see-through. This photo was taken in front of the neighborhood haunted house. Creepy!We also tried jumpstart the fall in our household by visiting our favorite local apple orchard. We trek there every year to get our pumpkin and stock up on honeycrisp apples. It was so much fun to be able to indulge the kids for the weekend. They ran through darkened hay maze and sip some apple cider, always a treat!
Thanksgiving was whirlwind day for us. We spent the first half of the day visiting my natural father and family down in Salem (an hour's drive). That was too quick of a visit, but was very glad to see my aunts and uncles, although I missed seeing my many cousins. Hopefully next year we'll be able to see everyone a lot more. By mid-afternoon we drove to my MIL's house to eat turkey with DH's family. His sister and her family were in town, so it made their mom quite thrilled to have all her children and grandchilddren under one roof (a rare event these days). Dinner was delicious and the kids seemed to have a lot of fun playing with their cousins. Their Uncle Mike was exceptionally patient as they dogpiled on him. All in all, it was wonderful day with family.
The next day, I took N and K with me for a little Black Friday kamikaze shopping. It's a ridiculous thought to think that my kids will last long on such a day or any other shopping day for that matter, but I gave it my all. We last through a few stores, before finally calling it quits. We start out at Fred Meyer's every year for their half-off sock sale because it's less crowded and they always serve doughnuts and juice (for free!). I always seem to run into this one gal I went to high school with there by the name of Gina. We've bumped into each other three year's running.
The rest of the weekend was fairly quiet and relaxing. I was coming off a really insane month with work and personal issues, so it was truly a welcome respite. For those who have been quietly following along, my brother's trial finally finished. It was rather stressful and emotionally exhausting for my whole family. There was a lot of local media scrutiny that was tough on my parents, extended family, and friends. Sadly, my brother was convicted and now is serving a life sentence. It was a bitter pill to swallow and now we getting used to this new normal. Thankfully, he will be not too far away, so I can still visit him. With all of the turmoil behind us, I so so thankful for the peace. It has brought a new sense of calm to my world and I welcome that with open arms. I know I've been vague about the specifics of his case, but out of respect for him and our family's privacy, I will leave it that way. Those who know me outside of this blog are aware and that is enough. I am most grateful though that I am blessed with an awesome family and amazing friends.
All in all, fall came to a close with little fanfare and that was fine by me. Here are more pictures to enjoy:
The next day, I took N and K with me for a little Black Friday kamikaze shopping. It's a ridiculous thought to think that my kids will last long on such a day or any other shopping day for that matter, but I gave it my all. We last through a few stores, before finally calling it quits. We start out at Fred Meyer's every year for their half-off sock sale because it's less crowded and they always serve doughnuts and juice (for free!). I always seem to run into this one gal I went to high school with there by the name of Gina. We've bumped into each other three year's running.
The rest of the weekend was fairly quiet and relaxing. I was coming off a really insane month with work and personal issues, so it was truly a welcome respite. For those who have been quietly following along, my brother's trial finally finished. It was rather stressful and emotionally exhausting for my whole family. There was a lot of local media scrutiny that was tough on my parents, extended family, and friends. Sadly, my brother was convicted and now is serving a life sentence. It was a bitter pill to swallow and now we getting used to this new normal. Thankfully, he will be not too far away, so I can still visit him. With all of the turmoil behind us, I so so thankful for the peace. It has brought a new sense of calm to my world and I welcome that with open arms. I know I've been vague about the specifics of his case, but out of respect for him and our family's privacy, I will leave it that way. Those who know me outside of this blog are aware and that is enough. I am most grateful though that I am blessed with an awesome family and amazing friends.
All in all, fall came to a close with little fanfare and that was fine by me. Here are more pictures to enjoy:
Wow! They do love each other (most of the time).
Adorable collection
I love fall flowers
DH loved the play on depth in this photo
Gourds galore!
Mmmmm, my favorite!
Hidden tiger, crouching children
Love love love this pic
Sticking his tongue out
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