...OCTOBERS!!!!!
Crunchy leaves and sweater weather and pumpkin patches and bonfires and cozy blankets and beautiful colors and hot chocolate and ALL 'DA GOOD THANGS.
Weeeeeeeeee!
The month started off with a bang with our parish's annual dinner auction. Although -- of courseeeee, thanks to COVID-19 -- the event was virtual this year. I helped out a bit with the in-person auction last year, but this year was my first year as an official committee member! I learned a ton and made some great new pals; despite planning a virtual event for the first time ever annnnnd all the road bumps/blocks along the way, the members of this committee banned together and pulled off an amazing event! I volunteered to make us all a bluejay blue shirt to wear for the night of the event, because even a global pandemic can't get in the way of a team of #GIRLBOSS[es]!
^^ This coffee mug and tea towel were part of the swag bag given to families who bought meal tickets to the food trucks, and I adore seeing both of them in my kitchen on the daily!
The day after the dinner auction, we went to get flu shots for the kids. Due to COVID, the pediatrician's office did a drive-thru clinic in the parking lot. It actually worked out great! We pulled in, unbuckled the kids, pulled their pants down, got the shots, and rooooolled out! ...And the best part? NO TEARS THIS YEAR! They scored Wendy's frosties [and a new set of antibodies] in celebration. Cheers!
Next we headed down to Uncle Brant's backyard pumpkin patch, and Harper helped Brian pluck a couple out to take home! :) Naturally, she has large dreams of planting a patch of pumpkins in our backyard next year.
The second weekend of October brought a random bout of warm weather, and it was a TEE-rific day for the Mackenzie Moreland Golf Outing. For the first time in 5+ years, I decided not to decline my dad's invitation... Thanks to a few mulligans, I opened a real extraaaa large can of whoop @$$ on my old man! ;) :) After 8 holes [or maybe 5?], Mom and I put away our clubs and hit the cart to find the most direct route to the margarita fountain!
^^ Thanks for inviting us, Dad! Lord knows I won't be giving up my nursing career to go pro with golfing, but we certainly were a great FORE-some for the day!
The next day was a family trip to the local pumpkin patch! Rinkel's upgraded their backyard patch this year to include a new straw bale maze AND corn maze, and it was so fun! The kids were having such a great time inside the mazes that they didn't even realize we still had the chance to feed goats and pigs at the petting zoo and also pick out pumpkins. Of course, anything is a fun time when cousins are involved! I love these sweet kiddos and the incredible love they share.
What else, what else?! Oh yes... FINALLY, after months of searching, I found some wall art suitable for the guest bathroom! It didn't really dawn on me until we were walking out of Kirkland's that the canvas miiiiight not fit in the trunk. [Indeed, it did not.] With driver and passenger seats sprung way forward, Scarlett sitting criss-cross-applesauce, and Harper leaning forward to hold the canvas up straight so the kids' feet didn't bust through it, we slowly wedged it in into the car and somehow made it home with everyone in one piece [including the canvas, praise be to God!].
^^ Scarlett was very proud to call Daddy up from working in the basement to show him our newest purchase! ...We also put him to work hanging it up right away.
Halfway through the month, we decided it would be a good time to decorate the house for Halloween...
...and also plan out Halloween costumes! Whether it was shopping at Goodwill for all the perfect outfit pieces or watching my mom sew our costumes from scratch, one of my favorite memories as a kid was throwing together a unique Halloween costume! Scarlett found this little puppy outfit at Goodwill that she couldn't leave without; Harper didn't see anything there that could contribute to her unicorn costume, so we decided to start from scratch. Both of the costumes turned out really cute, and both of the kids were so excited for trick or treating this year! Win, win, winning!
October 16 was the last day to wear shorts [AKA skorts] to school, and it's
looking like the school timed that perfectly because colder weather is on the
horizon! Harper enjoyed a spirit day to cheer on the baseball and softball teams who had a killer season.
Later in the month, we "boo"ed a few neighbors as soon as the sun went down...
...had a girls only shopping day with Grammy...
...and spent a few days spreading a truckload of organic compost all through the yard to help revive the grass. Scarlett loved to help her daddy rake the dirt all around!
One of the items up for grabs at the parish dinner auction [first thing I jabbered about at the top of this post] was an art class with STB's very own art teacher, and my parents bought that item so they could take Harper! She loved the event so much and came home with some really impressive artwork... [!!!] We bought a frame and immediately hung it up in the hallway, and I'm not sure who is more proud of it! Thanks, Mom, for helping Harper make such wonderful memories with this awesome gift.
FINALLY! On the last day of the month [AKA October 31, AKA Halloween!], we finally got around to carving a jack-o-lantern! Saint Dana did the dirty work with the girls while I was inside our house party prepping...
...and then after lunch we got to work carving out the face!
Oooh, ahhh...oooooooh la la! More Halloween posting to come!
So long, October 2020! You've been real great.
