Fall Update

Fall is always a busy season for us.  It is my busiest time of year at work as I get my homeschool students up and running for the year.  So, here's the cliff note version of fall around here!

The girls started school at a new school!  Malia started Kinder and Maddy started 3rd grade!

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In September, Ben went to Colorado with Honor Guard for the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial.

We got to see my cousin play a few college football games locally which was so much fun!

Ben and I went to Hawaii for 5 nights in October!  We celebrated our 12 year anniversary a little early while we were there.  Ben was in a wedding for one of his best friends and we had an awesome trip back to my happy place.  

We took our annual family pictures in October too!

Our Disneyland passes expired (so sad) :( but we got in a few fall visits before they expired.

At the beginning of November, we took a little road trip up to Clovis for my cousin's wedding, which was beautiful!

Madyson turned NINE....which is pure insanity.  We celebrated with an ice cream sundae party!

We went to another wedding in November too!  Just when I was complaining that we are old and wedding season is over, we had 5 wedding invites arrive!  We had a fun time celebrating Ben's friend Brandon and his new wifey at their Oak Glen wedding.  

We had Thanksgiving at my in-laws and had a great time reflecting on all that we have to be thankful for.  Paul and Natalie were here from Wales and we soaked up all of the time that we could with them!

We came home from Thanksgiving and finished decorating for Christmas- it's the most wonderful time of the year!  

Even the fire station is decorated festively!

And that's a wrap of our fall season around here!  We are anxiously awaiting Christmas and enjoying the break from school, work, and our normal schedules.  We have been baking, reading, snuggling, enjoying our fireplace, doing some crafts and enjoying a break from the normal craziness.  

five favorites

Well, hello there.

It's me, the worst blogger ever!

Just thought I would pop in and share some of the things that I am LOVING right now!

Number One:  Gold Clover Fresh Face Balm - There are different blends, but mine is the one in the pic below- it's a tallow balm with essential oils and I am LOVING putting it on my face every night after I wash my face.  I hate washing my face and honestly, I am not very good at doing it every night.  This stuff has changed that because I look forward to putting it on every night...so I actually wash my makeup off.  Win-Win!

Number Two:  Blue Cheese Roasted Pecan Dip (from Trader Joes)- this stuff.  I could eat it with a spoon, but mostly I try to eat with veggies or crackers.

Number Three:  Cool mornings outside.  And by cool, I mean under 80 degrees.  Relatively cool.  I love starting my mornings out here with my devotions and coffee and it had been too hot again but today was the start of some cooler mornings!

Number Four:  My desk.  In the 8 years that I have been doing my job, I have worked at nothing more than a little nook (meant for a bookcase), that we cut a small desk to fit.  One of the perks of the new house we bought in March was MY OWN OFFICE.  Like a whole room.  With cupboards, a very long built in desk area, and SPACE.  It's been beyond amazing.

Number Five:  Present Over Perfect  - If you follow me on IG, you probably saw this post already- but I will say it again.  This book.  It's exactly the chapter of life I am in right now so I am savoring every bit of it and taking it in slowly.  This is a season of NEW things for us and I am loving it, but being careful to weigh out what I take on and making my initial response NO instead of YES, YES, YES.  And it's good; so good.  I am being reshaped.

Here's my post from IG to explain more....

This book. It couldn't have been released at a better time in my life. I am reading it slowly {which is not how I like to read} & taking it all in. Last year, I over did it; thinking I could be all things to all people & foolishly thinking it would all be fine & that I was sufficient. Newsflash: I'm not. Homeschool my own kiddo? Sure. Work with a roster of 35 students? I've got this. Running around to speech & piano? Oh and preschool? Sounds good. Add in bootcamp 3x week because I need to take care of me, right? Husband at work 75% of the time? I can handle it. Oh and we should buy a house and move. And Madyson wants to play soccer- let's add in soccer practice and games 20 minutes away from our house.  Yep. I overdid it and I'm still feeling the effects. This summer was restful for me. I don't remember the last time I rested like I did this summer and my soul wants more. I'm desperate to find this peace in the midst of school and work schedules starting up again & I am highlighting the heck out of every chapter I have read so far. "I've always been a more is more person, and something shifted this summer. Something inside me said no more." -Shauna Niequist No more fake resting and frantic pushing and proving. The girls start school on Monday, I am back to work and Ben should be strong enough to go back to work in early September. A new season is coming & I am excited.

cayucos 2016

We hit the road for a Cayucos celebration at the beginning of June.  Five years ago, we were in Cayucos on vacation with family. We played an intense game of duck-duck-goose as the sun set over the ocean and enjoyed laughing together, as we do when we are lucky enough to all gather together. 
A month later, the unthinkable happened and Lance (my cousin) was in an accident that changed his life in many ways. This weekend we were able to head back to Cayucos to celebrate him graduating from Cal Poly SLO. Everyone who knows Lance is better because of knowing him. People from near and far all gathered to celebrate with him. He exemplifies a Christ-like spirit and has so much joy. This weekend was a time to celebrate how far Lance has progressed in the last five years and to reflect over the Lord's goodness. He is so good. 

I had a fat headache on the way up.  I had checked out my students, completed my paperwork, turned in my carload of curriculum, supplies and computers, and was sneaking in a vacation before our ES end of the year meeting.

Ben drove, and I took a nap on the way.

Malia drew pictures, inspired by our beach trip.

Finally, we made it!

We had some early morning risers so we hit the beach for long walks in the morning.

We took a little day trip to the Firestone brewery but were not so impressed.  We still love 805 though ;) 

We were there in June but I spotted this sign and loved it.

About halfway through our trip, we started finding sea glass and the girls were determined to take home as much as possible!

Lance graduated and we had a big party at his house on Sunday before we left!

We were so sad to leave.  Cayucos 2017 plans are already in place!