Catching up

  
 Chad surprised me with a birthday party last night. And I have to admit I was truly surprised. The kids must be growing up because they didn't drop a single hint. Grandma Dorothy had volunteered to keep the children overnight so Chad and I planned a date. In the rush to get the kids out the door they forgot one of their bags and needed us to bring it to them. Chad and I had a wonderful meal at Cafe Lalibela and then went to drop off the bag. I was shocked to find a party waiting for me. And even more shocked to open my gifts and find this darling little notebook that I am now happily typing away on. I never thought I'd be so excited about an electronic device. It's going to be quite difficult to keep to my rule of no computer until school is done!

 Really looking forward to Thanksgiving next week! And then Christmas! I've already begun my Christmas season planning and today hit a couple of stores for garlands and craft supplies. I can't wait to decorate and get Christmas in the air with lots of baking.  


 But that's not to overlook the fact that we are in the middle of a mini remodel. We had great excitement a couple months ago when we walked in our front door and discovered our floors covered in several inches of water. Did I say excitement? I think it was more like despair. Whatever it was, after working frantically for over an hour to remove the water, all we could do was look at each other and laugh. Oh, I forgot to mention that this was during our first week of school. Yeah, excitement is never ending around here. Anyway. We had to tear out most of our flooring and are now in the process of picking out and installing new flooring. And, dear husband that he is, Chad is also painting my cabinets for me before we do the actual install.

 Now, some of you may know that my cabinets are actually pretty new. And some of you may be tempted to judge me for the statement above. Don't. Just love me. And hope I don't live to regret this decision. I love white cabinets. I practically drool when I see white kitchens. I thought I would like hickory too, but it just isn't white. I was all set to live with my choice though, until my sweet and patient husband talked me out of it. Alright. I admit it didn't take much. And yes, I do know how incredibly blessed I am. 

 So, that said, our holiday season is going to be packed full. But that's what makes life so much fun!

 We were in Ohio for about 2 weeks the beginning of this month. Spending time with family and attending a John Reiger conference. Really enjoyed both although I was miserably sick most of the time. Big thanks to Keith and Emmy, Matt and Carmen, Aunt Jean and Aunt Betty, Gary and Teresa for sharing your homes and food with us. We love you guys!!