Closing a Chapter...welcoming Winter.

I know I'm a reader and a writer, so I view the world through that lens. As an ELA teacher, I teach the students figurative language, author's craft and a mess of analogies. When taking time to reflect, I realize how much a year in life is like a novel. Twelve chapters, with a rising action, leading to a climax and finally the resolution. November and December are clearly the resolution, in a year full of rising actions. To me, August through October are the clear climax of my year, full of events and family happenings. When November and December arrive, its time to slow the pace, reflect and bring the chapters of 2019 to a final close.

I rely a lot on my memory maker...my camera. Jonas always questions why I take so many pictures of so many moments. I told him that the photos are my memories. Jonas has an incredible memory for everything...me, not so much! Looking back over the fall, we made a lot of wonderful memories. This blog helps capture the moments and memories that will hopefully last at least another decade.

Savannah's Senior year is flying by. She invited me to join her for the Senior pep rally.

Her last spaghetti dinner fundraiser for orchestra, known as the "Pasta with Pops" this year.

Bailey had a concert this fall at Northwest Vista. He took a Chamber Music class. He not only played, but he also arranged most of the music they performed that night. The professor even gave him a shout out at the concert, thanking him and bragging about his talent as a composer as well as a musician.

As an officer of NHS Savannah had to present at the Induction Ceremony this year. She was super nervous but did a wonderful job...a flawless speech and she had no trouble lighting the candle (which apparently can be the trickiest part!)

Lorelei and I were in the Christmas spirit way early this year! The second weekend in November, Lorelei and I hit The Rim shopping center for a bite of dinner and shopping for Christmas decorations! We are turning into "those" people who go straight from Halloween to Christmas! Hobby Lobby for the win. So many cute holiday decorations. Since we have the reading room for the first time this Christmas, we wanted to do it up right. With Lorelei's help, we decided on a farmhouse style, with black and white color scheme. I love it!

Jonas had a mid-November get together for his birthday. It was such a nice time for him. The kids were so well mannered and well behaved. Teenagers often get a bad rap...but I'm really proud of Jonas and his friend choice.

I let Thanksgiving slide by without even a nod, when normally I would have made it a blog post by itself!. It was a nice day, great food, family and plenty of fun. 

We love our kickball games. And luckily the weather was perfect. The whole family played.

My favorite bunch...

(John left early before we snapped a family photo! Boo! I promise he was there.)

For the first time, Savannah's and Lorelei's concerts were not on the same night. We got to give each girl the full attention they deserved.

Savannah's new boyfriend Alec joined us for the concert. He's a great guy and we are happy to have him in our lives.

Jonas had an Art show, squeezed in between the girls concerts. He is really talented.

Lorelei is concert ready!

Just a few more pages left in this years novel. Hard to believe there are only 4 days till Christmas.

This year's closing, also closes a decade...In March this blog will hit it's 10 year anniversary. A decade of writing. A decade of ordinary moments of my extraordinary life. Maybe 2020 is the year when I bring it all together and write that novel or memoir.

For now...Happy Winter Solstice friends.