Skip to main content

When October Goes: Fall Part One!

 

*Author's note: This blog post was started on October 30 and I'm just now finishing. Life happens you know!

I'm not usually sad to see it go, unlike Barry Manilow who hates to see October go. You all know that classic song. A little-known fact about me, I grew up listening to a lot of Barry Manilow, thanks to my mom. I've seen him in concert twice and own his complete box set on CD! 

October is a very full month. School is going strong, workloads increase, energy begins to dwindle and even though it's too early in the school year for "burn-out", everyone is just exhausted. We packed in many activities and some fun of course too. 

Lorelei's dive season is going well. She's gained a lot of her skills back since her surgery last year and is learning some new dives as well. 


In October meets frequently start in the 50s and 60s and warm up as the day goes on. Lorelei is always freezing, especially since the heater is broken on the pool. (Update: Pool heater is fixed! Good thing since our temperatures are even lower now.) I wonder who thought having the dive season in the fall was a good idea?



Part of the reason we are so tired is the early morning dive practices. Lorelei has to be at the pool before 7:00 three days a week. 


Savannah's fall semester is going great. No surprise there. She got inducted into a college National Honor Society, Nu Rho Psi. She is doing outstanding work at UT. We are so incredibly proud of her. 


Lorelei and her friends have been going to football games and having a great time. Aren't they cute! This is the O'Connor Pink Out game. 


Fall means frequent trips for coffee after school. Pumpkin spice anyone? 



We spent a day shopping with Nana to find a homecoming outfit for Jonas. We didn't have much luck but we enjoyed the day. 


Between my dad's closet, Amazon, and Kohl's Jonas looked pretty snazzy for Homecoming. 

 
Andrew and Jonas have been best buddies since 6th grade. Looking good boys!



Most of our month has been spending time with Nana. It was a big month for her. She had surgery, which she was very unsure of, (and still is) but she needed to improve the quality of her life. She's struggled with digestive issues for years. This surgery is supposed to help improve many of her tummy troubles. She's been quite the trooper. Good thing she is stubborn!



Nervous, but still smiling. We were there to make sure she didn't escape! She looks pretty in purple!


We visited a lot after the surgery. She was in the hospital a bit longer than planned. 






She loved having her babies there to visit. She's home finally and started the slow recovery process. She's got this!

Halloween wasn't as much fun as when the kids were little, especially when it falls on a Monday. 
Savannah was home for the weekend but had to head back so no Halloween photos of her this year. 
Bailey stopped by for a quick check-in and was off again. 





November is practically over now and I'm starting my Thanksgiving break early. We are headed to Austin today for Savannah's UT Ring Ceremony. My second visit to a college campus this month. Can't wait to write about Fall Part two and share all the amazing things I have done already in November, especially my visit to College Station to see my Gators in action! 

Part two coming later this week! 

Happy Fall Y'all. 







Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Back-to-school 2024

  I've been avoiding writing again. If I write about back-to-school, I must admit how hard things have been.  My heart has been broken by the harsh reality that my children are grown up. Being a teacher during back-to-school is easy for me. I'm a pro at that. My ELA buddy teacher even told me I could do it in my sleep. But facing the challenges of parenting young adults making major life transitions pulls at my heartstrings.  This school year, I only have two active students right now, and Bailey is in the works for a return to Texas Tech in the Spring semester. Lorelei started back first. She's a Senior! She had her first college visit at the beginning of August and most likely her last! She loved Texas State.   This was followed by Senior pictures.  We grabbed some sushi from our favorite restaurant after.  Then it was Senior Sunrise and the first day of school for her.  My first days back were great. I always enjoy reuniting with my team and We...
Post a Comment
Read more

Chasing fireflies...Spring of 2024

In April, while in Austin, I was enchanted to see an abundance of fireflies in Savannah's backyard. It brought tears to my eyes, not only because I find fireflies (or lightning bugs as we called them in the Midwest) intriguing and nostalgic, but because it was so fitting for where the Boyen Bunch is in life right now. After several attempts of "chasing" these fireflies with my camera, I captured a picture of one bright one lit up. Nature imitates life. The milestones my kids are reaching this spring are life-changing! The idiom chasing fireflies means chasing dreams, moments, and experiences that are captivating and elusive. We have two graduates this year. Savannah graduated from UT and Jonas graduates today from Comm. Arts HS. The moments this spring are fleeting, just like the light of a firefly. Here one moment and gone the next... I have referred to May as Mayhem for years (not claiming the idea, just saying I've been using this term for a bit). I have many previ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Enjoying the messiness...

  I have two wonderful, crazy, and messy dogs. They bring joy, cuddles, laughs, and, well, you guessed it, messes. I have shredded rugs, window sills gnawed on, shoes with teeth marks, bare patches of dirt in the backyard, and muddy paw prints everywhere.  Let's remember the people I live with, my teens and, the messiest in our family, my hubby. Not dirty messy, more like clutterbug. And I'm sure he's clutter-blind. Oh, he does his best with reminders, like when I remind him, "Don't forget, I like to eat at the kitchen table." Unfortunately, our breakfast room is on the way to the back door and patio, with a detached garage. John uses the table as a stopping point before putting things out in his garage. Yes, his garage. I stay out of there at all costs!  What's my point? I feel a weird guilt almost daily over the normal messes of life in my house. I make my bed every morning around tiny messes in the corners of the room, where bags of donations have been ...
Post a Comment
Read more