Skip to main content

A fall full of fun...

Christmas is springing up all over. Even at school, our Principal has already put up our foyer tree and decorated the front office. Last year, the countdown sign went up with 40 days until Christmas; this year's says 48! 

I've barely recovered from October! I think I'm going to need a minute before I can embrace the next holiday season. I'm still enjoying my fall mantle for now. 
We did cram October full of fall fun. From new college adventures to old traditions at home. 
The first weekend in October, we mixed things up a bit by heading to a movie on the lawn at The Rock at La Cantera. If you haven't been and live in SA, you must give it a try. We had perfect weather that evening. 
Lorelei bravely went and got her first tattoo the next day. She picked a bundle of sweet pea flowers in honor of me. I call her sweet pea, especially through text when I tell her goodnight. 

Jonas had his first official bike race. He and his team got some practice in on a race just north of Austin. They didn't place, but it was a great start.
The second weekend in October sent the girls and me to Lampasas, Texas, for a wedding. One of Savannah's besties since elementary school at Carson was getting married, and Savannah was a bridesmaid. It was such a blessing to be a part of. 
Getting ready in the bridal suite...
Just gorgeous!
At the ceremony.

Let the fun begin!



Ashton was a beautiful bride, but I could still see her as the sweet 10-year-old who used to come for sleepovers. 

We stayed with the bridal party in an Airbnb. We woke up to a cool, beautiful morning.

We grabbed some coffee and, oddly enough, chicken nachos for Lorelei's breakfast. Silly girl will eat anything for breakfast. 

And if the wedding wasn't enough fun, after returning to San Antonio that morning, we rested a bit and headed out to Hondo for the last free teacher weekend at the Graff Ranch and Corn Maze. I got both Bailey and John to tag along on this one. Lorelei brought Madi along. 
The corn maze is not actually corn; it's sorghum!



Our October weekend travel adventures continued. Lorelei and I headed to Austin the next weekend to see Jonas and go to the county fair with Caressa. 





I invested in a new air mattress after sleeping on the floor in Lorelei's dorm last month. Worth every penny!
Jonas made us a late dinner after the fair. It was yummy.
We woke up and realized I needed coffee, and Jonas isn't a coffee drinker, so we headed to one of my favorite Austin hangouts, Mozart's.

We dropped him off for a group project and headed home. 
We celebrated Bailey's birthday at one of his favorite places, Saporro's! I can't believe he's 26. 


The girls and I played Mario Kart, one of Bailey's favorite games. 
Nana and I headed to Bandera with him the next day. We walked a bit at Bandera City Park and grabbed a burger at Old Spanish Trail. 


We came home to Madi and Lorelei carving pumpkins. Madi had never carved one before. 


I forgot how yummy roasted pumpkin seeds are. 
Nana and Savannah went to visit Jonas as an early birthday treat. 


Halloween was not as crazy at school as I anticipated. We sure looked cute for book character day. 
Lorelei stayed at school and went to a Halloween party with friends.
Bailey, Savannah, and I went to Nana's for a bit. We helped Savannah get ready for a Halloween party. 
And Jonas was fundraising on 6th street for Texas 4000. 
Even though Jonas's birthday is November 2nd, I feel like it's the last major event of October. Bailey, Lorelei, and I headed to Austin for his birthday. Savannah had too much studying to do to join us this time, plus she had celebrated with him earlier.
Brotherly love...
He picked a new trail to hike in Austin called Turkey Creek Trail. 
We grabbed a bite to eat at Central Market. The weather was just perfect.
I can't believe he's 20! Not a teenager anymore. 

We really squeezed every last minute out of October. It was such a fun month with my Boyen Bunch. But I'm looking forward to some rest this November, especially Thanksgiving break, when all four of them will be home together. My nest will be full. 

Happy Fall Y'All. Let's enjoy these last days full of gratitude, before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Feeling a little salty...

  It may not look like I'm feeling a little salty in this picture, but  I was. It's June, and summer vacation had just started. All the chaos of May had me feeling a little tired, and I was experiencing what I thought was mild back pain from sciatica. I had noticed a few spots on my back and leg that looked like bug bites. Savannah was over, and we were about to head out to the pool when she noticed a crazy rash on my leg. She FaceTimed my mom, who said it looks like shingles?!?! John didn't agree and thought there was no way. Savannah insisted I go to urgent care. What do you know...I did have shingles. As soon as I mentioned how busy my month had been, that I was a teacher, had a Senior graduating, etc. The doctor said stress is one of the biggest causes of shingles. I was lucky this sweet girl of mine made me go get checked out. I was able to start meds and caught it early.  I did not have time for shingles! Hence the saltiness. That same week was Lorelei's high scho...

The days are long...

...but the years are short. I've always loved the saying. One of my favorite authors and podcasters, Gretchen Rubin, is credited as the original author of this quote. I always think about it when another year passes. This year was fast and furious, as I have found all the years to be since my kids became teenagers. It seems like every time I turn around, there's another graduation, major milestone, or life achievement by one of my kids. 2024 had a high school graduation, college graduation, three moves from home to college, from college back to town, from across town, back to home. And the dust hasn't completely settled yet. Gretchen Rubin has another saying now that her kids are grown. Instead of an empty nest, she calls it an "Open Door." I love that too. My door will always be open to my kids and their friends, as it seems like there's always an extra somebody at our house too. It's one of my favorite times.  Thanksgiving break brought some new friends ...

Relax...

  January came and went,  (even though it felt like forever.) February is nearly over. I haven't felt like writing, sharing, or posting. Nothing secretive or special going on, I've just been living in my own space and moments. A new year feels precious and extraordinary, even if winter feels hard, I want to savor these cozy moments. The next six months will be challenging, as I face more milestones with my Boyen Bunch. These last two months have been a time for me to brace myself for the excitement ahead.  Once Spring break hits, the rest of the school year flies by, and before we know it...well, you know how that goes. By the end of 2025, my nest will be empty.  I'm not a fan of the "new year, new me" concept, because I am a continuous work in progress. I can't start over every year. But the one thing I know I need to work on is relaxing . That's why this year, my word of the year is to relax. This blog post is a prime example.  I give myself a deadline ...