Happy Thursday y’all!

After our very eventful week last week we have had a relatively “normal” week this week.

The big news of the week is…

…the Halloween candy jar is down to the tootsie rolls and almond joys. So, so sad. But it’s for the better. It’s buckeye season for the Seckinger’s so there really isn’t room for Halloween candy temptations any more.

…we are getting excited (when I say “we” I mean me and the boys, and more likely just “I”) to pick out a tree this weekend and get the house nice and festive. I have started messing with the mantel but the chimney is getting doctored again today to replace the smoke chamber or something like that, so all of that will be taken down. This house is cozy and doesn’t have tons of decorating space so it will pretty much be the tree and the mantel that get the sprucing.

…baths with 2 casts are tricky. And frustrating. And not so enjoyable. You get the idea! Counting down to 1 cast! Can’t even fathom life with none so we will anticipate just 1!

…my brother and sister-in-law met the Young House Love bloggers….that is big news! Very cool!

…my parents now have plane tickets so they are for sure coming for Christmas. Makes putting the tree up that much more fun knowing they will be here to celebrate with us!

…I am gearing up for a bake sale next weekend. Most of the work won’t be done until the day before but I am gathering pretty packaging and trying to narrow down the list of what I want to make.

…we kept gifts simple this year as I mentioned previously and I am struggling a bit with it. Gift giving is my love language and when I have to be so careful about it it kind of takes the joy out of it for me. I know that sounds lame and I am working through it but just being honest.  I know that there is so much more to life than giving gifts, and I know that truly no one needs my gifts, but I love giving them. I love surprising a friend with a coffee or a card, dropping  off meals to families going through tough times, surprising Seth with a date night. Maybe some day I will have some great wisdom to share on the topic of frugal giving but today I am still wrestling with it.

…Tomorrow I am taking a day trip to Wilmington, DE to see a dear friend from Bogota! Can’t wait to catch up with her in person.

…basketball practice starts for our 2 cast wonder tomorrow. Will be very interesting.

Hope you have all had a lovely week!

What are you doing to prepare for the holidays?  And what’s at the bottom of your halloween stash?!

Sunday night we hosted my grandmother, aunt, uncle, cousin, and my brother and his family. It was a full table! We got 2 pots of fondue going and just enjoyed a festive evening. I love the holidays. I am trying to make people a priority this holiday…not that this is something new, but I don’t want to miss the times with special people because we are too busy!

the kids made paper ornaments for GiGi to take home with her for her tree

the faithful cheese stirrers

We really enjoy Trader Joe’s boxed fondue, nothing fancy but really yummy! (*TJ’s doesn’t pay me to brag on their products I just like them and want to share it with you!)  We normally dip bread, green apples, mini potatoes (also found at TJ’s) and sometimes other veggies like mushrooms and broccoli.  Pull out that fondue pot that you got for your wedding that you have never used!  And enjoy it with your family!  Thanks for coming up Grandma!! So nice to have you visit.

Seth has been working on painting our deck recently, trying to beat the snow. In addition our neighbors trees have dropped a zillion leaves so he has been spending lots of time outside. One day after he had spent a few hours out there (while I was held captive inside by some feisty kids) I asked if he had enjoyed having some time to think. We are in the process of making some big decisions and I thought he probably enjoyed  much needed time to process. He responded that he hadn’t really thought about anything. I think that’s called clearing your head. Unfortunately when I work I tend to process.  Which is good but doesn’t it sound really pleasant to all out clear your head and think about NOTHING. Ladies, can I get an amen. I just don’t know if it’s possible but we can wish. I laughed with my aunt about it this week as we both marveled at the ability of our husbands to think about nothing. It’s a gift of sorts.

This morning I decided to try to chip away at the leaves with Owen while Jackson was at school (another Amen that I got him there and he stayed with those goofy casts) and Seth was back to work.  I had high hopes of clearing my head. I didn’t clear my head but I did have time to think and enjoy the fresh air.  Here are my deep thoughts from the raking and bagging time…

I think it’s a little ironic that we don’t have any trees in the back yard minus two small ones, only one of which drops leaves, and yet we have TONS of leaves. We are daily inheriting our neighbors leaves as the winds blow. My first thought was how annoying that we are spending hours cleaning up after our neighbors trees but then I realized that these trees are trees that provide us much shade and enjoyment. To look out my kitchen window this Fall and see the golden tree out my window and to have a big space in the yard from the hot sun at the end of the summer have been so nice.  I think it’s a little like friendships and community, we benefit from the joys and triumphs in our friends lives but there are also cleanup times and times that friendship can require us to sacrifice time and energy that might seem inconvenient. I hate to ask for help and this morning I had to ask our friend if she could come be with Owen for 30 min while I took Jackson to school.   She didn’t fuss about “raking my leaves” she came on over and was willing to help.  Would I have preferred to have her over for a cup of hot chocolate while the “leaves” were still pretty? yep. Was it much more humbling to have to ask for help when life isn’t looking so dazzling? yep.  Isn’t it funny how we are uncomfortable when our friendships and community work as they should. Asking for help and serving one another!? I want to become more comfortable asking for help and dishing it out when I see others in need.

So thank you 4 bags of leaves for the time to reflect. Even if you didn’t clear my head.  And thank you neighbors for sharing your shade and beautiful Fall colors, even if it means we have lots of work to cleanup the aftermath! It was still worth the enjoyment!

Hey y’all. Day 26, can’t believe we are still keeping up. Makes for some hectic mornings and sometimes evenings but it is helping me to be mindful of what we are savoring of home lately. Previously I was just feeling a bit foggy and tired from projects. I think the blogging this month is helping me regroup a bit and realize how thankful we are for this home.

Today it’s all about sprucing this place up. Toilet cleaning, laundry washing, treat baking, and other such things. Why you say? My dear friend Annie is popping in for a couple of days. And when it comes to cleaning for the sake of friends coming I kind of like it. I have let the house go quite a bit these days with distraction of bigger projects but I like getting back to the details and readying for time with a friend.  She arrives Saturday and we are hoping to sneak in some fun times outside before the storm comes and once it comes we are praying we keep power so that we aren’t sitting around a candle, singing kumbaya (sp?) and eating tuna out of a can. The great thing is though, if I was to be stuck in a home without power with my family and a house guest, she is the one I would pick!  She is one of those sister friends I have described before. She knows us well and we consider her family. So we have big fun plans but we also know that even if we are just together that will be enough to fill us up. Just hope Seth and the boys can tolerate the non-stop chatting for 72 hours straight…okay, okay we will take a break to sleep. But during waking hours we will might just be non-stop. I haven’t seen Annie since she and a posse of teenage girls came to Switzerland to see us!

Annie will be our first house guest in this home. I have to admit that the perfectionist in me feels a bit insecure that things aren’t quite done yet. We still have a few doors without handles, one random wall remains unpainted and the list goes on. I can see every single unfinished thing like a magnified glass is pointed at each of them. But the thing about having a home that is open to friends is that it doesn’t have to be perfect, it needs only be all that you have to offer. Back to the cleaning and sprucing! And reminding myself that it does not need to be perfect as I prepare! I am going to attempt these Whole wheat Apple Crisp muffins from Dwell on Joy if you need an idea for your weekend baking!!  I’ll be back on here this weekend to share Annie’s house with you.

And completely not on the topic of home, Owen and I are taking a little break from our cleaning to meet Seth for lunch today. He happens to be working from the Foreign Service Institute today which is right around the corner from a little Colombian restaurant. I am so looking forward to some ajiaco and arepas!  It’s so strange, we have so many great memories of friends and experiences from our time in Bogota but there were some intense family times there too. Like Jackson’s cancer diagnosis. Such bittersweet times to remember.  We will be thinking of our Bogota “family” while we have lunch today!