September...Week 28

 It's officially Autumn.  The temperature has dropped like your speed on the highway after seeing a Statie.  Baseball is on.  Dance is back.  Boy Scouts, too.  Youth Ministry starts this week.  Confirmation began.  1st Reconciliation is being worked on.  Bible Study is happening.  Lectoring starts this week.  Jim is working his tail off.  School is Full Tilt.  Yeah.  It's busy.  Really busy.  

After seriously pining for the days of true social distancing, I'm slowly resigning myself to integrate into the Real World.  Some days are better than others.  I don't think we'll go back to being as we were.  After the past 6 months, we've found we enjoy each other's company a lot more than we used to.  More importantly - we miss Family Time when we don't get it.  MOST IMPORTANTLY - we make changes so Family Time is a priority.  That's a good lesson to learn.  

 We've had gorgeous weather for baseball.  From Heritage to Middletown to Taneytown, it has been just lovely.  The boys seem to be gelling well with their teams and having fun.  I do think Nate gets frustrated a lot because baseball is hard and it's tough not to be the best.  We've been going to the field during our lunch for hitting and grounders.  I can see where the extra practice is helping.  A friend's son is helping to coach Benjamin's team.  Seth is in high school and Ben refers to him as a "Boy/Man/ Coach".  Whatever he calls him...I'm grateful to have good role models for these kids to look up to.  

It doesn't hurt that there is a beautiful mini Golden Doodle puppy that comes to all the games.  I'm by no means a dog person...but this dog makes me think I might be able to be one someday.  Just a perfect temperament.  She doesn't jump, bark or nip.  She's a super cuddler and rolls over for belly rubs.  She loves love.  Her max weight will only be about 40 pounds.  She doesn't shed and her fur is hypoallergenic.  Maybe someday...

For now we have more than enough on our hands with all these animals.  Tseitle hasn't figured out that she needs to be present or else Tessie will eat her morning treats.  

The haze from all the wildfires out west reached us here last week.  The sky was a funny color orange and the sun never really came out for a few days.  

We worked as a family to get some new-to-St-Tim's chairs cleaned up.  Pope Francis was nice enough to stop by and hang for a bit.  

Lots of time in the kitchen lately on the weekends.  We've been packing lunches for the week and mass producing food for dinners.  It has made things less hectic.  The kids have been so good about labeling the last gallon of milk so I know to get more...today I noticed the last gallon was labeled, "I am Groot."  As long as it says something, right?  We tried our hands at jalapeno bagels from scratch.  Who knew all it took to make bagels was salt, sugar, flour, water & yeast?   

 

Pumpkin!

 Also.  

We got our first pumpkin.  Apparently we have miniature pumpkins because this one fell off the vine.  

Isn't it adorable?

I mean the pumpkin...because the Girl is GORGEOUS.  

Labor Day

 Summer is officially over.  

Normal kids are back in (virtual) school, so we're getting into more of a normalized schedule, too.  We schooled for a majority of the summer, but it was a lighter than usual schedule.  It's a struggle to get back into the hardcore structure.  2 boys in baseball, 2 in Youth Group, 1 in Boy Scouts, 4 in dance...makes for not much of the beloved White Space on the calendar that I have loved these past six months.  

It had to get back to the baseline sometime, right?  

Not even that it's really baseline with the majority of folks still working and schooling from home...but after half a year...I don't think that any of us could have imagined that things could be where they are now...AND that we would consider it normal.  

The National Parks are slowly opening and we have plans to track Lee's Maryland Campaign.  Makes for some good field trips.  I was hoping to get up to Western Pennsylvania, but with the presidential campaign and Trump and/or Biden there at least once a week...it's mucking up our Adventure Plans.  We might have to hold off until after the election.  

If nothing else, rather than dreading the passage of seasons from Summer-Autumn, I'm appreciating it more.  Glad for the change - in colors, smells, sounds, and temperatures.  Jim is loving his new smoker.  I have to say that I never liked pork until I had it smoked over apple wood.  Mmmmmm....

We finished out the Frederick County Church League Softball season by winning the tournament. Never saw that coming!  To compensate for the shortened season they changed the tournament into a one pitch format.  Four games was our sweet spot and we won!  

The Watson Children love their Softball Team.  I remember having a good cry in Oklahoma when Nate wrote a composition for school about how his favorite meal is whenever he eats barbecue with the St Tim's softball team.  I'm so grateful for these gentlemen that expand our village and give the kids some good men to look up to.  Benjamin cried after the last game because there would be no more cookouts...and then promptly fell asleep with his head propped up on the dining room table.  

 

Caroline got to attend her first LifeTeen work camp.  Instead of going out to Western Maryland, the teens found plenty of work to do here around Frederick.  She helped to build a deck for an older couple.  Even though she was tired, I do think she enjoyed herself.  

Also.  Can you believe that this picture was taken 8 years ago?  Look at these kids!  We've lived a lot of life since then.  I am so grateful.  And tired.  And grateful.  :)

Because look at these kids now.  

Sometimes they DO get along...