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?