It's almost the beginning of December. Months have gone by and I haven't written at all. It's not that I didn't want to, or that I didn't have anything to write, but spare time has been in short supply these days.
Football season ended and the boys moved on to basketball. Joe tried something new this year and ran with the cross country team. He loved it. I think he found a new passion, and a great way to make good friends at a new school. Grace has been enjoying her contemporary dance classes and has been kicking butt in school. They all are, actually. The parent teacher conferences were so much fun. The teachers couldn't think of anything negative to say about my kids. All positive. Meeting all of Joe's high school teachers was fun too. They all had to tell me how hard working, polite, happy, and funny Joe is. "He's one of my favorites." a few of the teachers whispered to me.
Good stuff all around.
School is going well for me as well. I am getting grades I only dreamed of when I was a kid. And I really look forward to going to class every day. I am enjoying it all far more than I thought I would. Of course the work load is extensive and I really don't have any spare time but that's okay. It is working out fairly well.
And time marches on. My kids are just growing up so quickly. This year was the first year that all three of my boys went up to deer camp. It was an amazing experience for all of them, including Todd. All of them just treasured their time together. And it was a successful hunt as well. All three boys got a deer. It was a first for both Tommy and Ben. Very exciting stuff. And our freezer is finally stocked again.
While the boys were gone Grace and I had some quality one on one time too. We went to the library, the movies, shopping, out to dinner. We snuggled in for a day and watched movies and hung out. It was fantastic. I'm all for equal opportunity but if Todd ever talks Grace into hunting I think I'll be pretty sad.
Which brings us to Thanksgiving. I normally host two Thanksgivings for each side of the family, one on Thursday and one on Saturday. This year Todd's sister volunteered to host on Saturday so I was only hosting my side of the family on Thanksgiving. I did a bit of cooking the day before but left most of the work for Thursday. However, it was the most relaxing and fun Thanksgiving I have had in ages. Tommy cleaned the whole house for me. Ben made the stuffing. Grace peeled all the potatoes, prepped the green bean salad, and set the tables. Todd, of course, is always a big help too. He likes cooking so we both have our hands in on the turkey but he makes the mashed potatoes and gravy.
Anyway, the kids were such a huge help that the whole day just felt easy. And then after dinner Joey, without asking, began clearing up all the dishes and helping me put everything away. It was all done so quickly. My kids are awesome.
It was a wonderful Thanksgiving. And the next day was absolutely gorgeous. It was a lovely 60 degrees and Joe wanted me to take a run with him. I warned him that it would be more like a slow jog for him if I came along but he was all for it. We ran from our house to a nearby quarry where he showed me his favorite running route. He took me through the woods and around the quarry. The whole time he was pointing out roots and stones and branches he wanted me to be careful for. I was overwhelmed by his encouragement, his chivalry, and his sweetness. It did not escape my attention how lucky I am that my teenager not only wants to do these things with me but it such a gentleman and a cheerleader for me as well. Dang. It gets me all choked up.
I hope you all have had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you have more blessings than you can count and I hope this holiday season fills you with unending joy!
