Fall Blessings

Shelby packed up her car and headed back to college yesterday. I was a little sad. We enjoyed her spending much of the summer with us. It was comforting having her dirty gym clothes in the laundry pile and hearing her up in the loft talking on her phone. She had movie marathons with Amanda and helped shuttle people places. She also did a lot of babysitting for other people.

Stefi got a ride last weekend up here to attend a dear friends wedding. It was wonderful to have MY WHOLE FAMILY together for brief moments. We watched Hailey Mae be a cheerleader, Kris took the college daughters fishing and we took an impromptu family photo of the whole clan en route to the wedding. At the wedding we all danced under the stars.

It was perfect.

Then on Monday three of the kids got the stomach flu. The magic was OVER. I think Shelby laid on the floor in the bathroom for 8 hours. I bought 3 cans of Lysol spray, 2 tubs of clorox wipes, ginger ale, gatorades, crackers and soup. I washed, boiled, bleached and fretted. I kindof wish we had just all gotten it. Because I am in the waiting for the other shoe to drop mode...and sure enough Kris is down today. Should I just wake him up and kiss him so that I can get it over with? Did all that Lysol I sprayed not do anything?

This bug is seriously plowing through town and sparing no one (except me so far). But although I can bleach my whole house..I cannot bleach the school, the stores, or Kris.

I got a new iPhone. It's the bomb. But I need a tutorial because I am that bad at it.


Ive been carrying around a massive to do list for a month and a half. I took a photo and will try to attach it to this post. I feel great that I checked off some really crucial things like getting some of our car recall repairs done ...and somehow juggling/paying tuition, and dentist/ortho wisdom teeth appointments and sewing random things like bridesmaid straps to contain big bosoms. I've also decorated for fall and made some freezer meals.

That is what fall is looking like folks. The days are still incredibly warm and the nights cool down to very comfortable temps. We are blessed with enough to eat, and enough to wear, enough to care for our needs. We are blessed with friends and family we can keep in touch with through the internet and we are blessed with humor.

It takes humor to get through cleaning up after your whole family of sickies.

It takes humor to not get overwhelmed by that stupid to do list.

But it's not that hard to love fall. It's seriously the best time of the year. I love that Heavenly Father made the seasons for us to enjoy. Pumpkins, hot cider, cool temperatures (not frozen), bonfires, glorious colors, changing leaves, and cozy times.

Except for if you are all throwing up.