Nate came home with some cool stickers last week, so the Yellow Submarine had to move

I also scored a vintage Elvis Costello sticker from the ’70s. How cool is that? When I got the camera out to take a picture of the new stickers, Max had a lot of fun sticking his face in the camera and laughing at me

This case has been fun to decorate.

Abby has finally decided that she wants to read Harry Potter. She’s been resisting, because she tends to resist things that “everyone else” does. But she’s been in the mood to read, and was having difficulty finding enough books to keep her occupied. The Harry Potter series has, what, 5000 pages? I think the sheer quantity was appealing to her. Liv thought it was a good idea to read them again, so here the two of them are, reading big books in front of our little fire, trying not to freeze to death in our cold house. It was cute.

I’ve had an ugly ball of handspun yarn on my bookshelf for a long time now. I haven’t wanted to take it down to the yarn room in the basement, because I knew it would never resurface. It was some merino/silk/angora that someone gave me to spin in very soft, pale shades of pink, green and blue. Well, it spun up pretty muddy and bleh. On Sunday night, I decided to just jump in and make a small scarf with it, hoping that it would look nicer knit up than it does as a ball of yarn. I’m nearly finished.

I think it does. I go back and forth

It’s not quite as pretty in person as it is in the pictures. Especially that last picture. It’s much more muted. But it feels dreamy and it will be warm, and that dumb ball of muddy yarn isn’t going to stare at me every night as I get ready for bed anymore. Win win.

Nate is 40! It feels so weird, mainly because it doesn’t feel any different than being 30. We’re still us. He’s still him. But now he walks around with the big 40! label attached to him. So weird.

It certainly wasn’t the type of celebration I’d always imagined, but then again, I didn’t anticipate a global economy crash, either. So I couldn’t import Michael Andrew (loud site warning) and his big band from Florida to play at a huge swing dance party this year. Dangit. That’s been my plan for 10 years now. (And it would have been SO AWESOME)!

BUT, we did have a really nice evening at home with the kids and Nate’s parents, which is what he wanted.

I spent the entire afternoon in the kitchen making biryani and homemade angel food cake (at his request). Best. cake. ever. And that was pretty much it. Except…. for sweet little Veronica. I swear, she’s the most creative and thoughtful person I know. She continues to amaze me. All on her own, the dear, she made this

and filled it with strips of paper on which she wrote as many things she could think of that we love about him. I’m sorry to say that when she went to her sisters to ask them what they wanted to put in the box, they laughed her right out of the room, telling her it was a stupid idea to give a “piece of paper” as a gift. Broke my heart.

So she did it on her own. Not only that, but she included things about Nate that she knew her sisters liked, and included them as if they were written by her sisters. I’m tearing up just typing the story. She told Nate to take it to his office and use it when he’s having a rough day. I love that little girl.

It was a fun albeit low key night. Abby was in attendance that evening, but was in her usual “don’t take a picture of me” mood.

Over the weekend, Nate’s parents and siblings surprised him and took him out for a fun night of sushi and a movie. Happy Birthday, honey!

I know, I know, it’s only November 2nd, and we have a few weeks ’til Thanksgiving, but can I tell you how ready I am for it? Even though things are going pretty gawsh-darned awful for us right now, I can’t help but feel so grateful for the things that are going well. And something about the Thanksgiving season with it’s tendency towards family and personal reflection, feels very comforting to me.

And I am grateful for many things. For one, Halloween is over! The week after Halloween just might be one of my favorite weeks of the year! It’s over! And I’m so very happy.

More importantly, my fantabulous man is turning 40 today. I adore him and wish him a most happy birthday. Nate, I’m beyond-words grateful that you came to the planet and we happened to meet up.

This Thanksgiving theme just might continue all month if I continue to feel it like this. I wasn’t planning on posting the turkey so early, but I walked through my dining room yesterday, and the sun was coming through the window and hitting it from behind. It looked cool so I took the picture and didn’t feel like sitting on it ’til the 24th.

I wasn’t kidding about the gawsh-awful by the way. We could use prayers.

So, bah humbug, I hate Halloween. However, we had fun trick-or-treating around the neighborhood with friends. If that’s all that Halloween entailed, I wouldn’t hate it. But it’s not, so I do. Here are pictures…

On Saturday morning, we had our who-knows-how-many annual pumpkin carving party. Clark carved his own this year. Happily, there was no blood. Well, none of HIS blood anyway.

Here are Abby and Olivia, once again clearly demonstrating how they feel about having their picture taken

group shot with Grandma and Grandpa

That evening, we had a big halloween party at church. Here’s the one picture I have of Abigail in her Batgirl costume. (She’s painting faces, not bat-punching little girls).

We spent an entire afternoon looking for the perfect pair of boots a few weeks ago. She’s wearing them, but there are no pictures.

Here’s a couple of Max. I’m usually the one watching the baby while everyone else runs off to play, so he’s the one that gets photographed the most. It’s a matter of proximity.

And finally,

Finally.