Fall Fun in Illinois

Our family had always enjoyed going to Fashion Farm every year to look at the painted pumpkins and walk through the various mazes.  When we visited the family favorite last year, we decided that it would be our last.  Meg didn't completely want the tradition to die, so she started looking at different fall events and pumpkin patches in the Chicago area that she and Nick could enjoy.

First they found a local corn maze that wasn't challenging, but still was a lot of fun.  Meg even got to wear her new Halloweentown sweatshirt to it, making the maze even better.  Next, they went to a nighttime event that showcased artisan jack o' lanterns that glowed in the night.  Meg could not believe how detailed all of the pumpkins were.  Lastly, they spent the evening decorating their own pumpkins with Carson at her apartment in Naperville.  Meg loved hers with ghosts holding hands and couldn't stop making fun of Nick's rendition of the Joker.  Even if his didn't win first place in their pumpkin carving contest, I loved that they found ways to keep the fall fun alive and appreciated all of the pictures that they shared.  

A Change in Plans

Doug and I had planned on going to Indiana this weekend for IU's homecoming game against Rutgers.  We were going to fly to Chicago early Thursday morning and drive to Syracuse so that Doug could work at Champion.  We would then drive to Bloomington for homecoming weekend to host a tailgate and attend the football game.  On Sunday, we would head back to Chicago for lunch with Cal and Meg,  I would stay with Meg while Doug would go back to Elkhart to work until we flew out on Tuesday night.  

As we got closer to taking our trip, I started to realize that this was probably a little too much for Doug to undertake.  He had been swamped with work in Ocala and had been busy helping me with projects around the house.  The exterior painting had been more involved than we had planned, taking up a lot of our time.  I just couldn't see asking him to make the trip, especially when both Cameron and Brett were busy Friday night.  Once I suggested cancelling the trip, Doug definitely was onboard for staying in Florida.

I talked to Brett, Cal, Meg and Cameron about changing our plans and they all agreed.  It would be a lot of traveling for us.  We would then turn around and come back two weeks later for the Wisconsin game on November 4th.   I was glad that they supported plans to stay home.  I would miss all of them, but knew that it was the best decision for us both physically and mentally.

Engagement Photos

Meg and Nick traveled to Bloomington this week to have their engagement photos taken.  Meg was excited about it, but also nervous.  They had picked a photographer that was reasonably priced, but that they didn't know personally.  Meg was also worried about her outfits.  She had ordered several dresses, but couldn't find one that she really liked.  Thankfully, after a lot of shopping and time in the dressing room, she finally found the perfect one.  Doug and I really liked it.

Meg called me the night before she left to talk about her causal outfit.  She had bought Nick a brand new sweater for the picture, but was going to use something from her own wardrobe.  She FaceTimed me to see what I thought.  We went through several different shirts and sweaters before we found one that would match perfectly with Nick's sweater.  She said that she would have to pick up an undershirt for it, but otherwise, she was set.

I heard from Meg after they completed the photo shoot.  She was only able to preview a few of the pictures, but was absolutely thrilled with them.  She loved the poses, the place where they took the pictures and the photographer.  I was very happy to hear that.  I wasn't overly pleased with my formal engagement picture.  It was ok, just not the greatest.  I was relieved to know that Meg felt the complete opposite.  I was also glad that she had gotten to see Brett and Cameron while she was in Bloomington as well as Mallory who took her to a History of Rock N Roll class where her professor, Andy, even recognized her.  He's expecting a wedding invitation too.

BTCCW

When we learned that we would be moving to Ocala, one of our first objectives was to find a church.  We tried Queen of Peace several times as it was the Catholic church closest to us.  The church was beautiful and the masses were very traditional, but it just didn't seem to fit our personality.  We were searching for a church had that had a younger parish with a way to get involved.  

Knowing that Queen of Peace wasn't for us, I started doing some research online and quickly realized that Blessed Trinity might be a better fit for Doug and I.  It was closer to downtown, which made for a longer drive, but it had a lot of what we were looking for in a new church.  We tried several masses and really liked it.  Meg went when she was here and thought it was perfect for us as well.  Once we moved, we started attended the 8:45 a.m. mass regularly.  

At the end of August, I picked up the bulletin after mass.  It was quite thick with a lot of information.  While reading, I noticed that Blessed Trinity had a women's Catholic group.  September was the first meeting for the year, so I thought that I would try it.  I was very nervous when I went, but Brett reminded me that in those situations people are usually very nice.  

Thankfully, Brett was 100% correct. Not only was everyone nice, but the group was exactly what I was looking for when we moved.  It was filled with faith, service and positive attitudes.  The group was extremely involved in the church and shortly after I joined, I was asked to be part of a mission committee to help with the Dominican Friars that were arriving in January.  As I attended my second Blessed Trinity Council for Catholic Women meeting tonight, I thought about how blessed Doug and I really were.  God heard me calling for a new church and led us to the perfect one.  

Finally, The Painting is Done!

 I have found the exterior painting process of our house to be extremely frustrating.  Our painter has done an awesome job.  Last week, he finished all of the exterior.  This week he focused his time on the garage and lanai.  While he was here, he also helped fix several other items that needed repaired.  He caulked the garage, nailed the garage door trim, replaced the exterior doors weather stripping and even updated the lights in our kitchen.  

In saying all of that, I was definitely more than ready to be done with the process.  I had to be here while he was working and felt like I had to be more involved than I planned to be.  I also thought that the painting would take a lot less time.  I definitely loved the outcome especially the garage, but wasn't ready to take on such a big project anytime soon.  

A Shelf of Memories

When we lived in Syracuse, I had pictures and family memorabilia displayed on the fireplace mantle, a ladder shelf and an antique bookcase.  Before we moved, we sold both the ladder shelf and bookcase.  Since we did not have a fireplace in Ocala, I had absolutely nowhere to put all of the wonderful photos that we had in Indiana.  

After sorting through everything, I decided that we needed to buy a new bookshelf.  I had the perfect place for it - in the front entryway behind the front door that we never opened.  I found one on Amazon that not only fit the dimensions, but also matched our living room furniture.

The self arrived this week and I was more than ready to put it together.  It wasn't hard, but I did need a pair of extra hands to hold the long shelves as I attached the legs.  Thankfully, Doug was available to help.  Soon I had all of my favorite photos and Heinisch memories on display in the entryway.  It was an awesome addition to our new home.

Fall Break

IU's fall break was this weekend and Cameron took full advantage of it.  He arrived in Goshen  Thursday night ready for three days off from classes.  He, Kaden, JJ and Avery all met at Samuel's house for dinner out and a night of scary movies.  

Cameron spent Friday with Alina, first getting a haircut and then meeting Grandma and Grandpa for lunch at Maria's.  He visited with Cal and then hung out the rest of the day in Goshen with friends.  On Saturday morning, Cameron was up early to pick up Justin and Keegan for a trip to Ann Arbor.  The three of them had bought tickets for the IU vs. Michigan game at noon.  They arrived early enough to enjoy the "Big House" experience.  IU did not win, but played well enough to take a lead in the first quarter.  Cameron said that it was the best stadium that he had ever been in to watch a game.

Cameron spent Sunday morning in Goshen saying goodbye to both Alina and Samuel.  He stopped back at Grandma's before leaving for Bloomington.  He called me on the way home to let me know that he had enjoyed his fall break very much and was sad to go home.  Thankfully, it was just a month until Thanksgiving break began.