Happy Friday, friends, and cheers to the final Friday of October! I don’t know who’s with me in this, but I’m 100% here for the end of 2020. I will say that I’m grateful for this past year. It’s challenged us in more ways than we ever knew it would – and more than we ever thought we needed – but I can honestly say that I’m grateful for these challenges. I think each one has changed and transformed us slightly for the better. And, with a big move coming up next year, I think we needed those challenges to prepare us for whatever is to come. But right now? We’re soaking up the present and the fact that Halloween is tomorrow! Our kids have been looking forward to this all year, so we’re ready for a slice of fun. Other than that, I just want to share five things we’re looking forward to this week in anticipation of a new month to come.
1 // Halloween
This is the big one immediately on the horizon! My boys have been picking their own costumes for the past couple of years now, and they’re very particular. As much as I’d love to say I’m the perfect crafty insta mom, that’s not me, and Amazon was my best friend in terms of their costumes. Mieke, however, I’m pretty proud of. I can’t wait to share hers. JBLM has permitted trick-or-treating this year, though there are COVID guidelines in place, and I’m eager (and hopeful) that things will go well tomorrow. I guess we’ll see?!
2 // Getting Orders
This one probably won’t happen for a while yet. We won’t get a real RFO, or request for orders, until next year, but we’re hoping to have an idea of where he’s been matched and we’ll go next year. I know you’re all probably sick of me mentioning it stealthily, but it’s the one that continues to loom over our heads, and lots of people keep asking on my instagram whether we know where we’re going. We don’t know. Yet. We’re hoping to have an idea soon!
3 // Decorating for Christmas
Okay, I’ll be honest and admit that I don’t really decorate for Christmas at our own home very often. I do the obvious wreath and advent calendar, but that’s usually it. Plus, last year we left for our South African holiday before the holidays came. This year, however, we’ll be here all December until Christmas week, and I’m hoping to spin our home into a bit of a Christmas wonderland. I think we all need a little extra joy this year, don’t you?
4 // Planning Our Winter Bucket List
I think by now everyone know that I’m a bucket list person. I really enjoy creating bucket lists for our duty stations, and lately I’ve been taking a more seasonal approach to them. When I made our fall PNW bucket list, I made a point of putting 5 things on that list that I thought we could really accomplish and enjoy, and we’ve done a really good job! So far, we’ve accomplished four of the five items on our list, and there’s still time to accomplish the fifth…
5 // All the Baking
Okay, I’m the worst at baking cookies. Like, legit. I’m great at making cupcakes, like these South African melktert cupcakes, but cookies? Nah. My mama makes these amazing tins of Christmas cookies for us each year, and I can’t make a single chocolate chip cooking without burning it to smithereens. I did, however, buy a a few little cookie cutters to try again this year, and I’m hoping the boys and I can at least manage to bake and decorate some sugar cookies together. Maybe? Maybe we can try? We’ll see.
Honestly, there’s a lot of things we’re looking forward to right now, but there’s a lot that we’re grateful for, as well. I started my new job this week, and it’s been the best sort of challenge thus far. It feels good to flex my creative muscles in a more permanent capacity again, and it’s been both exciting and humbling diving into something new and challenging after eight years with the same company. We’re also looking forward to the end of this election season, we’re ready to find some snow, and we’re eager to travel for the holidays. Good things are to come, my friends. I can feel it.
Tell me – what sort of things are you looking forward to this week?
