2017 :: week 43

October 22

We are usually one time for church. Not necessarily early, but on time. Since school started and I started waking up earlier to exercise I decided that we could try to get there at least 5-10 minutes early each week. We have the 9am-noon session right now and leaving the house by 8:35am isn't a crazy proposition. I am happy to report that we've been early for over a month! It is nice to not feel so stressed in the morning and to be able to visit with people before church starts. I don't get to see as many people now that I am in nursery.

October 23

Lauren's wildest dreams came true when she went on her first official kindergarten field trip. The ninety kindergarteners and their teachers (bless them) piled into two school buses and traveled about twenty minutes to Johnson Farms. They got to participate in the typical pumpkin patch activities--hayride, jumping pillow, corn pit, etc. This is a picture of Miss Ringgenberg's 2017 kindergarten class.

October 24

Anthony traveled to New Orleans to attend an accreditation conference. It was the first time Anthony has travelled since changing jobs and we survived the week fairly well. Anthony sent me pictures of the fancy suite he stayed in and the delicious cuisine he sampled throughout the week. I ate frozen pizza for dinner twice. Sometimes life just isn't fair. ;) Putting the kids to bed by myself is my least favorite side affect of his travels and it was as draining as I anticipated. I know I am doing a fair amount of complaining, but overall it wasn't that bad. But it did make me more grateful that he is not traveling as much as he did with his previous job.

October 25

Halloween festivities have begun! On Wednesday evening we joined other families from the OP-C community and trunk-or-treated in the school parking lot. The kids got a good start on their candy haul and I learned that Elliott is scared of people dressing up as animals and masks.

October 26

Elliott and I stopped by to say hello to the Wilson boys while we were out Thursday afternoon. Elliott is so lucky to get to play with some of his cousins so regularly.

October 27

Friday evening was our ward's Trunk or Treat activity. This time we all got dressed up! Anthony was Bert Macklin, FBI (from Parks and Rec), Lauren and I were black cats, Will was a vampire and Elliott was Daniel Tiger. The YM/YW put on a carnival in the cultural hall and after a costume parade the kids went trick or treating to the various trunks.

October 28

Our costumes got a lot of mileage this week. Memaw and Emily took the cousins to trick or treat with the Overland Park police Saturday afternoon (Elliott was there too). It was a busy Saturday of running errands, working on the yard, attending a baby shower, and getting ready for the week ahead.