So Long, October!

And just like that, another month has come and gone in the craziness that is 2020. A look at a few of my favorite moments from October: 

Trick-or-treating. I mean, come on. Is there anything better?! This year, we had a scary clown; Alice in Wonderland; a Power Ranger; and a cat. A random group but a cute one, nonetheless. ;) 

We had so much fun on Halloween (it should be on a Saturday every year!!!)! We let Banks hit the 'hood with his friends this year while Raleigh, Harrison, and Bella joined us parents for a pre-trick-or-treat cookout with friends. After that, it was time to hit the houses and see all the adorable kiddos in costume before concluding the night back in front of the fire with friends. It truly was such a fun night!

Pre-Halloween fun. Before Halloween arrived, though, there was plenty of fun to be had! We ended up having a random day off from school thanks to dangerous, high winds #HurricaneZeta; so, we made the most of it with some cookie decorating and pumpkin carving. And of course, we squeezed in our annual Halloween Scavenger Hunt around the 'hood. 

Additionally, our neighborhood hosted a fun Fall social event where there was a dog show followed by games and prizes (this was the weekend of Banks' birthday party in the mountains, so our two big guys missed this event).

My girls and I were also able to sneak across the street another weekend for the cutest Pumpkin Party put on by our awesome neighbor. 

The night before Halloween, Banks attended the most fun Halloween party with his buddies that involved a neighborhood scavenger hunt, football, manhunt, pizza, and movies. They had a BLAST thanks to a dear friend who is always the hostess with the mostess for these boys. <3

The same night, the rest of my Lu Crew headed to our sweet friends' beautiful new home for a kid-friendly + adult-friendly night of festive fun. We had a blast! And then we loved waking up and knowing it was Halloween!

Spirit Week. The week before Halloween, Bella's school had spirit day. Two of my favorite days were the "Superhero Day" and the "Workout Wear Day." Have I mentioned a time or two that this girl LOVES school?! 

The week before that, my Big 3's school put on their annual Booster-thon to raise money for the school. Only this year, instead of running laps, they did a school-wide dance party, in each classroom. The best part? The theme was 80s; so, we got more use out of the workout wear I wore to our 80s party during Lutonpalooza (seeing how Banks is almost as tall as me, it fit like a charm) and then, I wore it again during my Barre3's Halloween costume class. ;) 

End of Fall sports. Well, our football and baseball seasons came to an end over the last few weeks, with both of my boys having awesome seasons. While I am sad to miss watching them do their thang, it will be nice to have a few free weeknights, especially with the holiday season upon us. Meanwhile, my girls continue with their weekly dance and aerial arts classes. 

Family fun. For the first time since we moved to our sweet town eight years ago, we weren't able to attend the annual Fall Frolic...because it was cancelled this year. Boo!!!!! So, we decided to have some fun on our own, enjoying dinner downtown as a family and then checking out all the Pumpkin People/Scarecrows our local businesses created. 

And so, October came to a close! We had a full, fun month and are excited for the holiday seasonal fun in the months ahead. Onward through 2020 we march...

Turning 11: A Birthday in the Mountains

Two weekends ago, our 11-year-old (how did THAT happen?!) got to celebrate a belated 11th birthday with a group of his buddies. When we asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday, he didn't hesitate: mountain weekend! At our new favorite spot! So, on a Friday, the second the boys got home from school, my hub and a couple of other brave dads rounded up the eight (rowdy! rambunctious! hyper! energetic! enthusiastic! fun!) pre-teens and off to the mountains they went for the weekend! Yahoo! It was a boys-only weekend, but I was assured they would have so much fun. And boy did they ever! 

They stayed up late and woke up early. 

They fished like seasoned fisherman and brought 42.5 pounds of fish back to the mountain house to cook for their dinner. 

They played football in downtown Blowing Rock. 

They old-school-video-gamed (ala the Nintendo of us parents' youth) and ran wild and celebrated and watched football and snacked and took in the views and laughed and enjoyed movies and had ping pong tournaments and went wild and, well, just had a good ol' time. 

A few photos the dads captured to document the weekend: 

They all returned home tired but happy, and we were so thrilled they had so much fun with our birthday boy! Happy Birthday, Banks, you quarantween! >3

Currently

Ugh!!!! Y'all. I love writing so much #freetherapy, but I am just having the hardest time finding time to do it right now. But I refuse to quit this blog, this virtual scrapbook of mine, even if just to have this for my kids to read when they are grown and reminiscing one day. So, my posts may be few and far between right now, but I am determined to write and post when I can. Like now! I haven't written one of these bad boys since February; so, I thought it'd be fun to write one again now that 2020 is coming to a close. Here we go: I am currently...

Loving...normalcy. If you know me, and know the Enneagram, it likely comes as no surprise that I am a Type 1. So, when Covid happened and all structure/routines/schedules went out the window, my anxiety spiked. I try so hard to go with the flow, but seven months later, it is clear to me that I function best with plans, routines, organization, and structure. So, for my own mental health, I am so thankful for the normalcy that has come with face-to-face schooling, the return of extra-curriculars, etc. I am working hard not to overdo the scheduling, but it helps my mental health so much to have a structured routine in place. 

Reading...a book that will truly challenge the depth of your faith, with my LifeGroup girls: Not a Fan. And also listening to a few good audiobooks while driving or running, the most recent of which was a great, suspenseful read: The Girl Who Lived. 

Waiting for...fall fun this weekend! Halloween parties and trick-or-treating and college football all collide, and I can't wait!

Excited about...my sister's engagement. It is an answered prayer and a beautiful story, and I could not be happier to welcome a new brother, a new niece, and three new nephews to our BLOMPS BLOMPSH family next year. Cheers to the Hezleps!!!

Trying to...finally decorate a few areas of my home that have been neglected over the last...errrr....8 years since we moved in. I blame babies and toddlers and ever-present fatigue and LIFE on it; but, it is time to give my time to some areas of our home that have been loveless. ;)  So, we are slowly adding pieces and decor to our walls and spaces. What is important to me is that, when I look around, I feel at home, with every piece of decor reflecting us. I had a few things arrive this week and another that will arrive next week, and I will share before/after pics once they are all in place. :) 

Working on...my tennis game! I've been having so much fun playing tennis the last few months, and the competitor in me just wants to practice, practice, practice to improve my game, game, game. Loving it!

Enjoying...the Fall temps that have finally arrived! Our 80s weather just wanted to show off through October, but it looks like Fall temperatures may finally be here to stay as we welcome in November this weekend! We had an unexpected day off from school today as the remnants of Tropical Storm Zeta blew through and had some extra Halloween fun. :) 

Watching...Big Brother! Well, we were watching it, but it ended this week. My new laundry-folding show is a cutesy little Netflix show called Emily in Paris that is light-hearted and fun with some great fashion. And also This is Us, which returned this week. 'Nuff said. <3

Using...my silk sleep mask every night to (1) block out any ounce of light that tries to wake me during the night, and (2) attempt to prevent those pesky under-eye wrinkles, which are hard to combat given I am (a) almost 40, and (b) belly/shove-my-face-straight-into-my-mattress-all-night sleeper, which is no bueno for wrinkle prevention. ;) 

Wearing...workout wear, tennis clothes, cozy jammies - wash, rinse, repeat. I am happiest when I am in comfy clothes; so, I've been happy lately. Ha!

Planning...Thanksgiving! Hi! My name is Lindsay! I'll be 40 years old in December, and this will be the first year I have EVER hosted Thanksgiving. :) I have a lot to learn, a lot to plan, and a lot to prep, fast! And by fast, I mean starting next week - ha! I just refuse to skip over Halloween and start planning for Thanksgiving already. 

Singing...more like chanting, this high school cheer from the good ol' days ;) that has been stuck in my head for WEEKS. "Jump Up! Sky high! Tip it to the Foxes' side!"

Needing...to re-introduce my regular quiet time in the morning. I have been dealing with some hard-on-my-heart stuff lately and know this quiet time will help my heart and my head so much. <3

Listening to...Halloween music on Pandora, while cruising around doing Halloween scavenger hunts with 75% of my s{quad}. 

Learning...that I have some big, personal goals for 2021. One thing 2020 has highlighted is what, where, and who I need to prioritize with my time, love, and attention in my life. I am looking forward to a fresh start with fresh goals. 

Doing...avoiding the news at all costs. We used to have The Today Show on in the background every.single.morning. BUT once Covid hit and the news started getting a little...ahem...biased and slanting (completely depending on what station you happened to turn to), we decided enough is enough. No more news for us. So, we have not watched the news, of any kind, since March. Instead, we choose to do our own research and form our own opinions. I do hope that one day we can turn on the news again - I miss the personal, inspiring, and uplifting stories. 

Wishing...for a beautiful close to 2020: one filled with the ones I love and the ones who love me. <3 One where I am able to truly focus on the word I chose for myself for 2020: Focus. And the one I have already chosen for 2021: Authenticity. 

Dreaming of...so many things. For my family, for my friends, for myself. Cheers to big things in 2021! Ready to close out 2020 with a bang! 

And that's a look at things, currently. :)