November (Lately)

Shocked to say this, but I am on my 2nd snow day of the year (already!). It’s mid November and we had a blast of wintry weather (4-5 inches of snow). We are in our new house, which sits on top of a hill, and I was so nervous about S not only making it home from work safely, but getting up the driveway! After a couple attempts, he finally got it!

November feels like it has been an idyllic autumn month, even though now it feels like winter! We ventured up to the mountains, celebrated a lot of birthdays in my family, and I have really enjoyed steeping in the glow of holiday anticipation. Planning Thanksgiving meal details, drawing names for our 1st annual Christmas polyanna, that sort of thing. Here are a few highlights:

Renting an RV for my mom’s birthday.

For Mom’s birthday, she wanted to rent an RV. So my sisters and I planned (A mostly!) and executed. The RV was…interesting. Actually, hilariously fun and unforgettable. It was a pure memory-making weekend. Mom said it was the best birthday she ever had, and that is what it is all about. Our RV was parked on a mountaintop at the peak of fall, with orange leaves everywhere. The nights were chilly and it even flurried on our first morning. We did a long nature walk, exploring the creeks and paths. Mom built a cairn, reveling in the outdoors and crisp air! It was unusually cold (in the 30s) but we went almost the whole day outside - my face was all red from wind.

The progress of our full home renovation.

Our house is feeling more and more like home. This living room (below) is my favorite room to be in; I love the huge window that fills the room with bright natural light. I wish the rest of the house was this bright, but we are working on it! The kitchen is our main focus right now, as you can see, it is in need of some newness! We are remodeling everything in the kitchen, down to the walls. I cannot wait to show the reveal when it is all done.

This week’s snow!

ciao! xo