Quick Takes: Things I'm Loving Right Now Edition

Seven snippets of life: too long for Facebook, too short for their own post.

1. Loving being home.|Just one last weekend away for the final Relay Summit of the fall training season...so excited to be able to drive to the Summit in Portland AND get the chance to meet my oldest sister as well!  And then I'm home for the rest of the year!
2. Love being back in the kitchen.I think Jonathan loves this too.  Last night, we had his favorite dinner: breakfast for dinner.  Pancakes + eggs florentine with crab.  The house smelled great, thanks to the apple butter in the crock pot (thanks, Danielle, for the idea!) and mini apple pies baking away (thanks, Noreen!).  I froze dinner from two nights ago (turkey & vegetable soup) and the second loaf of cheese & herb bread for a night to come when I don't have time to cook. 
3. Love getting caught up.The week before leaving for Hawaii was insane.  Insane to the point of just a few hours of sleep a night, working early and late (before wakings and after bedtime), packing up the fam, taking care of Maggie, three shoots the previous Saturday, and our last Litugical Commission meeting before the new Roman Missal goes live in December -- the meeting 16 hours before our flight left in which I cooked dinner for 8 as well.  It was nuts.  And I'm glad it's over. 
4. Loved a little girls' night out. I met up with Kate and Sandra for dinner + drinks.  Long overdue.  Kate gave the best summary of the evening, which I am stealing below.  I feel so blessed by their friendships.
   
   Kate DeWeese
   A fantastic evening with two of my favorite people in the world. There was laughter, there were tears, there were lemon drops. There were toddler stories, religious discussions, and more laughs and more tears. Today, I am exceptionally grateful for Shelley and Sandra. I feel so blessed to call these amazing women my friends.
5. Loving my hair right now.I actually don't say that all that often.  I have kept it up virtually nonstop since John Paul was in the womb -- it's easier when it's out of the way and he loves to pull it.  But recently, I've been inspired by random things -- specifically Pinterest and people sitting in front of me on the plane. So glad Meegan's been convincing me to let it grow out.  And I had my best hair of note on the night of our girls night out -- see above.  :)  Never mind that it's in a bun with a headband right now.
6. Loving the start of "The Wee Skis: Roommates".They lasted for about five hours together last night before they both ended up in our room...but it was a great start.  Thomas loves the idea of his little brother being in his room...though I don't know that John Paul is quite so sure.  We're ready to move the bassinet across the tree fields to welcome the boys' newest cousin due in January.  Who, not surprisingly, is ALSO a boy.  Those Sprouffskes- they have boys who have boys who have boys...
7. Love getting ready for tree season.  Two thousand trees are cut, baled and shipping out for sales across the northwest.  Retail sales begin in 10 days!!  YEA!