Almost November thoughts

I looked at my calendar today and realized that . . . . WHOA . . . . a month from today is Thanksgiving!  And then less than a month after that is Christmas. Once Halloween hits time seems to fly by, with twice as many things to do and places to be than there are hours in a day.

A few random thoughts from lately, in no particular order.

• This year Dan is teaching early morning Seminary again, and it's going great. He teaches a class of Seniors and this year they are studying The Book of Mormon. In order for him to be able to teach Seminary, he needs to spend most of his free time preparing lessons. Last year this was kind of hard. We literally couldn't even find time to talk about anything during the week, because he was either at work or preparing Seminary, and Dan perpetually felt like he wasn't giving enough attention to the kids and me.  For some reason, this year feels easier. I'm not sure why. Are we just more accustomed to the schedule? Is he able to prepare more quickly now that he has one year under his belt? Is it a tender mercy? I don't know, but I'm glad. The days do start early. Dan is up at 4:40 and Bailey gets up at 5.  I get up at 5:20 and start making breakfast and lunches for the two Seminary-goers. They leave at 5:45 and 6:00 respectively, and then there is a lull until it's time to get Joseph and Aubrey up and out the door at 7.  It's busy, but it's working out fine.

• I am very excited to have a new range/oven installed sometime this week.  It has two ovens - a small one on top and a larger oven below, which will make it much easier to cook Thanksgiving Dinner in exactly one month!  Dan and I have talked about getting a double oven for years, but our "tipping point" was the fact that we are preparing Thanksgiving dinner for our family and Brandon's girlfriend and her parents (who are flying here from Florida). 

• Joseph's soccer season is winding down, and I'm really sad about that. I will have to add a few pictures later. I love to see the smile on his face as he plays. He has had a great season, scoring almost every game and consistently making great passes and helping out his team.  He starts a basketball team this Saturday.

•  We had such a lovely October, with crisp, beautiful days and very, very little rain. The colors are extraordinary. There are even lovelier views around, but this is the one I see outside my window, so I like it. 
  
  I know it has to end sometime, but I wish it would last forever! I laughed at this quote in our local paper, "We moved here during the summer and we have been amazed at the weather this summer and fall. Is this typical weather for Washington?  Because we had been led to believe that it is very rainy here. If this is typical weather, then is everyone keeping it a secret from the rest of the country? Maybe you don't want people to know how heavenly the Washington weather is because everyone would want to move here?"  (Yeah, maybe we should check back with that person in February or March?  But it is a lovely place to live.)

• And, some sad news to share. The supplier of my winter therapy has dried up. I admit that I'm an addict.  I am feeling more than a little desperate.

 For the last few years Costco has carried these 2.5 lb tins of Starbucks dark chocolate Hot Cocoa mix. It is what gets me through every long and rainy winter.  All through the fall and winter I jealously guard my cocoa time, which is the free moments when I can drink my daily decadent cocoa in peace, savoring every indulgent drop.

But this year Costco stopped carrying my liquid gold.  Luckily, I had one tin of cocoa left in my emergency year supply, and I am carefully doling out the servings. At this rate, I predict I will be out by Thanksgiving. By the way, I was planning to complain to Costco, but I checked online, and apparently Starbucks is not making the 2.5 lb tin anymore. Instead, one has to either pay through the nose for hot cocoa made in the store or buy a measly box of 8 packets for $6.49. Obviously, that is not acceptable. (I was paying $10 per 2.5 lb. tin, using the coupon Costco offered every fall. There was a limit of two tins each time, so during the weeks of the coupon I would return every day to get two tins. I'm that addicted).  Costco now carries Stephen's Hot Cocoa tins. No offense to the Stephen's people, but it just isn't the same. Last year, after trick-or-treating, I shared mugs of my Starbucks cocoa with the 10-15 people gathered at our house. I must admit that this year my last prized tin will be stashed away, and everyone gets some Stephen's instead.

And that's it. Last night we carved pumpkins and tomorrow night is our annual Halloween Dinner.  So, let the holiday season officially begin!