Easing back to my "new life"

And actually I spent about 12 hours working at LDS Family Services this past week as I wrote a home study summary (11 pages) and took care of some other issues.  This week I should work about 4-5 hours as I continue to support my clients and finish paperwork.  This will be the first week that I don't attend staff meeting at all so it will be a change .....

I had the experience on two different forms lately to write that I was not employed.  I felt "odd" for a moment like that made me seem "less capable" or can I say "less valuable", then immediately I realized that those feelings were not right nor even what I believed.  It is great that we have an option as a family for me to stay home and the things that I want to do and will be able to do as a result of not working are valuable and worthwhile.  I sat down and started writing what I wanted to do "since I wasn't working" and produced a list of 21 things in about 10 minutes.  It is now in my day planner and will help serve as a reminder of what is important to me at this time.  That is the awesome thing about this life.  We have choices and we also have the ability to seek counsel and direction from a loving Heavenly Father who knows even better than us where we should go and what we need to do in the time allotted to us.

We started the week hosting the Hall Annual Halloween "Chili and Scone" dinner at our home.  This is a time for people to gather after trick and treating and show Grandma Hall their costumes and eat and talk.  This is our first year to host it.  Grandma Hall (Gary's mom) started the tradition after having chili and scones for Halloween at friend's home while she and Dad Hall were engaged.  She thought it was a great idea and did it for 50 years, then Gary's sister's Valerie has hosted in for the past few years.  Their health isn't great this year so it moved around the corner to our house.  Using Valerie's great (and easy) chili recipe and her awesome large cooker, we fed about 30 people.  (No pictures because I had left my camera at work.)  We had Scott and Chantel as "bikers", Eric and Bree as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and Uncle Gary (my brother-in-law) as Harry Potter.  We set up our fire pit in the back yard and cooked marshmallows and just enjoyed the fall weather and the fire.  Good times.

Webelos hanging on to the wing.....

Gary took his Webelos to the Hill Air Force Base Airplane Museum. His partner knows everything about planes and dazzled the boys with his knowledge as they walked around. One of the volunteers there commented that he didn't even know as much as Bret did. It was a fun visit.

Snow on Saturday in Syracuse

First snow of the year

Our rain chain froze over night and then dripped all day as the sun melted the snow on the roof and on the chain.
 It was awesome.   Have I mentioned how I love our rain chain!  :)
Our neighbor asked if it was okay to put one in her house...we said YES!  We love them.



The big news for Saturday was my bowling score.  Jena started Special Olympics bowling on Saturday morning and Gary and I bowled as well while we waited for her.  In our second game, I bowled a 194 which is my highest ever in my entire life by 30 pins.  I am not sure how it happened but there it is in black and white.  Of course I followed that up with a 95 which shows what a fluke that was, but fun nonetheless.  Jena did well as well averaging 88.  She is going to move from developmental bowling to the regular division since she can bowl three games with no difficulty.

And that is our week.  Hope yours was good as well.