The Seven Week Slide

Right into the finish line of a VERY fast and pretty great 2009. Even with unemployment always having been a topic for the vast majority of my year, it was a wonderful year in this household. [The anxiety and thoughts around the job topic were way more “involved” and lengthy than the actual approx 11 wks. in that condition.]

And as far as I’m concerned, God willing, the last 7 weeks are shaping up to be of the same quality as the rest of 2009 has been for us: jam packed full of fun events to look forward to. This upcoming week of work, 3 days (at most) should be festive, lighter workload days. As gov’t employees don’t have a vaca day Friday after Tgiving, I wouldn’t have had it off but exchanged Veterans Day with it, so now I have it off. BUT NOT TO SHOP. No way, no how.

Chris and I were just commenting tonight how much we LOVE LOVE LOVE not traveling this week, and that we’re really looking forward to so many events in the upcoming 7 days. As much as we do enjoy Tgiving in GA when we get that chance, we still have that to look forward to in December (I LOVE being home in GA way more for xmas anyway). We celebrate the idea of ending the workday Wed, coming home with kids to cook our meal “contributions” for Thursday’s event at the Grahams, just being here while we think of those on the roads and happy we’re not among them, and no need to rush through the evening together- 4 mornings of no alarm clocks! We have a full docket for 4 days of the long weekend, and can’t wait.

(Though, I [for one] on Sunday night will likely not shed a tear to consider heading back to routines and a little break from each other- returning kids to their friends and teachers/caregivers) Ack, not a very “thankful for my family” sentiment, but wow. Let’s be realistic. As I learned all too well from my 5 months at home this year, all good things must come to an end so we can appreciate them even more, so must long holiday weekends eventually end too. To be repeated within a few weeks is a MAJOR consolation. Too bad the kids won’t see it that way, it will be a rough transition back to the grind after that. (Maybe, or maybe they’ll be ready to rid themselves of us, too?)

I leave you with a few pix of FALL 2009 in our life. All three came from a super fun Columbus Day wknd in GA (though we had a fun life here in VA too). Themes of the GA trip were: all things Pumpkin (pumpkin patches, rolling them down hills onto neighbors’ lawns or Grandpop’s street), first trip to Chucky Cheese (before too many rednecks showed up that day)-- check out the picture of Bo and Luke Duke in the monster truck, and getting kids REALLY tired (exhibit C..last pic).