weekending

the best thing about this weekend was getting ourselves to church.

the whole family in our pew on sunday morning.

father tim at the pulpit preaching about his trademark 3 things.

this week: invitation, inspiration and involvement.

i knew i needed it, just not how badly.

after church, mike, teddy and i went out for breakfast while lily had sunday school.

ted was stoked to get his bagels (yes, plural) fresh and warm, and that he has graduated from weekly religious ed.

she had to settle for not as fresh or warm and an hour on virtue.

i was right about nyc bagels: midwestern impostors are forgettable after eating the real deal.

the sun came out and the day warmed.

ted went to golf with uncle brad and lily went to trick or treat with a friend.

we put together a simple and sweet costume for her saturday afternoon when she admitted she wanted to go.

she decided to be an angel.

it struck me as perfect too because she was an angel the first year she trick or treated and i surmise this will be the last.

i went to the bookshelf crammed with dozens of unmarked photo albums in search of my baby angel.

i was awed when i pulled out exactly the album i was looking for and little lily was the first picture.

it was sort of a hug from the universe, or confirmation of the connection i was feeling.

my dad and step-mom stopped by to drop something off and pick something up, and they stayed for an impromptu visit.

of course, we looked through that picture album all of us agreeing that years are minutes.

i sent them home with a hunk of pumpkin bread and a just-made apple crisp.

we had big fat pork chops browned in the cast iron skillet and baby brussels sprouts for dinner.

we were too tired that night to carve pumpkins.

saturday the boys were busy in the yard wrangling leaves and winterizing the house.

one of these days and soon we're going to wake up to snow.

we're not ready yet, but we're getting there.

it was crisp, but clear so teddy left to play football with friends in the afternoon.

he didn't come home until late that night.

lily was with a friend too so we invited my brother and sil over for happy hour.

it was happy...fun.

the cat costumes came out and halloween hat selfies took place.

when lily came home, we watched a terrible horror movie that actually had us laughing.

friday we had an impromptu visit from jess.

we toasted the end of a long week at the onset of a good weekend.

and it was good.

just see...