our sweet October

October has come and gone in a flash of brilliant gold, and like never before I have reveled in its glory. Days nannying have meant the privilege of making leaf piles, snapping a million gold-hued photos, and gathering bushels worth of apples with the little ones almost everyday. Weekends have seen us traipsing about the city, picking pumpkins at the farmers market, in the fields on the sides of roads gathering the last of summer's late-blooming flora for the vase in my little kitchen. I have baked something sweet every single weekend of October. This  has been one of the loveliest autumns of my memory.

My husband is finishing his season of exterior painting. In January he begins his new full time "tent-making" job as a salesman and estimator for the same painting company, while continuing his Sunday pastoral duties as connections pastor. We are both so excited for the opportunities that we believe will come through his new position, and we are both relieved that the season of manual labor is coming to a close. I have felt more of the burden of domestic responsibility while his job has been so physically demanding. Having him back on a 9-5 type schedule, where he gets to do something in his gifting which gives him energy instead of just draining him is going to be such a relief to our day-to-day functioning. I'm excited to both get home from work around the same time again, and have dinner together every night. To have him take over bedtime for Roger regularly again. It's the little things. They add up and make such a difference in quality of life.

Tomorrow is that handsome man's birthday. Since it falls on a Monday, we will both be working all day. So I've made him his requested birthday apple pie this evening, and it's just finishing in the oven now. It will cool overnight and we will pick up some good vanilla ice cream after work tomorrow and serve it on top of warm slices of pie and celebrate together in our little apartment. Roger will probably run around and do cute things and we will have a low-key night together. 

November is starting so well, I can only expect it to be another wonderful month. But don't misunderstand; I can't tell you October has been perfect (or easy!) but it has been good. There are struggles everyday and I could have every reason to be discontented and want this next month to go more smoothly and have less stress, fewer nights of lost sleep and toddler tantrums, a better-kept apartment that is always clean, and all my desires and prayers answered in easy, direct yeses. . . But I am learning how much better I feel, how much more thankful, how much more I appreciate what God has given me in each moment, when I choose to see the good and trust that God has ordained my days and hours for good purpose. I have made practicing thankfulness a habit and I didn't really notice the difference it has made until this beautiful October. And I'm choosing to carry on in that habit and breathe. And notice. And enjoy what's before me in my simple little life.