Summery October

I passed the biometric screening.  BP was 97/70, LDL cholesterol was at 113. Glucose was still high at 97.  I need to look into that and my still falling HDL levels. They want them at 50 or higher and this year they were at 36, though I have never tested higher than 40.  Waist was 33. so my weight wasn't a factor.  I don't smoke, so-other than low HDL, I was fine.

Karen's kitty died Wednesday morning, so we bailed on walking and met up to be sad.  Then we ate lunch and walked anyway.

Thursday was field trip day and that went fine.  Friday we were supposed to meet Andrea to walk but she had to work, so Matt and I walked at Duck River.  It was so pretty!  And SO damn hot.  We drank our liter each AND sucked down the 12 ounce Zevia ginger beers I brought as a surprise and cut the walk short.  We walked 3.04 miles out and turned around for a total (somehow) of...5.8 miles. 

Sea Lab, art class in December and then...only ONE more field trip left for me to plan.
EVER.  Sea Lab should count as 5 field trips, is all I am saying.

Duck River:

rat snake

Saturday, we walked Richard Martin end to end for the full 11 miles and then went to Sugar Creek, thinking it would be dry like it is here and that we could find a few geodes.
It wasn't dry-it was barely low-and we only found a couple geodes, but the water was like ice and we didn't stay in long.

The kids went to the Zombie Ball Saturday night.  Other people were instrumental in making that happen, I wasn't even around all weekend,  SO thankful for friends and big brothers!

Happy Autumn!

Just a few things from the month.

Matt and I have been walking at the refuge again.  I am about to start biking it!
WISH I COULD FIND SOMEONE TO BIKE IT WITH ME.  *AHEM*

We went and had a fun double date with Kurt and Katy, we are trying the whole 'no kids' angle to hanging out.  We realized we have all known each other for 11 years and never once have we done anything non kid-centric.

We had martinis and sushi (my idea was Arby's, so...not QUITE in non-kid mode yet)

Downtown, the Slide the City folks were gearing up

we caught some of this concert cutting through the park

The city has repurposed retired newspaper bins as little free libraries.  Katy and I scoured all we passed.  :)

We walked to the Old Town Beer Exchange

Crabbie's!  I LOVE this brand of cider, 100x more than any other I have tried.  But I could not find it anywhere, so I just didn't drink anything other than my beloved Red Stag. I am so happy and it's $10 a 4-pack!

So you go pick out the beer you want to try from a HUGE list and they put it in glasses called a flight.

Then you stand around and taste them and discuss which is better.

Here's the thing-I hate beer.  It's like coffee.  It does not matter what flavors you add, it tastes like coffee.

Maybe they are bitter and I don't like that whang.  I don't really think too much about it, both beverages are super easy to avoid!  I would have really gone for a Crabbies, though!

Chat, chat, chat.

Crabbies!  I love Kurt.  :)  He had them make me a special no-share glass!

Spoiler Alert: she can drive now.

The bit about getting her permit is later on, but I don't feel like wrestling the photos.

She's put about 5 hours in behind the wheel in the past week.  Talks NONSTOP and tends to veer, but handles traffic like a pro now.

The hay bale people are going up in town!  It's really nearly Fall!

This was pretty yummy!

My sweet boy.

It's happening!

I wanted to tag this "Ben, Chandler, Emily and Britney."  :)  I am so glad there's another round of sweet girls and beloved baby brother in the homeschool group.  Makes leaving it a little easier.

Shakalaka for Elan's 15th

Off to get yogurt!

Met up with the Bothwells one afternoon at Hays.

Lots of late summer storms

The new van did it!  Check engine light on.  Then off.  No reason.

More storm clouds

Recently spent a whole week without my wedding ring because I could not find it anywhere.

Hitchhiker, the mouse, sits just to the left of my laptop.  It was so absurdly funny to see it just on his head.  I had flipped the seats in the van looking for it.  ha!

Do not steal our DMV pen

After a LONG wait-but only about 1/5 of the wait at Decatur, Chan got called back just in time for lunch!

They kicked her out-no, first they SLAMMED the door between the waiting area and the testing area and I was trying to decide which chair to use to batter the door down when she came bopping around the corner from parts unknown.

We went to get lunch and went back and she finished up the test with a 100%.  Well, 80% since it stops testing you once you answer 24 questions correctly.  No one does better than 80.

She started driving on the way home, after we were out of traffic I pulled into a church parking lot and she drove around and around and around.

Poor Ben

We have some fun stuff lined up!  Hanging out with Granddad on Friday, ghost walk that night, LONG hike Monday to the Big Tree and then-our fall vacation starts later next week! That's coming up fast and I am so excited!