Simple Joys From this past week

~ The colors of Autumn, my favorite time of year (sneezes and all). In texas, these are some of the only red and orange growing things so far. I also have orange zinnias and marigolds. The leaves usually wait to turn until November-early-December.





~ Finishing up another book restoration for a friend

~ Reading about Literature with our youngest son, knowing that he is finally getting it!

~ Watching "Iron Man" with the boys

~ Playing a Spanish vocab game with our 17 yo daughter, helping 15 yo son with his Spanish homework

~ Helping teenager number three to learn how to drive!



~ Working with Hubby in the veggie garden; the sweet potatoes that are bigger than my foot! We have three more mounds of these to dig.





~ Thrift store finds that help make a house an organized, warm home. This piece was so unbelievably cheap and completely needed and useful. Cash only, baby ;-)





~ Talking to our oldest son in Omaha by phone, cause I miss our long conversations sometimes

~ Cooking cool-weather foods now that Autumn is settling in (*Winter Squash Soup and White Chicken Chili, just to name two of our favorites)

~ Teaching Spanish to my kids and their friends

~ Cooking for my kids' best, closest friends

~ Fresh ground, fresh-brewed coffee

~ hot chocolate with peppermint syrup

~ Making plans to help hurricane victims

~ Helping Hubby by working his after-school program this week while he is leading a freshman class trip.

~ Seeing my old, best girlfriend while at the school...she teaches there now in the lower school.

~ Planning for an art show with my kiddos and their best friends

~ I'm loving our schedule this fall. It is just about as perfect as it can be, just busy enough but not so crazy or stressful with wildly changing hours. We have plenty of room (margin built into the schedule) to have friends over, breathe, and live.

~ Since This is our daughter's Senior year and Hubby's life is so much more complicated than in all his years (18 now) of working and leading at the same school, it is more important than ever to make home a relaxing and inspiring haven to make every moment we all get together count, maximizing our time as much as we can. We do not regret any choices we had to make to accomplish this atmosphere of home and hospitality for ourselves and others. This is an important season.

How is your Autumn turning out? Any special blessings or plans? Leave me a comment and tell me about some of them.

Ciao for now,

Javamom