It's November? Wait? What? Already?

How did that happen?  However November got here so fast, I don't really care, I'm just happy to turn another page on the calendar!  Looking forward to the end of 2014 and we're getting closer to it! This year hasn't been a good one. I just want it done.

These past couple of months haven't been too bad though. I really can't complain much. Maybe the reign of bad luck is already over? Gosh, hope so!

The kids are doing great. Growing and doing well in school and having fun. We went to the zoo and we went to the Science museum in San Diego. We've had lots of trips to the local parks too, including the pumpkin farm. They are fun happy kids!

September was great because the girls and I went on vacation! We drove to Wyoming to see family and it was so very good for my heart and soul. It was good for the girls too! We all came home happier and well... happier! I can't go that long without a visit home again. It had been too long and I had a lot of stress to run away from. When we came home, that stress didn't seem nearly as bad. It was just a great get-away.  

Then, Libby turned six years old. Not sure how that happened so fast neither. Whoa. She's six! Toothless too. She lost a top tooth on the roadtrip and the other top center tooth came out on Halloween.

October was a bit more stressful for me with the breast cancer stuff. As everyone knows it was Breast Cancer Awareness month, and we're fully aware of it around here. More aware than we ever hoped to be, in fact. This whole plaster the world in pink thing got on my nerves fairly quickly. I tried to be a supportive participant in the pink thing, and I made a strong effort to post Breast Cancer awareness messages on Instragram and Facebook, but otherwise, it was depressing. I know why too: because I'm bitter. I'm angry that I have this and that I have to deal with it, and I'm angry that my family has to deal with this too. Daily. I'm mad that I'm in pain and that I'm constantly worried.  I decided that it's ok to be angry about this. I have every right to feel angry. In the meantime, the world is plastered in pink. There are pink Tshirts, mugs, ribbons, socks, people in tutus, healthy people running, events, parties, balloons, gifts, prizes... awareness. Yeah. Awareness. People are partying in the streets for breast cancer. Getting together with their friends and celebrating in matching outlandish pink outfits. Giving out pink prizes and giving shout-outs to long lost aunts and grandmas. This is not what I want to be sucked into. I don't want to party it up and carry a pink balloon or wear a pink ribbon or be happy to be "one of the girls".  So, October was kind of tough, emotionally. I was just mad all month. I tried not to be, but I was harboring a lot of resentment toward this whole Breast Cancer Awareness thing.  Now, don't worry, I've told myself that it's ok for me to feel this way and so I'm feeling it. But I've also told myself to be open to feeling differently next year.  Maybe next year, or another year, I'll feel like celebrating because I'll have a lot to be thankful for. Maybe I'll feel like wearing pink and carrying a balloon or wearing a tutu. Maybe I'll even walk a 5k! But this year, I felt the way I felt and October was  not easy.   Good thing I just had my vacation! Pretty sure that's what got me through October without losing my mind.

November is looking good. The month of my favorite holiday: Thanksgiving!  Yum! I'm really looking forward to the big meal this year because Keith remodeled the kitchen! We now have double ovens! I know he really got those double ovens so that he would have them for making the turkey dinner, but he pretended that it was for me. I know him too well! He got that convection oven and second oven for the holidays and he is the head chef for holiday meals.  I can't wait until he fills the house with all of his fine cooking. I'm drooling just thinking about it!