Week in Review: The End of a Saintly Era

Happy First Friday in November!  

Let's back up to last Thursday, when Maggie was able to surprise her cousin for her Senior Night volleyball game.  These three girls went to the same schools, played on the same teams, and have always been like sisters instead of cousins, for which I have been very grateful.

On Friday I took the day off from work, hit the gym, and then went out to brunch with my mom and my daughter or "The Margarets" as my mom is Maggie, my middle name is Margaret, and my girl is Maggie.  Then Maggie and I got our eyebrows threaded and shopped at TJ Maxx before heading home for a nap.  The best.  On Saturday, we went for a family walk to appreciate the fall colors before they leaf :)

I love fall this much

MA is beautiful even if her politics are ugly

We went to the vigil Mass, and then Declan went trick-or-treating with friends:

Babe Ruth with his Babe Ruths and other treats

While the rest of us met up with family friends and had a great time trick-or-treating and laughing and eating and forgetting to take photos except for these two:

On Sunday morning, Phil had to work Religious Ed and I took Maggie to my current favorite workout class "Bodypump".  She said she was sore for days after.  The best.

But that didn't stop her from playing on both of her intramural teams - indoor volleyball and soccer - right after she got back to school.  She said the games are so late because it's hard to get gym time, so one day she had a soccer game at 10pm and a volleyball game at 10:30pm that she went late to.  I could never.

I said this soccer photo reminds me of Maggie from preschool through 8th grade.  She said playing soccer reminds her why she switched to volleyball.

Speaking of things I could never do, my niece ran the NYC Marathon and finished in 3:17!  Mind-blowing.  She just graduated from nursing school, turned 24, passed her NCLEX, and trained for a speedy marathon, no biggie.

And she's beautiful too!

Eamon went with friends home to Michigan for Fall Break, and said it was a really fun time.  Thank God for the parents who welcome all these active, hungry college boys into their homes.

Flag Football

Golfing with the Guys

Because All Saints Day was on a Sunday this year, the elementary school kids had to dress up as saints on Monday.  Brendan dressed as the newly Blessed Fulton Sheen:

Gammy & Grandpa used to watch Fulton Sheen on tv

We have been doing the Halloween costumes on 10/31 - All Saints Day costumes on 11/1 for the past TWENTY YEARS with seven kids, and now with Brendan in 5th grade, that stressful chapter has come to a close!  Phil, we made it!

Will I miss the kids at these saintly ages?  

Definitely.  

Will I miss the stress of figuring out two costumes per kid each year?  

Definitely not.

We are a family that decorates for Christmas only after Thanksgiving is over, but I caved and bought a holiday candle for my candle warmer at work.  It's a Balsam & Fir candle I found at TJ Maxx and it smells so good.  My all-time favorite holiday scent is this one in case you want your house to smell like Christmas feels :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!  Have you started holiday decorating yet?