Looking Back at November

You have probably been wondering how my recovery from hand/foot/mouth has been (nobody was wondering that).  Well, it's been almost 2 months since I was sick and I have learned that I had sores under my fingernails because 4 are in the process of falling off.  And you know what skin is super sensitive?  The skin under where your fingernail is supposed to be.  But isn't, on 40% of my fingers.  My feet are also still peeling but that I think that's partly due to all the running I put them through this year too.  But other than that, HFM is just a distant memory...  (It could take a few more months before my nails finish falling off...it's so much fun.)

We're in full holiday swing over here with the house almost completely decorated, presents bought (none wrapped, as of this writing), some cookies baked, and just the general good spirit of it all.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this time of year.  December might be my second favorite month, after July.  (It is a coincidence that I get gifts both of those months?  Maybe.)

1) Running in the fall!  Much cooler, maybe prettier!
2) Luke and I do A LOT of "let's ride your bike around the neighborhood so I can take pictures of trees!" in October and early November.
3) Like this time too.
4) Oh and this time.
5) Matt and I on a rare child free evening at my (5th and final) cousin wedding for the year.  We just left Luke with my sister with 6 of her own kids and 3 from another sister...what's 4 more when there are already 6 running around???  (She's much braver than me.)
6) Driving home from Target after admiring all the pretty Christmas things and then admiring the pretty leaves.
7) I like this tree every time I ran past it this fall.  Although this was taken from the car because taking pictures while running never turn out too well.
8) I baked cookies before quiet time.  Then after quiet time the cookie sheet looked like this...someone has gotten very good at sneaking cookies. (THESE)
9) Jumping in a HUGE leaf pile at lake closing, the only time he gets to do this since we don't really have trees!
10) At closing we had the coldest weather I've ever experienced there, 34°!  There was ice on the channel!  Made me miss sweating in the summer.
11) Running what was likely my final mile for the year. 460.54 miles, a record year for me!
12) Super lazy Sunday morning at home while Matt crossed multiple state lines for a funeral and Luke and I didn't leave the house the entire time he was gone.
13) I might make cranberries for Thanksgiving just because of how pretty they look. (I do also eat them.)
14) Downtown all festive on Thanksgiving Eve!
15) Seriously one of the coolest things about where we live!
16) My traditional addressing of Christmas cards on Thanksgiving Eve.  I love this night.

1 year ago: Flying with a 3 Year Old
2 years ago: DIY Jet Ski Costume
3 years ago: A Day in the Life - Round 3
4 years ago: Pumpkin Painting
5 years ago: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
6 years ago: Kitchen Project
7 years ago: Messy House & Closing the Lake (I will never complain about a messy house again after revisiting those pictures...)
8 years ago: On Vacation!


Books finished: 21 for the month, 186 for the year
Things sewn: 4 pillow covers!
Things added to the garage sale pile: 10!  Some from my closet and a few of Luke's toys...we need to do a bigger toy purge before Christmas, mainly for my sanity.

Miles ran: 11.85 and that might be it for the year?  Although it's supposed to be 50° tomorrow...
Currently watching: We finished season 9 of The Office and it was SO enjoyable.  And I decided to finish Stranger Things and we're on season 2.  I'm still ehhhhh on it (over hyped, for sure).  Excited for The Crown coming back soon!

Most read post this month: Quick Lit - November and then A Day in the Life (Luke 4¾)
Luke's current favorite song: Anything Christmas, the louder the better.  Cursing the person who taught him how to turn up the volume on my iPod dock (it wasn't anyone who lives here).  

So looking forward to enjoying December and all this wonderful time of the year!