October

I have to admit I really, really enjoyed the month of September this year. I thought to myself many times, this may be my favorite month (which has always been October in my mind). But then October came and it was even better than September and in fact, better than it's ever been this year! I honestly think this may - in fact - be my favorite October in 49 years! Which is saying something because I missed South Carolina and Pledge the Pink this year which is one of my favorite typical October activities! 

Mikey (and his team) had an impressive football season that sadly came to an end with a loss at Detroit Southeastern in an absolute nail biter/down to the wire game played on Friday, November 3, 2023. 

His senior season stats were beautiful though - tied for first place with a teammate/friend with 53 tackles (41 solo, 12 assists) with 5 for a loss and 1 pass break up! He also rushed for 316 yards on 41 carries with 5 touch downs and an average of 7.7 yards each rush.

In addition to all this he played an entirely new position this season and we are SO proud of our boy!

Isabel and her friends Lucy and Clare got a chance to take a long weekend over fall break (I think?) to visit Corpus Christi - what fun!

Isabel loves Whataburger. So here she is making out with the founder. SRSLY. Isn't she the cutest?
I have the literal most beautiful children (I think I'm being objective? LOL)

One of the team dads owns Probility PT and gives talks all over the nation training other physical therapists in the craft. He has been a significant help to Mikey and is one of the absolute biggest hearted people I've had the pleasure to meet. In addition to helping Mikey with his hamstring and flat foot/ankle issues (along with the FGR trainers) he also takes pictures each game and boy are they beautiful. It has been such a gift to just WATCH Mikey's senior season knowing that it will all be captured much better than I ever could from a sideline photo with my iphone :) Here is the progression of the opening possession touchdown Mikey scored in their last regular season game!

After way too many failed attempts I finally made it out to visit Grandma Alice with Mateo and Lucy. She didn't get out of bed (usually unless I catch her at lunch that's the case) but she was very responsive when I showed her a little video of Rosie. As you can see it was a beautiful fall day as well!

While the FGR team didn't make it to the Prep Bowl at Ford Field, Mateo's 7th/8th grade team, the Ann Arbor Saints (which Mikey also used to play on) got to go for a quick exhibition game. Afterwards I had the pleasure of taking him, Peter and a few of his friends to an HVCS volleyball tournament and just to hang out. Since I'm usually always doing stuff with the little girls it was a lovely afternoon hanging with some really nice and fun teenage boys! I forgot this is the benefit of having to drive them places, you get to participate in their social lives and get to know their people which is really cool. I love teenagers. I think it is honestly my favorite phase of parenting outside of newborn/infant stage.

Peter (9th), Finn (8th), Isaac (7th), Mateo (7th) and Ethan (Isaac's brother, 9th)

Peter has made a lot of friends at FGR and has already been to 3 parties (and has been invited to more) as well as multiple sporting events (football games and volleyball games) - in all of their high school careers I don't remember my girls or Mikey doing so much the entire 4 years much less within the first 4 months! (I guess he has to make up for that year and a half of homeschooling!!)

Because we were all SURE FGR was going to make the Prep Bowl one of the former players (who attends college with Isabel and has been lifelong friends with the girls she went to Corpus Christi with) Max was able to attend the last regular season game since it was scheduled the same weekend. After the game I typically wait for Mikey and he doesn't come over to me unless I yell at him to. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't...mostly I do because they won so much this season! Anyway he ran over to the sidelines after team post-game prayer and another mom commented how cute it was he was running to me. Ha. Jokes on me, he was running over to see Max! I love when college kids come back. Something about it makes me feel extra nostalgic about one of my favorite times of life (high school/early college days).

Like I said I missed PTP and South Carolina this year big time. But I knew I'd likely not go because no way was I missing the Prep Bowl which I felt *sure* they were going to (alas). Anyway I follow the Instagram account of the "student section" @barstoolfgr and they announce a theme each week and because I am a 14-year-old girl in a 49-year-old-body I always follow the theme. Well just my luck the weekend of PTP was "beach theme" which immediately gave me license to wear my Flamingo suit to the football game because I was going to wear it in solidarity at some point that weekend anyway and it was the perfect costume for the weather anyway!

Yes, yes I have green Jordans. Which I spent a gross amount on. But EMU and FGR? What was I supposed to do??? (plus I'm the same size as Mateo so I said I bought them for him even though I've creased them and he wouldn't deign to.)

HVCS had a pep rally for the girls volleyball team on the same day as an FGR game so Debbie and I had to pose with our cool colored hair and my new glasses really pop! Ms Taylor is the Kindergarten teacher, one of the K kids fell asleep before the pep rally because they had a field trip and she was tuckered out. Isn't it the cutest that she held her the entire time in her arms? I love this school community.

Later on after Isabel's trip to Corpus Christi Carmen took a long weekend trip to see Isabel in TX.

Des and I said since the Saints practice is 5-6:30 on Fridays we should do sushi every time. Well we finally made it happen on the almost very last practice! When EMU had fall break I didn't have to teach on Tuesday so I was able to be Rosie's "babysitter" since Maria is back to work part time. She is the easiest, loveliest, sweetest little rosebud! I had originally planned to pull the girls from school and take them to sleepover and babysit too but they were sick so Maria and I decided against it. So a whole day with her all to myself. Lala was living her best life.

We prayed, we discovered Earth Moods. We drank two bottles. We swept the whole upstairs. Emptied the kitty litter. Did some laundry. Did some dishes. Pooped. Peed. Swang in the swing. Hung in the boppy. Read books. Played piano. Pet Pippin (can you imagine? he finally let me touch him!) And absolutely vegetated and scrolled Instagram. All on a sunny fall day. What a gift! The only thing I wish I had done was been brave enough to take her out to Adoration with me :) That would have been fun. Maybe next time.

The hard loss that kept us from Prep Bowl was on Senior Night. We all felt bad about it, the boys having to process their feelings and publicly cry but have to hang out and pretend they like their parents (lol I'm kidding, they love us I know it!), but it was such a blessing. The boys in their senior blurbs surprised coach by sharing their favorite character/virtue (which is an integral part of his program) and we all pretty much cried together and then held each other in prayer. That doesn't feel like losing at all.

When I went to babysit and got into town Maria and Tyler were at his parents so I got a quick visit in with them and absolutely YUMMY homemade pineapple upside down cake with Jenna and Josh too. What fun!

Visiting Dave after the senior night loss on my way to babysit. I had a really puffy tissue filled Divine Mercy Chaplet with him. Next day made some beef and noodles for comfort food at the condo.

Maria and Tyler were able to bundle Rosie up and come for senior night and Mikey's last ever home football game. Sigh. Another blessing having Rosie in the house! Maria, Peter and Mateo's third grade teacher also got to meet her when she came pick up one of her boys.

Colin was Tyler's college roommate and if you attended the wedding the fella who flipped Isabel upside down so perfectly! He played baseball for a time and lives on the other side of the state so this was the first time he got to meet Rosie.

HVCS has a lovely Grandparents Day event each year. Unfortunately it was after the point my parents headed south but grandma Paula was able to attend and also the similar event that FGR held!

Let's see if I can get this right:
Taylor, Caroline, Lucy, Felicity, Cece, Elizabeth, Daniela, Gabriela and Elisabeth.

Moms Night Out (I should not take the selfies - a) I'm terrible at it and b) I always have like a triple chin lol Cassie, Dana, Amy, Me, Des and her sister, Dee! These ladies are the best. I'm so grateful for the blessing of friendship. I have come to know so many faithful, wonderful women in my adult life.

Mike's college roommate, Todd and his wife Erica (who we also knew from EMU) have 3 kids and their youngest is Mikey's age and the boys have played each other each year (I think?) for 5 years including 8th grade. It's been fun to catch up with them briefly IRL and they have always beat us soundly when they played us including stealing the CYO Prep Bowl trophy from us 8th grade! But this year the tables turned and Mikey's team beat them 55-0. Here is a great shot someone got of the two of them locked in battle!

Facetime with Rosie is a poor substitute but I'll take it!

Lucy loves to mention landmarks as we drive to and from school and the hay bale tree is one of her favorites (in years previous it was a hay bale turkey!)

Paulina and Mateo fight like oil and water. He picks on her. She annoys and baits him. Typical 13-10yo tet-a-tet. But she made him this HBD sign which I thought was really, really sweet!

A favorite late fall tradition I didn't have to miss this year was our annual high school girls get-together in Pentwater! Michelle and her family are so kind to open their cottage to us for a weekend and dipping my toes in Lake Michigan has become a MUST DO on at least an annual basis in my life (I really don't think there is a year of my life that has gone by without me being in Lake Michigan at least once). Anyway, it was a short visit sandwiched between football momming and being Lala on my way to and from!!

Michelle and I climbed Mount Baldy - we are at the tip of the middle sandy part in the pic on the right.

The Golden Hour indeed.

Michelle's oldest daughter is an artist I follow on Instagram. I loved capturing their joy in each other's presence. It was lovely to behold how they chatted like old friends and not just mother/daughter.

Not bad for October in Michigan, amiright?