Gingerbread houses 🏠

Things got a little silly tonight while we were building gingerbread houses. This picture captures so much about the personalities of the Shecklets.

And here are the finished houses.

Braces & expander

The pulled tooth that Shecklet #4 had ended up being a good thing in the long run. We found out that she has two impacted canines and the orthodontist needs to make room for them to come in properly (and hopefully avoid more oral surgery.) A friend of mine told me to be prepared for the first few days to be uncomfortable, but after that things should improve. It’s one thing to have braces, but another to adjust to having an expander on the roof of your mouth. She was a brave kid sitting through her appointment, especially after what she’s been through in the past.

If all goes well, this phase of braces should only last 10-12 months. Then round two will come in a few years.

My 2022 birthday

I turned 29 again this year and it was a great day! Shecklet #4 made me breakfast, Caribou treated me to a free beverage, and three of my kids joined me for a little thrift store shopping. (We found some good deals, which is always fun.) Dinner was takeout from a local Mexican restaurant and we had a Bundt cake for dessert. It was a good day. My heart is full.

Oh, and I was gifted new mats for my truck, which I am very excited about. (Tell me you’re middle-aged without telling me your age.) My previous ones had definitely seen better days – and had worn through!

And yes, Shecklet #2 finally passed me up. I’m officially the fourth tallest in the family. This was how things looked about a year ago.

Thanksgiving 2022

Our KS friends arrived on Sunday night and stayed until Tuesday afternoon. The kids seemed to pick up where they left off. The adults always do as well. I love that about our 18+ year friendship. Miles might separate us, but having walked with each other through some incredibly difficult times, we know friendship is for life.

We had to take the annual kid photo a day before they left because my boys both had school on Tuesday.

Shecklet #4 with her godparents.

Hanging Lights 2022 πŸŽ„

Shecklet #1 is in his element tonight. Grandma Lois called and asked if he would hang her Christmas lights again this year. He said yes, of course! Jake drove him down to her house tonight in an effort to beat the cold temps that are coming our way tomorrow. I’m excited to see how they turn out!

Election Day 2022 πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ

Took Shecklet #1 with me to the polls this morning so he could see what the voting process looks like. (Several of the election workers told me what a great idea it was to do so.)

He will get his chance to cast his vote for president in 2024!

New hairdo

My friend and stylist had an appointment cancellation, so I got in for a cut and color. Out with several inches and the dark-to-light look and in with an all over color that’s closer to the dark that was hiding underneath the top layer.

Biking at Elm Creek πŸš΄β€β™‚οΈ

I took three Shecklets to the single track trails at Elm Creek this afternoon. The weather was beautiful and the trails were not busy at all.

The small bridge in the picture below proved slightly tricky for me. My balance is pretty decent most of the time, but for some reason when I’m tasked with staying on an elevated structure without sides, my head gets a little wonky. Thankfully, being off balance didn’t send me off the edge πŸ˜†

After riding for about two hours we grabbed dinner on our way to ultimate frisbee. Eight teams played tonight! It was great to spend the day outside!

Opening skiing 2022!

Trollhaugen has been making snow during this current October cold snap we’ve been having. The Trolls sent and email saying the slopes would be open for a few hours today.

Jake took the girls to get their first lift ticket of their 2022-2023 ski pass. (The boys had youth group tonight, so they stayed back with me.)