When most people think of October, they picture cool days, fall leaves, hayrides and apple cider, scarves and boots, and, of course, pumpkins! In the South, however, it stays 90 degrees and humid throughout most of the month. But that doesn’t stop us from sweating in our scarves as we roam the pumpkin patch, looking for the perfect gourd.

That’s exactly what we did this weekend! It was hot and humid, and we spent a good amount of time fighting the mosquitoes, but I was determined for Sebastian to paint a pumpkin at one of our local produce stands, Perkins Orchard. [Side note: we bought our Christmas tree here last year and it stayed green and fresh for so much longer than our friends’ trees that ended up getting dry and brittle really early] Despite the heat, we had a good time and got some cute pictures. And I purchased a bag full of produce (apples, avocados, strawberries, peppers, beets, and plums) and a small mum for $20! That’s a sweet deal.

I was sitting at the kitchen table on a sunny late-summer afternoon, feeding my son lunch, when I was overcome with an amazing feeling of contentment. As Sebastian peeled the turkey and cheese off his sandwich and shoved them into his mouth, dropping some turkey onto the floor in the process, he looked up at me and grinned.  And I realized that this, right here, is exactly where I want to be. It’s really all I need in life. A loving partner, an adventurous kid, a goofy dog, a cozy home, and some fun experiences are what truly make me happy.

This isn’t turkey, but you get the idea!

Thinking about now, I’m not as surprised as I would have been a few years ago.

Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer.

We were invited to my friend’s wedding in Wilmington, NC over Labor Day Weekend this year and decided to turn it into an end-of-summer family vacation. We brought Nick’s mom, brother and sister-in-law with us. We played in the ocean, had a date night, went to the aquarium, and attended the wedding, and a great time was had by all!

It’s too dang hot out here.

We spent Saturday morning at the beach. It was Sebastian’s first time, but he loves sand and water so we figured he would have a blast. At first, he was not having it. You can see in the photo above that he thought it was just too damn hot outside. He’s very much like his father that way. He wasn’t sure what to think about the ocean or the waves, and he was a little afraid at first, especially when the tide would roll out and his feet would sink into the sand. He was not a fan of that at all. However, he liked the water when it wasn’t knocking him over, and of course he loved the sand. The beach is one giant sandbox, after all. Toward the end of the morning, he was feeling much more brave and started running toward the waves!

Y’all. Trying to do it all isn’t easy. I’m sure you all know exactly what I’m talking about so instead of preaching to the choir, please just commiserate with me, friends. I have the desire to do so many things each day but not enough of the energy required to do them.

My new job is going really well. I’m settling in, I’ve moved into my own office, and I’m quickly picking up all of my responsibilities. But the transition at home for my family is slow going. Sebastian is having a little trouble adjusting to daycare, which is totally normal. His fever ended up being hand, foot, mouth disease (a viral infection like a cold that is really common for kids his age) but luckily he recovered quickly, but we had to work from home for a few days. Nick and I are having trouble adjusting to the new routine, which is only exacerbated by Sebastian’s a rough time adjusting to daycare because he wakes us up a bunch at night seeking comfort and reassurance that we’re still there. Because we’re not getting a full night’s sleep, we’re waking up much later than we should, so mornings are hectic. I’m drinking copious amounts of coffee. Work time is for work, obviously. Then we come home, cook dinner, bathe Sebastian and put him to bed. Then I have about 2 hours to live my life before I pass out from exhaustion. Sound familiar? I thought so.

Sometimes life hits you hard– even in a good way — and taking it one day at a time is the best way to handle it.

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, then you already know that I started a new job. I’m the Executive Coordinator at a local nonprofit here in Durham that focuses on teen health. I love it. I’d even go so far as to say that this is my dream organization because I’ve honestly been trying to get a job here for half a decade, AT LEAST. And I’m super passionate about the work the organization does and the impact they’re making for teens in my home state of NC.

Already on the phone with IT