7 Quick Takes (vol. 9)

--- 1 ---

I'm expecting extraordinary--or at least strange--things from today: I voluntarily got out of bed when Alex got up this morning.  Before Michael was awake.  And it wasn't because I had to go to the bathroom for the gazillionth time and couldn't get comfortable enough to go back to sleep.  And I didn't even have to go to work.  Furthermore, I didn't go back to bed when Alex left for work (which is what usually happens when I manage to be such an amazing wife that I get up and help him get out the door and have the amazing good fortune to find myself still with a sleeping child after my husband is gone).  Are you impressed?  You should be...

--- 2 ---

I was rewarded by getting to see my breath in the cool, crisp, feels-like-October-not-August-air this morning.  I love fall!!!  I am soooooo ready for it to really be fall and not just tease me like this (even though it's only 50 now it's still supposed to get up past 80 today... but that's still an improvement over days upon days in the 90s!).

--- 3 ---

We've almost made it through our loooong week without the pool.  After our epic July vacation we realized 1) Michael is part fish and 2) pregnancy + swimming = heaven (until I get out of the pool and feel 25 pounds heavier than I did before the bliss of buoyancy).  So we went ahead and signed up for a family pass at our local rec center and thoroughly enjoyed it.  For a week.  Before they closed the entire place down for their annual (I'm assuming) deep cleaning.  *sigh*  We're eagerly awaiting the grand re-opening (grand for us, at least).

Michael swimming with Papa at the lake in ND.

--- 4 ---

Have you ever heard a dying rabbit?  I think coyotes sound creepy enough on their own, but mix in the screams of the rabbits they are apparently eating, and you have quite possibly my least favorite sound in the entire world.  Especially when I wake up from an unusually peaceful sleep to that particular gem of a noise.  And it's even worse now that I have Michael, because those first few seconds are spent in a panic trying to discern whether I woke up to Michael screaming like a banshee or coyotes feasting.  That's one particular little detail Nature could have just kept to herself, as far as I'm concerned.

--- 5 ---

So that's something else for us to consider as our house search is (hopefully) about to begin in earnest (!!!): what is the local coyote population?  I'm pretty sure the answer to that anywhere within the state is "thriving."  Including thoroughly urban and populated areas of Denver, where we have, in fact, seen coyotes roaming parking lots.

--- 6 ---

Yes, after saying all summer that we were "getting closer" to starting to look seriously and "keeping our eye on the market" (aka stalking houses online and getting waaaay too emotionally attached to the idea of various houses and then having MY house sold right from under my nose at least three times) we're just about ready to actually move forward with the search.  And about time--if we want to be at all settled before Liam is born then this needs to happen.  Soon.  (Yes, God has a plan... God has a plan... GodhasaplanGodhasaplanGodhasaplan... but why won't He tell me what it is already?!?!?!)

--- 7 ---

Finally, check out this awesome new Bible study on the Sunday readings: Opening the Word.  You can even download a free sample!  I have the joy/privilege/thrill of being on the writing team for this project, but I don't get paid extra for promoting it ;)  The format is conducive for just about any size group--RCIA class, adult faith formation group, family study, or even individual study.

Happy Friday!!!  Go see Jen for more quick takes!