October was a month full of highs and some lows… and trust me, there were some definite lows. Medical news for a close family member that no-one ever wants to hear, a husband working more insane hours than you can probably fathom off the top of your head, less than ideal allergy testing results for Bug, and our little family being apart more than we were together because of travel and work. Even in the midst of chaos though, there were still plenty of highlights and I like to keep record of those here. Breaking down my “five things” from October below.

1. Family Pictures

We took family pictures at the beginning of October to document Bodie being a year old. The timing worked out perfectly and we now have photos to use for our Christmas cards this year. I’m always so behind on those each year, so being ahead of the game is a nice change of pace this go around. Jennifer Blair took our photos and did not disappoint. She’s based out of Dothan, AL (where I am from) and did our wedding pictures six years ago. She was in town for a weekend trip to Nashville and so we were able to do a session with her. Her husband is also the worship leader at my dad’s church and so we know them well. Jennifer is a true gem and, not only has a serious talent in the photography space, she’s got a huge heart for the Lord and is so inspiring to be around. I was a little nervous about how the images were going to turn out… Bodie was being a bit of a crank, but you’d never know it. Jen worked her magic and the photos turned out better than I could have hoped for. I’ll share more in a separate post, but I love them all so much and will cherish these forever. You can view her website here. It’s full of all the pretty things. I’m going to do a full post with the photos from our session, so I’m only going to give one sneak peak here 🙂

2. Weekend in St. Louis

My best friend lives in St. Louis and, early in October, I went and spent the weekend with her. We had the best time putzing around town, eating lots of good food, and decorating her house for fall. She’s also pregnant right now so we spent a lot of time working on her registries and running some baby related errands. She was so much help much when I was pregnant and after I had Bodie, that helping her for a few days was the least I could do to try and even the field a bit. On an unrelated yet related note, St. Louis has the best grocery stores. Every time I go to St. Louis, I just want to grocery store hop haha. She also has one that’s within walking distance from her house (it’s also my favorite one), so it’s very hard to keep me away.

3. Lake Weekend with Friends

If you’ve read my blog before, you know that going to the lake is a regular occurrence for Luke’s family. We usually just go in the summer months, but Luke and I went up with some of our best couple friends in mid-October (which obviously would be considered the off season) and I’m here to tell you, it was fantastic. We got a lovely fall weekend with chilly temps and minimal crowds. We built a fire and roasted s’mores, took the boat out for a leisurely ride, played games, and hung out enjoying time away. It was such a good time and I came away from that weekend deciding that the off season is now probably my favorite time to go up to the lake. Pure delight.

4. New York Trip

Shoutout to my awesome husband for this one! Luke and one of my dear friends, Becca, planned this whole trip for me and it was a total surprise. Like, I cried when Luke showed me my booked flight. He knew I was tired, a little worn down, and in need of a getaway to recharge. Remember this packing post? I was getting ready for this trip! Becca is one of my college besties and lives in NYC. She and Luke arranged for me to go spend a few days with her. I used to go up and visit her all the time, but then between being pregnant and the whole having a newborn thing, logistically it just hadn’t worked out the past couple of years. Per usual, it was an amazing few days in the City with one of my sweet friends. NYC recharges me in the best of ways… I love the hustle and bustle (and constant access to good coffee). I’m going to do a whole blog post on this trip soon, so keep on the lookout for that.

5. Pumpkin Patch Visit

The saddest part about this is that Luke wasn’t able to come. As crazy as it sounds, October was so hectic with his work and both of our travel, we could never work it out to go to the patch together as a family. Although it made me sad he couldn’t come, my sweet friend Chelsea came with Bodie and I so that we wouldn’t have to go alone. I joke that she’s the best stand in spouse hahaha. That’s clearly a joke, but her husband is on the road a lot for work and mine just works all the time, so Chels and I have learned how to become a great little duo. So thankful that the Lord knows exactly who to place in our lives and when. Friends are a gift straight from Him. Anyway, we snapped a few pics (because Bodie had on a pumpkin patch outfit of course), picked up a “Bodie Pumpkin”, and then grabbed a coffee and donut (because when Five Daughter’s Bakery is right around the corner, you don’t pass it up). Additionally, all this went down on October 29. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

October has always been one of my favorite months. This past one was a little wild and went in a flash, but I’m being reminded that amidst chaos, there is still fun and always something to smile about and be grateful for. Thank you, Jesus, for teaching me and growing me through the good and hard times alike!

xoxo.