10 things I've been doing while I haven't been blogging

1. We finished up Kyler's cross country season. He got 12th place at the final all-city meet... which is pretty cool considering there were over 100 runners in his race. Top 16 get ribbons... so he's got a new one to add to his wall.
2. We also noticed that Kyler has grown... so much so that he's pushing to be taller than Asia any minute. I measured him the other day and he's grown an inch since school started. That's a half inch a month. At this rate, he'll be 6'3" by June. Hope that slows down just a tad or he's going to be a GIANT.
3. I've been on a mission to find cute, comfortable shoes for my trip to Africa. I have to wear skirts almost exclusively while I'm there, so I need something that works with skirts... but obviously, they need to be comfortable and have closed toes and heels to meet the dress code for the team. Asia wants me to wear combat boots, but obviously, being a girl, I'd like them to be a little more feminine. It's a dilema, I tell you. I'm off to the mall today to hopefully find the perfect shoe. I thought I'd found them last week, but when the ones in my size arrived at my house, my toe was touching the end of the shoe and that just won't do... oh, the stress...
4. I had a lovely visit from my dearest and oldest friend, Corey. She came down from Alberta for her birthday weekend and we had the loveliest time together. We ate out and shopped and talked and had lots of coffee... I am amazed that after 35 years of friendship, we never run out of things to talk about. She is so dear to me. It means the world to me to have a friend who just totally gets me - even after not living close to each other for years... she is truly my soul sister.
5. Corey and I went to see Phantom of the Opera while she was here... Neither of us had ever seen it - and frankly, we really knew very little about it going in... but we both LOVE musical theater and in another life, I think we both could have been Christine or Cosette or Fantine or any number of chanteuses. Phantom really is a tragic story and I found myself watching with a small degree of horror at the sheer desperation I saw unfolding before me... I've been singing the songs for a week... running through the back of my mind as I do laundry and mop the floor... it's haunting, really.
6. Asia has been traveling more than usual, as he had a re-defining of his job a bit ago... so he's gone just about every week. It's not ideal, but thankfully, it's only through the end of the year and then he gets to return to his normal job and travel schedule.
7. I think I say this every year, but this has been the most beautiful fall I've ever seen. October in Spokane is nothing short of glorious, with cool, crisp mornings and sunny blue skies almost every single day. It's the perfect combination for fall color - and the trees around here are simply amazing. I'm drinking it in before we have four months of white/grey/cold/winter.
8. I'm collecting letters from people for Tejan... I've got a nice little stash to take along with me from his friends. I seriously cannot wait to see him. Three weeks...
9. We carved pumpkins with our friends David and Brynn. David is from Northern Ireland and grew up carving turnips. Did you know pumpkins are native to North America? They don't have them in Europe. But David has fully embraced the pumpkin carving tradition since coming to America - and he is serious about his craft. He's also a fan of The Office. Can you tell which pumpkin is his?
10. Happy Tuesday, friends. Smooch you all for sticking around while I've been doing whatever it is I've been doing.