What's Up Wednesday!

Hi!! How has your week been going so far?  Our's has been good! Nothing big going on...just cruising right along! :)

So...it is the last Wednesday of the month...which means it is time for another What's Up Wednesday Post! I am joining Mel, Shay and Sheaffer for their super fun link up party!

What we're eating this week...This week several yummy things are on our menu! On Sunday, I made some super yummy slow cooker chicken enchilada soup, so we are having leftovers of that and we also are having some delicious BBQ pork my mom sent home with us when we were visiting my parents a couple weekends ago!  Of course, pizza is on permanent rotation, EVERY Friday night!

This made me laugh SO hard!!

What I'm reminiscing about...Even though Aaron is done with all of his schooling (hello 7 years of that!), he still has to take several, really big tests while he is in residency.  He is currently preparing to take one in the beginning of November and seeing him go down to our basement and study has made me think about all the years of him studying non-stop when he was in school.  And it makes me SO thankful that he is no longer a student!! HA!

It was a loonngg road to get to where we are today and we are so excited for what the future  holds for our family and his career!!

One of the best days for our family- graduation day for Daddy! 

What I am loving....I have refreshed a few little areas around my house and I am loving them!

The first one is this little strip under a section of my kitchen cabinets.  It is right by my "command" center.  I had my hubby hang up a strip of cork and now I have a place where I can hang up papers that I need to keep in a safe spot!

I can't tell you how happy I am to have a place other than the counter for random papers I need to keep track of!

I am currently loving my mantle because my super sweet neighbor brought me some flowers the other day and they are GORGEOUS!! Don't they look so pretty on my mantle??

And finally, I am loving this little space in our combined laundry room/pantry/mudroom.  We re-organized it a couple of weeks ago and I am SO happy each of the kids have a space for their shoes, jackets and backpacks!  The bins on the shelf will be used for their hats and gloves once winter arrives :)

What we've been up to...school, Daisy scouts and soccer for Charlotte, school, gym and swimming class for Cora Maye, work, studying and several work conferences for Aaron, school and dressing up in princess costumes for Celine, eating, playing, and destroying the house for James and well...I am just here for all of it! And I love it :) 

What I'm dreading...so I know I don't live in Alaska or Maine (Hi Johannah :), but I really am dreading the cold months that are quickly approaching.  It definitely gets REALLY cold here in central Indiana and I just loathe being cold. ( I know- DRAMATIC much Justine!?!) Does anyone know what this year's Famer's Almanac is predicting about how cold this Winter is going to be?? Please tell me it is a mild one ;)

What I am working on...well...I am ALWAYS working on the never-ending piles of laundry that accumulate :) I am also getting ready to go through all of the girls' and James' clothes and switch over their spring/summer clothes to their fall/winter clothes.  I always feel SO overwhelmed when I start the process...but it feels so good once everything is packed away,  folded up in their drawers and hanging up in their closets.  I am thinking daddy is going to have to take them to the park so I have can a kid-free hour to just power through and GET IT DONE! Also- I really want to decide what Santa is getting the girls this year and then start looking for sales on that item so I can get it purchased! I have a few ideas of what I want to get them...but being completely honest- I feel like they have SO MUCH STUFF- it is hard to think about buying them MORE! (Even though I know it is totally fun and they are only kids once...it is seriously kind of gross how many toys they have! Definitely going to be donating a good amount of them before Christmas time!!)

What I'm excited about...sooo...with no family in town and Aaron's nutty work schedule- we just don't get out hardly at all as a couple. It is just how it is, so we happily (not all the time :) just deal with it :)  Anyway- we have a little event we are attending next week and my good friends are going to watch the kids. We pretty darn excited to go out for a couple hours, on a school/work night nonetheless!!

What I am watching/reading...I am so excited to FINALLY be watching NEW episodes of all my favorite shows!! Thank goodness we have some fresh TV shows to watch! Since we don't have cable (we do get NBC, ABC, and CBS), Aaron and I were getting pretty desperate! I may or may not have been caught watching QVC one too many times! HA!

(I don't even care...I love QVC and David Venable is my favorite!!)

What I am listening to...the Anthem Lights channel on Pandora! Kate, from The Small Things blog mentioned in one of her posts last week- and I am so glad she suggested it! It is SUCH a good channel.  Go to Pandora now and add it to your playlist! :)

What I'm wearing...oh wow...I am SO boring when it comes to this question! I wear my workout clothes every morning, because I go to the gym after I drop my girls off at school.  The good news is I am changing out of my SUPER sweaty gym clothes when I get home :)  Lately, with the weather cooling off just slightly, I have been wearing leggings or capri leggings with a tunic and some flip flops :)  I look somewhat put together- but feel like I am wearing pajamas- HA! I will wear my flip flops until it gets uncomfortably cold :)  Last week a I did a post about some Fall clothing favorites from Walmart...check it out here! I ordered the necklace, cardigan and cream top.  They should arrive any day and I can't wait!

What I'm doing this weekend...Charlotte, my oldest daughter, has her last soccer game of the season on Saturday morning and then in the afternoon, Charlotte, Cora, Aaron and I are participating in the girls' school community wide service day.  We did it last year and it was a great afternoon! We will be going to a family shelter in downtown Indianapolis and helping out in any way we can!  My friend is going going to watch Celine and James for us... because...well let's be honest- James is in total destructor mode right now and we would not be able to get anything done with him in tow! HA! So James and Celine get to hang back and play, so we can work! :)

What I'm looking forward to next month...We have a packed calendar in October! We have something going on every weekend in October- with the two most exciting things being a trip to Carbondale, IL to visit my grandpa AND to go to my Alma Mater's (Southern Illinois University- GO SALUKIS!!) homecoming football game with my sister, her husband, my dad and Aaron! Then the following weekend, it is Halloween and Aaron's parents are coming to visit us from Texas! We are going to be busy- but it is definitely going to be such a FUN month!

What else is new...there is not much else to report! Life is boring, regular and GOOD :)

Bonus Question: What is our Favorite Halloween Tradition?

We always carve our pumpkins 2 days before Halloween.  We cover our kitchen table with newspaper and the girls pick out the 'design' they want on their pumpkin.  Aaron is so good and always carves their pumpkins just how they want them.  We don't necessarily have any set traditions on Halloween night...but we always get dressed up and go trick or treating...even if the weather is gross! It was hailing and raining and freezing last year and Aaron and the girls still went out! Nothing is going to hold my girls back from getting candy! HA!