October is a really busy month for us this year--we were in Minneapolis the first weekend of the month and were able to stay put this past weekend, but then we'll be in Roanoke Saturday night and to a wedding near Charlottesville the weekend after that. Then it's Halloween and Rob's brothers are visiting, and the first weekend in November is another wedding, this time in Washington DC. This time in our lives is so fun--lots of weddings and parties and other celebrations, but I always have to remember to take a second and catch my breath every once in a while.

It's that time of year in Charlotte where the mornings are really chilly, but then it reaches almost 80 degrees in the afternoon, which always kind of bums me out. I'm ready for cold days and hats and hot tea at 2PM. We've been leaving the windows open at night, though, which always makes me sleep so well.

One of my best friends, Elena, came through town on Sunday on her way to the airport to catch a flight back to Seattle and we got to hang out for the first time since my wedding, where she was a bridesmaid. Before that we hadn't seen each other in probably two years. It is truly ridiculous how rarely I see some of my closest friends, but I feel so incredibly fortunate to have these relationships that allow us to just pick up where we left off, no matter the distance between us.

I have to admit that I'm really surprised by how hard it's been for me to get back into the swing of things after taking two weeks to go to Roanoke and care for my mom after surgery. I guess I had been feeling burnt out for a long time, and that ended up kind of being the last straw for me. I really did anticipate just jumping back into everything--writing and blogging, working out, eating right, keeping our apartment organized--all the daily things we don't usually have to put too much thought into. But it's been a struggle to stay motivated, to stay inspired. I wish I could stay that I'm doing the best I can, but I'm not sure if that's true. There's still a big part of me that's trying to figure out what's next for me, what I want this blog to be, and what my goals and dreams actually look like.

This weekend was packed with those chilly mornings that tell you fall is on the way for sure. My mom was visiting and we woke up early and put on sweaters and socks and drank steamy mugs of coffee on the patio, which is one of my favorite ways to spend a brisk morning. The air smells wet and it's kind of gloomy but still so refreshing--it's everything I love about the changing seasons.

Tomorrow I'm headed to Roanoke for a couple of weeks to help my mom recover from surgery on Wednesday. I'm so glad we live closer now and that I have the time to be there--I don't think I've ever been more grateful for my blog and the opportunity it gives me to have a flexible schedule. I may share more details soon, but until then we would really appreciate any and all positive thoughts, prayers, and general good vibes. My mom is the strongest, most wonderful woman I know and I am so proud to be her daughter and friend.

Every year around this time I start saying the same thing: I am ready for autumn. I know that's really annoying, especially down here in the South where it'll stay warm and muggy until October, but it's true. We've had a few cooler mornings and evenings lately and it's been so nice to go out in jeans and a tee shirt. I'm not craving pumpkin spice everything, either; I just want to wear a sweater and sit on my patio with a cup of coffee and read Villette by Charlotte Brontë or listen to Dashboard Confessional (which is really a specific fantasy and has me wondering what the perfect autumn moment looks like to all of you).

I basically disguised a work trip to California as a vacation to California (although it definitely had aspects of both), so I was really confused when we came back home and I was totally exhausted all week long. And then on Friday, Ender started displaying symptoms of kennel cough, so all three of us have barely gotten any sleep since then. It's been a rough few days, but if anything it's just made me realize how incredibly lucky I am--jet-lagged or not, there is nothing sweeter than watching your husband take care of a sick puppy.

I'm off to the chiropractor this morning after our accident a few weeks ago, and I couldn't be happier. My lower back has been bothering me a lot since then and it's been a long time since I've seen a chiropractor anyway, so that will be nice.

Hopefully we'll be sharing some of the work we did in California starting this week or next! I am so excited about all of it and I hope you guys are looking forward to it, as well. This week I'll be getting all of that stuff ready, folding a bunch of laundry (don't tell my mom I let it get out of control again!), possibly taking Ender to the vet, and hopefully taking a nap or two. Life, man! It catches up with you.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend--what are you up to today?