Hello Monday

Linking up with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday

Had a nice Friday evening- Alyssa was out with her boyfriend so just Donnie and I were at home. I didn't work on Friday which is an anomaly- Friday being days that typically subs are needed for. I prepped a few things for a Halloween get together at our house on Saturday and did some cleaning.

Saturday morning was more prep work for our meal and then I went and picked up Abby. She was participating in a fall retreat for one of the college organizations that she is active in. The retreat was near our house. She had free time for a few hours on Saturday and asked if we would mind picking her up and taking her home during free time. She wanted to do laundry at home, pick up a birthday gift that she'd made for a friend at school and not eat retreat foods! They were serving food she didn't care for; I told her it was no problem to get her.

This spooky looking house was on the way to where the retreat was.  I was stopped at a light so I snapped a picture.

Meanwhile, back at home, I was not going for a spooky vibe but just an orange festive one. I found more lights in the basement so I added lights to a plant and found a spot for a light up jack o'lantern.

Abby came home and hung out with us before Donnie took her back to the retreat. Our friends came over for dinner and to watch a movie. We ate and laughed and I took zero pictures.... Later, when our friends were still here, I went back to the retreat place to pick Abby up. The retreat ended at 9:00 pm and Abby could have driven back to Miami with the friend who brought her to the retreat.  But Abby hasn't been sleeping well in her dorm room and asked if we'd pick her up from the retreat for the night and then take her back to school on Sunday. We said that would work. Going to school close to home has a few advantages ;).

Abby remarked that the food spread for our dinner looked like it was for little kids. I told her she was right and that I was serving Halloween items in mostly an ironic way- why take ourselves too seriously?

Sunday morning we didn't attend church in person. We decided to let Abby sleep in; if she woke up in time to go to the second service, we would go to that. She slept in past the time she'd need to be awake to go to church so we stayed home and watched a service online after she woke up. It's pretty rare that we don't go to church. But I knew that Abby needed a good night's rest and to be able to sleep until she naturally woke up.  We watched a service online that we missed going to in person when I was out of town in PA earlier in the month (all of church's past sermons are on YouTube).

We carved pumpkins, did some online shopping and then it was time to take Abby back to school. I took her back and ate dinner with Abby. While on campus, I went to the website where sub jobs are posted- I didn't have any lined up for the week which is very unusual and saw that there was one for Monday, the 31st, at the intermediate school. It was for an intervention specialist who has a nice (small) class which would work out nicely for the day. I picked up the sub job and then realized I would have to go to the store to pick up Halloween candy for trick or treating. I had planned on buying some Monday because I didn't think that I'd be working (that is what I get for procrastinating!!). I knew I wouldn't want to go to the store after subbing on Monday so after dropping off at school, I went to the store Sunday evening to buy candy and a few things that we needed.  

Abby's pumpkin turned out so cute!!

Dinner at the dorm- Abby's meal plan comes with some guest swipes that expire at the end of the semester. Since I took her back near dinner time, Abby asked if I wanted to eat at the dorm. The food is actually pretty good at the dorm especially considering it's mass produced.  There was a burrito station with various types of meats with all the fixins.' It wasn't as good as Chipotle but it still good with many fresh ingredients. Plus, while not "free" by any stretch of the imagination, it had already been paid for when we paid room and board for the semester- it required no new fees ;).

I stopped by the store on my way home from dropping Abby off. By Monday, we were Halloween ready!