fall bucket list update and a few more things

  

Happy Tuesday, friends, and happy almost fall! I thought I'd give an update on this fall bucket list post that I shared back in late September. I'll share how I did on each item I listed and I might share some new ones. I hope you enjoy reading this post! I'm using the same pictures to help rekindle your memory.

I mentioned using the firepit this fall and having a night where we roasted s'mores around the fire as a night of dinner with our sons. That night of dinner did happen, a couple of them actually, but it was a regular meal and nothing was cooked over the fire. I will defend myself on this one—our weather has been unseasonably warm the last few weeks. The only week of cold weather we had was while I was in Colorado, and while I was there though it was cold here, it was close to eighty there. Go figure. We like to use the fire pit only when it's cold, otherwise it's too buggy outside. 

I mentioned replacing this television with the shattered screen and cleaning off the deck, both of which we did! I've cleaned that deck off several times by now, actually and I will keep doing it as long as the leaves are falling. 

Remember me talking about visiting the Christmas shops with Mom and Trish, but for the fall? We did not do this. I'm not sure why we never went, but I'm thinking it was probably a Saturday of storms that stopped us, then it was also me traveling. Oh well. I'm looking forward to seeing them at Christmas once again! 

(These are the shops: Le Fleur and Social. Both are in Memphis.)

Todd and I never went for a drive to see the foliage, mostly because it turned so much earlier than it usually does. I think it was the drought we went through over the summer and again in August and September that caused the colors to change early. 

I never got around the cleaning out the attic, but I'm still hoping to do some of this while we get ready for Christmas this week. I'll probably be the one to go up there and hand things down, and I may get rid of some things to clear a path. 

Todd and I spent several nights together recently and out on date nights. I was glad we made the time for that! Quality time is our top love language and we've noticed when we do more of that, it leads to a better relationship. I feel like every couple should evaluate their marriage each month, because we all feel disconnected from our spouses every once in a while. I know all of you know exactly what I'm talking about! This should be the relationship we all prioritize and we need to guard our marriages. We also should pray for our marriages way more regularly than we do. I was thinking about that on Friday as I prayed for my friends whose marriages are struggling right now. We all go through that from time to time. 

Todd and I enjoyed our Halloween night immensely! We had a ton of trick or treaters and were outside for a couple of hours, at least.

I never went with Dad and my sister to the town he spent a year of his life in that's nearby. Dad's memory isn't what it once was and I've seen a major difference in him in the last few months. I don't really talk about that here much, because it's sad to see him like that. I'm praying about how we spend our Fridays each week, but the last one and the next few will be me going over to his house, because I've had siblings here from out of town. I really like to be alone with Dad, because he's more like himself when it's just us. He seems easily frazzled when it's not a normal day. He is 91, so this is nothing surprising here, and even with a change in him, I'm grateful it's not any worse than what it is. Bless him. I cry almost every time I leave him these days. 

I'm going to continue in finding opportunities to date my husband and I'm still hoping for us to enjoy s'mores around the fire pit. We have been using it, though for something else entirely. We had some fence work done in the last couple of weeks and we had some tree trimming done that had been needing to happen. That created a huge mess, but it's over with and the yard was cleaned up before we went to bed that night. Something else I'm thinking about is how I want to spend my birthday. It's coming up in December and I want to be with my family. Every year we do something together and I'm thinking about it as I write. 

Several of you made this kind of post as well. How did you do at yours? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all!