September was very busy! We are fully back into the school year, and it's even beginning to feel like fall most days! We started out the month with welcoming Anna home from her 4-day 8th grade field trip to the Green River Preserve way out in western NC. She had good weather (they only had a little rain from a tropical storm) and a wonderful time! They did a lot of hiking and some water/lake activities. She came home super tired and with a lot of stinky laundry! On the 2nd, we had a really fun visit from the Summer cousins including a trip to the pool and a girls' shopping trip! Sunday, Bob, Erin, and I (and Finley) enjoyed some boat time while Anna went to the trampoline park with the Mitchells.
We took in a Sunday evening mass at the cathedral, which was very nice. Anna went to an optional volleyball practice on Monday, and we mostly relaxed the rest of that day.
I got to catch up with two friends from WAY back in our St. Andrew's moms group days on the 5th, which I enjoyed very much! I went to Back to School Night at Gibbons on the 7th and really enjoyed getting to meet Erin's teachers and experience the crowded hallways of high school! Erin had a fun field trip to the art museum with her dance class that morning as well. Friday, I finally got to help in the StMM cafeteria for the first time this year, which was great, and Anna played her third of three volleyball games that week. It was a busy week back to the grind for her!
Saturday was the long-awaited and much-anticipated friend boat day for Erin, but sadly it was very stormy, and even the NC State football game had a long weather delay. So, instead, the friends came to our house and played games, took a walk, and ate. They still seemed to have a good time.
The following week was more of the same, including Back to School night for StMM on Wednesday, and Bob's trip to Sydney that began on Thursday. This time, he took a weekend side trip to Tasmania before working the following week. Even though his planned air tour was canceled due to wind, he still enjoyed seeing the city of Hobart, going to church, and hiking down Mt. Wellington. Not many people can say that they have been to Tasmania, but Bob can!
Erin's first session of The Way (youth group requirement for Confirmation) started on the 17th. It has been wrought with drama, but we are giving it a go and hoping it all goes well. She will attend 12 sessions of that on Sunday nights this year, and 12 more next year. We ladies were busy this week with school and activities while Bob was gone. It all went smoothly, except that Erin got sick with a cold/fever on Thursday. She only missed one day of school because they had a teacher workday on Friday, but she also had to miss the homecoming dance on Thursday and the homecoming football game on Friday. The football game was very wet due to tropical storm Ophelia, but Anna and I still went and enjoyed the tailgate (but we left right after the game started). We had to reschedule Erin's first day of driving with the instructor on Friday, but she was better in time to do Sunday's session. We were all nervous, but she did great! She drove the whole time in neighborhoods and on two-lane roads, practiced parking, and it sounds like she did a really good job. Way to go, Erin! Due to the instructor's schedule, she won't drive again until October 20th, then the 21st, and will take her permit test on the 27th.
Anna began her 2-week cat sitting job for the neighbor cats on the 23rd (big money!). Bob made it back to the states on Saturday but detoured to Charlotte for the Eric Church concert on Sunday night with Chris, Leslie, 2 of their friends, and our neighbor friend Kevin. They had lots of fun! He got back to Holly Springs on Monday morning. The rest of that week was more of the usual, complete with 2 volleyball games. I got to volunteer at the Gibbons school store for the first time on the 27th, and I enjoyed that very much! After that, I had signed up for an hour of Adoration in the chapel, which was also really nice.
High school has been a big change, but it seems like it's all going well, and Erin is doing a great job both in classes and with trying to get involved. She's joined the FYI club (Franciscan Youth International) that does local service projects, as well as a science club that teaches at middle schools in the area. She tried a dance club, but decided that it wasn't for her. Her dance elective also has some opportunities outside of school; she's completing the honors option for the class which involves attending some extra classes before school, attending a dance event, and creating a presentation about college dance programs. Erin really enjoys the freedom at high school and being able to hang out with friends before and after school. Speaking of high school, Anna has started her Gibbons application for next year, and she will have her visit day on Friday the 29th. She's very excited about that!
Otherwise, we've been enjoying watching Gibbons football and our Wolfpack as well. Both are having pretty good seasons so far. We are hoping to get out on the lake this Saturday before it cools down much more. Bob will head out on his combo New York/London trip on Sunday, then he's got a couple more domestic trips planned in October. It's a busy fall, but all good things! Bring on October, complete with #15 for Erin!
