November

We had a great month of November! It started out on the 1st with a fun lunch at our house with Grandma and Grandpa F. We enjoyed catching up with them! We watched an exciting Wolfpack football win over Georgia Tech from home that evening. On the 2nd, Erin and I bravely attended the BRAKES defensive driving course in Raleigh that morning. It was really helpful and fun, too! 

The girls gave tours to prospective families at school that afternoon at the annual open house. Bob went to Boston on the 3rd, followed by a train trip from there to NYC on the 5th. On the 4th, Erin had her first tutoring session with a freshman that went very well. He's now got his twin sister attending their sessions to get help, too, and she's got another student/client! The girls were off school on the 5th for a teacher workday, which they spent at the dentist, followed by a hair appointment for Anna. Anna had an 8th grade shadow student on the 6th, and I enjoyed spending some time volunteering at the Gibbons school store on the 7th. Bob and Danny watched a Wolfpack basketball victory that evening while the ladies and Joe and I watched the game from home.

Erin enjoyed a rare weekend day off on the 8th; she was originally planning to take the SAT that day, but her schedule ended up changing. We enjoyed a super fun family hike along the American Tobacco Trail that morning. 

We all went to mass at 5pm, followed by a fun dinner at the delicious new Japanese place in town, Arita. Bob headed to Atlanta on the 9th for a few days. Anna and friends spent the afternoon at Southpoint while Erin worked. I went to Adoration at Gibbons on the 10th, followed by a very nice daily mass. Erin went to StMM with Service Beakers that afternoon and had a great time! Erin had her advisory service trip on Wednesday the 12th, which was organizing and helping out at the Boys and Girls Club in Raleigh. Bob and I went to the NCSU basketball game that evening and had a great time! We had a special evening on the 13th for Erin's Junior Mass at the cathedral. It was a really nice mass with Fr. Luke (Gibbons chaplain) and each kid was called up to receive a class ring or other special jewelry item. She got a necklace from Grandma Harvey! 

Erin had the next day off school, but Anna still had to go. Erin and I enjoyed watching She Loves Me, the Gibbons fall musical with the McGees on the evening of the 14th with a froyo stop after while Bob, Anna, and Joe hung out at our house. 

On the 15th, Bob, Anna, and I had a blast at Lyla's family's "Novemberfest", which was a belated Oktoberfest celebration. The food was outstanding, and we really enjoyed catching up with church/school parent friends who we don't see as often now that the kids are in high school. I had a fun book club on the 17th and spent 2 mornings at CPO that week, Wednesday and Thursday. Thursdays are my usual day most weeks, but some people were out of town that week. Anna had another shadow on the 20th, and she stayed after school to watch the fall dance concert with her friends. Her friend Stella was in the show. I had a nice brunch with my friend Gina K. on the 21st. 

The weekend of the 22nd-23rd was pretty quiet, with just Erin working and Anna's youth group. Bob, Anna, and I did a little car research at Carmax on Sunday which ended up being wild when the gray Accord wouldn't start when we went to leave. After an interesting Uber ride back to our house (the driver had her dog in the front seat), Bob picked up a new starter at Autozone and got it replaced quickly on Monday morning. It's better than new! 

I was back to CPO on Monday the 24th. Anna and Bella went to see the new Wicked movie on Tuesday. Wednesday, we ladies went to Concord for a very fun day of Thanksgiving prep and Christmas decorating with Grandma and Grandpa A.! We also got some games in! Thanksgiving was full of delicious food and great family time. 

We had a fun visit with Tom, Jimmy, and Danny on Friday the 28th, including a yummy Mellow Mushroom dinner. Saturday, Bob and I had a fun time at the Kavanagh's Michigan/Ohio State party while Anna shopped at Southpoint with Bella and Erin worked. We watched the Wolfpack beat the Tarheels that evening! Sunday was Christmas decoration day, whew!

It was a busy month but not too crazy. We enjoyed lots of family fun and worked hard, too! Bring on the hoildays!