Updates from our house

October has whizzed by and here's what has been happening.

Marian has had her first Fall rowing race and placed 7th of out 10 in her first race and 2nd out of 3 in her next race.  Gabriel is also racing and doing well.  They have 2 more races for the fall season and then it's over, a much shorter season than the spring.

Anna continues to love marching band and color guard, Bogdan was finally able to see her perform in a marching band competition last week and loved it.  (I was busy with the rowers.)

Our fall production of Harvey comes up soon and we will begin Tech week and long hours at the theatre.

Gabriel is sending in his last early application (for Stanford) in this weekend.  That's his first choice so far for colleges.

Marian (I think) might be on her last days of trick or treating.  She has 2 Halloween parties, one tonight and one tomorrow.  I think if the weather agrees the kids might do trick or treating tonight, but it might rain.

She just returned from backpacking trip to Big South Fork, which she enjoyed.  Although, she said it was more hiking and less camping.  She's determined she likes camping better.

Fall break

Things we've done and are going to do...

--Camping trip to Edgar Evins State Park (only one night in the rain)
--cliff diving at the park
--final college visit trip to NC (UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke)
--making meals for the next month (beef stew, cheesy chicken, teriyaki chicken, minestrone soup, to name a few of the items on the menu)
--going to the Haunted Hollow Orchard, getting tons of Stayman Winesap apples, made 3 apple pies and canned 12 jars of applesauce
--praying in front of Planned Parenthood for an end to abortion
--working on costumes for the upcoming production of Harvey
--first race of the rowing season
--visiting Darlene, who is home now, and doing well
--dentist appointments
--Fall Festival, complete with games, booths and a spaghetti dinner

Fall break begins

The new balanced schedule and extended Fall break begins today.  2 weeks of fall vacation.  We'll attempt to go camping and then to NC to see 2 more colleges.  (the last of the college visits)

There are some normal doctor's appointments and things on my to do list (well, actually for Bogdan to do...power wash the house) and then our fall break ends with the parish Fall Festival.

Keeping many people in our prayers, lots of sickness in the world, and praying for a relief to that for many.

Pope Francis

Loved watching Pope Francis and his many visits last week.  In between my crazy schedule, I managed to watch some of the coverage of his visit.  I loved seeing him at the 9/11 Memorial and very much appreciated the multicultural presence there, I was thrilled to see him with Cardinal Rigali (who is from the Knoxville Diocese), and it was great to hear and read about so many people making pilgrimages to see him.

Too many things happening

And not enough time to make a posting.

In no order:

--Darlene, our elderly friend from church, is still in rehab.  She is slowly recovering from surgery, and they hope to discharge her this Thursday.
--Girl Scout camping with 150 people...no girls lost, all had a grand time, little sleep had, only one sprained ankle
--rowing has begun in full swing, both Marian and Gabriel are rowing this year
--Anna is loving color guard (not as much time being applied to studies tho').  The football team has yet to win a game, but she is loving being a part of marching band and color guard.
--viewing of the Supermoon Lunar Eclipse (not as stellar as they hoped)
--Gabriel turned 17 last week.
--My car had major work done, Bogdan bought a new to us car (2013 Ford Fusion Plug-in Hybrid)
--Karen starts work on the fall play and the spring musical

Already September

School has been in session for a month now, hard to believe!  The kids have already received their mid-term grades.

Anna is adjusting to ETSU, back in classes for a couple weeks now.  The football team had their first game and didn't win, actually they were beaten pretty bad.  But, she says it was a lot of fun.

Our elderly friend Darlene from church had a difficult week.  She is in the hospital after having emergency surgery on Friday morning.  She had a blood clot and dead tissue removed from her bowels, 3 feet in all!!  She is still in ICU, but there are hopes to have her moved from there into a regular room.  She is looking better each time we are in.

The new school year so far

A few weeks underway, kids are finally back to the old routine, and getting up early again.  Gabriel started his one class at Univ of TN, a math class of course.

Our yard sale was a success, making over $700!  And the house and carport is clean again.

The neutrons are firing again at SNS, so things are back to normal for Bogdan--work, work, work.

Both Marian and Gabriel will start rowing on Monday. Marian has decided to give it a try.  We will see if she likes it or not?!