Little things

So the past week has been both exhausting and amazing.  Let's start with amazing.  Last Friday I had a chance to attend the Longwood Athletics Benefit Celebration which was a great excuse to get all dressed up and hang out in Richmond with lots of friends for the night.  I will also say that I'm feeling like the Crossfit is paying off (more later).  Overall the night was a blast and much needed.

Neil decide he wanted to come play &
he even wore appropriate Longwood colors!

the girls

As I left work last weekend I was already dreading how crazy this week was going to be and boy has it lived up to its promises.  After working for a bit Sunday morning and feeling like I'm at work early in the morning and at events until late in the evening a couple of days ago I saw a professor friend post this:

Wednesday near Farmville

An important milestone in my professional career... I've realized there is no such thing as "catching up" on work. Until today, I thought perhaps it was possible. I'm now abandoning that optimistic dream. Never. Going. To. Happen.

         With this as a response:

                  



 I have been living the expectation of "if I can just make it through this week, everything will be fine" fantasy. Of course, next week at this time I ill recite the same mantra!

How many times have we all felt like this?  I didn't necessarily like reading this but realized how true it is and how I just need to step back and do the best I can while enjoying the little things.  So in the last few days I've taken those moments to reflect on those little things, in no order:

• I work with some amazing students and one group  that sometimes gets a little less attention than others because they are so high functioning and amazing!  They know who they are.  I needed the reminder from an outside perspective to remember this but as long as I remember it right?
• That glass of wine at the end of a crazy day is a good thing
• Starting the day with a text and conversation from someone who makes you laugh!
• learning that with 10 weeks of Crossfit that I have lost 10.25" from my body measurements!
• A virtual apples to apples game that has been happening since mid-July and that made a come back this week and makes me laugh...alot!

So let's all celebrate those small things and realize that things are still going to be there tomorrow, next week, etc!

Apple Butter and Family

One of my favorite times of year is October, no not because of the weather, it's because it's Apple Butter weekend for my family.  I don't know where it came from but now every year my extended family gets together for our national holiday called Apple Butter.  The whole idea behind it is that we make apple butter, which is delicious and amazing and easy to make.  

This kettle makes 40 gallons of Apple Butter

I was extra excited this year because Dad came down from NY with some of the immediate family so it was nice to catch up with him! 

Dad got to join us this year

So besides the making of apple butter and cider it gives us all a chance to catch up, connect and sometimes to make fun of each other!  It seems that there is always a college football game that can stir up some drama rivalry and this year was no exception.  This was the year of WVU (where most of the family's loyalty lies) at Texas (where poor Vince went to school).  There was lots of prep work for the smack talking that started pre-weekend and continued throughout.

Hook 'Em got a present of a WVU shirt that Vince was not supporting

the game watchers

As usual this weekend did not disappoint, I enjoyed those who were there and we stop for a minute second to talk about those who were not in attendance.  I also got to fill up my friends here with fresh apple cider and I have my fresh stash of apple butter for the year.

All 40+ of us!