why hello, november

I'm so behind on posting! We had a very busy social weekend that included dinner with new friends Friday night and a get-together/dinner with our former small group Sunday evening, and a photo shoot Saturday with Jen for our Christmas picture. Needless to say, we didn't get much done because we were out of the house most of the time. I did manage to get some BSF homework completed, but I need to finish the rest tonight. Dinner with our Bethlehem small group was a sweet time. I miss them a lot, and we were very touched that they had a little sendoff for us including prayer as we transition to a different church. There are so many changes one goes through in the course of a lifetime, and with that comes many goodbyes and many hellos. Thankfully we will still be able to see our Bethlehem friends as we are not moving out of state or anything like that.

Tonight we are getting rid of a sleeper sofa we've had in the basement for 5 or 6 years. I am so excited we are getting rid of it! It served its purpose, but it's big, clunky, and outdated. We bought a couch at Ikea that is more streamlined/clean lines/modern. I'll post some pictures once we have the basement furniture arranged in a presentable way. :) Our friend Pete is going to help Brett load the sofa into my parents' Suburban, and then my mom (thank you, Mom!) is going to drop it off for us tomorrow at Hidden Treasures thrift store. We also got rid of a big, bulky computer desk that was downstairs, too. We put it out on the curb with a FREE sign a week ago, and finally someone came and took it on Saturday. I'm so glad someone hauled it off so that we didn't have to get rid of it.

Brett and I are going to Two Harbors this weekend for two nights. This will be the first time being away overnight from our little Stella, so I am dreading it a little. I know she will do well at my parents' house, but I will miss her so much. On the other hand, I am so looking forward to a little R&R and time with my Brett. We will be staying in a room that has a kitchen, so Brett will be making meals for us. He is good at cooking and is creative. I plan on not cooking and instead allowing him to wine and dine me. :)

I recently signed up Stella for Baby Storytime at our local Hennepin County library. There are other babies and toddlers with their caretakers; a teacher or librarian leads some songs and book-reading. It's very laid-back - the kiddos toddle around and play. It makes for a nice little outing. I also take her on Wednesdays to a toddler play room in the library. She roams around playing with toys, balls, and crawls through a little tunnel thing. Often there are other kids her age, and it's so fun to watch her interact with them.

Can you believe tomorrow is election day? We'll be casting our votes for the Romney/Ryan ticket after Brett gets home from work. We vote at the local VFW just down the street a little ways. This is our first time voting with a kid, so I suppose one of us will hold Stella while the other heads to the voting booth. I am nervous about the election, but am taking comfort in the fact that God is in control of the outcome - there are no surprises for him.