Completely unedited sunrise this morning from my back deck 🙂

Since I missed the last link up with Kristen and Gretch, I knew I wanted to be sure to post this month, even if I am a day late linking up!!! August and September are always extremely busy months in our family and this year was no exception. Sometimes I’m just a bit too busy living life to blog about it, haha 😉 Instead of recapping the last couple of months, I’m going to do a general update on some things that are currently new and exciting via some photos.

Fall has arrived in Nova Scotia – last week it was 30°C on Tuesday and 10°C on Wednesday and pouring rain on Thursday. The wind is getting chillier and the humidity is gone. I’m not complaining. I love fall. I feel SO much happier walking/running/playing outside in the fall than in the heat of summer, and I feel like I have a bit more energy or something too. It’s been nice!!

Of course, Molly started back at school this month and also turned 6! Lucy started preschool two mornings a week. She loves it.

We are getting into the routine of working part-time. My three year old is having a LOT of extra mommy time, and she is loving it. She is constantly cuddling with me every single time she sees me and I love her for it – no one else in my family is very cuddly. haha. My 6 year old is feeling a bit left out since she’s at school when I’m home with Lucy, but we are working on making our time together more special too. Last week, I took both of them to a nearby petting zoo and playground and they LOVED it.

I am HIGHLY enjoying taking a French course for work. My professor is enthusiastic, energetic, and quite funny. It’s beginner level, and a review of the exact same course that I took in 2014 but I am enjoying being immersed in this language for 3 hours/week. If you’re looking to spend a bit of time learning a new language, I can’t recommend the app Duolingo enough. It is really fun and doesn’t take long to make progress!!

We have tried tons and tons of new recipes this month because Brian has jumped on the low carb high fat train with me. I am feeling quite a bit more motivated and successful having him change his eating habits too. For him, it has really involved drinking less beer and less treats, so it’s not super deprivation or anything but we have obviously indulged in a treat or two here or there. A few favourite recipes that I hope to share soon include pad thai made with cabbage noodles, spaghetti squash alfredo with chicken, and a delicious fall soup.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading and I can’t wait to chat books next Tuesday. I am working on a new balance because I certainly don’t get tons of reading done on the days I am home with the kids now, but we have been plowing through some audiobooks so I’m content with that new normal. For awhile there, I really felt like I had to listen to a particular genre on audio (i.e. classics, non fiction, etc) and while I still prefer those overall, I am enjoying pretty much anything I can get my hands on on audio now. Also just listened to Deadly Manners this week with Kristen Bell and it is intriguing so far! Definitely check it out if you are looking for a fun murder mystery podcast. It reminds me a bit of Clue.