Usually when I decide to write on here, it’s when I should be doing something else and the house is messy and I need to be leaving the house in 10 minutes. But today I have nothing going. Zero. It’s softly snowing outside and I have a French-vanilla-quarter coffee waiting by the couch. Yes. We finally got a couch. A mustardy gold velvet one that is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. So this morning I’m just sitting on my couch writing because it’s long overdue. Morgan is at hockey this evening which is starting to become a several times a week thing and honestly, I’m not complaining. I like being in my house drinking coffee.

We drove with Miss Giesbrecht and Miss Friesen to school meeting in Heart Valley on the 6th. We stayed with Joel & Burnette at Carlos & Shay’s house which was so fun. All lovely people. It was another inspiring teacher meeting, even tho I’m not teaching! Lots of new faces after we skipped last year in this district since we were in Michigan, and a good amount of familiar faces too. It’s always fun to see old school board and friends from my years teaching in Linden and Pincher Creek.

While we were at school meeting, we received the news that Morgan’s great-aunt Janice had passed away here in Enderby so our plans changed a bit and we headed straight home instead of spending the weekend in Edmonton like we’d planned. We arrived home late Friday night and spent the weekend cleaning and making food. Morgan’s Mom and Grandpa Orville & Grandma Valeda (Aunt Janice and Grandma are sisters) arrived to stay at our house on Monday and were here until Wednesday for the funeral. We loved having them here except for the circumstances of course. We will miss Aunt Jan so much. It’s been a long week for us with the funeral bringing back memories for both Morgan and I and working through -i don’t know what to call it. Secondary grief? Where we grieve our Dad’s again through the death of someone else we were close with? It’s provoked several conversations between us of memories of our Dad’s which has been nice. A pleasant surprise was seeing my unit houseparents, Papa Harry & Mama Millie at the funeral! They came over for coffee Wednesday afternoon and it was so good to catch up with them!

I’ve been in full Christmas mode already so my house is decorated. Mostly. We’re going to go pick cedar boughs one of these days with Lance’s so I’ll add some of that yet but yes. The Christmas season is going strong at our house. The house has smelled like drying oranges for days because I’ve been drying them for garlands. The stockings are hung, the golden star garlands are in the windows, Grandma Jul’s glass Nativity is on a table, and the Nativity we bought in Mozambique is on a shelf. My family starts to arrive in four weeks from today and we are so excited. I’m going to make peppernuts, peanut butter balls, and gingersnaps for the freezer one of these days. If any of you come through the area you are so welcome to stop in:)

Morgan is busy at school with program songs and parent Christmas supper and report cards. The year is going well and we love his co-teacher girls and we’re grateful for them. Starbucks keeps me pretty busy so I don’t spend a lot of time at school but I occasionally help out there as needed. I helped with sewing lunch last sewing day,  and Morgan and I have gone fishing a few evenings. We went up to range a couple weeks ago and spent the day with family and cows in the forest and it was a favorite day.

We continue to request your prayers as we try to understand God’s will for us. There are so many unknowns with the financial side of teaching, our fertility, and the difficulty of Canada adoption or if we would pursue that from the USA instead if we would ever feel like that route would open to us. It’s overwhelming to say the least, and we often feel unequipped to understand and make those life decisions so please pray for us.

Wishing you all a lovely USA Thanksgiving weekend:) Xoxo Cheyenne.