Our Week in Review 2014 ~ 11/2-11/8

Another week bites the dust.  Seriously, does time seem to be flying by?  Or it just me?

Doug worked looooooonnnnnnngggggggg days this week.  Starting on Sunday.  He hasn't worked on a Sunday in a long time.  I barely saw him all week.  :(

Keira's violin lesson got cancelled on Monday, which enabled me to stay in my yoga pants all day.  I love days like that.

Tuesday I finally got to release my last three butterflies.  I thought I would get to release them on Monday and even took the female outside a couple times but she agreed that it was too cold and windy, so they spent one more night with us.  The temperature was much warmer on Tuesday so the boys helped release them before school.  One of the males went first, then the female.  The last male was a bit more hesitant. I took him outside and he stuck around for a while.  I had left to run some errands and found that he was still here when I got home.  I kept telling him he had to go and finally he did.  Praying they are well on their way to Mexico by now.

Tuesday was also Election Day so I voted.  Except the one guy I voted for lost.  I hate when that happens.  :)

Wednesday I attended another school consolidation meeting.  The school board had a lot of questions and none of them have seemed to have made up their mind what to do yet.  I hope that is a good thing.

Thursday I had a PTO meeting, had to leave early to take the boys to Bible Quizzing practice, and then Keira had an orchestra concert.  Everything seems to happen on the same day.  But thanks to some friends helping out, it all worked out okay.  The boys got to go hang out at one of the quizzing teacher's homes and I picked them up after the concert.

Friday the kids had a half day of school.  I had conferences with both boys' teachers, which I wasn't really looking forward to.  However, I left informed and encouraged by all of them.  They really have awesome teachers.

Keira went away for the weekend on a Youth Group retreat.  She came home on Sunday "physically exhausted but spiritually refreshed".  (Her words)  

With Keira away, Doug working, and Nick grounded (don't ask), that left Alex and me.  We had a nice time together.  Just hanging out, reading and watching movies.  I edited all day Saturday while we watched movies together.  He said it was a really fun day.  And we didn't even do anything.  :)

As I have really been enjoying participating in Fat Mum Slim's photo a day challenge, I have decided to continue again this month.  Here's November's list in case you want to play along ...

And here are my interpretations ...

{November 2 - I saw this!}

Our last two Monarch butterflies emerged Saturday but it was (and still is) too cold to release them. So these two males and a female are going to hang out with us until the weather is nicer. The forecast looks good for tomorrow. In the meantime, I take them out of their little homes and feed them and let them fly around a little.

Today Nick was being silly with the boys. Letting them climb all over him. Next thing I know I look over and see this. He would have added the female too but she was being feisty and only wanted to fly around. She's more than ready to go free.

Tomorrow will be a bittersweet day. While I raise them in order to set them free so the circle of life can continue, I will miss having them to take care of. Hoping for an even better year next summer! (By the way, we successfully raised 172 Monarch butterflies this year. WOOT!)

{November 3:  Weather}

I thought the weather was going to be warm enough to release my last 3 babies today. However it is still chilly thanks to the wind. Tomorrow's forecast calls for even warmer temps so I promised them they would go free then. In the meantime, they will continue to eat from sugar-water-soaked cotton balls and hang out inside with us.

My female (on the right) is very anxious to be free. When I take her out of her home, she flies straight to the windows. So I took her outside to prove to her how chilly it is. She agreed and didn't even attempt to fly from where she was perched on my finger. She's a feisty one.   :)

{November 4:  Can't live without}

Today is such a bittersweet day here at the Vensel house. This morning I released my last 3 babies as the temperatures were finally warm enough to do so. One female and two males are hopefully now on their way to Mexico where they will stay for the winter. They have a long journey ahead of them and I pray they make it. Hoping I get to raise their great grandbabies next summer!

I'd say that I {can't live without} my Monarchs, but that's not completely true. I love raising them - taking care of them in order to release them to continue the circle of life - but I would still survive if I didn't. My life would go on. However, we as the human race do need pollinators such a butterflies and bees in order to live. They serve a very important purpose. I just hope that those that keep developing "new and improved" pesticides and insecticides come to that realization before it is too late.

{November 5:  8 o'clock}

We woke up to frost covering the ground one day last week so I threw on a coat, grabbed my camera, and tried my best to capture some of the beauty that was surrounding us.

As I said, this photo is from last week as I was just waking up at 8:00 this morning and was sitting in a school board meeting at 8:00 tonight. 

{November 6:  Made me smile today}

I try to find something positive in every day. Especially on rough days like today. And while I did have a few things that made me smile today, I don't have pictures of any of them. So I'm sharing something that happened a few days ago that made me smile. It's not a great picture - got a little motion blur going on there - but it warms my heart to see my boys and Honey having fun together. We took Honey to this park for the first time on Monday (we have been there many, many times but never with her) and she really enjoyed herself. We will be taking her back again soon to do some more exploring.

{November 7:  On the floor}

Our dog, Honey, often lays on the floor. Though I think she prefers the couch. I can't say that I blame her.  :)

{November 8:  A place}

A place I'd like to be right now since I bet it is much warmer there than it is here.  :)  (This was taken during a sunrise while we vacationed at Sandbridge, Virginia Beach, back in June).

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