Ups and Downs

The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster.
 

Papa, Grandma Baur, Uncle Dan and Aunt Diana were with us for 9 days at the beginning of September, which was GREAT. We really enjoyed having them around for visiting, Starbucks runs, field trips, board games, and good eats.
 

So naturally it was a pretty big letdown when they left. We go back into our our routine pretty quickly and my Bible study restarted on Tuesdays which helps break up the week. And I joined MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) this year, which meets once a month and has been a lot of fun so far.
 

But there have been a couple of downers, too. A couple a weeks ago Garrett though my phone would like to go for a swim in my glass of milk. It didn't like it. It, instead, quit working, and forever gone was my list of birthdays and extensive collection of gift ideas. All my contacts were somehow saved (thank you, Google), though. And thanks to modern technology, my calendar magically synched with my phone as well. I went with a Motorola Android Mini. I was a little afraid at first that I'd gone too small. But now that I'm used to it, I realize it was the perfect choice! And I'm sure Garrett will destroy it in no time. 

The day after the phone incident, someone backed into the Mazda in the grocery store parking lot. But he was insured! And we needed a new bumper anyway! So I am counting this one under the "all's well that ends well" category. Kudos to Progressive for an excellent service process. While they've had our car for repairs, we have a rental: a Nissan Altima. It's a little big for my preferences, and kind of too grown-up for me, too, but I am slowly being won over. It's easy to get Garrett in and out because of all the space, the trunk is huuuuge, there's virtually no road noise, and the whole car is computerized. So I know, at any given moment, how many miles until empty, the ambient temperature, and any maintenance that needs to be done. For instance, for the past couple of days it's been alerting me that the front tires have low air pressure. This morning I went to put air in them, now knowing quite what the recommended pressure was, and I'll be darned if the car didn't HONK AT ME WHEN THEY WERE AT THE APPROPRIATE PRESSURE. I was beyond excited. We still plan on driving our cars until they can drive no more, but I am really enjoying this little car-vacation. I named her Nina.

Doesn't she look like she belongs?

Garrett's had allergies for a week or so, and I'm not feeling so great, thanks to my thyroid no doubt. But overall we are doing great, enjoying the slightly lower temperatures and getting ready for Texas's "fall."