Happy Halloween, muffin, and Happy Halloween-Candy-Sale Day tomorrow. (Don't worry, I don't plan on buying any.)

I'm a teeny bit miffed - I finally got email from you, but you only had a few quick questions for me to answer. But I reflected on it: I'm happy I can hear from you at all. Goodness knows you must be brain dead with all of your work, on top of being bodily tired. It's got to be easy for you to keep busy, at least. It's a little of a struggle here, even with preparing for Marley's arrival in a few months. Mom and I have been hitting up yard sales and thrift stores and even antique shops to search for everything we'll need - Grandma already has a crib/playard for us when we pass through VA on the way to our new place, and I'm getting a few more hand-me-downs from other people too. I think I've nearly narrowed down what we'll need for a baby monitor, and at a good price. There's a lot to consider and to purchase before we have all we need, but I've got a good portion already handled. I wish we could have done some of it together, though...

We're getting ready to have some guests for November, too - not quite Thanksgiving, but close. Mike Hill and my Dad used to work together in the Navy, and he babysat me a number of times. (Mom says I drove him nuts with an old VHS titled 'Imagine That!', and that's become our exchange/in-joke in the years since.) His family will be spending a weekend with us, so Mom's fixing an early Thanksgiving meal to share with them. Guests are kind of a big deal for this quiet little house, and I'm excited to get some of my holiday baking started. Of course, Papa Bear's already asking for cookies and chocolate pecan pie and butter rolls... (Don't worry, I'll make a pan for each of you when you're home for Christmas - I remember how you loved them. )

On smaller scale notes: Wendy is starting to get into trouble around here. She's dug under the fence in several places. I can only imagine she keeps trying to chase something out in the woods, but I'm worried for the day she follows our neighbor's dog out onto the highway. Kirby seems to have brought his mousing skills to fruition - I came home today to a dead mouse on the kitchen floor. It was literally a clean kill, only a little dried blood to clean up. It's only a guess that Kirby was the culprit, considering how he sniffed the floor afterward as if to say 'Where's my toy?' Mama said if he keeps it up, she may keep him. Meanwhile, I've been setting up my bedroom to prepare for Marley's arrival - it's a tight squeeze, but we'll manage when you visit, I'm sure. The cradle is sitting nearby, almost ready except for crib sheets, and I'm setting up the changing station on the wall, as well as her clothes in a small cubby on the shelf.

I'm kinda worried that we won't have enough time to talk logistics of getting a house set up for our arrival, and for actually getting Marley and me up there. I won't be able to go anywhere for a month or better because of my recovery time. I'll try to be on the computer with you when you come back to the surface and we can trade links for places I've reviewed and discuss where we want to live. I'm sure we'll find the ideal place for what we need; more importantly, we'll be together again. All three of us. A family. I can't wait to have you home for Christmas - I'll be counting the days until you come home.