October and November in North Carolina are my favorite. They are so pretty and cozy, with just enough warm days thrown in to make you appreciate the cooler ones. Every year I try so hard to slow down enough to appreciate these fall months, and every year they seem to pass by before I’ve even had a chance to register that they’ve arrived.
This fall, there was some bitter along with the sweet. The start of October brought some big challenges for Josh and I, and we had difficulty dealing with them while living two hours apart. At the risk of sounding trite, I believe that ultimately God used those hard things for good in our lives and in our relationship. I will forever be amazed at how He brings such “beauty from ashes.”
On to the lighthearted stuff! Despite its difficulties, October was FUN. Josh and I went to the NC State Fair with some friends, where we celebrated our two year “meetiversary”! Woooo! A lot can happen in two years, let me tell ya.
We also went to Charlotte one weekend so that I could celebrate a friend’s bachelorette party. We dressed up with a “day of the dead” theme and went into downtown Charlotte for drinks and dancing. I’m secretly 90 and couldn’t believe I made it past midnight. So fun!
Another fun thing Josh and I did was use a Sur La Table gift card to attend a cooking class! We made a salady thing, butter thyme chicken, green beans, and caramelized pear panna cotta. It was as delicious as it sounds.
The beginning of November brought a friend’s wedding on Bald Head Island. We drove down with some friends, ferried to the island, and stayed with a very gracious couple in their Southern Living-esque home. NOT TOO SHABBY. The wedding itself was gorgeous, and I cried during the couples’ vows, as per usual. Josh must be so tired of taking his weepy wife to weddings. The reception was incredible, too- tons of delicious food, a live band, dancing, and a photo booth. Yay marriage!
In the middle of November, we received the sad news that my grandpa had passed away. So, we canceled plans and rescheduled appointments and prepared to drive up to Pittsburgh for his funeral. The roadtrip happened to fall on my 27th birthday, but it ended up being nice to get to celebrate with my family (especially my mom, whose birthday is the day before mine!).
On Thanksgiving, my sweet family brought the feasting to us. We celebrated at my sister’s house (she lives ~20 minutes from Josh and I) where there were all the classics- turkey, stuffing, roasted veggies, taters, pie. YES LORD.
I am one of those scrooges who refuses to even think about Christmas until December 1st. So, now that the month is officially upon us… IT’S GAME TIME. I’m off to watch Elf, light twelve pine-scented candles, and belt out “Joy to the World” as often as possible. Merry Christmas-ing!
A Continual Feast 
One response to “October & November”
[…] for funsies- I found where I (briefly) recapped our time at the fair last year. My hair was so short! On a side note, I am terrible at hair care and that was actually the last […]
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