A Pretty Perfect Fall Weekend

 

Look at where we got to go and what we got to do this weekend!!!  TN vs SC -- it was a rematch all Volunteers were looking forward to and our players did not disappoint :)

Not the best picture - it was after 11 p.m. (WAY past Tom's bedtime - ha!) and the lighting wasn't great, but this picture captures so much happiness.

I'm linking up with Sarah and Holly this morning for Hello Monday.

Always great to link up with others to see how they rounded out September 2023 :)

Saturday morning I had a tennis match and got to play with this partner again - 

She and I met years ago on a mixed team when we were lower-ranked players and have continued to play on some teams throughout the years as well as just "fun play" when schedules line up.  She has a wicked slice serve that I always tell people, "I knew I was a more confident player when I stopped being nervous when she was serving to me".  the 4.0 we played against this weekend hadn't ever experienced her serve and said it's the most difficult serve she has had to navigate in a long time.  We went to a set tie-break but unfortunately were not able to pull out a "W".  Still a great way to start the last Saturday in September in East TN.

This song came on as I was driving home from tennis and it just couldn't have been more appropriate - 

I picked up a mum to go with our giant pumpkin on the front porch. . .I'm not great at keeping these things alive so we'll see. 

Because we were setting up to welcome some of "our people" into our home for the first time to eat together before the big game.

Susan got there first and we had to send Connie a picture, showing that we were ready for her to start the party.

Last year I saw a FB post from a soccer/cheer mom that I knew through my kiddos when we lived in middle TN.  She was putting together a trip to Greece for some of her students and wanted to open it up to others too.  These are some of the people we met on that trip!!!  We were commenting yesterday that we've only known one another for about 4 months but we feel so connected.  None of us live in the same town, and we need to be intentional to get together.  This is the second time we've done something together since the trip. . .we went to the lake, the game this weekend, and have already put another event on the calendar for October - yay!!

Anyway, Connie did the best job capturing our day in pictures - so thankful for that!!  This is what I get:

And then she can do this:

We got to the game early to watch the Vol Walk but ended up just getting a good view of the busses - ha!

Although I've never been to another college campus for a football game, I have heard we have the best experience here. . .we introduced Connie, Susan, and Alan to the band's pre-game march to the stadium: 

It was such a beautiful day:

Lots of fun pictures/videos during the game. . .and Stephen showed up for a minute to say "hi"

And then, at the end, we came away

We love cheering for our adopted Vols :)

We don't really have any pictures beyond this. . .we walked back to our vehicle and then "reverse tailgated" - with 100,000+ people leaving the stadium at the same time, it's not worth it to immediately try to get on the road - Connie had brought tailgating supplies so we ate by phone-flashlight in our parking place before heading back home.  Connie tried for one last photo (it says it was taken at 12:25 a.m.) 

Susan took a pom and was cheering our win out the moon roof!!  We had fun, if you can tell. . .

I finished this book - it was really good!

I like a good "story" and this was just that - set in 1952, after being released from a juvenile detention camp, Emmett is taken back home to Nebraska just to set out for a new life with his younger brother. 

 

We took it slow Sunday morning -- after going to church with Robert last month, attending Laura's church with her a couple weeks ago, and then going to church with Stephen last week, we tried a new-to-us church closer to our house Sunday.  Since COVID we have been struggling to find a church home. . .the kids have scattered due to school and living in new areas, and so we've been searching for something for "us". . .in the past it's always been about what is best for the kids, but now we get to see where we might find a home.  

After church we went to Culver's (didn't think to get a pic - that's what "dates" look like after 28 years of marriage!!) and then I took a nap and Tom and Stephen watched the Titans beat the Bengals.  

Tough on my Cincinnati family, for sure.

Later we got out on the pickleball court for open play, which is always fun:

These two courts, plus one on the other side of the tennis net were full.  This picture is Tom out there with his parents - I love that this is something that all three generations of the Bells can play together.

Sometimes Stephen comes with us on Sunday afternoons but he is covered up with school work and close to mid-terms.  

I got a picture from Laura in Ohio - she had some friends over for Fall Festivities and they went apple picking then made gourmet grilled cheese.  I had fun zooming in on the picture to see what goodies they had!  (I'm glad she has friends who like to share pictures too)  

It was a GREAT fall weekend. . .hope it was for you too!

I continue to try to capture the small joys because they really are the best things in life.  I'm thankful to our Lord for all He has given us, including a way to record and share this life.

Love,

Jenni