7 quick takes

--- 1 ---

Mark Shea wrote an article at the National Catholic Register and used James' story.  The combox went a little crazy and many people seemed to have missed the point that while it is quite impressive that James' heart began to beat after 61 minutes, the potential miracle is that after 61 minutes he came back to life and is now fine.  Doctors thought he would die or at least be severely disabled.  Their thinking was based on what science and medicine tells us about how the human body works.  You don't get oxygen, you die.  Your organs shut down and don't work so machines have to do the work for you.  Or you die.

Upon the gentle nudging of my VirtuousPla.net editor, Stacy, I was going to go back to the combox and explain that.  And then I saw that long-time Newlywed reader, JoAnna had already done so.  So thank you, JoAnna.  I feel a little too weak right now to fight any emotional fights and I really appreciate you stepping in for me.

--- 2 ---

My newest article at VirtuousPla.net is up now.  Maybe it sounds kinda depressing because I talk about death; or maybe it sounds kinda hokey because I talk so "eloquently" about fall.  Either way, read it for the P.S. at the bottom if for no other reason!

--- 3 ---

Here's something awesome:  a video from a Roman news agency.  The funny thing is that they get two things wrong.  #1 - they report that James was pulseless for 61 seconds.  Seconds?!  Uh, no.  Try minutes!!!  #2 - they make it sound like the worst thing that would have happened was that James could have been blind.  Um, blind would have been nothing compared to severe cerebral palsy, brain dead, vegetable, dead...  Trav said I should email them and correct them.  I said it's not my job to correct everyone.  If the Church sees fit to declare this a real miracle then I'm sure the record will be set straight then.  :)

--- 4 ---

How is this for a great picture?  Travis and I went to bed the other night, and we peeked into Lydia's room to see this. 

--- 5 ---

The weather is finally cool enough for slippers, a hot cup of tea, and fall decorations.  Love it!

--- 6 ---

A recent trip to a local pumpkin patch.  In this area Ackerman Farm Pumpkin Patch is the way to go.  The pumpkins are nice and cheap.  The employees are kind and helpful.  And they have all kinds of farm animals for the kids to see.  Here's L and B petting a baby goat. 

I love this picture of Lydia.  Carmel apple sucker in mouth, she makes her way through the pumpkins, carrying the one special pumpkin she finally decided on.

--- 7 ---
Cute kids with their pumpkins and candy. Clearly L and B are saying, "cheese!"

Thanks for reading, friends!  Have a great weekend!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

new things going on

Hey folks.

Sorry I'm pretty silent over here.  I really am doing things.

Like taking my kids to the park, going to doctor appointments for the boys, and decorating our house for Autumn.

And starting a Twitter account.  I don't know what I'm doing yet, but I feel like I should have an account if Behold has an account.

You may also notice some things are different on this blog.  Like my lovely tabs at the top.  oooooo. 

Also, I'm blogging on a weekly basis over at VirtuousPla.net and I'm a little ridiculous about my writing over there.  It's like I'm back in college, writing and re-writing an essay, trying to get an 'A'.  You can check out my most recent post, salty music.

I do have some posts in the works for this blog, my darling little blog.  So stay tuned!  I promise I'll be back!

are you bored?

If you are, google "61 minutes James Fulton" and the stories go out for 18 pages.  It's pretty crazy, but I understand why people are excited about a possible miracle for the good archbishop.  People have a genuine love of him want to see him canonized.  We're just along for the ride.

My favorite thing I've seen:  someone called James "the boy who lived".  Now that I love.  :)

we knew it all along

Okay, so maybe there were times, especially early on when I (for one) didn't know it.  Maybe there were times when I was really afraid of what had happened and how it would effect the rest of our lives.  Maybe there were times when I was quite unsure of what God was doing. 

But surely that's all understandable.

And now, I am so happy to say, we have it straight from the developmental pediatrician's mouth:  There are no lasting effects from James' 61 minutes without a pulse. 

Woo hoo, Jesus!

We saw the doctor yesterday.  He examined James, asked us some questions and with a big smile on his face and a slight shake of his head he said something like, "it's astounding and really, really wonderful.  There is nothing to be concerned about."

James' knees are a little bent but Dr. thinks that's because of how he was in utero.  He recommended we get some stretches to help the knees fully straighten, but he also said that there is nothing James won't be able to do if he doesn't just grow out of it.  But again, that's not from the birth.

The doctor also said James may show a learning disability in the future, but so what.  He could have had that anyways and it's just a guess of something that might happen. 

Having this doctor respond so positively means a lot.  He's an expert, one of the best, and everyone else seems to value his opinion.  So if he says James is fine, James is fine. 

But again, we already knew that.  Didn't we?

The birthday recap and the finishing touch on the miracle

A year ago last Saturday about 100 people were in the Cathedral in Peoria, asking for Archbishop Sheen's intercession and beggin God to miraculously heal my son.

But this past Saturday about 60 people gathered at our parish for a Mass of Thanksgiving. 

I kept thinking, "how can we ask God for anything if we are not prepared to properly thank Him when He gives it to us."  We asked for a miraculous healing - I believe that's what He gave us.

THANK BE TO GOD!

And then we went to the church hall to continue the celebration. 

A potluck lunch.

70+ friends and family

A very cute birthday boy

Who was also very tired.  He barely ate his cake - he mostly just played with it and rubbed the frosting on his face and in his hair.

I still remember sitting in his NICU room with his feeding therapist more-or-less telling me that he probably wouldn't be able to have cake at his first birthday because he'd probably be eating through a tube the rest of his life.

It was something I had to mourn, but in the end God let him have cake.

I am also honored to say that James' birthday guests generously gave to two seperate collections we took up, in lieu of gifts.  $640 was donated for the Children's Hospital of Illinois and $195 was donated to the Sheen Foundation to help fund the canonization of Archbishop Sheen.

Lastly, tomorrow some friends, my three kids, and I will be making a pilgrimage to mark the anniversary of Archbishop Sheen's ordination. 

I will be praying for the "last" bit of the healing to be finished.  We recently saw James' feeding therapist, who said he eats like a 4-6 month old.  We actually will never know if James was born with this problem (some "normal" kids are) or if it's a result of his traumatic birth, or if it's because of his body being put on pause for 3 days with the cooling therapy.  Also, she strongly believes that he WILL be able to eat and drink normally as he ages, but that she fears he will be a slow learner and that he'll never be able to take thin liquid from a bottle. 

Tomorrow I will ask God to fix James' swallowing. 

Would you please pray with me?

I will again be asking for the good bishop's intercession.

 

Eternal Father, You alone grant us every blessing in Heaven and on earth, through the redemptive mission of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and by the working of the Holy Spirit.

If it be according to Your Will, glorify Your servant, Fulton J. Sheen, by granting the favor I now request through his prayerful intercession - that James Fulton's body heals and functions normally and that he is spared any brain damage. I make this prayer confidently through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

James is One

Can you listen to this song and not think of my sweet baby James?  The line "with ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go" still makes me cry.  It helped express my exhaustion when James was still in the NICU and we weren't sure who or what he'd be.

My family has gone through a lot in this last year.  We are so grateful and joyful to have James and to have him healthy and happy.

I thought I would repost what I wrote here a year ago today.  I was trying to be strong and confident when I wrote it, but when I read it now I can see that it is full of fear.  The beginning of those ten thousand miles have looked very different than I thought they might.

James Fulton

After an 8 hour labor I gave birth to James Fulton at 1:48am on Thursday, September 16th - my younger brother's birthday. James weighed 9lbs 12oz. The labor was the best I've ever had. My water broke while on a walk around the neighborhood with Travis - right in front of the AC church during their Wednesday night service. My apologies!!!

James is a family name on my side, my bil's middle name, and one of my patron's - I was born on St. James the Greater's feast day. Fulton, of course, is for the great Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

James, who did very well during the labor, was born without a heart beat. After a few minutes of giving him oxygen and chest compressions, 911 was called. Tavis also baptised him. We are very grateful to the men and women EMTs and paramedics from Goodfield, Eureka and Congerville who came very quickly and transported James and I to the OSF. We are also grateful to our friend Jenny W. who attended the birth as a photographer but pitched in as a former pediatrics nurse when things got hairy. She also rode with Travis and James in the ambulance.

Fortunately, I did not need any stitches and my postpartum bleeding has been very light so I was able to go to the hospital and see my son very easily and quickly.

Another blessing was having Msgr Bliss, the hospital chaplain, and Fr. D, my spiritual director and former pastor, waiting for us at the hospital. They arranged for James to be confirmed, we chose for him the name Linus.

Without going into all the details of what is, or might be wrong, with James I will say that he is in stable yet critical condition at the NICU at OSF. At this point they are running tests, keeping him on a cooling pad to help with any possible brain and organ damage, and he is currently sedated. We probably won't be able to hold him for 3-5 more days, which is incredibly difficult, as I'm sure you can imagine.

The rest of us are all doing fairly well, albeit tired, worried, and sore (me).

We would like to publicly thank our many friends who prayed for us throughout the labor and are praying right now. Thank you also to Katie, our incomprable friend, who made us food, stayed with the kids while we were at the hospital, and helped me through afterbirth pains today. Our moms have also been tremendous helpers and generous givers. Thank you to my sister-in-law who also has helped with Lydia and Bennet. We are so very, very blessed.

And now we ask that you will pray for our son. Please pray through the intercession of St. James, St. Linus, and Archbishop Sheen. If James comes through with no problems we will defintely attribute it to a miracle for our local saint.

PLEASE PRAY!

for Pete's sake

 

As a way to honor the child I lost through miscarriage, Peter Mark, and to share your burden, please allow me to pray for you or your loved ones who are carrying the cross of infertility or loss of a child.

You may share your prayer request in the comment box or by emailing me at bonnie engstrom at gmail dot com.

Comments may be anonymous and please feel free to share as much or as little as you like.

It is an honor to pray for you! Thank you for the privilege!

 

Also, women in the Peoria, IL area, please note that A Mother's Love grief support group for women who have suffered a miscarriage, stillbirth, or loss of child meets the second Tuesday of every month from 6pm - 7:30pm.  They meet in the old adoration room near the convent at St. Phil's in Peoria.

I was able to go to their first meeting and it was a wonderful, helpful, hopeful evening.

Please share this information with anyone you know who may be interested.

love this, gotta share it

I saw this on Fr. Ray's blog.  He got it from Defend Us In Battle.
I love it. 

Review of Catholic Icing's Catholic ABC's preschool curriculum

Lacy Rabideau of Catholic Icing has answered the prayers of many a Catholic mom - or at least this one's - with her Catholic ABC's preschool curriculum book. 

I've had my copy of the book for a couple weeks now and I've spent a lot of time reading through it, familiarizing myself with the content, and revving up for homeschooling Lydia.  We have now officially begun homeschooling preschool (she's 3) with Catholic ABC's and we are both in love with the book.

For starters, I appreciate that Lacy writes out an entire script that parents or preschool teachers (for those in co-ops, CCD classrooms, etc) to read.  As a parent I am Lydia's first and most natural teacher, but I am not a "natural" teacher and have never home schooled before.  I appreciate that Lacy has created a common-sense flow for the day and provided all the transitions to get from one part to the next.  It helps me feel less awkward and also allows for a framework that I can use to interact with Lydia.

The other thing I appreciate about the book is how much freedom there is.  The established structure actually helped me feel free to deviate a little bit because I can always quickly and easily pick up the script again as soon as I need to move on.  Lacy offers so many tips and fun ideas to help kids learn using sight, movement, songs, and so on that she inspired me to alter things a little bit so Lydia would really enjoy the lesson and get the most out of it, and I would be 100% comfortable.  For example, for the Creation Unit Lydia and I began by using Google Maps to find our home, our town, our state, our country, and our planet.  That was how we began discussing the world God created.  Then, instead of using the recommended symbols (a flashlight for light) I made up hand gestures to accompany the song about Creation.  When I do this with Bennet next year I'm pretty sure I'll need the symbols, but for Lydia the "dancing" is more meaningful.  But I want to be clear, while I altered Lacy's lesson plan a bit it is not because it isn't good.  In fact, without Catholic ABC's I'm not sure I would have been confident teaching Lydia about creation.

I also appreciate the letter lessons.  Lydia knows her alphabet, but Lacy's book uses the letters to introduce important parts of our faith.  So each week we are learning about a new saint, opening our Bible to read a verse, and discussing a new vocab word (like "angel" or "grotto" or "monstrance"). 

When it comes to the crafts that correspond with each lesson, I have to confess that about 1/3 of them probably won't be made unless Lydia's godmother shows up.  There's two reasons for this.  First, crafts can stress me out, which makes me not want to do some of the more elaborate ones.  Some examples are the super cute nativity set and the brilliant Last Supper made from an egg carton.  I love the idea of them and how they look but I'm pretty sure attempting them will only bring about yelling, cursing, and tears.  Secondly, we don't own all the supplies, such as feathers, beads, and felt.  I know that all those supplies are easily found at Wal-Mart and dollar stores but if we go back to the whole stress factor you can maybe understand why I don't want feathers and beads around the house and easily in the hands of little boys who like to throw and eat things.  It should be pretty simple to find other ways of doing such crafts, and Lacy even offers ideas (like a rosary made of MnM's and mini marshmallows instead of beads) so in the end I may have no excuse except laziness. 

So really the crafts and the book have no fault - it's just me.

The back of the book is filled with templates and coloring pages that go the lessons and units.  Because my printer has a built-in copier this is very helpful for me - no more searching the website as it's right there!  A friend without a copier wishes the book came with a cd of the pages, which might be a good suggestion for when Lacy's book is picked up by a publisher. 

The last thing I want to point out is that Lacy has some great ideas for how to teach kids basics of our faith.  Every part of every lesson has all kinds of useful tips that I thought were brilliant. 

In all I strongly recommend the book.  Even if you send your child to preschool I think that there are projects, songs, lessons, and tips in Catholic ABC's that will help reinforce the lessons they'll be learning, the faith you're trying to instill in them, and the fact that learning and our Catholic faith are fun.

amazing

If you're having a bad day, here's a story to renew your faith in the goodness and selflessness of others.



A 21 year old man was trapped under the car that hit him on his motorcycle.  The vehicles were on fire and a group of men lifted the car off him, and pulled him out, probably saving his life.

He is in critical condition; let's say a prayer.

Sheen and Megan

The Diocese of Peoria is asking people to join in a novena for the canonization of Archbishop Sheen.  The reason is simple, Sheen was a holy man and is an excellent example to all of us.  As an official saint the Church would lift him up as a role model, just Christians already look to St. Paul, the Blessed Mother, or even Billy Grahm, Mother Teresa, and St. Augustine. That prayer as at the bottom of this post.

However, a friend is asking for people to pray for her niece, Megan, who is in need of complete healing, much like James was.  If you are willing to pray, please read her story below, pray for her, and leave a comment so the family knows you've lifted her up.  Thank you!!!

Sheen Novena for Megan 

September 12-20

Eternal Father, You alone grant us every blessing in Heaven andon earth, through the redemptive mission of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and by the working of the Holy Spirit.

If it be according to Your Will, glorify Your servant, Fulton J. Sheen, by granting the favor I now request through his prayerful intercession - that Megan's body heals and functions normally and is spared any damage to her brain. I make this prayer confidently through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen

Today is the start of the Archbishop Sheen novena that goes through the 20th to celebrate the anniversary

of the Sheen ordination. Along with praying for Archbishop Sheen we are asking for you to also say a

novena for his intercession to bless and heal Megan Crawford. Megan is 25 years old and is from

Germantown Hills. She was in a near fatal car accident on July 8th of this year. She was hit head on by a

utility truck driving the wrong way on the interstate. Her best friend and the driver of the truck were both

dead on the scene. They did not think Megan would live. However, the grace of God has withstood Megan

through so much! Megan is suffering from severe head trauma and broken bones in every extremity of her

body. She has had many surgeries to fix the bones however she has not been able to respond or

communicate with anyone for the last 9 weeks. She has been in Lexington, Kentucky with her mother by her

side. After talking with a friend they suggested we ask Archbishop Sheen to intercede for Megan and to ask

God to show us his favor for Archbishop Sheen to become a saint by making Megan's healing a miraculous

one. After asking Sheen's intercession one day, Megan was miraculously stable enough to make the move

back to Peoria to the Triumph Hospital where she is in a neuro-intensive care unit. However, after

beginning to pray through Archbishop Sheen for Gods intercession, she has had signs of hope. On the

second day back, Megan actually said two words through a voice stimulator. She is so weak that she has

not been able to say much since then except "go home". She also followed the neurologist's finger, which

she had not done in the 8 weeks in the hospital in Kentucky. The doctor in Peoria told her mother that this

is not at all what the doctors in KY told us about Megan's condition. They immediately did a CAT scan to

figure out what had changed and said that it is miraculous that she was able to do either of those things.

They have told the family that with severe head trauma, the earlier they get her to respond and

communicate the more chances she has to regain any memory or ability to do so. She needs your prayers

to be able to get strong enough to move, talk, breathe on her own and be able to live a normal life. We are

asking God to show us amazing things that we know only He can do for Megan. Please remember her

mother as well as this is any parent's nightmare and she has not left her side in over 9 weeks. The goal is

to get Megan to be able to go to an acute rehabilitation hospital. So below you will find a novena for Megan

as well as a novena for Archbishop Sheen's canonization. Please say these for Archbishop Sheen to be

canonized and for his intercession to heal Megan!! Hopefully, her healing will be one of the miracles

needed for him to be canonized a SAINT.

PRAYER FOR CANONIZATION of Archbishop Sheen

Heavenly Father, source of all holiness, You raise up within the Church in every age men and women who serve with heroic love and dedication. You have blessed Your Church through the life and ministry of Your faithful servant, Archbishop Fulton J Sheen. He has written and spoken well of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and was a true instrument of the Holy Spirit in touching the hearts of countless people.  If it be according to Your Will, for the honor and glory of the Most Holy Trinity and for the salvation of souls, we ask You to move the Church to proclaim him a saint. We ask this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

loss of child support group

I am really proud to share with you that a dear friend of mine is beginning a support group for women who have lost a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, or death.  The meetings are at St. Phil's in Peoria and the first one is this Monday, September 12th at 6:30pm.

 

I encourage you to come, no matter how recently or long ago you lost your child!  

 

They are also planning a healing retreat for October 22nd.

 

Below is the information from their Facebook page.  Please pass it on to anyone who may be interested in being involved in the future.

 

May the peace of Christ be with you all!

 

Have you, or has someone you know, experienced the miscarriage, stillbirth, or death of a child? We will be starting a monthly support group for women who have experienced these events in their lives. The group will meet in the Sacred Heart room at St. Philomena Catholic Church starting on September 12th from 6:30 - 8:00pm. Please tell anyone whom you think would like support in these areas.

*The Sacred Heart room is located under the rectory; enter the basement on the north side of the building.

The first annual healing retreat, also called "A Mother's Love," will be on October 22nd. More details to come...

a prayer for Megan C.

A friend has asked me to post a prayer request for her niece, Megan C.

About a week ago Megan was driving through Kentucky with a friend when a truck drove straight into them.  Megan was the only one to survive, though the coroner originally thought she was dead.  The coroner said it was one of the worst crashes he'd ever seen in all his years of doing the job and was amazed that someone survived.

However, Megan was crushed and is in really bad shape.  She is back in Illinois now and her mom, Mary, and family are praying for her healing.  Please join us in lifting Megan and her family up in prayer.

They are also asking Archbishop Sheen's intercession.  The prayer is below:

Eternal Father, You alone grant us every blessing in Heaven and on earth, through the redemptive mission of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and by the working of the Holy Spirit.

If it be according to Your Will, glorify Your servant, Fulton J. Sheen, by granting the favor I now request through his prayerful intercession - that Megan's body heals and functions normally and that she is spared any brain damage. I make this prayer confidently through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

a little bit of a repeat

A few years ago I did this, and if you want to read those answers, you can go here.  Every once in awhile I think things like this are fun and doing it on a blog seems better than me junking up your email.  However, I'd like to invite Lisa, Cynthia, Kaitlin, Alisha, and Mia to play along (if you'd like!).

 

 

What is your occupation right now?  I'm storing up treasure in Heaven as a stay at home mom, blogger, assistant director for Behold Conference.  I also have a new sweet gig cleaning my mom's house every two weeks for some cash.

What are you listening to right now?  Bennet say "choo choo train" and James bang toy pots together.

What was the last thing that you ate? egg and turkey sandwich with cheese on toasted English muffin (330 cal). 

 How old are you today? 30

What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Bears football followed by the Olympics.

What is your favorite drink?  Iced chai, Dr. Pepper, water

What is your new favorite song?  Mat Kearney's "Hey Mama"

What is the last movie you watched?  Not a movie, but I am now officially obsessed with Lost.  Travis thinks its an obsession.  I watch it on my laptop while I load the dishwasher or make dinner.  I told a friend this last night and she looked very concerned and a little disapproving.

Favorite day of the year? any day Travis has a snow day.

What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies

What is your favorite season? Yuletide, with Halloween a close second.

Cherries or Blueberries? Fresh - cherries, in baked goods - blueberries

When was the last time you cried? Since James' birth I have cried every day.  I am so grateful.

What is on the floor of your closet? my running clothes, Travis' swimming trunks, some records, a shotgun.

Who is the friend you have had the longest? Hedda - we've been friends since kindergarten.

What did you do last night? Took James to visit his old NICU nurses and the ED doctor who cared for him then stopped by the First Ten meeting.

What are you most afraid of? Travis' death, followed by the death of my children, followed by my Mom's, followed by utter humiliation.

How many states have you lived in? 3ish - one summer in California, half a summer in Wisconsin and the rest of it in good ole Illinois.

What is your favorite kind of flower? Tulips, I think.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Bennet!

Hot diggeety dog!

That was the theme of Bennet's 2nd birthday party.  There wa a time in my son's life when his favorite thing in the world was dogs.  Dogs have now been eclipsed by trains, but when I was planning the party the canines were still number one.  So we had a dog party instead of a train one. 

Which is kind of a shame because some variation of Choo Choo Two! would have made a cute theme.

But for my little buddy's party we had:

Puppy dog cupcakes.
 Note: if you make these do not put the ears on the night before.  When you cover them up the ears will break off and you'll have half-eared dogs.

My birthday cake. 
Or a vairation of it.  The original cake, which I ate while Travis napped with a newborn Bennet, was Barefoot Contessa's Plum Tatin.  I didn't have time to make that, so I made a plum upside down cake out of a yellow cake mix.  It wasn't as good as the tatin, but it got the job done.

So I forgot to take the picture when the bowls were full, but we also had puppy chow, corn dog bites, MnM's, chips, and variations of home made salsa. 

It was a gorgeous day so we had the windows open.
Bennet is signing "more" because he likes us singing to him. 

He was really excited to blow out his candles.

Bennet's cupcake with an MnM 2 on it.

So excited for his presents.

Look how cute this kid is!

Caught with her mouth full.

Playing with his toys.

Rubbing noses with his new Thomas bed.

The party was a lot of fun.  We are really blessed with a great family and a really great little boy.  Bennet Mark is one of the cutest boys in the world!

What a blessing!

7 quick takes

-1- Congratulations go to two families!  My high school friend Amanda and her husband and daughter welcomed into the world baby boy Briar.  He is so cute!  And my nomad church friend Alison and her husband and two sons welcomed baby girl Caitlin!  Precious!

-2- I have a new post up over at VirtuousPla.net.  Go check it out - it's called What we're not saying

-3- September is going to be a very busy month for us.  We have 11 appointments, three birthday parties, a fish fry and the Behold Coffee and Chocolate Night.  Oh yes, I also have to figure out a good preschool schedule for Lydia and the family.

-4- Speaking of which, I will be working with Lacy from Catholic Icing on a review of her Catholic Preschool Curriculum Catholic ABC's.  I hope to have it to you in a week or so.

-5- Why do babies think it's so much fun to pick food off their trays and drop it on the floor?  I do not think this is fun.

-6- Once the temperature is out of the 90's I'm going to decorate for fall.  I look forward to using my autumnal/Halloween and wintery/Christmas decorations as soon as we get to Lent.  But right now it's too hot for me to stand on my porch hanging a garland of fall leaves.  I'm not going to break a sweat thinking about cool weather, people.

-7- But Fall!  Beautiful Fall!  I love thee!  The leaves changing colors!  Highs in the low 70's!  Wearing hoodies as we sit around a bonfire making s'mores and drinking spiked cider and cocoa!  Taking pictures of the kids by pumpkins!  The Bears!  Welcome back, Autumn.  I have missed you.