Despite weather feeling colder than either of us remember, we’re enjoying reconnecting with family and friends here and especially preparing for the holidays.

We’ve decorated three Christmas trees in the last four days and Evan climbed onto a roof for the first time ever to help my grandparents get their lights put up.

Besides decorating, we’ve been out for lunch, ice cream, and drinks. We’ve spent time with friends and family sharing new music, social media posts, shows, and movies. We’re enjoying getting to catch up with everyone.

Beyond all the hanging out and enjoying company, we are still finding ways to volunteer and give back. On Saturday, we had the opportunity to volunteer at a resource fair for Homeward Alliance. There was food, resource booths, and a large shopping area of donated clothes and new diapers and hygiene products. Evan and I spent most of the event helping families carry large bags of clothes and products back to their cars once their shopping was finished. However, my favorite part was getting to run the stuffed animal table for a bit and helping kids pick a toy to take home with them.

Tomorrow, we’ll be headed off to more Rotary meetings and I’m very excited to started connecting in a new way to an area I know well.