This last month was busy, both with work and with fun, but is definitely slowing down now. There were lots of exciting things, but honestly, I’m looking forward to a slightly more relaxed pace of life moving forward. Here’s everything that I’ve been up to over the last month.

I know I mentioned this a few times in the lead-up, but we had a big conference at my work at the end of September, and it was a huge success! It’s still so cool to me that I get to work in caregiving research / programming – something that’s so important to me personally and professionally. And it’s really moving to see so many people come together at the conference, all from different fields and professions, to talk about the importance of prioritizing caregiving research.

A family friend got married at the end of September too, and had a laid-back, picnic-style wedding reception. They held it at a grove in North Park, where I’d actually never been! The views were so pretty – we drove through some picturesque covered bridges along the way – and I can only imagine what it would look like now, with all the leaves changing colors.

I wrote a post about my Charleston trip already, but this little corner down a side street by the library was so pretty that I didn’t want it to go un-shared! Charleston is just so gorgeous, it feels like I’m inside a postcard walking down some of the historic streets. I love it.

And I didn’t share any pictures of Lily on vacation, either! She’s become quite the pro traveler, and settles in quite quickly, always finding herself a little spot to make her own.

When we were home, I decided to take Nala on a little “field trip” outside… from the safety of my lap, of course. I think she enjoys the change of scenery for a bit! She doesn’t try to immediately jump off, but I do have to be careful, because sometimes she gets a little too adventurous for her own good.

And finally – the deer are back! They always disappear for a bit near the end of the summer, but they’ve started to make their way back, which I’m very excited about. They seemed to recognize / remember us – they came closer to get a snack when we put their deer food out! Hopefully there are many more visits to come.