This is part of my monthly Gratitude series – make sure and check out July’s and August’s Gratitude posts as well.

September was quite a month! It had some super fun times (like hosting our first guest in Colorado) and some not-so-fun times (changing banks and figuring out the DMV is frustrating). My final year of graduate school is now officially in full swing and this really is my favorite time of the year – a new school schedule, fresh classes, the crisp fall weather, apples and pumpkins everywhere, and football season! We even bought everything we need for our fireplace and can’t wait to use it a lot in the coming months.

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READ:
– Summer Breeze
This was the perfect end-of-summer read! It was fun, light-hearted, and easy to read.

– Belong to Me
This book was so good, told from the perspective of three different characters who all interact at different levels. And oh boy was there a fun twist that I did NOT see coming! If you’re looking for a great, general fiction book to read (as opposed to fantasy or science fiction), I definitely recommend this.

WATCHED/LISTENED TO:
– NFL Football
It’s back people, it’s back. Seriously, it’s all Andrew and I have been talking about and watching this month. Plus, I’m killing it in Fantasy Football 😉

– The Happy Hour Podcast with guest Melissa Ice
I’ve mentioned this podcast before and still really recommend it. I especially loved the interview with Melissa as she talked about being a new mom who is still pursuing adoption, being okay with working full-time and creating, and what it looks like to wait on God.

COOKED:

– Shauna Niequest’s blueberry crisp
– Cast iron apple crisp (recipe coming soon)
– French baguettes from my baking class
– California burritos and Philly cheesesteaks for Monday Night Football
RELATED: If you haven’t already, check out my Monday Night Football meal plan

ENJOYED:
– My “Sundays are for Jesus and football” t-shirt
I told ya’ll football season was back!

– Essential oils to fight some sinus headaches
Based on several people’s advice (including this blog post), I put a cup drops of Rosemary, Melaleuca, Lemon, and OnGuard in a coffee mug with hot water and held it under my nose, breathing the steam in deeply. Doing that a couple times with the combination of a warm towel on my forehead and taking an over-the-counter decongestant kicked the sinus pressure in the head (no pun intended…)

– One of my favorite people in the world came to visit us this month! Alle and I were in the same small group our final year at APU and she has since been traveling the world, killing it in public health and visual storytelling. She was back in the states for two weeks and decided to spend a couple days visiting us in the Springs! We had a wonderful time chatting, eating, and getting her stocked up for her next year living in southeast Asia,

// What have you been loving in September? Anything I have to try?

If you’re following along with my Monday Night Football meal plan, make sure and check out my Pinterest board for some inspiration for tonight’s game between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings. This New York-style pizza looks simply delicious!