Good thing it's pretty outside...

...cuz it hasn't been all that pretty inside this week. All the kids have had some sort of intense-cough virus, so it's been a whole bunch of hacking around here. I also have been fighting it, and if I could have, I would have had my own sick-day... Unfortunately Pete was too busy working and helping to take care of the kids to take care of me!

The least pretty thing, though, has been my lack of patience and love the last day or so... Last night Miles and I camped in the living room since the pediatrician predicted we'd be in for a couple of rough nights with him. His cough was actually not too bad after all, but neither of us slept longer than 30 minutes at a time, so my outlook today is not all that rosy.

BUT, the good news is that this has been a beautiful week outside, so all I have to do is look out the window to see something glorious!

And here is my favorite bounty of this year's garden (zinnia grown from seeds -- finally blooming!):

Thank you, God, for reminding us of Your beauty and creativity!

October is a beautiful month, coughs or no coughs, and we have much to be thankful for! (Next year I'm going to try and sign up for the no-cough version, though.)