Happenings

TWO WEEKS AGO:




*Cleaning day was a lot more fun--I finished cleaning, and then picked up my mom from the airport!!! The next 10 days were filled with rainy walks (seriously...got caught at Fort Ward in the rain, and just kept doing laps. looked like we'd jumped in a lake!), fall pedicures, doing family names at the DC temple, old town shopping (where someone hit my car, but we won't get into that...), yummy food (I loved showing off some fun new recipes, and my mom loved taking us to every possible gluten-free friendly restaurant in the area...thanks mom!), summer weather (fall weather all of September and then my mom comes to town and...wham...90s!), autumn shopping, late night chats, doctor visits (so awesome that I finally got in for my endo appointment and test when my mom was in town... having a buddy at the doctor's is definitely the way to go! not so awesome was the test where I got my blood drawn three times and a shot given all within the course of an hour, but even that was fine with my mom there! you would've been so proud of my maturity :). and life is good!), mini-golfing, Clue playing...I could go on and on. It was just all out FUN! I was a bit depressed as I cleaned yesterday, I will admit (cue the cheesy song Memory from Cats...).

*Bought the cutest outfit for Little Lady Number 1 (no...not an announcement. anyone who has seen our apartment size can tell you that kids are not an option til we move. but couldn't resist. add it to the hope chest stack.) Doesn't it look just like little Lily? (yes...I guess the cat is outta the bag. her name is Lily. I figure if Brian and I have been calling our firstborn daughter Lily since long before we were married, I can announce it without it being any weirder than it already is :). sorry to spoil the surprise, but those of you who have known me since I was a teenager, probably wouldn't have been surprised anyway. we'll get you with the middle name, how's that? :) )

THE LAST LITTLE BIT:

*Started into fall food with pumpkin stew (YUM), and stuffed peppers (YUM). Love the calories this time of year. The pumpkin from the stew was so delicious that we cut it up and served it as a "banana squash-esque" side with the stuffed peppers a few nights later. Holy Yum.

*Watched General Conference, and LOVED President Uchtdorf's talk (CLICK TO LISTEN)

*Became obsessed with magenta-y purple and royal blue together after creating a gorgeous wedding book using them (I'll post the sample on the business site after her wedding, but seriously...stunning colors.)

*Got Brian's car back from the shop. Took it in for an oil change and state inspection, got a call saying our last oil place had put a temporary plug in the oil pan, and we needed a new one. The bill was HUGE. But apparently the temporary plug was a really dangerous situation, so we just are feeling blessed that Bri and Soph were kept safe on all their long long long drives to work. Yes...in case you haven't noticed, our cars HATE Virginia.

*Put together a cute video of my Young Women to introduce them to their pen pals in Maine. Seriously...my girls are all so stinkin amazing. The youth of today ROCK. Not a single one of my 7 girls have 2 active parents in the home, and a lot of them come to church on their own. Yet they are still such amazing, sweet, solid girls. It's a tough calling (sometimes I feel more like a chauffeur than a leader, and it's really really really really busy), but so worth it. Love them. Just love them.

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

*This weekend may make or break whether Brian and I ever have a little Lily. :) We are babysitting a three year old and an almost one year old for our good friends Thursday night-Sunday night. They are the cutest girls...but I must admit, I'm a bit terrified of Friday when Brian will be at work! :) Wish us luck...if you never hear from me again, you'll know why. ha ha ha.

*If we DO survive that, then we'll brave the bears next weekend with some fall camping in the Shenedoah Mountains. Perfect. Just perfect.

HAPPY FALL!!!