Happy Haunting!

...more pictures to come, I'm sure.

Christmas is coming....

Yeah, I know. It isn't even Halloween yet, but I'm so in the Holiday mood. It is so very fall-y here in Boston. The weather is crisp and I'm just so happy! There is something about the end of the year that is so magical. I've been doing a lot of Christmas sewing, scheming and planning lately and in the process we Lovelesses (ok, I) have starting making a little Christmas list. Some items are more realistic than others, but a girl can dream right? Ty and I decided it would be a fun thing to post on the blog. So here you go! Check out our side bar. Ty is yet to contribute to his list. I just know that is something he wants/needs. He is still using the one I bought him three years ago. I don't think he has ever even changed the blades!? It is so on it's last leg. Poor thing makes an awful noise.

Hooray for the Holidays! Halloween pictures will be coming soon!

Just Call Me Aunty Megs

She is here! Brennan and Alli welcomed their little bundle of snuggles into the world on Wednesday monring.

Adeline Louise. Isn't she a doll? Brennan says, "She was 6 lbs 7 oz, 20 3/4 inches long, and the most beautiful thing you've ever seen! Mom and baby are doing fine now, and we're at home, just enjoying being a family."

Welcome little Addy-Lou! And congratulations B and Alli! We love you and she is so BEAUTIFUL!! We can't wait to meet her at Christmas.
Oh! I'm so excited to be the "favorite aunt"....or will I be the "crazy aunt." Probably both.

5 things for Mckinlay

Cass tagged me.

5 things I want Mckinlay to know before she grows up. Here goes:

1. I love you forever, for always, no matter what.

2. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge Him and he shall direct thy path." Proverbs 3:5-6

3. Be yourself. The sooner you stop comparing yourself to others and trying to be like everyone else, the sooner you will grow into the person you want to become and have the potential to be.

4. Don't be afraid of hard work. Working hard for something, whatever it is, is one of life's greatest fulfillments.

5. "Remember who you are."

and 6. Chocolate really DOES flow through your veins.

Consider yourself tagged if you want to be. :)

Chocoholic Jr.

See that look of pure joy? But does it really surprise anyone? Nah. After all, I grew up being told I have chocolate running through my veins. And I think I believe it after all the hot fudge us Hallstroms have gone through.
Just don't tell Ty I'm slipping her chocolate, OK?

Last Night

For FHE last night Ty and I strapped on our dancing shoes. It's nice to know after three years of marriage, we still can bring it on the dance floor.

Head o' The Charles

We have been wanting to go to the Head of The Charles Regatta for the past three years and yesterday we finally made it. The first year we were here, I think it was raining and last year I was pregnant (no explanation needed there). It was so cool! There is something so inspiring about watching people working so hard for something. I was having this little moment of ahh and inspiration while we were watching these rowers putting their hearts into it and Ty says, "Oh. It just makes me want to go water skiing." Humpf. Moment gone.
Mckinlay had a lot of fun watching the rowers, eating leaves and playing in the goose poop. Ty and I had fun walking around and watching and we got to eat at Boca Grande. So, I guess you could say it was a pretty fabulous day!
Oh yeah. And we went to Wilson Farms to get fresh apple cider and cider donuts. So I guess we should change it to a MEGA fabulous day.

I finally got it!

I have been itching to make these for sometime now--and today I finally gave in and bought the pattern. Won't these little pals be so cute poking their little heads out of Mckinlay's Christmas stocking? Now I can make a trip to the the fabric store with a purpose instead of trying to withstand the temptation to buy cute fabric for no other reason than I think it is cute. Hooray! You have no idea how this excites me.

I'm really getting into "Holiday Mode" lately (which might explain why I made Christmas picture frames last night). I know Christmas is still 11 weeks away, but half the fun of the holidays is the anticipation right?

Oh! Can't you just feel the excitement in the air?

The Great Outdoors...I mean Indoors!

Just Kidding. Vermont got vetoed. It just wasn't camping weather. I was so bummed! I was so looking forward to doing something super fun this weekend. So then I thought--"Why can't we still go camping?" So that is just what we did.

Welcome to Camp Loveless where "rain or shine, you'll have a good time." We slept under the stars (and with the windows open).

We ate hot dogs and roasted mallows for s'mores.
When the Fillmore's came down to join in the fun, they were all in sweatshirts and hats and they even brought down Anna's tent!
After the kids went to bed, we talked, played cards, had hot chocolate and ate way too much "monster trail mix". And what would a camping trip be without a scary story?

The next morning, we went apple picking at Honey Pot Hill Orchard with our friends the Knights.
It was sunny and the air was crisp. Perfect apple picking weather. We took a hay ride around the orchard and then picked more apples than we know what to do with. It's just so fun! (Especially with the little apple picking ladder!) Ty and I made our very first apple pie ever this morning (we'll see how it turns out), we're going to make caramel apples for FHE tomorrow and if Jenn's applesauce turns out, then maybe we might give that a try too.
Mckinlay had a ball playing with all the fallen apples, but since everything she finds goes straight into her mouth, I had to pick some apples to put around her so she wouldn't chomp on all the rotten ones.
Does it get any cuter? Look at the hay in Madi's mouth. I mean seriously folks!
Who needs Vermont and camping to have a fun weekend!? Not us, I'll tell ya (Although, from the looks of it, maybe Mckinlay does).

quick update

Here is a little update of what we have been up to over the past week.

Did you not love General Conference this weekend? It is always the prefect spiritual battery recharge and always seems to come at the right time.

Meet our new addition:
Don't you love her happy blue color? Ty found her out by the dumpster behind our apartment. He was so excited when he brought her in because he found me a "new project!" I wish we took a before picture. Poor little table was pretty trashed looking. But after a trip to Home Depot, a good sanding and a couple of coats of paint, viola! Now she is the cutest table! Ever. (And Ty did pretty much all the work. So much for MY new project. Hee hee.) She makes the perfect couch sitting sewing table. Guess that solves this problem.
Mckinlay turned 9 months on Monday! Can you believe it? She had her Dr.'s appointment on Tuesday where she had to get her blood drawn. All I can say is Mckinlay upped herself two notches on the awesome baby scale at her appointment. She just sat there and watched the sweet nurse take her blood. She didn't even make a peep!
I started running this week, thanks to Brianne. We're gonna be running buddies in the Spring and if I'm gonna even come close to keeping up with her (she is wonder woman) then I gotta start now. I forgot how much I love running! Well, not running, but the way you feel afterwards. Wahoo!

We did a little halloween shopping this weekend too. I'll wait to post pics of that. But we have had fun trying to come up with costumes for Ty and I so we can be a coordinated Halloween family. We'll see if our plans pan out...

We went to the Children's Museum today with a bunch of friends. It's quite the fun place! Some of the highlights were the bubble room, the cowboy room, and the area just for crawling babies, which Mckinlay loved (probably because it had a giant mirror in it. Remember?) I think my favorite part of the museum was the "musical chairs." There are a bunch of chairs in 1/2 circle that play music when you sit on them. There were enough of us there to fill all the chairs, so we had quite the music combo goin' on. The noise from under my chair was definitely the loudest. I'm assuming (hoping) that I was sitting in the LEAD chair and that it wasn't a reflection of the amount of weight I was putting on it. It was the first chair in the row...right...guys? Did I mention I started running?

This is by far my favorite pic of the day. I think Anna was born to be a cow girl. Look at the way she wears those boots.

This weekend were headed up to Sharon, VT. Were "roughin' it" over night in some cabins. Cross you fingers for decent weather. Are we nuts for staying in an unheated cabin, in a potential rain storm, in the major chilliness that is fall? Probably.

3 is too many.

We have a problem. Did you guys see Pushing Daisies on Wednesday night? Loved it! (If you missed it you can watch it online here.) That is the problem. We are devoted Office fans, and even though LOST is totally buggin', we are WAY too invested to give it up. We were so content with our hour and a half of TV a week. I guess it really isn't a problem yet because LOST doesn't start until January this season...but come January it's gonna be a problem.

What is the big deal you ask? Two and a half hours a week of TV doesn't seem like too much. I agree, in theory, that doesn't seem like too much. However, when our night revolves around a show we have a hard time not turning on the TV and watching all the other stuff that comes on before hand (dang Deal or No Deal!!). And after a night of watching pointless TV, I pretty much feel like junk by bed time. And a lot of mindless TV = lots of projects. Remember these?

But on the bright side, maybe a combination of these shows will fill the void left by Gilmore Girls!? Maybe.

Verursachen Sie das Root Beer!

Last night was Oktoberfest for our first FHE of the month theme. Ty was greeted by German folk music and a polka around the front room. Mckinlay looked at us like we were a a couple of crazies (she pretty much got that right though.) Fillmores came down, post-polka, to enjoy the festivities as well.
I tried a few new German recipes, which included sausage, of course, and I think we found a new dessert to add to the book. Ty even took seconds, which is saying a lot!! And of course, what would a Mormon Oktoberfest be with out lots and lots of root beer!?
Ty was a little disappointed that I didn't whip up some lederhosen for him and a beer maid outfit for Mckinlay and I...but I guess there is always next year. Right?
Thanks for the vinyl Mom!!

Verursachen Sie das Root Beer (Bring on the Root Beer!) And happy "Oktober" everyone!!