Carter Mountain Orchard Visit

We headed up north on Sunday to Carter Mountain Orchard for some Fall fun. The orchard is set high up on a mountain, and the view is so pretty. The place was packed and it was HOT (and didn't feel very much like Fall), but we ate apple cider donuts, sipped cold apple cider, played in the pumpkins and walked in the orchards until the heat started making me grumpy (90 degrees in October will do that to ya). I would love to go back (or check out some other local orchards) when the weather is a bit cooler.

Chesterfield County Fair

The Chesterfield County Fair might be the best fair I've ever been to - and that's saying a lot since I like to think of myself as a fair connoisseur. ;) But seriously, it was small enough to have that little town fair feel, but it was full of things to do. We watched a tiger show, and Rowan got to feed one of the tigers meat from a stick (!!). We watched a couple circus shows - one with dogs doing tricks, one with a man who rode a motorcycle inside a metal ball. Rowan and Jon rode a ton of rides (that little girl is a dare devil!). We watched a puppet show, pet an Ox, ate the most delicious Hawaiian shaved ice, took home the most gigantic bag of cotton candy I've ever seen, and we even saw a Liger (I didn't think they were real!). I'm already looking forward to next year (because I'm five years old - and fairs are my favorite).

Currently.

Making: up excuses to get out of the house and enjoy the nice weather
Cooking: up plans for a winter vacation
Drinking: sweet tea - it's my new thing
Reading: about French parenting and trying to copy it
Wanting: a new sweater or two
Looking: out the window, at the trains
Playing: peek-a-boo (Wren's favorite)
Wasting: time pinning Christmas gift ideas
Sewing: strings of lace onto onesies
Wishing: Jon had more weekends off
Enjoying: Fall TV
Waiting: on Wren to wake up
Liking: my new hair
Wondering: what I should eat for dinner
Loving: breakfast + homemade pumpkin spice lattes
Hoping: the wind stays chilly
Marveling: at every new thing Wren learns 
Smelling: a salted caramel candle (that my husband hates, but I love)
Wearing: jeans with too many holes
Needing: new jeans with less holes
Following: dinner with dessert (chocolate covered marshmallows - yummm)
Noticing: my nails are entirely too long
Knowing: I need to drink more water
Thinking: about this blog and keeping it up to date
Bookmarking: quotes about motherhood
Opening: my computer every morning to work
Giggling: with my baby bird
Feeling: happy

November, November!

Happy November! I think it's pretty safe to assume I've been waiting for this month for a loooooong time, and there were moments when I thought it'd never get here - but it's here, it's here! (Due date is November 21, remember??)

I thought these festive photos from our recent trip to the pumpkin patch were perfect for welcoming in November. We found our way through the corn maze, played a giant game of Checkers with our feet, picked out pumpkins and tried not to freeze our ears off (the wind was chilly!), and it was all so very festive. Hoping the rest of this month brings even more fall fun! (I hear the red cups are out at Starbucks - yipppeeee.)

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from The Klock's! We did a little pumpkin carving over the weekend and this is what we came up with - Jon's on the left, mine on the right. They looked prettttty spooky! Sadly, they've since shriveled quite a bit and will probably look funny when we light them up on the porch tonight, but oh well - I'm lighting them anyway!

This is the first year in a really long time that I've lived in a house in a neighborhood with lots of kids for Halloween, and I'm so hoping we get a ton of trick-or-treaters. Someone needs to come eat all of this candy, that's for sure (and it doesn't need to be ME).

Wishing you all a happy and safe Halloween, whatever you're up to!

P.S. - I got a special little Halloween treat of my own yesterday - my very first Braxton Hicks contractions! Two of 'em! I didn't even realize what they were until I talked about them to Jon - I just thought the baby had moved into some weird - and very painful - position. Let's hope this means things are ramping up! I've said all along that I'd rather a Halloween baby than a Thanksgiving baby, after all. ;)

Porch Make-Over

As most of you know, Jon and I have been in the process of redecorating his bachelor pad since I moved in early this year. We've made some MAJOR progress (I seriously don't even recognize some of the rooms), and we only have a few more projects before we're calling it a done deal.

We scratched one of those projects off the list last weekend with this little porch make-over. With just one gallon of paint, some pumpkins, a fall wreath, a pot of flowers and a little elbow grease, our porch went from ho-hum to va-va-voom!

It might seriously be my favorite house project out of all the ones we've done - so little effort for such a big reward. (I highly recommend a porch make-over if you want a quick, easy and affordable project that will make a BIG difference). I smile every time I go in and out of the house now. Mission accomplished.

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving - to me - is all about being with family, and we were so lucky this year to arrive in Texas (permanently!) two days before the holiday. After a quick day of unpacking, we hopped in the car (again) and drove to Beaumont for a day and night of fun with the crazy people you see above. Don't they all look fantastic?? (I love, love these guys - and not just for their nerd glasses and mad Pictionary skillz).

Halloween Adventures

A few more photos of our Halloween adventures above. We met up with some friends for a Halloween pub crawl and ended the night with pizza at one of our favorite late-night spots. It was pretty low key, but perfectly fun. The best part of the night was checking out everyone's costumes. My favorites were Al Davis (aka our friend Moses - seen above), Dexter and the kid from ET.

November Welcome

November is here (which means turkey and sweet potatoes are just around the corner)! I'm celebrating its arrival by wearing flannel and sipping hot tea. It's been awfully chilly in LA lately, and it's only going to get chillier as the week goes on. I hope you're staying warm - wherever you are - and welcoming November with something cozy and fun.

*The photos above are two of my favorites from our Seattle weekend: leaves downtown and cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Paul Bunyan and the cat twins! I hope your day has been filled with too much candy, a carved pumpkin or two and at least one really good scare!

More photos from our Halloween weekend coming up tomorrow...

Weekend in Seattle

Photos above from our weekend get-a-way to Seattle. Don't they all look so fall-like and fun? That's because the weather was perfect, and it didn't rain the whole time (can you believe it?!). In just two short days, we managed to fit in live Irish music, crab scrambles and salmon omelets, coffee, coffee and more coffee, walks around Pike Place, hang time with old friends, the football game, a movie (The Ides of March - Ryan Gosling - need I say more?), too many hotdogs and a long run.

All in all, it was a great little mini vacation, and a great way to kick off fall - for real.

Week in Pictures

I have no idea where this week has gone - all I know is it was Sunday night and now it's Friday afternoon. (Craziness!) Mason and I are hopping on a plane in a few hours and heading to Seattle for a weekend of Cougar football fun with old friends. I'm excited to chill out for a couple days (and soak up some real fall weather), but before I go, below are a few photos from last weekend since I never got around to the Weekend Photo Love post. There was more fall shopping, new JA-esque apartment decor, a baby shower and some cozy-on-the-couch family time. (Don't worry - that's not real poop - it's the infamous diaper game.)



And a few photos from this week, which was packed full of work seminars, Halloween costume shopping, more fall decorating and a Pat Green concert that was truly AMAZING (as they always are).



Again, so sorry for being away for so long! I promise next week won't be nearly as crazy. (Or at least I really, really hope it isn't.) Have a great weekend!