Happy Halloween!

We had a fun little Halloween party yesterday, with lots of the moms in the area along with their kids. Here are some pictures of our little group...

I found crepe paper for only one pound a roll! What a nice surprise. Amazing what you can do with three baloons, construction paper, crepe paper and some kleenex ghosts! Samantha and I had fun decorating... her favorite was the streamers by the front door that she kept walking through, making "ghost" noises as I taught her.

Here's our little group of kids... from left to right, we Ashley (a fairy), held by Ian (Thomas the Train), then Ricky (a pirate, who later became a bat), Sammie (pumpkin), Noah (Lofty from Bob the Builder), and James (Yoda). The costumes lasted slightly longer than the cupcakes they had as a bribe for sitting for this picture.
Here is Ricky the Pirate and Sammie the Pumpkin. She was quite fascinated with his necklace and patch!
Cutie little Ashley the fairy princess...
Here's Samantha, after gorging on lots of chocolate she found in our "hidden treasure" game. Yum!

After everyone left, I put Samantha down for a nap. When she woke up we had a quick photo shoot in her crib, showing off how proud she is of her cute costume. (Excuse the poor lighting, our house is not blessed for great photo ops, unfortunately. And our flash does no better, oh well.)



Getting a little impatient...

Still trying to "smile" but it's getting tough!
Lashing out at the camera...
Condescending to one more shot with Mom...
And, it's a wrap! That's all folks!!

Boy or Girl??

Well, so... have a look at the profile of our little baby -- a head-and-shoulders shot, if you will...

Any guesses as to whether that looks like a boy profile or a girl profile??

Anyone feel inspired?? Another shot... from the waist up.

Well, I'm no good at keeping the suspense on things like this. It's a BOY! We're having a little boy baby in March! yay! It was fun to see him and get to finally call him HIM, without feeling like I'm just guessing. At first the baby wasn't cooperating -- was turned all the way in toward me so there was no "checking." The ultrasound technician lady called him a naughty baby and ordered him to be still. He settled after awhile and let her measure his head and heart and brain waves, etc. When she went to "check" again, Brian spotted it first, and announced that we're having a boy. It takes me much longer to recognize these things, surprise.

We took Samantha with us to the scan this morning. She was fascinated and a little alarmed to see the practioner rub jelly all over my belly and start probing around. We told her it was a baby on the screen, but I think she was skeptical throughout. We also told her she's going to have a little brother, which didn't seem to phase her. We're very excited, and looking forward to the new addition!

(Oh, by the way, they didn't give us any printed pictures of the "gendering" of this little guy, so you'll just have to take our word that we saw what we needed to see. Yep, he's a boy alright!)

Wistful Thinking

It's only 7:15 am (which feels more like 5 am, as it's still barely starting to get light here). I'm not typically up so early, but I've been laying in bed awake this morning, thinking of things I need to do today. Finally this baby started kicking for breakfast, so... we're up and moving now. I wanted to write yesterday anyway, but didn't make time.

I've been going through a phase that seems to hit me every fall. I guess I'll call it "wistful thinking." It's that time of year when I sit watching leaves fall from trees, fondly remembering autumns and winters past. (And yes, even with Samantha, I've found time to sit and ponder these deep things of life, shock!) Sometimes the things I think of are good memories, sometime they leave a few tears in my eyes. But I think I enjoy the wistfulness, the melancholy -- whatever it is. It sort of goes with the season, I suppose. These last few days I find myself pining a bit for places and times that I know aren't coming back. But maybe the pining is my way of appreciating what's brought me to where I am now?

Well, so here are a few of the autumny things I miss right now:

• The sound of my parents' old fan fireplace in their living room. They don't use it anymore, but it was the signal of warmth, home and comfort when I was growing up.
• Stephanie's pumpkin bread. Okay, so she did leave me the recipe, but I have no canned pumpkin here and my oven always dries things out, so it's hard to replicate.
• Randi's lovely PUMPKINFEST parties every fall. Everyone has to bring an item that has been made with pumpkin, and we all gorge for hours. It was PUMPKINFEST that actually helped me learn to appreciate that fine vegetable. (And yes, PUMPKINFEST is always, always capitalized.)
• The smell of woodsmoke in people's chimneys. This is mainly from childhood, and mainly the smoke from our own chimney. But again, it's a signal of comfort and warmth for me.
• Mt. Auburn Cemetary in Boston. I visited that place many times, with friends and solo. The crunchy leaves there this time of year are most heavenly. I have pictures of me, Alicia and Randi stomping around there one Sunday afternoon -- some of my favorite picts.
• Apple picking. I know, they do have apples in this country, and I could probably go find a lone country tree and pick me some goodies. But it's more the company and the occasion that I miss right now.
• High school dances. I miss the primping with girlfriends and the anticipation of who will be at the dance. We had some great autumn dances way back when, even barn dances sometimes! (I probably sound like my grandma on this one, huh?)
• Burdicks hot chocolate in Boston. It's like drinking liquid chocolate, an experience to be remembered with reverence.
• College classes. This feels like the time of year for starting a new project, learning something new, sharpening the brain a bit. I miss the new growth I experienced every fall when I was in school.
• Walden Pond. I never got really great pictures of it, but it is perhaps the most serene setting in my memory. I love that place.
• Camp fires. And our old camper we used when I was a girl. When our whole family went camping, I had to sleep on the floor, which wasn't great, but it was close to the little gas furnace which was toasty warm. And, it's fun to remember those family times together.
• Thanksgiving. This year won't be like Thanksgivings at home when I was little, but it will sure be nice just to be home enjoying the eats of the season with family!

That wraps it up for now, I suppose. It's finally getting lighter and the day is ready to start soon. Big morning for us -- we have a little ultrasound scan to go to today. Say hello, baby!

Kickin' it 'round the house

So, I guess we left the fabulous photos of Wales up long enough for anyone and everyone to make a comment. The truth is, I haven't been taking many pictures lately, rats. But here are some shots of our latest adventures and outings.

First, check out this most gorgeous bouquet I got a couple of weeks ago...
The short story is, Brian's supervising partner sent me flowers after Brian's excruciating stretch of all-night hours last month. The note said "thanks for all your patience and forebearance over the last few busy weeks." It was a really thoughtful gesture that meant a lot to me. Those little extras in the way of "good will" do help soften the rough times. (For those who want the long version of how the first bouquet of flowers accidentally got sent to our old address and our old downstairs neighbor who answered the door in the nude --- umm, maybe I can email you. :))

Next, here's the cute tent we got for Samantha at IKEA. I really wanted one of those Little Tykes plastic houses for her -- you know, the ones with the door and window shutters that open and close? so cute! But they cost 60 -80 pounds (over $100), even on the "used" web sites. The tent was only 5 pounds, and Sam LOVES it! It's small enough to sort of fit on our living room rug. And big enough to sort of fit Brian or me along with Sam. So, here's what's been occupying my time a lot lately.... I've been cooking up a storm! It's been a lot of fun, now that I actually have an appetite again. Here, Samantha and I are making homemade pizza for dinner. She's a great little "helper."
It turned out to be a VERY tasty, very easy process ... one I hope to repeat soon. mmm!
Other things I've been cooking/baking lately... butternut squash soup (it's sooo delicious, even if you don't like squash, believe me!), tortellini soup (a new-found favourite I've made twice in the past two weeks), halloween sugar cookies, cinnamon rolls, lemon sauce chicken, chocolate chip cookies, German apple pancakes, stuffed peppers, chick-pea and barley middle east casserole, and on and on. I just love to try something new, and spend a lot of time (possibly too much) looking at recipes these days. Anyone have a new one I should try??

Okay, so these next two pictures are of Samantha, playing with her reflection in the trash can! She started doing this earlier this week -- sitting in front of the bin, waving at herself, talking to the "baby" in the mirror. I thought it was hilarious and tried to get it on video, but all I got were some cute photos.
I am now convinced, we must get a full length mirror, so our baby girl doesn't contaminate herself with her new trashy friend.

These last couple pictures are from our little Saturday drive to St Albans yesterday afternoon. We packed a picnic and planned to visit Hatfield House -- but it was closed. So, we picnicked in the car and drove over to St Albans where they had a great outdoor market going. We stopped at this gorgeous old church for a walk-about.

We just love all the old churches and cathedrals! So much history and character. And, of course, Sam always loves to explore...
That wraps it up from here for now, in the way of pictures.

In the non-picture news, just a few bits to add. I've been busy organizing our primary presentation for church, which will happen in three weeks. It was really fun last year, and A LOT of work. It's keeping me busy. Today we did a mini run-through with the kids. I'm convinced candy is an excellent bribe. (Come to the pulpit, say your part, take a tiny piece of melt-in-your-mouth white chocolate candy.) Hopefully their mothers don't mind?

In addition to church stuff, we had a fun play group over here last week. We made cookies and had lunch together. After hosting, I further admire my friends Stephanie and Joyce for always being willing to have everyone over. (We miss you Steff!)

What else? Well, pregnancy is moving along, quite uneventful at this stage. Today is my "hump day," Brian informed me. At first I thought he was referencing how big my belly has started to look. Nope. It seems he's keeping better track of how far along I am -- 20 weeks today, that's half way! Little kicks and jabs when I'm resting, which doesn't seem very often right now. This week we have a scan and can find out if this is a girl or boy baby. Bets on pink or blue?? Brian says pink, I say blue. We'll see... Stay tuned!

Weekend in Wales

So, it was General Conference weekend for our church, which means we took advantage of a weekend away! We listened to conference sessions on the internet in the evening at a nice B&B, and on the road on the way home. It was a really gorgeous autumn weekend, and we did some great site-seeing along the way. This will probably seem like a lot of pictures, but that's just because there was a lot to see! Enjoy...

SHREWSBERRY: a gorgeous little English town, right near the Wales border. We loved the exposed timber on all the buildings.
We had lunch from KFC, which we took to the park. What a treat to find this beautiful flower garden in the middle of the park! (And yes, Stephanie, that's you're maternity shirt, thanks!)
Samantha's favorite was watching the train station, which we could see from the top of a tower we climbed. She loved watching a train come in, "choo choo!!!"
POWIS CASTLE: Brian and I agreed, this is probably one of the most impressive castles we've seen! Inside (no photos) there were gorgeous collections of furniture, armour, jewelry, etc. from the 1700s, many exhibits from India and Asia.


Outside, there was one of the most gorgeous terraced gardens, complete with an apple orchard. We had a great time walking the grounds and smelling the beautiful flowers that were everywhere!

OUR BED & BREAKFAST: a quaint stone farmhouse on the coast of Cardigan Bay, dating from the 1700s. It came complete with every modern convenience, including a perfect broadband connection for watching General Conference. (The door to our room is right there on the front, with the porch light on. yay!)

We got there just before sunset, and enjoyed a great view of the sun on the sea from our little front porch and the gardens around the house.

CONWY CASTLE: A lovely medieval castle in ruins. We looked at it Sunday afternoon, on our way home. It's one we saw with Brent and Jenalyn last fall, but didn't go in. We both wanted to go back and see it.

View from the top of the tower was spectacular, and such a clear, sunny day! Sam was mad Brian wouldn't let her get down, even with a very dangerous spiral stairway and a very flimsy rail.
View of the interior...
Close-up of Samantha telling Daddy about the "row rows" (boats) down in the harbor. She was most fascinated with the boats and didn't really care about the castle.
CHESTER: One more stop on the way home -- another cute English village with great timber-frame buildings. We were a bit disappointed it looked so much like Shrewsberry, but what did we expect, really?

We spent most of our time there visiting a lovely cathedral with really nice stained glass windows...

That's the end of the photo tour of our weekend in Wales. Hopefully not too long... We just had such a great time, had to share the highlights!

Sam's new favorite things...

It's cute to watch Samantha's interests change as she grows. She spends a lot more time now playing "pretend" -- either taking care of her baby dolls or stuffed animals, or driving her little toy car, etc. It's made for some cute pictures I wanted to share...

Here is Sam "pretending" it's time for "night night" in the middle of the kitchen floor. She's reading stories to her monkey and letting him play with her "bag o' tricks" toys before bed.
She also enjoys pretending she's about to leave the house. She grabs her bag, backpack, or coat, and then heads to the stairs saying "Bye-bye, Mama! Bye-bye, Daddy! See ya!" We wave her off and she goes up the stairs for a few seconds, then comes back as though she's had this wonderful adventure. We eagerly welcome her back with cuddles and kisses, of course. Here, she's got both her monkey and her backpack as she departs...
I probably haven't mentioned our beloved Sox Bear turned up missing at the end of our Norway trip in August. It breaks my heart, though Sam hasn't acted too distraught. For about a month after, she was liking a new bear that Brian and I encouraged -- Mr. Bear. But then one day, she asked me to put Mr. Bear on the shelf and bring down "Hop Hop." Hop Hop Bear is a little bear that she thinks is a rabbit (aka. "hop hop"), he plays music when you pull his tail. For the last week or so, Hop Hop Bear has been her constant companion.
She also has a huge fascination with diapers and potty talk lately. She always wants Hop Hop Bear to have a diaper, and insists that he is "stinky" from time to time and needs a change. So here's Hop Hop in his diaper, getting a ride on Sam's car...
Another new thing Sam loves to do is climb up in our bed and read her books and magazines. (She especially loves "The Friend" magazine from our church, so cute!) She always says, "Daddy's Bed!" when she climbs in, situating herself on his pillows. She'll sometimes sit reading for 10-15 minutes, unattended. I think it's adorable!


One last picture ... It was such a gorgeous fall day yesterday that Sam and I had our lunch outside. I took her little table outside and she "helped" arrange the chairs while I got our tortellini soup ready. When I brought the soup, I thought it was so cute that Sam had put out an extra chair and had seated Hop Hop and Peter Rabbit in it; they got "pretend" bites of soup and drinks of juice throughout the meal.
So fun to see our girl growing up!

What we've been up to...

Well, that last entry was at the top far longer than I planned, and it got me a lot of sympathy... thanks, everybody! Brian's deal has slowed down A LOT this week, so we're seeing each other on a more normal schedule, which has been nice. I've been lazy at blogging this week, but I've kept the camera handy. So, here are some more fun pictures to post, just from things we've been doing around the house...

Swimming party in the living room!
Last Friday Sam found her swimming suit in her drawer and brought it to me, exclaiming "suit! suit!" She really wanted to put it on, even though it's only in the 50s here. I gave in and said she could wear it for awhile as long as she put a sweater on over it. Before long, we brought in her little pool and slide -- sans water -- so she could have the full effect of swimming. I drew the line when she tried to drag the garden hose in to put some "wah wah" in the pool!
Last Saturday, we had a really fun primary party at our house. We made homemade pizza, played some games, and had ice cream cones. The reason for the party is that our primary children have been learning the Articles of Faith for our church. For each one they memorized, they got a scoop of ice cream. (I confess, we were pretty lenient when it came to doling out the scoops.)