{Pumpkin Carving}

Hallow's Eve is almost here, and with that brings so much excitement for the holiday season all together!  There is also an intense craving to throw a party with mummy toes, dried scabs, and kitty litter casserole. That will have to wait until next year, unless I plan it tonight and throw the party Monday between a birthday celebration, Preschool parade and Trick-or-Treating.

Luckily people are more on top of it than me and we were able to enjoy friends company at a pumpkin carving party.  

Warm soups satisfied our stomachs, along with homemade pumpkin roll.  The children ransacked the house, while the adults focused their attention on pumpkin carving.

We forgot one of the handiest tools to carve pumpkins that we learned about a few years ago, a canning lid.  The flat disc scrapes out those pumpkin guts with ease, and makes cleaning out the pumpkin a little more enjoyable.   It has revolutionized our carving days!

We went home with some very spooky pumpkins, the cat's mouth really creeps me out.

Have a festive weekend!!

Virginia Beach

The other day I was asking Adam to list things that he was really passionate about.  Adam is really easy going and likes just about anything, but I wanted to know those things that make him super excited about living.

As I was naming different things off, I didn't see his face light up or his eyes sparkle.  When I said fishing though, it was money.  I got just the expression that I thought I would.

I myself am not a fisher-woman.  I think I would rather be doing nothing than fishing, that is more relaxing to me.  Fishing with Adam does make it a bit more enjoyable, but I still can only handle small doses.  Now, fishing in Virginia Beach off of a dock?  That I could do all day, day after day.   Cozy chairs to sit on, beautiful waterfront homes to gaze at, and boats zooming and lazily sailing by.  

I felt very passionate about the entire weekend!  Fishing on the dock and watching my giddy husband and little Caroline reel in the fish.  Boating, sleeping in a cozy little cottage, biking, and running along the sandy shores of the water with our giggly girls....I am lit up by all of that.

I think Adam has found two new thrilled fishing buddies.  Caroline caught about 5 fish and both girls used tiny 3-foot poles in shades of pink and green.  I had never seen such a tiny little pole.

Several types of fish were caught including a couple of Sheepshead (they have crazy teeth!), Sea Trout, and Spotfish.  Caroline was the first to reel in a fish (her first fish ever!) and I think she has the love her dad has for baiting a hook.

The Chief Mate and Second Mate luckily found some time to sit back and relax and enjoy the ride as the boat sped along.  Caroline kept shouting as loud as her little voice could, "BEST. DAY. EVER.!!" A special thanks to the Lambournes for making the weekend such a huge success.

By the look on that daddy's face I'd say that he is pretty passionate about being with his girls.  The way he teaches them and plays with them is incredible to watch.  They are two very lucky little ladies.

We left Virginia Beach refreshed and rejuvenated for tackling more late night classes for Adam, late nights without daddy for the girls and me, getting ready for family pictures, and all of the many other activities of real life.

I think I might be a converted Virginia Beach fisher-woman now!

Biking to Mount Vernon

It's no wonder that President Washington chose the spot he did for his estate.  It is a lush area with a scenic winding road to get there.  Driving along the GW Parkway to Mt. Vernon is one that sends me into relaxation mode every time I am on it.  I have driven that strip of road a few times when the girls needed a little help falling asleep for naps.  

Biking from Old Town Alexandria to Mt. Vernon is a lot more work than driving, but the work pays off with landscapes of cascading fall leaves, travels over wooden bridges, and lots of spots to just take in the beauty of the sparkling water.  

Adam pulled these little beauties behind him the whole time and they loved the ride (most of the way)!

The 9-mile ride is really enjoyable and you don't have many hills, until the end when you realize Mr. Washington really did choose a mountain :)

After reaching our destination, we switched Olive to the co-pilot seat to give the girls their space.

Just in case you need to make a phone call, I saw two pay phones that just cracked me up.  I know they are there for emergencies, but there was actually a man using one of the phones.  When was the last time you used one?  I didn't know they still existed!

The homes along the way capture the essence of charm.  

And the benches along the way are perfect for taking in a rest and a snack.

I recommend stopping to take all of your pics because I almost made people crash twice :)  I was shooting pics while peddling because the leaves were gorgeous and I loved everything about the trail.

Biking is something I think I could really enjoy doing a lot as a family.

Last weekend was a perfect closing to summer.  Friday evening was warm and breezy, which blew in a crisp fall air on Saturday, perfect to cozy up for to watch General Conference.  Although it warmed up a bit towards the end of the week, it feels like fall is officially here in all it's beauty.  

There is something about being close to or on the water in the summer though.  It is completely mesmerizing, romantic and calming.  The National Harbor is a perfect place to take in the water and be swept away by the mix of colors that the sunset brings.

You can also snuggle up close to your honey, and take in a movie and the stars all at the same time.  The screen sits right near the water.  

Dreamy, right?

To enjoy the brisk fall air, we spent Saturday at Hartland Orchard picking crisp apples and strolling through the pumpkin patch with friends.  We stayed warm searching for the perfect apples to fill our bags.  The thought of fresh homemade apple pie helped keep us warm too.

Caroline stayed warm because she was working hard picking all of our apples.  Olive stayed warm because we continued to add any layers we could find from the car.

The day was memorable, the pie was a perfect mix of tart and sweet, and talks from General Conference once again ignited a spark to try to be better.

Happy Fall!!

Quality time with O in Old Town