fallish.

forward: this post will encompass all things fallish. this includes (but is not limited to): pictures and events with comfort food, nature pictures, anything resembling a pumpkin, any pictures with any sort of costume involved, and any picture/event that may have occurred in the last two months in the season of fall (excluding our most recent So-Cal trip...which will probably consume a few of its own posts. sigh).

summary: this is a fall-dump post.

caution: dumps are usually big. i will do my best to dispose of it in as orderly of a fashion as possible.

 camping out in livermore with friends- Alice helping daddy take down camp :: mama + Alice looking a lil scruffy in the morning :: the two filthiest, happiest lil campers there ever were

 celebrating "dress/talk like a pirate day" at krispy kreme...all in the name of free donuts- Ellie was very in character :: the mom crew who each went away with boxes of cellulite delicious treasure.

first signs of a bump (around 12-14 weeks?)  :: Ellie helping paint our kitchen... a reveal which is going to have to wait until we do some...tweaking  :: walks with friends to our nearby park (which have been my saving grace this pregnancy)

 first slumber party with friends (while new baby brother was being born-- so exciting!) :: seeing Brave at the Drive-in...our first family Drive-in success!! :: Ellie jumping like a bean at gymnastics (i love seeing how much she's improving since she began a few months ago!)

 Alice is currently obsessed with her pockets :: Life's most difficult decision on a Saturday Morning :: General Conference Tradition - homemade waffles + homemade syrup = tastes like home

cute sister squeeze after Stake Conference on Temple Hill :: my forever family in front of the Oakland Temple :: sweet girls dressed up in their best heels and bows to wish their favorite Gammy a happy, happy birthday 

 my cute four-year-old who is growing up too fast :: my crazy two-year old who always makes me laugh

carving pumpkins with my favorite people a G + G's house :: the finished product on our doorstep (Ariel, Jack Skellington & Mike Wizowski, who we never did finish) :: a video of Alice reciting our favorite Halloween Poem. just in case you dont' speak "Alice," the words go like this -
i'm a mean old witch with a hat
i ride on my broom with my cat
my shoes are pointed and my chin is too
and you better watch out 'cause i might scare you
i'm a mean old witch with a hat
BOO!

 Alice has become the pickiest eater...except when it comes to treats, especially ice cream :: the gorgeous Oakland Temple/doing Sealings with my love :: getting the famous Zachary's Pizza after, of which i dream about daily

 

 some halloween Trunk-or-Treat pictures-- Rapunzel and Rapunzel the bride :: our yearly family ensemble- including Mother Gothel, Flynn Rider and his bride and bride-to-be :: cute lil girls showing off their costumes + make-up :: enjoying their spoils of deliciousness after receiving wayyyy too much candy

and i think for today, that's a wrap. because it's about all i can handle. and probably all you can handle, too!

it's so stinkin' hard to get caught up, huh!? but i know someday, when this is all printed and my girls like to hug me and kiss me a little (or a lot) less than they do now, i'll be so glad i did. 

in the mean time, thanks for putting up with my overwhelming blog-presence...........it's not over yet!  (evil snicker).

xoxo

labor day isn't for laboring.

M had to travel the weekend before / over Labor Day-- which was super lame. (i mean, labor day was not meant for laboring. duh.) i wasn't feeling great-- which was super lame, too. i was kinda bummed to be spending the holiday alone...was stressed with home-life...and decided spontaneously that leaving town was pretty awesome option. so i packed up the girls, a couple of bags, and drove to Southern California to visit my family for one last summer trip (oh, and did i mention that i didn't tell hardly anybody, either? i felt very...sneaky).

traveling-wise, the girls behaved the best they had ever behaved on a road-trip. super-duper miracle. trip-wise, it was beautiful and rejuvenating. we even had the great surrpise of getting to be there with my Aunt Karen, Unlce Lane and cousin Kelly, who also spontaneously decided to skip town to visit my family. Karen is like my second mom- she lived around the corner from me growing up- so she knows all my friends, my gossip, and my silly childhood self. it was so homey to be with everyone for a few days.

highlights:
the sunrise on our trip down
bath-time concerts (upon the girls' special request)
story-time with Karen & Lane
swimming in Gammy & Pops' pool
hearing Kelly's perfect voice sing all the Disney Princess songs (the girls were amazed)
everyone jamming out and singing "Part of Your World" (i told you Alice is obsessed)
Balboa Island
Whale Watching- and not seeing a single whale/dolphin/sea animal
Sprinkles Cupcakes
Sunday Picnic at the Pier
Alice with a giant super-soaker
spending all day (like 10 am- 6 pm) Labor day in the pool swimming- and Pops even getting to join us for the fun (in spite of his Sept. 15 deadline)

and of course the number 1 highlight: getting to spend time with my wonderful sister Mimi, her cute fiance Aaron (of whom my girls both ADORE- would you believe that Aaron spent most of that 8 hr swim day with Ellie in the pool? pretty adorable), my wise Pops, and my wonderful, thoughtful mama-- all people who i miss more than words can say. families weren't meant to live this far apart, i tell you what! but i guess a 7 hr drive isn't THAT far...and i guess that's why i can never stay away too long.

xoxo