Halloween Favorites.

It is Monday, October 29th.  I am sitting here at my computer trying to get some things done before we loose power.  I thought I would try to get some posts in to my live writer, and hopefully they will just post for me even if we loose power.  We shall see if that works.  I plan to have this post on Halloween Day.  I tell you this so that my writing makes sense.  I am writing this pre-hurricane, but this will post after the worst of it has hit here.

We are sitting here in our house all hunkered down preparing for Hurricane Sandy and the wrath of it’s storm.  It is raining like crazy here, and water is starting to puddle.  Our basement already has water in it.  It’s a good thing it is just a dungeon down there.  The winds haven’t picked up yet, but I am sure they will this evening and in to tomorrow.(remember I am writing this on Monday, but the worst is to hit us Tuesday)

Post edit: Ok so it is 2 in the after noon here on Monday, the winds are starting to pick up now, and tree branches have started to fall.  The house is starting to rattle a little.

Schools are closed, and even Jonathan got sent home from work.  Which is a miracle for a doctor.  Usually doctor’s work regardless of what is happening outside.  I am thankful to have him home with us.

The sounds of the storm are getting louder.  I once heard that the sounds of a hurricane will drive you the most crazy.  It has been referred to as the sound of a really large freight train.  I feel lucky that in our two years while living in the Caribbean we never encountered a hurricane. 

Now, here we sit waiting out the effects of Sandy here in PA.

 

I will say that it is nice to just be at home all cozy with my family.  I say that now because we still have power.  A few days without power might make me a little crazy.  I will get back to you on that one.

I am feeling bummed that we may not get to celebrate Halloween this year.  It doesn’t sound fun to trick or treat in a massive storm.  Our church trunk or treat has already been canceled and I am guessing that trick or treating might be as well.  I am hoping PA might reschedule that for another day.  I love Halloween night.  We might just stay inside and dress up anyway.

In honor of Halloween, and the possibility of not celebrating it.  I wanted to share a few of my new favorite Halloween additions.

(please note: these are not the best pictures.  I wanted to share these, but it is awfully gloomy outside which doesn’t make for great pictures inside, but you are getting them anyway.)

I received a package in the mail the other day from my friend from High school.(hi Chelsey!)  We were cheerleaders together and never really ran around together, but friends none the less.  We have reconnected through blogs, Facebook, and Instagram. Even thought that is the only form of communication we have, and not to mention I haven’t seen her in 15 years; I consider her one of my dearest friends. She recently moved from Utah to Washington state.  It is fun to have a friend on the other side of the U.S.  It was so fun to receive a package from there as well.  She picked up these darling tea towels for me.

I saw them on her Instagram and fell in love.  They are even cuter in person.  They look so cute hanging on my oven in the kitchen.  Thanks Chelsey, maybe someday we can meet up in Utah and have lunch.

(taken with my iphone)

While my Mother in Law was here she picked up these adorable place mats for us.  They look so cute on our table.

They look even cuter with this quilted table runner that she brought me.  She made this for me, as a thank you for supporting Jonathan along his journey with medical school.  Isn’t that so sweet?

She knows how much I love Halloween, and just had to buy the kit and make it for me.  It is my new favorite.  I told her I need one for every holiday.  Ha ha ha.  I can’t imagine how many hours she put in to making this.  I will treasure it forever.

I grin from ear to ear every time I look at the fabric on the back.  I think it is just so adorable. (everyone all dressed up in their vintage costumes)

Whenever she makes something, she sews a little pocket on it.

Inside the pocket she tucks away a message.  I just think that is such a clever way to leave a thought. 

Thanks Grandma and Chelsey for adding to our Halloween fun.

Now here’s hoping this storm lets up so we can do some trick or treating.

Our week with Grandma and Grandpa

We had a great visit with Grandma and Grandpa.

They came all the way from Utah to see us.

We had a very busy week already planned, so they just joined in with the Swenson crazy.

Here are a few things we did(via iphone pics and my camera):

We took them to PerryDell farm.

 

A working Dairy farm, that supports four families.

They have a bottling plant also.

 

This is where we are buying our milk. I love knowing it comes straight from the farm, and oh so fresh.  YUMMY!!  The have delicious chocolate milk.

Grandma and Grandpa enjoyed making dipped pretzels with the kids.  We used them to “BOO” a few families.

The kids had their class Halloween parties at school.

Grandma went and helped me out.  I organized Stella’s party, and helped plan Isaac’s.

Lorene helped me make some of the treats.

Witchy brooms and sugar cookies.  Stella’s class decorated their own cookies.  Isaac’s class just ate the ones I decorated.

The kids also had a dance-a-thon at school. This is a big fundraiser for our school.

We enjoyed watching them dance.  I love how happy Isaac looks in these pictures.

Stella was having so much fun with her friends singing along to “You don’t know your beautiful.”  I got so much joy out of watching how she has just settled in to this new place.

Jex goes to a different school.  His party will be this week, if Hurricane Sandi cooperates.(pray for us here in PA)

Grandma and Grandpa even watched the kids so that Jonathan and I could go to a concert.  Our favorite Arkansan, Justin Moore was here in PA; and we were front row.  It was a blast!!

It was great for me to see him on October 23rd.  My Grandpa Fred died one year ago on October 22nd.  We used Justin’s song, “If Heaven wasn’t so Far Away,” at his funeral.  It was nice to hear it acoustic and live.  A good reminder of a man who lived a good life, and who is missed dearly.

We hosted our own little Halloween party.

We started with a spooky dinner.  The kids thought this was awesome to eat in the dark.

Grandma made some owl rolls with the kids to go with our dinner.

Then the kids colored haunted houses, and also did some fingerprint art that Grandma introduced them too.

We ended the night with a movie.

…and we can’t forget someone had a birthday.

A few other things that I don’t have pictures for:

Dinner out just the four of us at my favorite place; Crimson Grill.  Mmm.  My mouth is watering just thinking about their pasta.

 Jerald and Jonathan went golfing. Jonathan shot a 72 and was thrilled. Wait to go lover boy.

Jonathan took his parents to Gettysburg and Lancaster(I stayed behind to get kids off the bus)

A little shopping for Lorene and I at a few of my favorite PA shops.  I got a good chunk of my Christmas shopping done.  I even wrapped some of them and sent them on to Utah with her, for our fabulous Utah cousins.

Eastern Market(a huge indoor farmer’s market where I buy a big chunk of our groceries), they thought this was really neat.

Watching a lot of baseball(I am still upset my Cardinals lost the pennant.)

…and then it was time to say goodbye.  Which is never fun for anyone.

Isaac even sent Grandma home with The Kissing Hand.  A favorite memento from a favorite book of ours.

 

Thanks for a great week.  We miss you already.

I love visitors.  Speaking of my BFF comes this week.  I can’t wait.  I haven’t seen her in almost a year. It’s time.  Hurry up Krysta.

Tessa Mae is Three.

Yes, my baby turned three on Monday.  I can hardly believe it.  I think it is just plain rude that our babies have to grow up. 

She has been a hoot to raise.  She is constantly laughing and smiling.

She makes our family complete.

Tess makes me stop what I am doing, and find time to enjoy life.

Tessa Mae is worth celebrating.

Grandma and Grandpa Swenson were here to visit so they got to party right along with us.

We started the morning with breakfast in bed.

Tess wanted waffles.(luckily, I had pumpkin chocolate chip waffles in the freezer)

She popped right out of bed when we came in to sing to her. She had the biggest smile ever.

She immediately wanted to open a gift.

I let her open this little birthday outfit.  She looks so adorable in yellow.

She was thrilled to see all her party decorations, and couldn’t wait for me to to start baking her cake.

I enjoyed decorating with pink, yellow and orange.

She asked for a pink and yellow cake with orange frosting.  Then she wanted suckers on top.  She is hilarious.  She knows what she wants.

I asked her what she wanted for lunch, she said, “chick away.” (translation: chick-fil-a)

So Grandma and Grandpa treated us to lunch a Chick-fil-a.

(taken with my iphone)

Once daddy got home from work, the real party started.

We started by releasing some of Tessa’s balloons.  My Grandpa died last year on Tessa’s birthday.  So we sent some of the party to him in heaven.  This will be a new birthday tradition on her birthday.

I miss you pops.

Then we celebrated with Tessa’s favorite dinner; homemade Mac-n-cheese.

She could hardly stand it, and wanted to get right to presents.  She was excited to get money among other new outfits, and toys.

Then it was time for cake.  She loves blowing out candles.

In fact, all day long, she sang, “Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday dear Tessa, Happy Birthday to me!!”  It was the most adorable thang ever.

We ended the night, by letting the kids decorate Halloween sugar cookies.  I think this will also be a new Tessa Birthday Tradition.  It’s the perfect time of year to do this.  We do it anyway, and the kids just love it.  It turned out to be the perfect party activity.

Tess was in love with the sprinkles.

It was a beautiful day.

Some of my favorite things about Tess right now:

She says a hundred times a day, “hold me.”  My back has been bothering me, and I haven’t been able to pick her up and hold her.  Now she says, “sit down and hold me.”  I will gladly hold her as long as she lets me.

She also like to have an excuse to get out of bed.  Her excuse, “I want to snuggle.”  How do I refuse that?

She loves to laugh.  She finds everything funny, and has the most adorable laugh.

She loves to dress up.  She wants jewelry, and fancy hair bows.  Everywhere we go people say, “look at that little girl.”  I think she likes the attention.

She talks so cute.  She often tells me, “I be eight so I get baztized?”(baptized)  She already wants to be like Stella.

She loves to play dolls, and is often found with a stroller and a purse.

She loves when I sing to her, and wants to read the same book over and over.

We all adore this little girl.  I am so thankful for her every. single. minute.

WE LOVE YOU TESSA MAE!!