Love, Life, & Games of Chelsea & James: November 2015

November 1

Daylight Saving Time so I got an extra hour of sleep. James had to work this Sunday, but I went to choir and fast and testimony meeting. I helped Bobbie with her cute kids in sacrament meeting. I taught the young women lesson about self-reliance and helping the poor and needy. When I got home I lit the cinnamon pumpkin spice candle and made homemade chicken noodle soup. I attempted to make cauliflower garlic breadsticks but they did not turn out. I made the perfect batch of chocolate chip cookies and watched Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story with James. James caught a cold :(

James did a great job hanging our new dining room chandelier!

Our house on a Sunday evening.

November 2

James and I went shopping at Garden City Center and I bought a white skirt at Loft for only $4! He and I ate lunch at the hospital and then we went to Home Depot. We bought new white electric outlets and covers. I planned our fall party. Bridget and Vicente (the LDS family who are in the Warwick ward) came over with their baby boy Vinny to see our house. After they left, James and I watched a documentary on Netflix called Life in a Day which was kind of depressing. I'm very grateful for all my blessings.

November 3

I babysat the Carbone boys at 5:30am! Tonight's young women activity for mutual was a service project at Lisa Kenyon's farm. We brushed horses and helped her sort old photographs.

McKenna, me, Hannah

November 4

I babysat at 5:30am. I worked on stuff for Young Women in Excellence. James had to work at 2 today. He's working in the ER this month which he loves.

November 5

I babysat at 5:30am again. So early for me! I did some Christmas shopping for James and then took a nap! My brother Peter and I spent the day texting. I miss him!

November 6

We got to sleep in today! James did some more electrical work and hanging the blinds. He went to work and I cleaned the house. We had the oil truck visit our house and fill up our oil tank!

November 7

I planned our day trip to Newport we are taking tomorrow. James and I both accomplished stuff around the house and we went to Home Depot, Christmas Tree Shops, and Target. For dinner we tried the Stop & Shop brand BBQ chicken pizza (not a fan and I love pizza). We drove to Providence to pick up a free wood table so we can use the table legs to build our farm table someday!

November 8

We carpooled with Bobbie to Stake Conference. We helped her with the kiddos, and Remie absolutely adores James! She had so much fun ~~sitting~~ playing with him! Stake Conference topics were on the Sacrament and keeping the Sabbath Day holy. After church James and I took a walk in the wildlife refuge that's 0.4 miles from our house. The trees were so pretty even if most of the leaves have fallen. I made chicken enchiladas and chocolate chip cookies (of course). We watched Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story and I loved learning about her life and how Harry Potter was written!

Finn & Remie chatting with James

Remie loves James

Livie loves James too :)

Gorgeous day for a Sunday walk through the wildlife refuge!

November 9

James and I took a day trip to Newport. We brunched at the Hungry Monkey. James had the strawberry stuffed French Toast and I had the normal french toast (I don't normally like french toast, but I was under the impression it was made with monkey bread, so I ordered it, and was greatly disappointed. It was just regular gross eggy french toast). We walked the entire cliff walk! We toured Ochre Court. I stole some snacks from there (they were laying out on a table but I think the lady was reserving them for a meeting or something haha oops). The weather was perfect! Absolutely amazing New England fall weather. We did sooo much walking! Our legs were SORE. We went to the Redwood Library and learned a little bit more about the history there. We also stopped at the old Stone Mill. We saw the outside of the Quaker Meeting House. Of course the mansions along the cliff walk are gorgeous. We didn't tour them at this time, but we will someday! For lunch we ate at Scratch Kitchen. I'm glad we had a restaurant certificate because we ordered a ton of food. The Venus de Milo soup was delicious paired with the mac and cheese grilled cheese. YUM! James had the pulled pork grilled cheese and chili. Also good! I loved the magic cookie bars there too! I want to go back now! James and I got home and watched The Cobbler, that family movie with Adam Sandler on Netflix.

Crunching of the Newport leaves

Stepping inside The Hungry Monkey

Strawberry stuffed French Toast for James.

Newport glistens.

Mansions!

Scuttle was even there!

Newport Cliff Walk

We are Harry Potter nerds.

We saw Nana & Grandpa look-alikes in their New England outfits! Haha.

We want Dad to go with us to the National Museum of American Illustration!

The.Best.Video.of.James.EVER!!!

New England autumn

Old Stone Mill

Redwood Library

Quaker Meeting House

Venus de Milo Soup

Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese

Mug o chili

We loved our Newport, Rhode Island Staycation!

November 10

I cleaned the house with James and we fixed up the office. For our young women activity we went to Faith Thibault's house in our ward. We went hot tubbing and ate chocolate waffles and drank hot chocolate. It was a little rainy, but we had a lot of fun. All of the young women were there except for Tessa and Georgia because they live in Connecticut. It was fun bonding with the girls! I love eating chocolate waffles with ice cream on top!

Kaylee & McKenna serve up ice cream over chocolate waffles!

Left to right: Me, Hannah, Abby, McKenna, Amber, Julie, Elena, Kaylee.

Hannah, McKenna, Kaylee, Elena, Amber, Julie, Haidee, Faith, Lexi

November 11

Happy Birthday Nana! I painted closet doors and the whole bathroom today. James worked on putting up the beadboard in the kitchen area where we tore down that nasty brown tile. I organized the closet and then called Nana for her birthday. Pizza, ice cream, and House for dinner!

These Victorian cats remind me of Nans-Happy Birthday!

November 12

I babysat the Carbone boys. I had a young women presidency meeting and then did grocery shopping and cleaning. James worked on the beadboard. It's looking good!

Kevin, Stephen, Casey.

Haha they're so cute. Left to right youngest to oldest.

November 13

Happy Birthday to Mom Chapman! Book Club today was patriotic themed because we read Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (I didn't have time to read it so I watched the movie and I heard it was basically the same as the book). After book club I went home and made homemade salsa and cheeseball in preparation for tomorrow.

The book.

The movie.

November 14

Today was a busy day! I steamed the curtains, bedding, and couches last night. I baked from 9am-2pm. I cleaned the house. James hung pictures on the walls. I hosted our 6th annual dessert party and harvest housewarming party! Matt & Liv came and she brought her childhood friend Ryan. Bobbie brought her kids, and Bri and baby Faye came. Ashley Miller and her kids Harrison and Julia came, and so did Kristie & Peter & Brooke Crapo. Bryn and Meaghan came too. It was so much fun! We had cranberry apple cider punch, hot apple cider, chips and pumpkin salsa, crackers and cheeseball shaped like a pumpkin, harvest hash trail mix, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin snickerdoodles, pumpkin magic cookie bars, donut holes, mini caramel apples that didn't turn out, and a hot cocoa brownie cake with pumpkin marshmallow frosting. The party was a success! I also took photos of our house because the night of the party was the first time it felt like the main floor of the house was coming together! I know many of you have been asking for photos of our house so here ya go!

The dining room set-up

Pumpkin magic cookie bars

cookies donuts and bars oh my.

Hot Cocoa Brownie Cake with Pumpkin Marshmallow Frosting

Harvest Hash Trail Mix

Treats!

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Centerpiece.

Paper goods.

Hot Apple Cider

Kisses & turkey shakers

Haha my husband's a goofball.

Cheeser.

Cheeseball and crackers

Chips & Pumpkin Salsa

Cranberry Apple Cider Punch

Panoramic Party

Bryn, James & Remie, Bobbie

They're so cute.

Liv, Meaghan, Matt

Kristie, Bryn, James & Remie

Livie

Crapo & Lehnhof kids

Finn & Remie eat treats

Brooke eats a cookie!

Hosts

Left to Right: Ashley & Harrison Miller, Kristie Crapo, Bryn DeKosky, James with Remie Lehnhof, Peter & Brooke Crapo, Me, Julia Miller, Bobbie, Livie, & Finn Lehnhof, Matt MacAskill, Bri & Faye Bergeson, Ryan (sitting next to Matt), Liv Miko, Meaghan Linnell.

I love this tradition of ours!

The kitchen area with beadboard put up. The back door is on the left with a window, then the doorway to the dining room, with the door leading down to the basement on the right. The kitchen is behind me.

Love our new pillows & wall gallery.

More new pillows & gray & white curtains

Our fall fireplace.

TV is next to the fireplace.

The book case is on the other side of the fireplace.

The ship picture is on the wall leading into the front door hallway area.

I LOVE our chandelier.

Living room panoramic taken from the dining room arch.

Door leading into the breezeway.

The pumpkins I painted for Young Women in Excellence are in the breezeway.

Office panoramic.

The English hunting dog prints are hanging in the office.

Here's the Hunt Breakfast painting we got at the church yard sale.

We sometimes like to call the office the library.

The guest room at the end of the hall.

The Master Bedroom

Our pink and maroon tile bathroom (we will hopefully renovate this in the next year or two)

We love this painting of Christ walking on water hanging above our TV.

November 15

I woke up today with a sore throat. I didn't go to choir, and James had to work. Church was good though, and I stayed late to work on the temple time capsules for Young Women In Excellence. I made taco soup and James came home from work. An internal medicine student rotating at Kent is staying with us for 2 weeks. Her name is Sarah and she is really nice.

November 16

I prepared all day for Young Women in Excellence. James had the day off but he had to study all day. I watched a Christmas movie on Netflix with Sarah after her day at work.

November 17

I babysat the Carbone boys early this morning and they were awake at 5:55am! I prepped all day for Young Women in Excellence-today's the day! I set up at the church from 9am-12pm. I took a nap in the late afternoon, then got ready to go. It was an amazing night. The theme was I Love to See the Temple, I'm Going There Someday. The room looked gorgeous all decorated in white and gold. We borrowed modest wedding dresses from women in the ward and displayed them around the room. We decorated with Christmas lights and white tulle. Everything was white, including our outfits. We wanted the young women to feel like they weren't walking into the Relief Society Room but walking into a room that reminds them of the temple: white, pure, and filled with the Spirit. The food turned out great: white chicken chili, white chowder, and white Wisconsin cheddar cauliflower soup served with white bread. Rachel Stoklosa made a beautiful white cake that resembled a wedding cake, and Elena made white temple shaped sugar cookies. We had a candy jar bar with gold candies: Rolos, Hersheys Treasures and gold Hersheys Kisses. I put together the clear containers for the candy with gold ribbon & a picture of the temple in gold on the front that matches the evening's program. Haidee put together a great slideshow of the girls at their activities throughout the year. We each gave talks: Bri talked about how personal progress helps us progress toward the temple, I talked about I love to see the temple and my testimony, and Haidee talked about how we can prepare to go to the temple someday. Each of the young women gave little speeches about personal progress. Bishop Mease gave closing remarks, and then the young women and leaders sang I Love to See the Temple. The Spirit was so strong and tears were shed. It was a wonderful evening!

Invitation

The programs are on the right, Boston temple print, bread to go with the soup!

Bri did the chalkboard stencil!

Gold candy jar bar.

The set up.

White pumpkin with white pinecone

Gold pumpkin with gold pinecone

My wedding dress hanging, the temple time capsules, Bri's dress in the box.

Temple time capsules include talks on marriage and the qualities the young women want in a future husband.

Lanterns, lights, tulle.

Gold temple print

Bri & Andy's temple wedding photo & our temple wedding photo. Haidee's temple wedding photo was in storage in California so we couldn't display it.

The whiteboard covered in tulle.

Crystal Wall's wedding dress

Megan Caswell & Michelle Barrus & Rachel Stoklosa displayed wedding dresses

Sherry Hawkins' wedding dress

Table centerpieces

Cake by Rachel Stoklosa

White Soups!

Lemon water

Temple sugar cookies made by Elena (Mia Maid)

White Chicken Chili made by me

White Chowder made by Haidee

White Wisconsin Cheddar Cauliflower Soup made by Bri

So pretty!

Singing I love to See the Temple:

Haidee, Amber, Hannah, McKenna, Kaylee, Elena, I'm leading the music haha.

November 18

James slept all day in preparation for starting his night shifts!

November 19

I babysat the Carbone boys and napped with James while he slept. My visiting teacher Susan came over, I love visiting with her.

November 20

Happy Birthday Chandler! I went for a 46 minute walk (random I know). I called Chan for his birthday. I spoke with Nana on the phone too about Thanksgiving recipes. James slept all the while. I did some shopping at JCPenney and Walmart. James and I watched Big Bang Theory and House (our two favorite shows). Then he went off to work!

Big Bang Theory Happy Birthday for Chandler

November 21

I got to babysit Reed today! He's so much fun to play with. I made brownies for Bri's birthday tomorrow even though today is her birthday!

November 22

James came home from working all night and slept before he got up again for church. I sang with the ward choir the Thanksgiving medley. The young women enjoyed the brownies I made for Bri's birthday, but I didn't stay because I was feeling sick so I went home from church. James slept, then we ate taco soup and watched House with Sarah, the student staying with us. James went to work his night shift. Cita and Grandpa Lewis got their mission call to Lansing, Michigan!

November 23

I babysat Zoe and Logan today! James is continuing to work in the emergency room this next month.

Logan & Zoe

November 24

Silliness with James today.

His big head shadow! Haha.

November 25

I prepped for Thanksgiving today and made an apple pie! The homemade crust doesn't look good but it turned out yummy I promise.

Doesn't look pretty but it tasted pretty!

Pie baking mess.

Polishing the silverware.

November 26

Happy Thanksgiving! I spent the morning cooking and cleaning and then we had guests over for Thanksgiving! I made the turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, and apple pie. Everyone else brought sides and desserts. Adam & Ashley Levin came with their kids Odette and Eddie. Brian and Bobbie Lehnhof came with their kids Finn, Remie, and Livie. Bri Bergeson came with her girl Faye, but Andy had to work so he wasn't there. Sarah also joined us for dinner! The kids watched Pocahontas in honor of celebrating the founding of the new world! Haha. James enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with us but had to go in to work the night shift after.