October 2015

October 1

I attended my Young Women Presidency meeting. Bryn arrived with her Westminster terrier Emma. She slept all day because she was on night shifts at the hospital. I went shopping and made pumpkin turkey chili and homemade biscuits because it was cold outside!

Styrofoam pumpkin find at Dollar Tree!

October 2

It was so cold and rainy and windy outside so I snuggled in bed and watched movies while Bryn slept. James came home from work and we stayed in for date night. We made chocolate chip cookies, cuddled, and watched the movie The Cider House Rules as was recommended to us by Nana.

James and I enjoyed this movie about an orphan who becomes a doctor.

October 3

I scored at the yard sales today! We got 6 kitchen chairs for $24, and other decorative items. We went to Walmart and Home Depot, then home to watch General Conference. It was so inspiring, just like always! Three new apostles were sustained because Elders Perry, Packer, and Scott passed away this year. The new apostles are Elders Renlund, Rasband, and Stevenson, and President Nelson is the new acting president of the quorum of the twelve apostles. I made "healthy" queso and chocolate chip cookies. Bryn took us out for dinner at El Tapatio. I got the chimichanga chile con queso and it was soo good! Can you tell I like queso? Haha. James got the burrito ranchero and liked it but he liked mine better. James watched the Priesthood session of General Conference and loved it.

Relaxing after the first session of General Conference

Love this quote from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

October 4

I went for a walk with Bryn as she walked Emma this morning. I painted styrofoam pumpkins from the dollar store gold and white in preparation for Young Women in Excellence. I watched General Conference which was absolutely wonderful. I loved President Nelson's talk. I made cinnamon rolls and ate them while watching conference (seems to be a tradition?). I talked with Nana about decorating my fireplace mantle with fall decor. The Lehnhofs stopped by with homemade Oreos to see how the wood floors turned out!

I love hearing the prophet's voice President Thomas S. Monson (in picture above).

October 5

Bryn took me to see the movie The Intern with Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro and we liked it! Today Paxton was attacked by two pit bull terriers. The vet said he would pull through but I'm heartbroken. Today was Piper's first day of public high school too. What a stressful day for them. I hope they are alright.

October 6

The young women had a daddy daughter date for our mutual activity. They played Minute to Win It games and enjoyed ice cream sundaes while I documented the whole thing!

Elena and her dad Randy trying to eat the Oreo without using any hands! 

The young women and their fathers.

October 7

I picked Mom up from the Boston airport. She took me to eat at PieZoni's.

Update on Paxton after the attack.

October 8

Mom helped paint the edges of the rooms, the trim, and touch-ups. Wendy's for lunch, then time spent with James.

Another update of Pax.

October 9

I went to book club and we had Chicago themed food. I made homemade caramel popcorn with mom's expertise. I painted James' & my room with Mom. Then James and I had appetizers and cider at Matt & Liv's apartment with Joe and Meaghan. Fun!

October book club book!

Chan showing me that Paxton is doing alright!

October 10

Bittersweet Weekend was this Columbus Day weekend in Massachusetts with Mom and James! We had cider and donuts and apples at the Big Apple and picked out one big pumpkin and two little ones. Then we went to Cooks Valley Farm where we did the stamp hunt and we got three mini "pumpkin" gourds. Then mom took our "fall pictures" for our Christmas card at an abandoned barn directly across the street from Cooks Valley Farm. The photos turned out great! It was kind of spur of the moment! Then we went to Heart and Hand-such a cute shop. Then we went to the Christmas Tree Shops and then Red Robin for lunch at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. We had a wonderful day with perfect fall weather and gorgeous colorful leaves on the trees! James was so cute and funny making mom and I laugh. When we got home Mom and I painted the guest room trim and James hung the dining room curtains. He was so tired. He relaxed at home while Mom and I went to Pizza Heaven and had the chicken spinach tomato Alfredo pizza. Yum! We went to Walmart and scored a great 8 piece comforter set for the basement guest room. It was a fun day!

 The apple machine!

 I loved watching this as a kid!

 There goes the apple train!

 Free apple!

 So many pumpkins to choose from!

 James knew just how to pick em.

 This apple cider was perfect for this sunny fall day!

 The air was so crisp like an apple!

 I think he found his favorite!

This place was one of my favorites growing up! 

Cooks Valley Farm stamp hunt! 

 

 Know your apples.

 I couldn't contain my excitement for the stamp hunt.

 Found them all!

 Thanks Mom & Dad for taking us here as kids!

 Neck pillow or gourd?

 Spur of the moment picture taking. Photo credit: Mom.

Such a memorable day with my favorite people.

October 11

Church was wonderful with Mom. James had to work though. We had a new girl move into the ward, Kaylee, who just turned 12! Also, Lisa Kenyon, a recent convert, brought apples from her farm for all of us. At home we made homemade noodle soup with mashed potatoes and chicken, Grandma Keel's recipe. I also made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and took them to Bobbie and used her sewing machine to hem the curtains and borrow their drill. Then I took some cookies to our neighbors Carol & Linda. We made homemade apple crisp too out of the apples from church. The house was clean and homey and I had church music playing for James when he came home so he could feel like it was the Sabbath day even though he had to work. It was so nice having him home!

Living room curtains hemmed and hung!

October 12

I babysat Reed today. Mom decorated the whole first floor guest room and it is gorgeous! She also did other things for the house like set up the bedding in the basement guest room, organized stuff and made homemade beef stew and cherry apple crisp. We went shopping at Home Goods, Ocean State Job Lot, and Dave's Marketplace. We put our white and gold china dishes in the hutch and it looks beautiful! After dinner we bought a pretty throw blanket at Marshalls for the guest room bed. We hung more curtains and James moved our couches into the living room! I'm going to miss Mom when she leaves!

 Baby Reed is adorable.

 The hutch looks so good with all our fine china!

 

James moved the couches in the living room!

October 13

I had a Young Women Presidency meeting. Mom missed her flight so we did some shopping together. I picked up Hannah, Kaylee, and my friend Liv for the Harry Potter party for our Young Women activity. It was so much fun! I gave a spiritual thought tying in Harry Potter and individual worth, and that the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. At the party we each got our own Hogwarts invitation with our name on it, and we got to choose our wands by eating the Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. My wand was purple. We put on our robes and got our books and a (fake) animal, I got a raven. The sorting hat that Tracey Byrnes made called each of our names from a recording she made, and I was sorted into Ravenclaw and Liv was Gryffindoor (she was thrilled!). We watched the first Harry Potter movie up until the sorting hat part. Then we ate pumpkin pasties and butter beer. The night was so fun thanks to Tracey for hosting and creating a magical night for us!

 Bri & baby Faye, me, Abby, McKenna, Haidee, Elena, Kaylee, Lexi, Hannah, Amber (I think Julie is sitting on the ground not showing in the picture).

 We watched Harry Potter in their treehouse theater!

Sitting left to right: Julie, Haidee, Abby, McKenna, Elena, Hannah, Kaylee, Amber. Standing in the back left to right: Tracey, Lexi, Liv, me.

October 14

Mom left early in the morning. I was so tired so I took a break and watched House, M.D. with James. Poor Pax is recovering from his injuries from the pit bull attack. He's now wearing the "cone of shame" (quote from Disney's Up movie). Poor pup!

October 15

I babysat the Carbone boys. It was a tiring day, so James and I relaxed together. We love watching House!

*For those who don't know, House, M.D. is a TV show about "an antisocial maverick doctor who specializes in diagnostic medicine [and he] does whatever it takes to solve puzzling cases that come his way using his crack team of doctors and his wits" (IMDB).* It's so good!

October 16

I babysat for the Carbones in the afternoon. I picked up a few things from Walmart for a stay-at-home date night with James. I surprised him by playing some different games with him. We made potstickers and had ice cream while we watched House!

October 17

We scored more old books at a church yard sale (we got tons of stuff, and to pay for it you make a donation so we paid $30 and got a ton of goodies including a huge painting of the English hunting dogs titled Hunt Breakfast). One of the old books I found was Jane Eyre with an author's preface from 1847! My favorite book! I tried to find the publication date but there wasn't one printed in there. I found a cute pumpkin that lights up at a yard sale too. James worked a lot on his one day off by raking leaves, cleaning out the garage, moving our sectional couch in the basement, setting up the headboard on our bed, and changing the oil in my car. He has been so sweet. I cleaned up and organized the house and did laundry. After an exhausting but productive day, we ate more potstickers, made and ate homemade salsa with chips, ate ice cream and watched House.

A pumpkin sits on Jane Eyre.

October 18

Great Sunday at church, made chicken fajita soup, our favorite. James came home from work and we watched General Conference talks together.

October 19

Chandler called me today! It was great catching up with him. He said that Paxton is doing much better, hooray! I had dinner with James at home and we watched House (of course). My allergies were really bad today but I organized our bookcases despite the dust!

Paxton is healing!

October 20

I babysat. Painted the house. Went to Kohls, Target, Dollar Tree, gas station, Michaels, Joanns, Hobby Lobby, then home to paint pumpkins for Young Women, and bought Product 19 from Stop & Shop, my favorite cereal from my childhood! I picked up Kaylee for Young Women activity, and we worked on Personal Progress. I visited with Tracey, then came home to James!

Yes it's $4.79 a box because it's that good.

October 21

I babysat Brooke and unpacked a box of clothes. James worked on his presentation about watermelon stomach. Here's James' view of autumn from the hospital. 

Because of his work schedule, James didn't get to see the fall leaves changing colors except from the hospital window. It was dark when he left in the morning and dark when he came home at night.

 Watermelon stomach.

Brooke knows her states and we made up a little song!

October 22

I babysat the boys, watched Revenge, took a nap, showered, sorted through some boxes and did the laundry. We ate dinner while watching House. Good news, James now has 1 day left of his surgery rotation! He is thrilled!

Such a good show.

October 23

I did some meal planning then grocery shopped. Today was James' last day of his surgery rotation! So proud! He fell asleep on my shoulder when we were watching TV. Aw he is so tired.

Dr. James is done with his surgery rotation!

October 24

I meal prepped by cooking for the whole week! Poor James spent hours trying to install our new chandelier in the dining room but the electrical was messed up! We went to see Newsies the musical in Providence for free thanks to our great friends the Smith family in our ward! We went with them and the Ferrells too. The show was AMAZING! We both loved it!

We both have a crush on Newsies. 

The music and dancing were phenomenal!

October 25

Choir practice and a long day at church. The Primary program was today so it was fun to watch the little kids. I talked with Bobbie, Ashley, Bri, and Ashley Miller too. Bishop Mease taught the Young Women lesson. Our home teachers Ben Caswell and Brandon Mease Jr. came to our house. It turns out Ben is handy with electrical work so he agreed to help James with it soon. James and I had Hawaiian haystacks for Sunday dinner!

Paxton relaxing on the Sabbath.

October 26

James is on emergency medicine rotation again, yay! I was on call to babysit Zoe and Logan today but didn't have to go after all so I watched Revenge instead! Also, I have a joke with Meaghan that I eat too many chocolate chips. It's a problem we both have.

October 27

I didn't have to babysit for the Carbone boys today, but I did babysit Zoe and Logan for a couple of hours. I also had a young women presidency meeting today. Then for mutual activity we helped build the trunk or treat booths.

Logan and Zoe

October 28

I met an LDS family who lives in Coventry looking for a babysitter for their little baby. They are in the Warwick ward. Today we had an LDS student stay overnight with us because he has an interview at Kent tomorrow. His name is Cameron and he met Brian Lehnhof at a medical conference. We were glad we had an extra room for him even if it only was for one night.

The guest bed in the basement is all ready!

October 29

I babysat the boys and then Susan came over to visit teach me. I organized the basement and made my Halloween costume.

Basement mess is too overwhelming!

October 30

I worked on our Halloween costumes. James and Ben Caswell worked on the electrical so James was able to hang the chandelier today! It looks fantastic! I am so proud of him. We went to Adam and Ashley Levin's Halloween party dressed as Russell and Kevin from the Disney movie Up! We talked with Bobbie, Ashley Miller, Nikki, Kristie, and Trisha.

"Kevin's a girl!?"-Disney's Up (one of our favorite Disney Pixar movies)

October 31

Happy Halloween! I worked on my lesson for Sunday and James hung curtains and worked around th house. We went to the Narragansett ward Trunk or Treat dressed in our costumes. At home we watched House and ate the rest of the candy we bought for the trunk and trick or treaters. We had one trick or treater ring our doorbell just as I was about to turn off the porch light. Good thing I had a piece of candy left for them! Haha.

 James doing the bean bag toss at the ward Trunk or Treat.

James is Russell the Wilderness Explorer and I'm Kevin the tropical bird who is Russell's sidekick. He doesn't know she's a girl bird until the end of the movie so the famous quote is "Kevin's a girl!?" Haha.

October gone and ready for November!