Maverick

Last weekend, Jeremiah's wing-man Mav celebrated 27 years of life.

Our friend Taylor through him a festive little shindig at her house
before we headed out to Temecula to go clubbin'.


Yes, I'm white.
And Yes, I just said clubbin'.

Her porch was beautifully decorated for the Falland little decorations were popping up all over the place
A quick picture of the birthday boy before dinner
and of course there were cupcakes
How else would we sing Happy Birthday?
What party is complete without a frosting fight?
The calm before the storm
But of course... sweet little Ellie playing on Bacon's phone.
That girl has some mad tech skills
Happy Birthday, Maverick!

Thanks for making me stay up way past my bedtime.
and thanks for being such a gosh-darn-fun person to celebrate.

We love you!!

Batesy Natesy

On Saturday, we took our annual trip to Bates Nut Farm
affectionately renamed Nate's Butt Farm by the locals. :)


We normally go with my sister each year,
but this year we also brought the Schan clan along for the ride.

We smelled (I mean saw..?) the animalsPlayed in the corn fieldsPicked out Pumpkins(and gourds!)Stuffed our faces with yummy food
(which I respectfully took zero pictures of - not very attractive)

... and of course took a bunch of picturesAs always, it was so much.
BNF hold so many memories
and it's the perfect way to usher in the Fall!

Where do you go pumpkin patching?

Girls Night In: Welcome, Fall!

This month, Girls Night was a tribute to the coming of Fall.

We sipped spiced cider
and munched on pumpkin cupcakes and peanut butter popcorn balls.
We exchanged books
so everyone would have something new to read
as they cuddle up to the fireplace this Fall.
We lit the Fall candles
{which are totally 2-for-$20 right now!)
and the house was filled with
Autumn, Marshmallow Fireside, and Cinnamon Pumpkin.

We strung together simple garlands
to give our homes a touch of the festiveness.

And this month, I was reminded again
the way these Girls Nights have grown me this year.

Autumn Rains

{*}

“Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful.
He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.”
Joel 2:23

I haven't studied the context of this verse at all.
I just think it's pretty
and perfect for the first day of fall.

Happy First Day of Fall, my friends!!

Fa-la-la-la Fall

It's beginning to look a lot like Fall around our house.

The table is set.
The Fall garland is hung.The Fall candles are out.
And little pumpkins are popping up all over the place.
Goodness me, I love this time of year!

Feeling Special this Fall

Another one of my goals for 2011,

is to find special ways to show my family and friends
just how much I love and appreciate them.

I've been trying to do that by
spending extra time with them,
sending thoughtful text messages,
making dinner for them,
lending a helping hand,
being generous with our resources
and being intentional with words of affirmation.

A couple weekends ago,
my sister and I put together little "Welcome, Fall!" packages
to help my mom and mother-in-law
know that I am oh-so-thankful for them
and for the unique roles they play in my life.

For my mom,
we put together a couple pieces of Fall decor that reminded us of her,
a mini word-art canvas and a refurbished vase full of Fall foliage.
For my mother-in-law,
we made her her own mini word-art canvas,
a refurbished vase,
and wrapped it up with a little decorative pumpkin.
I had so much fun crafting with my sister all weekend,
and I hope I was able to make my moms feel extra special this Fall.

Crisp Cool Air

This year, Jeremiah and I invited Alyssa and Joey along
for our annual day trip to Julian.

We bundled up and strolled the streets of the quaint little town,
stopping at the little shops along the wayIt was such a beautifully crisp and clear day.For lunch, we stopped in for BBQ pulled pork sandwiches at Rongbranch
and enjoyed tasty apple pie with cinnamon ice cream from Julian Pie CompanyNote to self: bring sunglasses next time!We love these guys!And of course, we couldn't leave without a little bag of candy
and some fresh hot apple cider from the Cider Mill
Twas a lovely fall morning.
And the perfect way to spend the long holiday weekend.

Thankful for: Sunshine

I realize it's fall/almost winter,
but I'm a fan of those sunny days.
Today it was 80 degrees and beautiful.
But alas, I spent my day running errands
and doing little things around the house.
Still - the sunshine makes all things smiley!

Today, I'm thankful for: The Sunshine

Fall Feast

On Monday night,

Aubrey and I held a Fall feast for two.

[Semi] Romantic Music,
Wedge Salads, Garlic Pesto Garlic Bread
Warm Homemade Applesauce, Pumpkin Muffins
and Sparkling Apple-Grape Cider.

Two friends
sharing not only a delicious meal,
but also the thoughts on our hearts.

Delicious!

Nate's Butt Farm 2010

Every Fall,

Jeremiah, my sister and I

take a trip up to Bates Nut Farm.

This year she brought the boy along
to enjoy the yummy food, the pretty pumpkins
and all the silly pictures we take.

The Scarecrow Concert is always
the source of some good laughs

The Corn StalksThe "pretty" pumpkinsAnd the bright orange onesSilly Kids