Halloween

It took us awhile to get into the spirit of Halloween this year (as in we carved our pumpkin on the 30th), but it did happen and that's what counts, right?  Robb and I scooped out and carved the pumpkin while Colby played with the guts.  Once he moved from playing to chucking, we demoted him to observation status.  Much, much later (after we managed to get our little guy clean and in bed) Jack was complete and we rounded the night off with Pumpkin Cheesecake (thanks again, Erin!) and crispy pumpkin seeds.

Colby, the Dragon.  Hear him roar!

 Now he's actually crawling I have a limited time to get a picture before he runs me over :)

So Colby's costume is pretty obvious, but no one really knew what Robb and I dressed up as.  I blame Robb.  I wanted to go the safe Princess/Knight route, but Robb thought it was too predictable.  So we're scorched peasants :)

 Unexplainable costumes and all, it was an amazing Halloween 

11 Months

:: Weight: 20lbs

:: He's legitimately crawling now (unless he needs to get somewhere fast, then he reverts to his old arm-crawling ways)  

:: Can pull himself up onto his knees (meaning a whole bunch of previously safe objects are now up for grabs)
:: Loves to open and close the cupboards (or anything with a hinge) and is fascinated by the vacuum

:: Favorite game is peekaboo or riding on Robb's shoulders

:: Loves hanging out with a little girl who lives downstairs

:: No new teeth 

:: Mastering the art of feeding himself.  When bored, he livens the meal up by throwing a portion to the ground

:: Little things he still does that make me happy: does a victory roll (rolling onto the back with the object in hand) whenever he reaches something he's after; curls up in a ball with his blanket before going to sleep; snorts and squeaks when he gets excited; watches strangers in the grocery store, just waiting for them to smile at him; uses his feet as a second pair of hands...

I love his little quirks.

12 on 12 in October

01. Breakfast: Cheerios (after they went to a happy place)
02. Make-up thief
03. A never-ending cycle
04. Rainy day
05. Witness to a good Samaritan
06. Winco
07. Lunch: Turkey Caesar wrap
08. Best toys are free
09. Date night with my boys
10. Dinner: Chicken Scampi at Olive Garden (woot for gift cards)
11. Squeaky clean
12. Sweet snuggles before bed

Grateful, eh?

My parents are almost making Utah trips for General Conference a tradition (and I love it)!

Our first bit of fun was a Friday night football game (BYU vs. Utah State).  Originally my parents were stuck behind a group of crazy Aggie fans (not that I blame them, when you're a minority you have to be loud to be heard), but after the first quarter we found them a spot in front of us.  Final score: 6-3.   

Saturday afternoon was Canadian Thanksgiving (observed) with the Nielsons!  The food was amazing.  Unfortunately, I didn't get nearly as many pictures as I wanted.  I put Colby down for a nap in an adjoining room and didn't hear him wake up until the quiet that proceeds blessing the food.  At that point he was nearly hysterical (mother of the year award goes to me) and I spent the rest of the dinner trying to make amends. 

Sunday morning Conference session

Followed by family pictures...

I think they're making fun of me in this picture, but it's cute anyway :)

I love us.

Lately

What we're up to nowadays:

:: I finished a craft project that's been on my to-do list for almost a year (the empty picture frame sat on our shelf the whole time...an unsuccessful attempt to motivate myself).  Each heart is a map of a significant place for us and it makes me happy every time I look at it. 

:: Robb had two interviews after BYU's career fair.  We won't hear back for awhile (these are just first round interviews), but suddenly graduation doesn't seem that far away and we're weighing the benefits of one location over another.

:: Colby experienced bubbles for the first time and we're all big fans

:: Dermatologist appointments this month.  I'm now missing a chunk out of my leg and Robb has a burn on his nose, but woot for being cancer free!  

:: Robb and I went to the BYU vs. Hawaii football game for date night, it was a complete shut-out, final score 47-0.  Usually we have company (Robb's brother and his best friend have season passes with us), but we were alone this time and it was fun to be somewhere just the two of us.

:: Robb is learning to play Hushabye Mountain on the guitar and I melt a little every time he sings to our boy

:: And Sunday night we broke out a board game and had an intense battle complete with Lord of the Rings playlist (to make everything feel more epic).

Nothing huge, but still, life is good.