We took the kiddos to visit some good friends of ours; one of them is in the picture as the Great Pumpkin-the girls were not too keen on her get-up! We're not really huge "celebrators" of Halloween, but it sure is a hoot to dress up wee ones in goofy costumes!
And our evening of carving this season...
Raegan was intrigued by the pumpkins' seeds and "guts".
Morgan thought all the extra pieces shouldn't go to waste. Tasty!
Christopher placed this special stone in the rock wall for me to perch on when I'm outside. Soon it will be surrounded by creeping plants that we will tuck into the crevices between the rocks. It will also be the best seat in the house (or out of it) when the fire pit and pond are added! =D I can't wait!
Case in point, here you see the beginnings of a beautiful rock retaining wall. We had been meaning to reclaim more of our back yard from the imposing hill next to the house (our little utility shed was starting to get buried), so we got to work.
And what do you know? We even accomplished a little father/daughter bonding time in the process. Two birds, one stone.By the way, if anyone in the area is looking for rental equipment, I know a really great sales guy: cbrowning@ur.com (e-mail) ;)
I'm still hearing wedding bells. I hope you don't mind if I share a little more. It's such a joyous subject!
Chris and I chose to get married on the 80th anniversary of my maternal great-grandparents, William Martin Bliss and Frieda Marie Smith. This is their engagement photo; they exchanged vows on October 9, 1919. Don't you adore the beautiful attire and coifs?
And here is the dear couple on their 60th anniversary.
My sweet husband never fails to bring home a gorgeous bouquet for a special occasion. The colors of these flowers remind me so much of our crisp autumn wedding.
And he didn't forget his two other sweethearts.
The boys tried to warn him.
Oh no, buddy! It's too late to escape now!
Gross!
My handsome groom.
Beautiful bridesmaids.
I do, I do!
Off we go!
It is my humble opinion that every homemaker should have a copy of Organic Housekeeping. Ellen Sandbeck is brilliant and hilarious. I read mine like a novel. She covers a multitude of topics including what to watch out for when buying furniture, clothing, even cosmetics. For example, have you ever noticed just how many everyday products contain formaldehyde? Ms. Sandbeck says, "Formaldehyde is commonly used as a preservative in shampoos, cosmetics, nail polish, and embalmed corpses. It is a known carcinogen and causes birth defects in laboratory animals." (page 159) You may also be interested in knowing that some synthetic fabrics like polyester involve formaldehyde in their manufacturing process. Take a look at the ingredient lists on a few of your favorite toiletries; your deodorant or toothpaste may just make a good substitute for some automotive essentials (like anti-freeze). The author is down-to-earth and knowledgeable; a lot of the information seems to be common sense, but you will feel like you've earned a degree in chemistry after reading this book. I also really enjoy her sense of humor. In another section on deterring ants, she quips, "Indigenous ants are an essential part of the ecosystem. They protect their territory, attack termites, and eat flea eggs, so unless they are coming indoors or are pasturing their dairy aphids on your favorite apple seedling, you should probably leave them alone." (page 383)
