"This is Halloween, This is Halloween"

-  Nightmare Before Christmas -

I love Halloween and usually get really into it.  The past two years I've had particularly cool costumes and fun things to do on this lovely holiday (here and here) which is why I was a little sad this time around.  Matt and I were just coming off a seminary week and realized a little too late that we wouldn't have time to dress up for the tri-ward Trunk-or-Treat.   

(you can't see them but Matt has two black birds attached to each shoulder)

Then, as if she knew my dilemma, my good friend Chen Ying came to the rescue.  I got home from work on Friday (the night of the Trunk-or-Treat) to find that a package  from Malaysia had arrived.  I about fell off the couch when I opened it and found a beautiful mask and hair piece inside.  Chen Ying had made them for a party she went to and then sent them my way thinking I could get some use out of them before the Holiday was over.  How right she was. 

Thank you Chen Ying for making my Halloween!

   

Our Perfect Day in Cambridge

Burdick's hot chocolate, the Charles River Regatta, shops in Harvard Square, an awesome street performing jazz band (with a tuba player) and no time limit whatsoever.  Perfection!

Time to Get Away

Sometimes it's good to get away. Sometimes you need a little fresh air, a little nature, and a little quiet time.  Sometimes you need an excuse to pull out your rugged boots and eat way too many ruffles chips while driving around for hours looking at all the beautiful fall foliage.       

Sometimes you need to forget your responsibilities, forget your worries and get outside to enjoy this beautiful earth that Heavenly Father created for us.

And sometimes you need to park your car and frolic through the fields of an old Shaker Village.

We had a lovely weekend!

A Fall New England Tradition

A little while ago Matt and I decided to take part in the great New England tradition of going apple picking.  We got up early, drove out to Stow Massachusetts and were welcomed by a lovely sign at Honey Pot Hill Orchards that said, "Welcome Apple Pickers".  It was awesome!

This was my first apple picking experience and we absolutely went to a great place.  They had hay rides, animals, apple cider donuts (Matt's favorite), and a cute little store full of produce and other fun things. 

The three little pigs were probably my favorite.  I couldn't get over how cute the little houses were.

As we headed into the orchards, I had only a few things on my mind.  I wanted Cortland apples for making pie and I wanted Golden Delicious apples for making apple sauce.  All other apples I was completely clueless about.  I'd never heard of pretty much any of the other apples they offered.  

Matt is a big apple eater and having done this pick your own thing before he was quick to make sure we could try out each and every kind.  We had so much fun going from tree to tree tasting the diffence between all the apples.  I had no idea apples could taste so completely different.  

 

Occasionally we would have to climb way up in the trees in order to get the apples.  They had the cutest wood ladders that I'll admit were super fun to climb. There was just something about climbing up to pick the apples that made the whole experience 10 times more fun.  

Apple picking was such a great experience.  It's a fall New England tradition that we'll be looking forward to year after year.  Now, on to the apple pies! :)