HALLOW-GIVING and THANKS-OWEEN

We've been having lots of fun this fall! We had four different rounds of pumpkin carving - with Phil's mom, my cousins, Young Men/Young Women, and our friends, the Hansen's! Phil paid tribute to his childhood pet duck Pong, and I made a fisherman/fish-in-a-pond scene. Then at the Hansen's Phil carved "And Nerdy" on his white pumpkin, and I carved out a train...which collapsed in like a day. My bad.
With the YM/YW...

HOW CUTE ARE THESE GIRLS?!?!?

Let's just say we're lucky this was the only injury!

 This was our practice run for my family's carving competition - we decided to turn the whole pumpkin into a car!

Complete with detailing, windshield wipers, license plate, steering wheel, rims, the works!

Phil's. Cute. 

 This is our tree in our front yard!! SO GORGEOUS!

 The end result at the family competition. Didn't even place. Ridiculous.

 These were my original fall decorations. I felt like it was looking pretty wimpy, so I made a stop at, where else?
D.I.

 Fifteen dollars later.

 I LOVE FALL.

Just you wait, Christmas, your turn is coming soon.

BAH-HUMBUG

I'm not much of a Halloween person. Don't crucify me; it's just not my thing. I don't like putting ridiculous paint (excuse me, makeup) all over my face. I don't enjoy eating snack food that looks like severed fingers and bloody eyeballs. Call me crazy. I don't like snobby kids interrupting dinner every two minutes asking for food. And I HATE it when parents knock on my door, chime trick or treat, and reach in to take my candy "for the baby." Get real. There's no way your 9-month old is going to eat all that candy.

I love decorating with spider webs and pumpkins and fall colors. I love pumpkin carving. I love watching (uninterrupted) scary movies. I LOVE it when Halloween falls on Sunday.

I am, however, very much a Christmas person. My family's year was spent in anticipation for the day we'd get the box of Christmas CDs out of the closet and start playing Mariah Carey, Amy Grant, Harry Connick Jr, and Charlie Brown Christmas. December was all about the village, the lights, the garlands, the tree, nativity, the homemade candy, the Secret Santas, the wrapping, the caroling with Mom's Holy Scones afterwards, catching Santa EVERY YEAR as he brings in presents while we hide behind the couch, lounging on the beach Christmas afternoon. It's just the greatest holiday.

Phil LOVES Halloween. He loves dressing up in costumes. He loves candy. He loves deviled eggs and bog slime

He thinks having a village is a pointless tradition. He hates Christmas music. He made me promise not to listen to Christmas music out loud while he's around until after Thanksgiving. AFTER THANKSGIVING?!?! His idea of a perfect Christmas is opening twenty video games, then disappearing for the rest of the day and the following week to beat them all.

Sigh...

Conflict of interests.

GAMER

I married a gamer. I knew he was a gamer when I dated him, I knew he was a gamer when I married him. He was, is, and always will be a gamer.

I was raised in a home where video games were banned. We went outside and shot hoops, hopped on the trampoline, and rode bikes. We played cards and board games. We sang and cooked.

I always swore I would never marry a gamer. My brother Sean always teased me when I said that and threatened that one day I would eat my words. I'd punch him, or call him stupid.

Nailed it. I married a gamer. I had to eat my words. Why did I do it?

Sometimes I'm not sure why. Sometimes I get frustrated at how alone I feel for an hour or two or three or four while he "unwinds and relaxes" over a game. Sometimes I wonder why I let myself sign up for this.

More times I feel like the most beautiful and important person in the world. More times I feel appreciated, respected, trusted, and adored. More times I feel safe, protected, honored, and supported. More times I feel stubborn, unnappreciative, and still patiently waited upon. More times I wonder why he let himself sign up for this.

I married the most patient, loving, adoring, sacrificing, affectionate man I know. I didn't marry him because he's the only one for me. I married him because he tries to love me harder than anyone else ever would. I married him not because we're the most alike or compatible, but because he deserves all the happiness in the world, and was willing to give a shot at reaching it with me.

Sometimes a boy just needs some time to play with his toys, I guess.
Even if I don't always get him, I still got him.

And I'm never letting him go.

HOT CHOCOLATE SUBSTITUTE

I have just invented the greated thing ever.

I've always been half and half with hot chocolate.
It always burns my tongue.
My breath always feels weird when I'm done.
But the mug keeps my hands SO warm!
Dilemma dilemma.

Until today.

My next door neighbor who I LOVE brought over a couple bags of peaches this summer.
As I've been bred as a Packard to do, I peeled, sliced, froze, and bagged them.
(Yes, in that order, freeze before you bag so they don't clump).
Smoothies, right?
WRONG.

Pour the peach slices into a bowl. Generously.
Nuke in the microwave until steaming.
TRUST ME.
Drain as much juice as you can.
Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

It will change your life. I'm not drinking hot chocolate this winter.

I'm eatin' PEACHES.

MAKING MY NEW HOUSE PRETTY

So, as anyone who's ever moved knows, there's a lot of rummaging and re-discovering going on. I spent an hour or two going through the box that has all my childhood/high school "stuff," including old birthday cards, yearbooks, photos, you name it. So I was rummaging through them all, and actually found, believe it or not, TWO birthday cards from Grandma and Grandpa that still had the five dollar bills in them!! (No, my grandparents weren't spoilers...I got exactly $5 each year until I turned 18) I felt like I had scored big-time! Haha. and on top of that, I ran across this fantastic letter:

 It just made me laugh so hard I had to put it up!

 This was our dining table for a while. That octagon-ish looking one in the background is finally put up after I spray-painted the legs from gold to black. But we still use the camping chairs :)

This is going to turn into something awesome. Not today, but soon. Wait for it.

Just a yummy something-something I made. Yummy enchiladas with cilantro. Then drizzle that Cafe Rio tomatillo dressing on top...DIVIIIIIIIIINE!!!

 D.I. Halloween decorations. No other way to do it.

 Painted this. LOVE it.

 I'm thinking about putting those little plastic spiders in this webbing, but we have enough REAL spiders in our house I haven't been able to get excited about the idea.

 My little pumpkin patch. We're working on it.

As always, we're a work in progress. I love having my own place to decorate.

We've been staying busy. Phil's studying. I'm working at an office four days a week and reffing volleyball a few nights a week/weekends. Loving it.

And I read the first Hunger Games book in two days. LOVED IT. Ready for Book Two.

PREGNANT

Let me be clear.

We're NOT PREGNANT!

Geez, you know it IS possible for a married couple with no children to have a crisis that can't be announced publicly yet.

And that crisis CAN be something other than pregnancy.

I got called as the Young Women's President in my ward.

Freaking out.

Wait, it gets better.

Phil...Young MEN'S President in our ward.

Yeah. REALLY freaking out.

It hadn't been announced, but I was having a crisis and needed to vent via blog.

My mistake.

HEAVEN HUMOR

Sorry for not having any pictures on the last couple posts - my laptop doesn't want to connect to the BRAND NEW router we just got, and Phil's oh-so-glorious computer doesn't even have a memory drive hook-up. Anyways...

Heavenly Father's been sneaky lately. I can't go into too many details, for reasons I will explain in the near future, but...let's just say that just when I think I've got things figured out and under control, He throws in a whole new game plan. Sigh. Like...crazy. I've had to trust this past week that He knows me and what I'm capable of better than I do. At least I hope so, or we're gonna be in BIG trouble. :)

Inspired by a great talk my friend gave in our ward a few weeks ago, we've been practicing the principle of putting the Lord first and then letting Him bless us. First we tried it with school - we made our spiritual education a higher priority (aka...ACTUALLY reading our scriptures and praying before going to bed) in hopes Phil would get some help in school to stay on top of things, even with his 17 credits and 20+ hours of work/week. Poor man. And lo and behold, he's been doing great! Staying ahead with his reading and homework, and doing well in class!
So with my desperate work situation, we decided to try it out again. This past Fast Sunday we decided to amp up our Fast Offering to match our Tithing, show some faith, and trust He would step up and help us, since this whole "figure things out ourselves" plan was definitely NOT working out. So we paid up, and the very next day I got an offer for a month-long, 2-days-a-week job, which would triple my income. Not bad! Then just two days later I got a call for an interview for a full-time job!! Interview is tomorrow, and I'm driving myself crazy telling myself not to blow it "or ELSE"... but I've been so stunned at how ready and willing Heavenly Father has been to bless us when we simply ask for it and show a little faith by putting Him first. He wants us to do well in school and have stable and comfortable employment. He wants us to be able to afford our bills and be happy, and to think all we have to do is ask for His help! What a brilliant plan! He's been teaching us a lot this summer, and I know we have a few more big lessons coming in the very near future (stay tuned)!

Who does God’s work will get God’s pay, 
However long may seem the day, 
However weary be the way. 
No mortal hand, God’s hand can stay, 
He may not pay as others pay, 
In gold, or lands, or raiments gay, 
In goods that perish and decay; 
But God’s high wisdom knows a way, 
And this is sure, let come what may— 
Who does God’s work will get God’s pay. 
(Anonymous)