THE TREE

He wants a fake Christmas tree.

WHO IS THIS MAN I MARRIED???

NETFLIX

So, since we haven't hooked up any tv at our new place, we decided to try out Netflix for a while.

IT WAS A BRILLIANT IDEA.

Anyone who knows me knows I hate commercials.

There are none.

Anyone who knows me knows I hate scrolling through hundreds of channels to find something worth watching.

Problem solved.

Our most recent obsession is Prison Break. Kind of an old show, but we LOVE it! We usually watch an episode or two before we go to bed every night, and it's driving us crazy trying to find out how it will turn out! It just may be a while before we set up any "real" tv...

On a side note, our ward's primary program was yesterday, and OH. MY. GOODNESS.

SO HILARIOUS.

Highlight of the program: "There is safety in coloring the prophet."

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.