"It's a Wonderful Life!": October 2008

Friday, October 31, 2008

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Our church had its annual TRUNK-or-TREAT last Friday! This year we decided to decorate our trunk and Brett had the idea of a 'Drive-In Movie'. He hooked up the projector and showed a movie through a sheet. Lots of little kids gathered around to watch, it was cute. Brett even won a prize at the end for being 'The Most Inovative.' :) Our good friend, Steph, made an adorable trunk of 'Sesame Street' and the kids loved it! The Trunk-or-Treat was a lot of fun and we learned to never leave the candy unattended. :)
The best part of the night was dressing Abby in her Bumblebee costume. She could have cared less what she was wearing, but we had a lot of fun with it. She looked adorable, but we're a little biased.
We love our little Bumblebee Babe!

Here is the 'Drive-In' trunk and the creator himself.

Here are some kids enjoying the show.

Bishop Stewart's trunk was the 'hit of the night' for all the kids.

I had to post this picture of Mo. Jill made this gingerbread costume...impressive!

Steph's trunk....sooo cute!

Lil' Bug!

Bath Time!

One of Abby's favorite things is...BATH TIME! Every time I put her in the bath, she smiles. The tub seems to be a time for Abby to relax. In fact, there have been moments when she has been fussy and I put her in the tub and it calmed her right down. Well, Abby has learned a 'relaxation technique' that she has now made a habit. When she's in the bath, she dips her little toes in the warm running water and loves it. She is ALL girl! (Don't worry, we have covered her up for privacy. :) I had to take this video on my phone. )

Happy Birthday Brett and CoNgRaTs!

Brett turned 27 on Sunday...he's getting old! :) We had a our friends over for ice cream and cake and it was a great day!
This past weekend Brett and his friend Paul had a big competition for Moot Court. They just found out that, as a team, they made the next round...WAY TO GO GUYS! Wahoo! Good luck with the next round on Saturday!
I love you Brett!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Road Trip to Upstate New York

We spent the past weekend with our good friends Cory and Sarah and had a wonderful time! They live in Upstate New York in a beautiful town called Seneca Falls. Several church sites are close to their home, so we made a trip to both Palmyra and Fayette while we were there. We also spent a day at Niagara Falls, which was fun to see as well. Abby was really good for the trip and did just fine on a 7 hour car ride...I was nervous about that. :) It was hard to leave after such a great weekend!

Friday was spent at Niagara Falls and it was beautiful! I have never seen anything like it.

Brett took this picture of the falls and I thought it was pretty good.

We rode the Maid of the Mist to see the falls and we got wet...except Abby.

A gorgeous view of the falls. Don't worry, Abby was safe.

We made a journey through the 'Cave of the Winds' and got up close to the falls.

There was a beautiful rainbow over the falls! We took this picture just before we headed up the stairs.

"Baby Bjorn" in all her glory! :) Abby all geared up for the journey. The roar of the falls put Abby to sleep and she slept through the whole thing. She also remained dry through the event, but Brett was not so lucky. On the right is Sarah ready to hike the stairs. :)

Brett and Abby enjoying the view. Abby getting a close up shot at the falls.

Near the start of the falls. Abby is sporting her sock mittens. :)

Saturday morning we headed for Palmyra and did a sealing session in the temple. Sarah was kind and watched Abby while we went to the temple. The Palmyra Temple is beautiful and overlooks the Sacred Grove. We loved our time in the temple.

Here is the Gradin Store where the Book of Mormon was first published! It was amazing to see how much time and work went into publishing books back in the 1800's. It was neat to see one of the first Books of Mormon.

The Visitor's Center at the Sacred Grove and Smith Home.

In the Smith Home where the Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith.

Outside the Smith Home. I can't believe so many people lived under one roof!

Sarah, me and Abby entering the Sacred Grove. There was an incredible Spirit in the grove. It was very peaceful and you could tell that something very significant had happened there. I have always wanted to visit the Sacred Grove because of what happened in the Spring of 1820. It was amazing to walk in the actual place where Joseph saw God the Father and Jesus Christ, which led to the restoration of the gospel. I didn't want to leave because it felt so peaceful. It was a beautiful time of year to visit the grove with the trees all changing color.

Abby playing in the leaves while we were walking through the grove. She clutched a leaf in her hand and wouldn't let go...she wanted to eat it. :)

Walking in the grove.

Here is the Hill Cumorah on a Fall Day. There was a beautiful view from this hill. This is where Joseph went to get the plates. I loved the monument of the Angel Moroni on top of the hill.

Saturday ended with a fun Pumpkin Walk in a NY town near Palmyra. They had donuts and apple cider at the end...yum. It was fun to enjoy a small town community event. :) Abby slept through the entire walk.

The Peter Whitmer Farm where the church was first organized in 1830.

Sarah and Abby at the Peter Whitmer Farm. Abby is wrapped in the blanket that Sarah made for her.

Abby collapsed in Brett's arms at the close of the very fun trip.
Thanks Cory and Sarah for a great time!

Here are a few videos from the trip...(Ignore the fact that I say 'Here we are at Niagara Falls' five billions times. I need to get more creative on what I say when I'm recording. Oh well...

Abby voicing her thoughts about the trip...

Sites of the falls...

Four AM in the morning and Abby is wide awake...two tired parents and one hyper active, and talkative baby.

'Abby Spice'...'Abbers'...

As you can tell from the title, my family loves to give nicknames and Abby has already been given a few. Abby is now getting pretty good at using her hands and she loves to express herself through sounds. She's a talker, though I have no idea what she is saying. Here is Abby with her bear.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Off Into the Sunset...

We celebrated Brett's birthday a few weeks early because of some competitions he has with law school. To celebrate, we had a homemade picnic on the Potomac complete with sparkling cider. We then headed out to Georgetown for a boat ride on the river. (I found a free boat ride coupon...wahoo! I love a good deal.) We only had a minor trauma when it took us 30 min. to find a parking spot in Georgetown. Abby was wailing her lungs out in the backseat for food...oh dear...we are happy to say that she survived the ordeal....phew! It was a beautiful night for a cruise down the Potomac. The boat took us past all of the monuments that were lit up and reflected on the river...it was quite the sight. We loved the ride! It was the perfect Autumn evening to ride off into the sunset with my cute hubby! :)