fall

While Grammy and Grandpa were in town, the girls introduced them to their favorite new game, Pie Face! I wouldn’t really call it a “game”– it’s pretty much turning a dial, sticking your face in a hole and waiting to see if it’s your lucky turn for a handful of whipped cream to hit you in the face. It’s like a sugary version of the board game, Don’t Wake Daddy! The anticipation is the scariest/most exciting part!

Meredith did not understand the point of the game and hated getting messy! She ran off to play more intelligent games, like Risk.

The anticipation!

Swim time with Grammy.

A morning at the park while the twins were in preschool.

Grammy and Grandpa tagged along for our annual trip to the Tanaka Farms pumpkin patch.

Meredith is obsessed with any kind of vehicle– cars, trucks, airplanes, tractors– she gets so excited!

Previous years:

All grown up:

Meredith was very meticulous about her pumpkin picking and traded out her pumpkins from the wheelbarrow several times.

She refused to let anyone help her carry the pumpkins.

Last year, she didn’t have a choice of pumpkins, so this was a vast improvement in her book.

This is getting a little heavy!

Wheelbarrow blast from the past:

We almost lost these crazies in the corn maze!

What’s better than frolicking through a patch of pumpkins? Climbing on a huge pile of them.

Queens of the mountain.

And if that wasn’t enough fall fun, the girls were treated to a zoo trip with Grammy and Grandpa. The real treat was mine, since I got to stay home! Not sure what I did during that time off, but I’m sure it was more relaxing than normal!

Fascinated on the train:

Monkey time.

Lots of love,

Our trip to Utah was short and sweet, but we packed a punch.

We played in the leaves in ten minute increments before we got too cold and had to go inside because we are wimps! Then, it was back out again! Rinse and repeat.

The girls’ favorite game was “Bury Mommy!”

Amelia informed me that I was an ice cream cone and she was putting on all the “toppings.”

Nothing beats a hot apple cider picnic!

We braved the wind chill and visited and fed the horses a few times.

The girls practiced their driving skills in the little cars Grammy picked up for them. We broke up more than one fight over who could drive the coveted red car (even though I still maintain the convertible with a trunk is MUCH cooler).

One of the best parts about Grammy’s house is digging out all the toys from childhood yore. Bring on the Polly Pockets!

Vintage Lite Brite? YES PLEASE.

Bring on the childhood memories.

Grammy and Aunt Sarah had a girls’ night with Samantha and Amelia while Jake and I went to Kati’s wedding reception. Love this picture Sarah took of the girls right as we were leaving. Amelia was all smiles while Samantha was moody (i.e. screaming). As we walked out the door, we could hear Grammy serenading the girls with a song, while Samantha screamed, relentlessly, “NO! I DON’T WANT THE SONG!”

Sarah sent me this pic later on to reassure me that Samantha eventually calmed down. Daniel Tiger and cereal never fail.

It was so fun to hang out with the beautiful bride, Kati, at her reception and to meet her new husband. David, who coincidentally served in the same Spain mission as Jake. Kati and David live in DC, but hopefully, we’ll be able to make it out there for a history-themed trip with Samantha and Amelia soon. Congrats to the happy newlyweds!

When I was the editor of our high school newspaper, Kati and I used to jam out to ABBA during our late-night deadline sessions at school, so it was only fitting that she had all the ladies come out to dance to “Dancing Queen.” Since no one needed to see a pregnant lady jamming out on the dance floor, I came out for the ladies’ dance, but definitely toned it down a bit.

My other wedding favorites included Kati’s ice cream and sprinkle bar along with catching up with Erica and all the amazing things she’s doing as director of performing arts at her charter school. We need a book club reunion soon, ladies!

We arrived home from the reception with a good report from Grammy and Aunt Sarah– the girls had fallen fast asleep while Grammy read stories to them. Thanks for the free babysitting!

A few hours before we left for our trip home, we had Faux Thanksgiving, since we wouldn’t be in town on actual Thanksgiving Day. It was nice to have a relaxing dinner and catch up with the Brodeurs, Sarah and Mike, and Mike and Ali, particularly since the girls napped through all but ten minutes of our feast!

Thanks, Sarah, for the yummy food pics, Dad for the turkey and Mom, of course, for the delicious feast! Way too much food, as per the usual. This year we had a stuffing and pie contest, in which the regular pies and stuffings beat out the gluten-free, dairy-free kind. Alas, some recipes are just better left untouched.

Sarah’s Mike brought the very fitting Turkey Butter, which the girls found fascinating.

We woke the girls up from naps so they could enjoy a little bit of Grammy’s Thanksgiving feast before we had to leave to make our flight out. The girls’ favorites were definitely the turkey, sweet potatoes and pie. Lots of pie.

We were so sad to have to eat and run since the best part about Thanksgiving is lounging around after the big meal. The girls were tired for our flight back home and were awesome again on the plane, despite a few hiccups over who got the bigger lollipop. Our arrangement with Amelia and I in the front and Jake and Samantha directly behind us worked out well for the second time.