November

November was...

Taking the kids to Carkeek Park to see the salmon swimming upstream to lay their eggs and die. It happens every November. I've been walking down there every week with Noah's class and it's been really cool to watch the difference each week in the number of salmon swimming and then to go later in the month to see most of them dead. The life cycle, man! Fascinating.

 I was happy to be in Seattle for Thanksgiving again. The last time I did the Turkey Trot, Noah was a baby. It was fun to have kids old enough to include.

 The kids mostly didn't like it but it was a dream come true for me to have my whole family there.

We hosted Thanksgiving at our house. I finally put forth some effort to make the table scape pretty. 

Special thanks to Noah for the placecards.

We had Adam's college friend, Mike, and his family over. It was fun to get to know them and share a delicious meal. Thanksgiving in America is so easy! I didn't even bother brining the turkey.

 The next day we hopped in the car and drove to Wenatchee. We were starving just before we arrived there, so we stopped in Cashmere and stumbled upon an amazing joint called Country Boys BBQ. First time having BBQ since I got home five months ago! So that's basically three years and five months without legit American BBQ. Heaven.

 We stayed the weekend with my cousin Carrie.

 It snowed on the way but was gorgeous and sunny while we were there.

We hiked around their home near the Columbia River and found some cattails. These things remind me so much of growing up in the boonies.

 Carrie had a birthday and she and I made a lemon raspberry cake of wonder. YUM.

 Happy birthday, Care Bear!

October

Let this photo summarize the joy of fall:

 I waited a long time in a line for this cob of corn. It was worth it! Also, all this food: YUM.

Swans Farm does a pretty bang up job of a pumpkin patch.

 Let's get a close up on the plaid folks. Plaid was the right choice!

 Just tryna look all cute and natural with tiny pumpkins.

 Snuggle the pumpkin. Snuggle it.

 Just tryna make it look natural to lift pumpkins twice your weight!

 Another hike! Can we keep up this one hike a month thing? I hope so!

This time we went to Twin Falls hike near Snoqualmie. Really surpassed my expectations!

 Lots of falls and dry all day. Beautiful hike.

Maybe this was back in September? Adam and I felt all urban by biking to the UW football stadium from our house to watch the BYU/UW game. We felt double awesome when we got there and they had free valet parking for bikes. Seattle rules.

At halftime we met up and chatted for a bit with my cousin, Carrie, and her hubby Nick. 

Good. Times. Once again, Carrie and I were reminiscing about when we were college roomies at BYU and I did a very inappropriate photo shoot while wearing this sweatshirt. The photos have since been discarded (I found them recently and didn't want my kids to see them), but let's just say they involved a long stem rose between my teeth. Ooh la la.

 BYU lost horribly, but Adam had split loyalties and got to be happy either way.

During one mega-fun weekend in October, we saw Beyonce at CenturyLink Stadium...

... and The Aces! My niece, McKenna, is in this band and they opened for Five Seconds of Summer at Paramount Theatre.

 It's been so fun to see her band be so successful. They started as four gal pals in middle school and they've been performing all over the world for several years. They will return to Seattle in February to headline their own show. Such awesome ladies.
She showed us her tour van. Um. Living the dream.

 It's one of those situations where you feel cool by extension. Go, McKenna!

In July we got to visit Adam's grandma, Betty.

She died mid-October. 

We are so glad we got to see her when we did. She was such a wonderful person. I'm lucky to have had her in my life. She and Adam visited Italy together, just the two of them, several years after he got home from his mission there. Her father's birthplace was Genoa and she wanted to see it and all the other amazing sites in Italy. She left behind a box of pictures for him to take, and this gem was inside. You can't fake that patina. That's 2005, baby! I'm so happy they got to take that special trip together.

 While listening to the memories shared by several grandchildren at her funeral, it became apparent that she all made us feel like the most special grandchildren, each of us specifically. She even made me feel that way and I'm not even a blood relative! She was vivacious and gregarious and she loved everyone. Betty's kids:
Adam and his siblings.

 Sibs and spouses; just missing Devin.

 Our kids and their cousins:

 Sienna and Hailey.

 My in-laws.

Let's finish October strong with a salute to Halloween. We had a werewolf and a racoon this year. Cute as ever!