Hocus Pocus...

....and other Halloweenie type things.

My parents have been here in Massachusetts since Saturday and we have been going non-stop since they got here.  Although, I suggested they go off to explore Plymouth, MA on Wednesday on their own so that I could give Ryan a day off from sightseeing.  Poor girl has been such a trooper the past week.

Let's see, Saturday they arrived bright and early and we attended my churches Harvest Festival where Grammy won Ryan her first pet, a goldfish, lovingly named "Fish."  We'll see how long Mommy can keep Fish alive.

Sunday after church, we went to West End Creamery & Family Farm to pick pumpkins.  Josh was sleeping most of the day in preparation for his night of work so he was absent but the four of us had a good time rolling around in the "corn crib."  It's basically a sand box full of corn kernels and it was quite entertaining, though Ryan was a bit unsure about the whole thing.

Then we picked pumpkins!  One of my very favorite things to do.  I look forward to it every year and I hope hope hope Ryan will inherit my love for pumpkin picking, that's why you start em young!

Lift with your legs Ry!

We spent Monday in Salem, MA.  Our preparation for spending the day in Salem was watching the Halloween classic movie Hocus Pocus the night before.  And I would be lying if I didn't admit that one of the highlights of the day was seeing Town Hall in the middle of Derby Square where the parent's costume party took place at in the movie.

Salem Town Hall

I imagine that anytime you visit the city of Salem, it is a little strange because of all the witch craft vibes that surround the city.  But when you go to Salem during the week of Halloween, you are hitting prime time Salem weirdness.  I had been warned prior to going, so the fact that there were witches on the street and a possible Siamese twin sighting was not that surprising.  The city is in fact really cute and extremely historical and it was the most perfect Massachusetts fall day to go exploring.

We spent Tuesday in the Worcester area.  I took Mom and Dad to the rail trail where I run regularly with my girlfriends.  So many of the leaves have now fallen off the trees and it was probably one of the nicest fall days that we've had here so far.  All the fallen leaves made for Ryan's very own personal playground.

On Thursday, we went in to Boston for the day.  I really love this city.  We enjoyed the duck pond and gardens as well as walked the Freedom Trail (or most of it) and ate lunch at Cheers.  Overall, such a fun day with perfect weather which always makes things better.

Now I guess it's time to welcome the month of November.  And prepare myself for the beginning of winter, especially since it's supposed to snow tonight.  OMG.  Toto, I don't think we are in California anymore.

End of October Happenings

The month of October is quickly coming to an end.  Only a week left, which makes me a little sad because October happens to be one of my favorite months.  But, with so much going on lately, it's difficult to dwell on the fact that it's almost over.

Josh is still on nights.  He starts a new service on November 1st, so I guess that's one reason to be happy that October is almost over!  Ryan and I have been busy busy having festive fall playdates with friends.  Last week we met at Nashoba Winery for a picnic and pumpkin painting with many of our little girlfriends.  The pumpkin painting was a good idea, in theory.  But real painting only lasted about 45 seconds.  I'm thinking art supply usage is still a few months off with this toddler.  We haven't quite mastered the concept that we don't eat paint.

There are now more leaves on the ground than there are on the trees, which provides lots of fun for Ryan and picture taking opportunities for me.  But it also means winter is quickly approaching and I'm not sure I'm ready for a Massachusetts winter yet.  Actually, I know I'm not.

We were also so lucky to have one of my best high school friends Alexa all the way out here from Seattle, Washington for a few days.  We hadn't seen her since December of last year so this was quite a treat.  She got to see what day to day life is like with a toddler.  Lucky her. :) Ryan now has a new BFF and we miss her already!

And now we are busy prepping for my birthday, last minute Halloween costumes, and most importantly, my parents arrival from California tomorrow.   This last week of October is definitely going to fly by.

Fall Family Photos

The minute I knew we were moving to Massachusetts, I had daydreams about doing some family photos in the fall foliage.  Massachusetts weather and a residents work week made it somewhat difficult to schedule, but we were able to take some pictures a couple of weeks ago amidst the beautiful fall leaves and I couldn't be happier with the photos from Emily at EESmith Photography.

She did a fantastic job working with my overall goal of finding the perfect spot to take some fall photos and getting Ryan to more or less cooperate for over an hour (not an easy task!) and she did all this at 36 weeks pregnant.  What a woman!  She specializes in newborn photography so if you are in the area and have a little one due in the near future, definitely check Emily's work out.  I have no doubt that one of these photos will be making an appearance on our Christmas card this year. :)

Happy Fall Ya'll!