Happy Fall

I get pretty nostalgic in the fall...how can you not love pumpkins, the blue sky, leaves that are changing, a breeze and walking with crunching leaves under my feet...I am the first to admit that I may romanticize the thought of fall just a "little"...but I do love the fall and am so grateful that we have had a relatively "cool" fall this year!

Go Frogs!

We enjoyed celebrating homecoming with some dear friends this year...The "Greene Girls" enjoyed a reunion at the Greene house...it was so fun to walk through the house and sort of relive some precious time that we all shared together in college...this photo is on the new porch swing...the original porch swing is now hanging on our front porch...these sweet friends asked the owner of the house if they could purchase the swing as a gift for C and I when we got married...C and I spent countless hours on the swing when we were dating...it is such a gift to have...we will treasure it always and be sure to have it hanging where ever we are living!

B enjoyed getting to meet Kate, another dear friend of mine, for the first time... Our visits are few and far between these days...but always SO sweet!

B was quite a trooper during the game..he seemed to enjoy the game until about the third quarter...then he was ready to call it quits! He really did seem to be enthralled by all the people and sounds...with the exception of the Frog Horn...tears ensued after each touch down...maybe it was his way of empathizing with the other team?

It was fun to get a photo with Super Frog...I think the costume is a little bit scary, if I were a little kid I may be intimidated so this may be the last photo we get for a couple years!

We watched the parade with some friends on Friday night...it was fun to listen to the band march by and fun to see all of the floats that the different organizations worked to put together...it took me back to college when we were required to put in a certain number of "pomping" hours on the float that we were working on...oh, were those the days!

This was my favorite banner...

Who knew that the campus police have Segway bikes now? Maybe this was their big debut at the parade...needless to say, I was impressed...and left wondering..."Do they give students their infamous parking tickets while on Segways now?"

More of the Crab Dance

So I have to get even with C for posting my "Crab Walk Dance"...of course all in good fun!

Later during the trip we realized that we forgot to get a magnet in New Hampshire...let me explain...we decided on our honeymoon that we would try to get a magnet in each state that we travel to together.. and if possible, the magnets can't be too cheesy...as we were leaving New Hampshire, we realized we forgot to find a magnet...so this video highlights our search and then the other video captures C doing a "Victory Crab Walk Dance" to celebrate finding a magnet (the magnet we found has a moose on it, which we didn't see any of, and someone wrote 'New Hampshire' on it with a Sharpee marker...but it is still a magnet and it is from New Hampshire...it fulfilled our qualifications)...let me tell you, our efforts were quite valiant and hysterical (at least we thought so!)

A few videos from the trip...

This was our trip to Angler's Restaurant...

This would be Sara imitating a toy crab...

Our time in the apple orchard...

And of course, B had to show off a little...

One More Recipe

I promise, I won't replace our photos and life happenings with recipes, but this is another fall favorite...I have had a couple people ask me for it so I thought I would share it...

Layered Pumpkin Loaf

1 can canned pumpkin
1 cup plus 2 tbs. sugar (divided)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 egg whites, divided
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup oil
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. package of neufchatel (cream cheese) softened

preheat over to 350 degrees
grease a bread loaf pan
Mix:
pumpkin, 1 cup sugar, brown sugar, 3 of the egg whites, milk and oil in a large bowl
Add flour, baking powder, pie spice, and salt & stir until moistened
set aside; in another bowl beat the neufchatel cheese, remaining sugar (2tbs) and the last egg white with wire whisk until blended

pour half of the batter into the loaf pan, spoon the neufchatel cheese mixture evenly over batter; pour the remaining batter over the cheese mixture

bake for 60-65 minuets of until baked all the way through (check with a tooth pick).

Enjoy!
It is what I would imagine fall to taste like...in a sweet bread form!
(recipe taken from Kraft Food and Family magazine)

New Recipe!

I was able to have some friends from B's and my "Mommy & Me" yoga class over for lunch today. We enjoyed some fantastic pasta, the recipe was from a friend from high school...she gave it to me at one of my wedding showers and this is the first time I have tried it. It was so good that I felt like I needed to post the recipe to share...if anyone ever reads our blog...and you feel so inclined to try it...I hope you enjoy it!

Chicken with Dried Cranberry Pasta

4 boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 lb. package of Rotini pasta, cooked and drained
1-1/2 packages of dried cranberries
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup light (made with olive oil) mayo
1/2-3/4 cup Brianna's Brand Poppy Seed Dressing
Fresh baby spinach (optional)

Brown the chicken in oil
Cut into bite-sized pieces
Mix remaining ingredients together (pasta, chicken and everything else)
Refrigerate until chilled
*Add a little more poppy seed dressing to the entire salad just before serving

If you are using the spinach, add just before serving

***This recipe makes a lot! So it would work great for a larger gathering or you could split it in half***

It is official...B is mobile!

After much frustration and patience (on B's part), many failed attempts and face plants into the floor...B figured out how his arms and legs can work together to crawl! B has been using the "Army Scoot" to maneuver his way around as he plays, but as of this weekend...the Army Scoot is out and crawling is in!

C and I are bracing ourselves as we are celebrating this big milestone but also a little daunted by the reality that this milestone brings...we are working to "B proof" our house, moving breakable things up, securing things down, covering outlet plugs, taking our shoes off when we are in the house, vacuuming and being hawks as we watch B play and move around the house...Ella isn't quite sure what to think of her little friend's new movement...before we know it, B will be riding Ella like a bucking bronco!

We are so grateful that B is healthy and happy...it is such a gift to watch him grow and humbling to think about the task of parenting that we have at hand!