We awoke to both a snow covered yard , and a snow covered counter this morning thanks to our elves. Since it’s snowing outside, I guess the elves thought we should have some snowballs inside. Thankfully, they are the yummy kind you eat and not the icy sort that melts.

The North Pole is hiring! Elva brought us some applications for the job openings, and Elfie wants us to watch a training video. 🙂

Think we should have some spaghetti with maple syrup for breakfast?

The elves thought the tree was a bit bare {not sure why, there isn’t a mm of space left on it}, so they started on some pipe cleaner candy canes. Molly happily helped them finish up their work.

Elva got into the basement last night and found Elfie. Together they brought all our decorations upstairs {She’s so happy that she has a strong guy around to help her carry all those boxes}! Looks like we have some work to do.

If you’ve been following me on instagram {**cough** stalker **cough**} you’ve seen that I’ve been busy this october making costumes for the kids. You would have also seen that I finished in time {yay!} and all three were ready to trick or treat on All Hallows’ Eve.

Introducing…

The Pumpkin King! {Jack Skellington; Nightmare Before Christmas}

Sofia the First {of Disney Junior fame}

I upsized the spin around dress and made the skirt portion a complete circle petal skirt, for maximum spinning.

and… Fix-it Felix, Jr. {Wreck it Ralph}

They posed for pictures a bit and even did a couple classic character moves. {Check out Jack with his scary face}

Then, we announced “It’s trick or treating time!!”

First, we went to Grandma and Grandpa’s House.

Then, around their neighborhood.

Finally, we finished up at home, properly gorging on candy snacks and appropriately passing out on the couch before the night was through.

Another year, another Halloween success. 🙂

Happy Halloween!!

Went to the farm today for pumpkins. Had an amazing time, and brought home tons of loot.

The kids decided to pick from the little orange flower patch in the yard.

…and smell them…

…and count them…

…and, of course, show them off…

…and pose with them…

Yup, it’s certainly autumn around our home. Complete with backyard crocs for me…

…and endless smiles from them.

Yeah…. so you know how we have a finished basement…

The one with the room full of boxes? Well, I may have posted a tiny picture the first time around… because well… it was a lot of boxes… and stuff… and boxes…

Yeah, it was a bit of a mess, and I couldn’t let that go on any longer. So today? With the help of my AMAZING husband who tirelessly unpacked and moved and sorted and stored and climbed the ladder time and again to the garage attic for proper storage, it now looks like this:

I have alot of plans and ideas, but for now it’s so nice to be clean slated. <3 In the midst of it we did happen to come across the stand that Thom and I made to hold Thomas' moses basket alongside of our bed almost 9 years ago.

It just so happened to induce sleepiness, and general day dreaming.

So many memories, and so many more to come. Loving life.

When we first saw the new house, we fell in love. It was a charming 4-bedroom {all upstairs, squee!} center-hall dutch colonial. I immediately envisioned the kids growing up in it. Complete with obligatory prom on the steps photos of Molly. Thom and the kids instantly agreed; Thomas claimed his room and Molly was quite enamored that her room had a mirror on the back of the door. You may remember me posting about a great weekend we had as the summer started. That it was epic? Yup, that’s the weekend I took these photos {please excuse my iphone pics}…Back then it seemed like only a dream that this could be our home, but we made an offer and put our house up on the market… and waited.

It felt like forever; funny thing that thing called time, it has a habit of sneaking up on you.

Before I knew it we were sold and all moved out there and all moved in here, and I’m sitting in my office as I type this right now.Yup, that’s what it looks like now. I have lots of things planned for it, but right now? It’s completely perfect. However I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let me give you an official tour.
As you walk up to the front door, it opens to the center hall stairway.

Walking down the hall {past my office on your right, eeks!!} you will find the kitchen {with it’s awesome pantry} in the back of the house on the left.

…and the family room with it’s wood burning fireplace to the right.{shh… this room already looks different, lol… more on that next time.}

Out that door next to the fireplace is the garage {aka: Thom’s man cave}.

If you go back into the house and walk through the kitchen, you will come upon the dining room.

…and through that large archway is the living room {which has had a rearrangement since, lol, constantly evolving.}

Up the stairs is all our bedrooms.
Thomas’

Molly’s

Marcus’

Thom’s and Mine

Our own little private bathroom {with wicked neat shell shower walls… I see BM irish mint in our future}

…and the kid’s bathroom with two sinks! {also with, ahem, interesting lighthouse wallpaper… I see this in our future}

Then all the way to the down to the basement, we have my photo “studio”, lots of boxes and bins that need unpacking, another bathroom that I love, the laundry/utility room and the kids play space.

Out back are two apple trees, a plethora of flowers and trees and bushes, and two planting beds. One is full of strawberries. I can’t wait until next spring to plan all the fun things we will grow.

Well, that’s all for now. Many projects are in the works and many things have already been unpacked and hung and decorated since I took these just a couple days ago. Project home; underway.

Since moving to our new home, the kids have thoroughly enjoyed the space. Not only on the inside, but the outside as well.

Molly even learned how to climb trees.

She’s quite proud of herself.

…and so am I.