Happy Halloween!!

Ready for some trick or treaters!!

Pumpkin Cookies plus New Friends

This past weekend I went to the outlets with the teacher I work with everyday. It was so fun to hang out outside of the classroom and get to know her better. I can also say I have offically started my Christmas shopping.

Sunday after church I made the most delicious pumpkin cookies for our neighborhood cookout.

I was so glad everyone enjoyed them! Here is the recipe: Pumpkin Cookies.

I also have to say that it's a small world. At the cookout I realized that one of my sorority sisters from college lives a couple houses down from me! It was also great to meet the rest of our neighbors that we haven't had the chance to meet yet.

So that was my weekend, filled with pumpkin cookies and new friends!

TGIF!

I am exhausted. So tired. I am always tired on Fridays, but I don't think I have ever been this tired after the work week. And I have been getting about 8 hours of sleep every night, so I'm not sure why.

Maybe it's because I went on two field trips this week. The first one was our class field trip to Tom Leonards. We picked out a pumpkin and carved it today. I also took one of the little boys in my class on the first grade field trip to the Richmond Zoo. (Which was really neat and a lot better than what I thought it would be.)

Maybe it's because I had a lot going on after school. Monday we went out to celebrate my mom's birthday. Tuesday I babysat for a friend and my dad was in town so he took us out to dinner. Wednesday was bible study and Thursday night I babysat at the church.

Whatever the reason is I am happy it's Friday, and ready for a little break. Tonight is date night with my hubby. So excited to relax and get some one on one time with him. Yay for not working weekends anymore!

Mountain Getaway Weekend, Part 2

I posted the other day about our weekend in the mountains. Well, that Sunday we headed up 81 North to a city that holds a special place in my heart, Harrisonburg Va. I spent 5 great years of my life in this beautiful college town.

First we went to lunch at a favorite restaurant, Cally's.

So good! (It used to be Calhoun's for all you former JMUers, still just as great though.)

We walked around JMU, my alma mater. The quad has changed a lot since my last visit. New steps on the quad. Love how they frame Wilson.

New performing arts center, with tunnel under main street.

We decided to take the scenic drive home. It takes a little longer, but was worth the extra time. It was soo beautiful!

I know I already said this, but I love the mountains this time of year.

Ghosts and More Tour

This past weekend we headed up to the mountains. The leaves were beautiful in western Virgina. We have gone for the past three years, and do the ghosts and more tour in Rocky Mount, Virginia.

Clarke plays his great uncle Bob on the ghost tour. He was shot  in the groan (see the bandage) because he was cheating with the doctor's wife.

Clarke before his big performance. He even grew a beard for it this year.

Clarke and my sister in law, Melanie. She played her great aunt Anna on the tour.

Cute church in Rocky Mount. I just love the mountains this time of year.

The Best Green Bean Recipe Ever

I made this as a side for dinner last night. Got this recipe from my mom (where I get most of my great recipes) and I think it's the best green bean recipe ever. It's really easy to make, so here it is!

Dill Green Beans:

~1 14oz bag of green beans

~1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

~ 3 tbs butter

~ 2 tsp dijon mustard

~ 1/4 tsp onion salt

~ 1/2 tsp dill

~ 1/4 tsp pepper

Cook green beans.

In small sauce pan combine ingredients and cook over low heat 5 minutes.

Combine green beans and sauce. Toss well to coat.

That's it, I told you it was easy!

Miscellany Monday

<One>

Happy columbus day! I am off of work today and happy about my 3 day weekend. Today I have plans to go out to lunch with Clarke and his family. I am really excited about the restaurant we are going to. I haven't been in awhile and it is sooo good! Best lunch downtown.

<Two>

Saturday my friends and I had another yard sale. There def. wasn't as much traffic as the one we had in the spring, but I made a good amount, and of course had fun with my girlies.

Me and Rachel at the yard sale.

<Three>

I am still enjoying my new job. I can't believe it's already been a month since I started. For the first time in my life I finally feel like I am in the right spot professionally. I wonder sometimes how exactly this job will translate into a teaching job, but I know God has something in store for me.

Pumpkin Love

So October is here and fall is in full swing. That means one thing when it comes to food.....Pumpkin!! And halloween candy soon, but it's not as healthy for you, so I can't justify dedicating a whole post to it. But I digress, back to pumpkin, I love it.

I made pumpkin chili last week, here is the recipe: Pumpkin Chili.

It was so good. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef to make it a little healthier.

I am really looking forward to making some pumpkin pies soon! Okay, that is about all I have to say about pumpkin. Stay tuned for a post about pumpkin pie, I have a secret that my mom gave me and it makes the pies so creamy and extra yummy (if that is possible).

Chuck Close

This past Friday night I went and saw Chuck Close at The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. I was gonna include this in my earlier post about the weekend, but thought it deserved it's own post! He was amazing. Chuck Close is an american portraiture painter. But his portraits aren't like others, they are massive and most done along a grid. See, if you look up close you can see the detail in each box that makes up the face.

You can also notice the scale, see how big his painting is compared to those people?

Chuck Close (on the right) on Friday night.

Not only is his work amazing, but his story is as well. While growing up he had a learning disability, and struggled throughout school. He also has prosopagnosia (don't ask me how to pronounce that!) which is basically face blindness. He has trouble recognizing people's faces, yet he paints them with incredible accuracy. And as if that wasn't enough to juggle, about 20 years ago he had a seizure which left him paralyzed from the waist down. He is in a wheelchair, and that is why in the above picture you see him with the paintbrush strapped onto his hand.

One last note, if you live anywhere near the Richmond area you should go see his exhibit at The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. These pictures don't do it justice. But go before November 14th!!

October's First Weekend

I had such a fun weekend trip to Corolla, North Carolina. We went down because a family friend of Clarke's family was getting married.

Saturday morning we went to the Currituck Lighthouse. I had never been.

Me and Clarke before the wedding.

It was my first beach wedding I had ever been to. It was beautiful. Really windy, but the sun was shining and we were glad that the rain had stopped.

Me and Clarke attempting to take a picture of ourselves at the reception.

It was so nice to get away for the weekend. (If you read my blog, you know how I love to do that!) Corolla was beautiful this time of year.

Hello October

Hello October! It's so nice to see you!! I have been waiting for you to come and bring your cooler weather. I am very excited about you.

You are starting out on a good note. Tonight I am going to see Chuck Close at The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Good thing I already got our tickets, it's sold out. He is an amazing artist. I still can't believe he is coming to Richmond, Va. Then we head off to the Outer Banks for a wedding.

I am also looking forward to a trip to Rocky Mount. My husband Clarke, and my sister-in-law Melanie, will be acting in the Ghost and More Tour. It's a reenactment about different people and places of this quant little town. I also love going to the mountains right as the leaves are changing.

Then to end it right we are throwing a Halloween Party. We never had a house warming party, so I am excited about this. I am also very excited about our costumes. Oh yeah, and trick or treaters, because we will have lots this year. Last year living in the apartment we hardly had any.

So October, I am happy you are here. Bring on the pumpkins, beautiful colorful leaves, cooler weather and good times!