I Ain't Afraid of No Ghost!

Happy Halloween!

I must say, for it being one of my least favorite holidays, with kids it gets more fun every year. With Halloween parties, the ward trunk-or-treat, a Halloween tea party, and TODAY, the girls got to wear their costumes multiple times this past week.

Now go blast "Ghostbusters!" to pump you up for trick-or-treating tonight!

Question: Who Hangs Christmas Lights in October?

Fact: 50% of our neighbors (slight exaggeration)
Here's the deal-io: Microsoft employs a lot of people from India, and many live in our neighborhood. And every fall they celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Houses are strung with beautiful twinkle lights and glowing candles. Right now neighbors up and down the street are letting off fireworks. It's quite festive!
Four years ago, our friends Anvay and Deepti hosted a fabulous Diwali feast. Anna wore a bindi, or as we called it "Baby's First Bindi". Deepti displayed gorgeous hand-painted lamps and spoiled us with a lavish feast.

The food was delish. The lovely Deepti & Anvay are now back in India (we miss you guys!). Each year there is a huge Diwali festival at our elementary school with catered foods and lots of dancing. Perhaps someday we'll celebrate Diwali again!

p.s. In case you didn't pick up on it, we are now The Office junkies. For a Michael Scott introduction to Diwali, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYwsaspQ29c. For a more "academic" explanation, where else but Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali.

School Days, School Days, Dear Old Golden Rule Days

What do three little girls & one mommy do all day while everyone's in school? Well, what we do best--have fun! This is my last year to have all my girls home with me. We are going to enjoy every single minute . . .

Singing

Dancing


Playing

Reading and Writing, Arithmetic, Taught to the Tune of the Hickory Stick

The Pumpkin Patch

I love reading about everyone’s festive autumn outings. So many harvests and farmers’ markets and apple picking and wagon rides! I wish we could come to all of them; they sound so fun! I’ll join in by adding a few pictures of our annual pumpkin patch excursion. (Which included a kids' class, harvest veggies, flower pickin', hay ride, bean maze, chickens, and alpacas--of course.)

the great pumpkin search
found: the perfect pumpkin! (Pumpkin Pie III)
this pumpkin is too big

this pumpkin is just right!


monet's garden

"I'm a puppy-lovin' pigeon!"

Taste of Autumn

This recipe tells me that autumn is really here. This weekend we enjoyed some great spiritual enlightenment & the most delish pumpkin bread you'll ever eat. (Thanks to the Jensens for hosting a festive conference dinner!)
What are your favorite autumn flavors or memories? Do share! I discovered a new fall favorite--Starbucks salted caramel hot chocolate. Another little taste of autumn coziness!

Spicy Pumpkin Bread
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
2.5 cups sugar

3 ½ cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger

*Don't forget the chocolate chips!

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

My Heart Belongs to Daddy

Our trip to San Diego starts off with a bang. The night before we leave, this cute girl throws up 10 times between 10pm-1am. In the morning, she throws up on the drive to the airport. A few seconds later our car's "Malfunction" light blinks. And blinks. We make it to the airport & have a wonderful trip in spite of the rocky start.

Our week at the Grand del Mar, courtesy of Daddy Deloitte.


Chris spends a couple days in meetings while his girls swim and eat gelato.

Then off to Sea World, Coronado Island, La Jolla beaches . . . .

But I would've been happy if we hadn't set foot off our resort: Tuscan-style pink villa nestled in a rugged canyon . . . more Italian countryside than southern California. Towering palms, hand-painted ceilings, Roman fountains, lavendar pillow pouches & nighttime biscotti, did I mention the gelato?
Our last day, we leave for airport with hair still wet from swimming and me wondering, Why don't I live here?

“So I want to warn you laddie
Though I know you’re perfectly swell
That my heart belongs to Daddy
Cause my Daddy, he treats it so well!”
--Cole Porter

(more San Diego pictures here)