Give-Away Winner

So remember this give-away I blogged about a bit ago?

I actually won it! Yippie!

I won what the photographer, Tabitha Nicolle, calls a secret session. Basically it's a 30 minute session of her taking pictures of...me...with the mindset that they are a little something-something for W. I've never had professional pictures taken of just me before so I was nervous. But I kept reminding myself that it's just plain fun to win something. And W has mentioned on more than one occasion that he'd like to have some 'wifey' pictures of me. But let's just be honest: I still have a waaays to go still before getting back to pre-prego status. But with winning & W in mind, I tried my darndest to enjoy the session, not be self-deprecating, and attempt to bring my sexy back. 

I bought a mini 5x5 booklet of some of the more 'wifey' pictures from the session that only W gets to see. Along with winning the session, I received a complimentary 5x7 which will be framed & placed on W's future desk in his future office. 

So it's not a kilt just yet, but he definitely enjoyed his graduation present. 

Here's Tabitha's blog with a few of the pictures from the sessh.

Loved This...

And had to share:

This Lovely Place.

Goodies galore on this sweet little site.

Yup. Still that Kind of Week.

Like when your dog is whining because himself stranded while you are putting pjs on a Bookie upstairs.

Yeesh!

So Far This Week...

...an outrageous storm-fest on our apple hill day. sure is a long drive for three quick stops, no u-pick, and a picnic lunch in the car. we made the best of it and still brought home some yummy treats. what a bummer that this fits in with our slightly-turbulent traditions this year. hopefully this trend won't last.

...i misplaced my cellphone {because 'lost' is such a strong word}. W had to go out to At&t to get a new sim card to use in his pre-iphone phone. this one gets less service in our house than my old one. not to mention, all the lost contact information and cute pictures.

...our little man, who's currently working on 3 teeth, got his first official owie while over at some friends' house for dinner. he took a face-dive while crawling through their table and chairs. they have a extremely fearless boy a year older, so my girlfriend was quick with the ice and washcloth. after some crying, blood, snuggles and a big fat lip later, he picked up playing again.

...after 11 years of a clean record {ok, there was that one ticket in colorado}, i got into my first car accident. i was alone. and it was so my fault. a minor fender-bender but it sure got the adrenaline pumping and put me in a funk. not looking forward to the increase in premium payments for the next 3 years.

...our health insurance is expiring this weekend and i need to sign-up for a new plan ASAP. stress!!!

So it's only tuesday. and well, things aren't smooth sailing for the swensons. but here are some things that i'm thankful for:

-Linds birthday & family dinner celebration tonight

-That the rain made everything so colorful and beautiful as we drove around the orchards

-The man who snuck in two extra apple cider donuts for us

-Getting to meet, visit & hear stories from W's pastor growing up {who now lives close to apple hill}...just another reminder of what a great man I married!

-W being there for Bookie's wipe-out

-The wonderful family we had dinner with

-W cleaning & vacuuming the downstairs on his day off

-Learning to sew buttons on & how to iron at my new small group 'hidden art of home-making' {please don't judge: I didn't like to iron so I never learned how}

-Bookie's lip looking almost back to normal the next day

-The kind officer who helped everything get squared anyway.

-W being home after I got home from dealing with the accident

-The sim card being free

-W starting to interview for jobs

-We get to visit W's family so very soon

...it's good to see that the good outweighs the bad...

here's hoping for a better end of the week!

Cider with a side of Pumpkin Carving

Reason #838,478 why I can't live without my crock-pot:
Mulled Apple Cider

{source}

Love this time of year & how much I can get away with using my heavily-trusted crock-pot. {I feel like I should name it, we're that close.} Who am I kidding?? I use this puppy year-round on a weekly basis, but this is definitely the season where everyone pulls theirs out. Here's the recipe I used this weekend for our night of pumpkin carving.

What You Need:

2 qts. bottled apple cider or juice {not unfiltered}

1/4 C packed light brown sugar

1 sq (8 in) double-thick cheesecloth

8 allspice berries

4 cinnamon sticks, broken into halves

12 whole cloves

1 large orange

Additional cinnamon sticks {optional}

What You Do:

1. Combine cider and sugar in crock-pot

2. Rinse cheesecloth; squeeze out water. Then wrap allspice and cinnamon halves in cheesecloth; tie securely with cotton string or strip of cheesecloth

3. Stick cloves randomly into orange; cut orange into quarters. 

4. Place spice bag and orange quarters into cider mixture

5. Cover; cook on high for 2.5-3 hours

4. Once cooked, crock-pot can be turned to LOW to keep cider warm for up to 3 additional hours.

5. Serve cider with additional cinnamon sticks

Tip: To insert cloves into the orange, pierce orange skin with wooden skewer or ice pick.

{recipe from my awesome Costco find.}


After a yummy dinner, a blazing fire that W built, and some cider with cookies, it was business time. Seems each year we get more skilled and bold with our pumpkin carving. This year we not only upgraded pumpkin sizes, but templates as well. Compared to last year, we were yet again impressed with our-own-bad-selves. ;) Here's our beauties:

I did the owl and Linds did....can anyone guess?! :)
Time to go snack on some roasted seeds!!

Sick of Pumpkins Yet?

Good! Cuz the Swensons aren't either! :)

Our internet was down for the weekend and first half of the week. The modem left us and went to modem heaven so I had to impatiently wait to make these.

{source}

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!

A girlfriend from church is legendary with her amazing recipe. Since last year when she brought them and dinner to us right after E was born, I've been dying to make my own. 

W & I spent some time at my parents' earlier this week to hang out and borrow their internet. I was checking my usual blogs and came across MADE's call to her hundreds of readers for pumpkin recipes. All kinds of yummy pumpkin recipes from women all over the nation in one location...yes, please!!! I didn't get a chance to write down the recipes so I had to wait until our house was re-connected with the world wide web.

Once we were in business, I started with commenter #1 and her recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Super easy to make. {Remember, I'm not a baker at all.} There's still a lot of time before Thanksgiving so we'll see just how much pumpkin we can fit into our diet. Commenter #4's eggnog pumpkin pie sounds pretty tempting...

Full Day of Fun

We spent an afternoon at Berkeley's Tilden Park last weekend. This place has loads of fun stuff to do and check out. We had high hopes and a full list, but only made it to the Botanical Gardens. It was just so peaceful and after finding a nice place on the grass, we were sucked in. So we are very excited to check out the other things this park has to offer, but will have to explore another time. 

We had a great picnic lunch after walking about half way through the gardens. Our little lunch patch was in between the trees.

During lunch, E showed off his latest uniqueness:

His love for carrying shoes by their strings??

I'd love to tell you this is the first time we've seen this, but it's not. And it's always this position; with his arm behind his back. It's quite entertaining, not gonna lie. 

At one point, he added the lunch pail.

It's good to know he fits right into our crazy antics. ;)

Lots of beautiful nature!

That evening, W & I headed out on a much anticipated date night! Seems like it's been forever, but we can't complain with all our traveling and other fun family events. Since it's been so long, we decided on just doing a slow dinner. Our three hour dinner at Simply Fondue was a.mazing and delicious!

Can't remember the last time I had a four course meal. Or have ever been that stuffed! Far more than any Thanksgiving. We learned quickly: pace yourself. It was truly such a great time to connect. We both felt a noticeable difference the next day. Love dating my hubby and that we all had such a great day.

I Really Love My...

Handmade Pumpkin Hat!!

You may have seen me wearing it...

On chilly morning walks with Mama.

To Berkeley Botanical Gardens with the 'rents.

While eating a snack.

And at the pumpkin patch with friends.

{here's my scrunch-y nose face that I do with Mama}

This is the second awesome item that Megan has made for Ezra. On her Crochet Every Day blog, Megan posts new ideas and patterns each day while hoping to complete them all within the new few years. Recently, she posted about this beanie. I about died from cuteness. How perfect for the fall? I ordered two: one for E and one for a friend. We've gotten so many complements on her sweet little beanie. And when hunting for the last piece of Ezra's halloween costume, I turned to her. I knew she could create the most perfect little motorcycle booties. They will definitely keep his little toes warm while out that night. She's a great gift source! 

Quest Fall Retreat

Our church's college/young adult group, Quest, hosted a retreat two weekends ago. We joined them for the fun and rejuvenating time in the foothills. Our small group book club has taken a summer break and we miss all the 'kids'. {I've mentioned our Narnian Group last year and this year--we were very excited to be starting back up this week at our pad.} We were part of the first group to drive up Friday morning to the Pine's Ranch. The last time we visited was a little over a year ago for a leadership retreat. 

During this past year, I've helped prepare and plan various events for Quest, mostly from the comforts of home while watching Ezra. We hope to continue helping out. Both of us love meeting with the students, mostly one-on-one {or two-on-one with E}, to help support/talk/listen about whatever is going on. We have really loved getting to know a lot of people in the ministry. 

On the way up to the Pines, we made a lunch stop at a mall. Apparently, this is the closest Chick-Fil-A and these guys we went with are in love. I was told CFA is the In'N'Out of chicken fast food. Ok, sure. Oh, and their huge variety of sauces is what puts guys over. Maybe it's a guy thing?

The lovely Moogs. J being one of the CFA headmen. But what really sold me on this mall was their family area...

This place was equipped with everything: breastfeeding stalls with comfy chairs, sunken changing stations right next to sink and soap, TV, and a microwave! Natalie and I probably hung out in here longer than we should have with a bunch of guys waiting for us. This mall clearly encourages spending all kinds of time here!!

We made it to the Pine's Ranch without a problem, thanks to W's truck. The last 1/2 mile is a unpaved/sandy steep road. After getting our room set-up and Ezra down for a nap, we helped out. There were about a dozen international students from Hayward who joined us on the retreat. I got the privilege to greet them upon arrival.

Matthew and I heading up the welcome/check-in table.

Bearded Boys

The house where we stayed in {view from the lodge}

Matt Pine {who's parents own this ranch and make it available for church activities and weddings} went hunting earlier that day. We got to taste some delicious duck right off the grill.

The weekend was great. There was tons of hang out time and our monitor worked far enough to the lodge so we could both join during Ezra's naptimes. Natalie & I killed at shuffle board. There were also ping-pong tournaments...

which Ezra and I just watched with our new friend, Brynn.

{yes, that is a bottle we got from the hospital. with sippy cups dirty and limited time for packing, this is what ya get.}

While a friend watched Ezra, W and I went to the shooting range. My first time shooting a gun. Can you tell this was really a man's man weekend? I so wished I charged my battery because it died after taking a picture of Gayle getting instructions from Mr. Cline. So I have NO proof! :(

I shot a rifle while sitting at a picnic table {beginners stance}. Not going to lie, I was terrified after the first person shot. I could feel the shot vibrate in my stomach. And got those hot chills. Do you know that feeling? Like something bad is going to happen. Well, nothing did, but it was still scary. W is right, with having a gun "comes a great and heavy responsibility." It's a bummer that there's objects out in the world that can kill a person in a few minutes. But then again, so can natural things like poisonous plants and aggressive animals. Reminds me that we live in a fallen world. And makes me long for the time when it will be made right.

After my first shot {which I screamed like a girl during}, I got the hang of it. I started to relax and focus on hitting the water bottle targets. Almost got 'em. I've already promised W that we'll head to the local shooting range soon.

That evening we continued looking at scripture compared to our lives: do we live by circumstances or by His promises? The theme was "living above the sun"...in that we keep our hearts set on things above, not on the things of this world. One area of conviction was that of obedience. W & I use to read the bible nightly before bed. Now we either crash and burn or waste time on distractions then leave little time for our reading. Don't think I've been this deprived of daily Bread nourishment in a long time. And in a time where I need it the most: parenting!! In the same way, our speaker mentioned checking in with what we've been praying for. Are we walking in line with what God's says about those things? That struck a cord. I've been praying recently for wisdom and direction over a few areas, but haven't really gotten anywhere. Some definite direction that I need to re-evaluate my heart and actions in some of those areas.

Besides great principles for thought, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

Meal time!

Amazing dessert time...and bedtime!!! We {the old farts that we are} did not make it past 11pm and consequently, missed the outdoor movie. 

While cleaning and packing up on Sunday, the girls played. I think Autumn must have persuaded Ezra with her new walking skills. He just had to try it this week!

Good times all around. 

DIY Halloween Wreath

I saw this fabulous idea on a friend's blog and went searching for more detailed directions-- not really innately crafty so the more info the better!! The original source is on the Woman's Day website. This project is super cute and pretty easy once you get the hang of it! Plus it costs next to nothing. And with my current obsession of all things decoration, I jumped at the chance to try this out.

And what a bonus: my savvy and crafty girlfriend, Megan, was in town. I just had to invite her over for a morning of gettin' crafty! {More on her amazing talent later this week}. The day before our craft date, I gathered the supplies I didn't have from Michael's {make sure to use mailer coupons}...

Foam Wreath Ring 

Black Duct Tape

Ribbon

Hot Glue Gun & Sticks

1-2 Bags of Candy Corn (not pictured)

{Side notes: I went with the 12'' ring wreath since our townhouse entry is pretty small. The 16'' can also be used which is pictured on the magazine cover. I also picked wired ribbon because it has more structure and firmness; easier to work with. I was hoping for a more halloween-ish ribbon, but wasn't happy about the options.} 

That evening, I went ahead and completed the first step so we won't have to wait to use the duct tape. I covered the wreath completely in the tape.

Thankfully, there's no wrong way to do this step. I just smoothed out any bubbles and edges along the way. In the end, most of it is covered by the candy corn. 

It was recommended to lay out the candy corns to get a feel for how they will go. We tried that.

Didn't really seem to work. When we tried to start gluing, the nearby corns fell off. We then lined the inner part of the wreath with ribbon. We hot glued every so often as we laid the ribbon around.  In the end, this helped out a ton because we were super low on candy corn. Plus it gives an extra pop to the wreath.

Next came the full-on commitment part: gluing down the candy. Our first row started at the edge of the ribbon. All candy corn pointing in the same direction. The big thing is to make sure the white tip ends are touching or close to touching the next candy as you move along the circle.

Then we worked ourselves out the outer edge of the wreath. Making sure to alternative the direction of the rows. We tried to always end at the same spot so whatever gaps {if the candy didn't match up to a perfect enclosed circle} would all eventually be covered by the ribbon.

It took me about three rows to finally understand the candy spacing around the circle and feel like I was doing it right. 

Once all the way around the wreath with alternating rows of candy corn, put some ribbon around the top. Leaving enough ribbon to tie a bow to finish it off.

Most of the crafters on the website said it took them about an hour. We took way longer. Probably because we were talking, hanging out with Ezra, drinking coffee, and at one point I ate breakfast. :) So it took us about 2.5 hours. Not the average time, by any means. 

And I only lost two fingers to glue gun burns! A small price to pay for a great finished project that I'm in love with:

To preserve the wreath for next year, use some mod podge after removing the ribbon. Brush on in small sections all around the wreath. Have left over candy corn?? Here are some more great decor options for the extras.

Thanks, Megan for a great and fun craft date!! So wish we could do these more often!

10 Months

You officially have been outside the womb longer than it took to bake you! It's so hard to imagine you as this almost a year ago:

Here are memories we want to hold onto from the past two months...

Papa showed you how to get down the stairs safely awhile ago and the lesson stuck. You can get off our bed and down the stairs {with our help}. It's so cute to see you position your legs so you head backwards and then slide down on your tummy.

Ever since that juice box at Ikea, you love to use straws for drinking. It's been an added bonus when sippy cups are dirty or momentarily misplaced.

You are such a vocal and babbling baby!! I'm surprised that your voice hasn't gone hoarse from all the talking you do. We've heard many constance sounds from you like 'd, m, v, t, b and g'. The latest thing is making weird facial expressions while you make noise. Although we're not too keen on the screaming stage that popped up after our Wisconsin trip...it's seemed to die down for now...

Our very favorite thing you do is giggle, laugh and squeal whenever your papa & I kiss and hug. You love it! You'll hop up and down in Papa's arms with a huge smile on your face. It's the sweetest thing!

Food connoisseur! You still eat anything we put on your tray. Including eggplant. Pickles, bananas, and now cheese are among your favorites.

Definitely in the balls and wheels stage...and climbing! You climb your book basket to get up on the end table next to your rocking chair. Or climb up on top of Jojo to get to the couch. And a pillow to get a better view of our bed. More recently, the dishwasher to find your spoons. Not one of your more "exciting for Mama" stages!

You...cough..discovered yourself while sitting on the potty at about 9.5 months.

It's getting much harder to contain you to one area or to keep you still. You want in the action NOW. You are extremely social and love other babies and kids. We're working on being gentle even when you get so excited. You want to touch and grab at them or use them to help stand up which the other kids don't appreciate. But you are the most happy baby. People are still enthralled by your happiness and smiles. 

First steps! This week!! It was so very excited and shocking at the same time. Thereafter, you've been doing a great deal of standing on your own. I'm waiting until I can get some video or at least a few pictures of this monumentous event.

One we shouldn't remember but do: the time you pooped on the carpet then almost started playing with it until I caught you. I whisked you to the sink to clean off your feet while calling for Papa. With great skill, he got it out of the carpet {of which it smeared into}, and off Jojo's wagging tail. Gross.

Only two teeth still, but we can totally see the top two coming in. It seems like they've been almost breaking through for awhile now. We can see the little white tips on the bottom of your gums.

You have many favorite games. Different ones you play with different people. You play "fetch the ball" with Papa. Something about "getting your nose" with Grandma. And usually before bed, we press our foreheads together and rub noses. Then we scrunch up our noses and breathe loudly. It's just so silly and we both can't stop giggling. I so adore these sweet moments with you...when you're tired enough to slow down for some extended lovin'! :)

Animals fascinate you. You absolutely love them. The giraffes at the zoo. Turkeys at Gma & Gpa's. The geese and ducks we fed. Jojo is your favorite though. You take her toys and try to play with her. And it seems like you now love feeding her from your tray too. She is always so patient with your antics.

We are simply head-over-heals in love with you, Bookie. Thanks for being so adorable and lovable! You challenge us everyday, and we delight in the gift the God has given us!!