First Pumpkin carving

Halloween is by far my favorite holiday! I didn't realize it until this year when I became giddy around October 1. Visions of candy buckets and jack o lanterns danced in my head! Since my husband is an accountant, I have to view everything in terms of a cost/benefit analysis, and Halloween comes out on top every time-- even compared to Christmas. Reasons why Halloween is the best:
1. kids in costumes! And costumes are cheap when you do exchanges with friends or get them second hand!
2. candy, candy, candy!! I know I can buy myself candy any time I want to, but getting it for free brings out my inner 6-year old, and you see the best variety of candy at Halloween. I would never buy myself Airheads or Whoppers or those cheap Palmers chocolates, but I am an equal opportunity candy monger and I love everything at Halloween!
3. Pumpkins. They taste great in everything, are the perfect cheap Halloween decoration, and provide a whole evening of fun
4. Chili/chili cookoffs: Chili is the official food of Halloween and I couldn't be more thrilled.
5. Perfect fall weather! Colorful leaves, breezy sunny autumn days.
6. Trick or treating. Melts my heart to hear Anna shyly whisper "trick or treat"

The Halloween Season kicked off with Anna's first ever pumpkin carving

This is a video of Anna assisting in the pumpkin carving a nd entertaining us with her rendition of "Old McDonald had a farm!"

Amazing Seattle

Seattle weather, as it actually is (and not how people think it is), is really quite amazing. This last week has been incredibly warm-- the warmest November weather in Seattle history. I have spent most of my free time with my face tipped toward the sun (keeping one eye on Anna of course). I took a few moments to snap some pictures of the blueberry farm and lake close to our home and had some epiphanies about parenthood (and how it is like Seattle weather).

When the sun is shining in Seattle, there is nothing more glorious. Everything seems touched by brilliance and light.
the colors are so rich and beautiful that you feel like they have been painted on.
you actually think that you could see yourself camping for the rest of your life...or at least building a house made completely of windows-- roof optional.
everything makes you happy, and nothing annoys you-- long lines, grocery lists, errands.....and all because the sun is shining
you find delight in the smallest things...
and you wonder why anyone could possibly ever be unhappy here.
But not all days are like that.
There are some days that rain ALL day. And the bottom of your pants have inches of mud on them, and you feel perpetually cold, and the color of the sky never seems to change from steely gray. The sun, in fact, seems to be on vacation, and has taken with it all that is good and happy.
But most days are not like that either. Most days are fairly mild... and include brief periods of rain and gray mist as well as interludes of sunshine and color.
But the reason why people live in Seattle, through those sometimes hard winter days when you feel as gray as the sky...are for the brilliant summers when life is radiant and glorious, and for the beautiful surprises of sunshine and warmth you get from time to time the rest of the year.
Anna, I love you little girl! We have had some hard days for sure, and we have both shed our share of tears...but my life is more full of sunshine because of you. I am happy right where I am...and I'll stick with you if you stick with me!