random

+ One morning a week or so ago, I decided I'd do a quick 20 minutes of some bodyweight cardio. I've been using FitnessBlender's workouts religiously for quite some time now (and I LOVE them), so I just thought, "Eh, I'll skip the warm up. I'm good." Little did I know. Ten minutes later, my back seized up and I spent the next two days wearing a heat pack, doping up on ibuprofen, and hobbling around like a little old lady. Lesson: I am old and can no longer just "skip" the warm up. 

+ When in St. George, go to Swig, and get a Dirty Dr Pepper (Diet is my jam). Ignore everything they say about sugar and aspartame and death. Dirty DP = worth the risk. Thirty two ounces of risk. Worth it.

+ Remember our little preschooler? Wellllll....she dropped out. She started fuhreaking out every time I dropped her off. And listen - I'm selfish and didn't even want her to go in the first place. So we debated it and decided to just call it good for now and start three days a week next year. She still goes to (and lovessssss) tumbling, and her preschool teacher was super sweet about it and is excited to have her next year.

+ Speaking of tumbling - Annabelle did her first real (unassisted) back walk over while in St. George. I know this means little to most of us, but it's a BIG DEAL. It requires a truckload of bravery plus cannonball shoulders and a core of steel. I'm so excited for her. At tumbling class last week, with the security of the cushy mat below her, she did it over and over and over. Soooo proud. Mommy buttons busting.

+ I don't have my Christmas shopping done. I mention this because usually I do by this point. I have issues. But fall starts and my brain turns to glitter and sparkles and all I can think about is Christmas. I seriously pulled out Michael Buble's Christmas album like ten years ago. Go listen to this. You'll be Christmas shopping in no time. Oh, if you're Christmas card shopping, I've got my stock up in the shop. Click on over here and go crazy. :)

+ Here's a pumpkin cookie recipe for your fall needs. You NEED this recipe. Also, why do we only eat pumpkin stuff in the fall? I'm hereby starting a movement to eat pumpkin cookies year round.

+ Papa Murphy's now has gluten free pizza. Three cheers for elastic waistbands!

+ All you mommies, this article on being brave and somehow accepting that your babies have to grow up in a scary world. Just. I love it.

+ We got Jess a fish for his birthday. It's red, which is important when I tell you the next detail, but only if you are as awesome as us will that detail make sense. His name is Jean-Luc Picard. I know. It is hard to describe how much I pride myself on the nerdiness that pervades in our home. And it's some kind of cute when the girls run to his tank at night and shout a "Good night Captain!" 

fallish

Oh fall. Stick around as long as you want.

prom night

Jess recently started working at a new job. (Fireworks, pom poms!, cartwheels!!!!) He's still a lawyer, but he went in house for a solar power company. It's been life changing in so many ways.

Including this.

Note: He's hiding a box of Junior Mints in his clenched fist there.
I do enjoy that it makes him look super stressed, however.

For the first time in many years, Jess and I got dressed up - I mean dressed up - and we went to the ball. Jess' company was a sponsor of the Governor's Gala this year, and as such, they were invited. He text messaged me one day with a, "Do we want to go to the Governor's Ball?" Me: "Yes. No idea what it is. But yes we do."

The last time I put on a fancy dress and actually focused on achieving the perfect liquid line occurred seven years ago when we got married. (Danielle? Rissa? That reference was for you.) I gave myself a whole hour to get ready for this shin dig. A whole hour. Not a lash was left uncurled. So naturally I took selfies and sent them to my sister in Houston with whom I'd been sharing all my shopping anxieties regarding finding an appropriate ensemble.

This outfit brought to you by (Target's brand of) Spanx. Thank you and Amen.

When my beloved Target didn't turn up anything appropriate for such an event, I went to the mall. It was as painful as I anticipated. I left the mall with nothing but bad anxiety and a case of hives. Thankfully, my sister-in-law Whitney has a fabulous closet, and my shopping experience there went much better. I also went shopping in Grandma Cheney's jewelry. Basically I married into really great clothes and accessories.

The Gala's theme was "On Broadway," and it was simply lovely. Hale Centre Theatre (a local community theater - and apparently the largest community theater in the country) spearheaded the deal, featuring powerhouse voices singing the familiar theme songs from seven musicals, including Wicked, Annie, and Les Mis (tears). 

Basically, I think I should go to the prom at least once a month. It seriously was exactly what we needed and the perfect reminder that things are changing. Jess tried to pass it off as an anniversary date (our official seven year mark was the day before), but not so. His lazy butt was duly noted. 

It's so hard for me to believe that things can be different than the way they've been for a few years now, that our normal can shift back to what we've been praying and hoping for. I loved having this night to remember it.

And also. To take selfies.

And to eat salad in a cucumber bowl. 

Life is good. So good.

fallllllllll

On Monday night, we piled into the car (and I literally mean that - my RAV died over a month ago so we were literally piled into Jess' little Civic) with the goal of going...somewhere. These were the options that Jess and I had pre-determined:

1. Ross to shop for winter coats.

2. Papa's house.

3. Sam's Club for churros.

4. Temple Quarry Trail walk.

We asked Annabelle to pick a number. She chose four. So there we were. Smack dab in the middle of fall. And I would now like to apologize for hating on the smart phones. Because dude. I had a camera. And no, they're not as sharp as if I was hauling the SLR. But they're photos. And they have fall.

Fall is my favorite of all the seasons. This has been well documented. But this fall especially. This fall is shaping up to be full of everything amazing. It feels super surreal around here, the way the tide is shifting. But Imma roll with it. Because it's all pretty dang awesome.

Happy fall y'all.