Gaining!

I have felt a difference in my body the past two weeks, but my scale at home was not reflecting any changes. Deep inside I knew I was gaining weight. I was shocked when I weighed myself at the gym last night and saw that I have gained back seven pounds! All that hard work over the summer and in just a few weeks I've gained some back. Well, Jeremy sweetly gave me a hug and said, "don't worry about it." But this is my body and my health and I will worry about it. I'll do more than worry about it - I will do something about it! I started doing spinning classes at the gym again this week and I am back on www.myfitnesspal.com to track my food intake. I know what to do and how to do it, it just isn't very fun. But being overweight isn't fun either and I've got to get myself moving in the right direction again. Anyone want to join me? WE CAN DO THIS!

Snow Already!

We had our first snowfall today and we got quite a bit. I can't believe it snowed in early October. The leaves on our trees just started changing two days ago and are still a little green!

This is how the yard looked by 3:00 p.m. today. When we first noticed the snowfall around 10:00 a.m. Lily was glued to the back door waiting for enough snow to build a snowman. It was a long morning trying to distract her and entertain her while she waited for a chance to build Frosty.

Around 11:30 we ventured out so I could show her that there was not enough snow to build a snowman. She had fun anyway eating the flakes and talking to Annie about snow. We eventually got wet and cold so we came in for chicken soup.


Annie really liked the soup. It had goldfish shaped noodles.

We went back out again around 1:30 because Lily was dying to play in the snow. But alas, there was still not enough on the ground to build her beloved snowman. So back in the house we went.

At 3:00 p.m. Annie gave up hope of playing in the snow and fell asleep. I put her down for a nap and told Lily there was finally enough snow to make a Frosty the Snowman. We ran out together and played for an hour.

She was in heaven.

We were doing this just six months ago. I guess we get a REALLY short spring/summer/fall in eastern Idaho. That's fine with me. Lily and I love the snow. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Through Lily's Eyes

Lily loves to take pictures. Here are some photos she snapped this past week. I love to see what she thinks is important enough to capture with the camera.

Active Eating

Annie is successfully using a fork to eat. Her preferred method is to squat, poke the food until she gets something, then stand up while trying to eat. It is funny to watch. She actually gets more in her mouth eating this way than she does eating in the high chair. Go figure.

First From Scratch Pie

I've been having fun with the apples we harvested last week. I decided to make a pie. I always use Pillsbury crusts, but I really wanted to try making my own this time. I used a Martha Stewart recipe and it turned out perfectly - and the taste was so much better than what I get from the premade crusts. I struggle with apple pies. They usually don't have enough flavor. I followed my mom's suggestion to add some ginger to the pie filling. And I think the apples from the orchard were just the right kind for pie making because they baked up beautifully with great sweet-tart flavor and perfect texture. This was such a great pie! I was so proud of it. Especially since I picked the fruit and made the crust myself. What a treat.

Lily's Apple Pie

I had some pie dough and apples left over from my pie so I let Lily assemble her own little apple pie. She flattened out the dough with her hands and the roller and put all the apples on it herself. She also wanted to give the pie an egg wash since she saw me to that to mine. We both got really messy making the pies but Lily was so proud of her pie. It was a fun afternoon.

Sunday Shenanigans 10/02/11

And this is what mornings usually look like in our house. Both girls wake up thirsty and ready for a big drink. They sit on the floor while I make Jeremy's lunch and figure out what's for breakfast.

Lily is learning how to smile for pictures. The picture above is her usual picture smile. The picture below is her usual little shy smile. She is proudly holding all my nail polish bottles while she tries to decide what color she wants her toenails to be.

She decided on red.

And this is how my shirt usually looks at the end of the day - which is why I never seem to have clothes to wear. They are almost always covered in some kind of kid mess.

Friday night was so beautiful we decided to take a bike ride along the river. We brought bread to feed the ducks and geese.


Annie preferred to stay in the safety of the bike trailer after her last experience with geese.

We also stopped to try a new playground. Lily really liked all the big slides and keeps asking me to take her to the blue playground again.

Bathtime! I think kids are so cute in the tub.

All in all a relaxing and happy week for the Halls.