Happy Halloween!

What Halloween would be complete without a party at Diggy's apartment?! Complete with Green Elixir (yikes...watch out!), Halloween tasty morsels, Ugly Betty, some aliens, Zach Rolloff, a flapper, a band girl, a pirate wench and some characters from the game of Clue...we were set! Professor Plum, Mrs. Peacock, Miss Scarlett, and Colonel Mustard

Thanks Diggs for planning the fun party!!

My week...

Monday: Council Meeting for Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
Tuesday: Rehearsal
Wednesday: Rehearsal with orchestra
Thursday: Halloween party for SCCA at Fred Hutch School
And finally Friday: Halloween Party!

Before I get to Friday though I need to: get the laundry done (we bought our costumes from Value Village...nuff said), finish costumes(almost there!), and attempt to stay true to my work out routine goal....let's be honest, that is going to be hard this week...

How do our lives get so busy?

Fall City Fun

Fall City Farms with my girls on a lovely fall afternoon was just perfection today! We drove the 20+ minutes out to the Farm and enjoyed the pumpkin patch, the hay rides, the apple cider, the mini doughnuts, shopping their small market (can't wait to roast my beets tomorrow night!), and just enjoying the gorgeous weather we've been having lately...such fun!

Don't our coordinating fall colors look fabulous...yeah, we thought so too! :)

Email from Nicholas:

I just talked to Dave Mathews. He thought a labradoodle was a good choice for a dog.

-Nick

Aggh! Nick and Dave see Dave Mathews ALL the time in Wallingford....I still have never once seen him. But...good to know he agrees with our choice of puppy!

A Perk

Of having choir rehearsal on your birthday...


(Quick plug for our choir...if you think THAT sounds good, you should come hear us perform some "Bach Cantatas" next weekend, November 2nd. Here's the link if you want info: www.osscs.org.)

THANK YOU to everyone for making my birthday week so special....I love stretching out the birthdays as long as possible! I am a lucky girl.

A Walla Walla Weekend...

Oh how it rejuvenates my soul! I know that sounds cheesy, but it really and truly does! It was such a relaxing weekend with family, long walks, even longer runs, great food...my heart was happy. Saturday afternoon we went out to Couvillion, a good family friend's beautiful winery...(why sit at home and watch the Cougs get shut out?!...)The Cancer Center at St. Mary's Hospital did a fundraiser a few years ago to raise money to develop a Reflection Garden just outside the hospital.
"Welcome to this quiet haven and sanctuary where body, mind and spirit are healed and refreshed, where one can retreat, even for a short time, and become centered and renewed."

There is a stone there for my dad and my nanny that I had never seen...

My sweet dad to a T....

Soooo.....

I think we just bought a Labradoodle puppy....

We have been in contact with this breeder for a while now, and have been watching the little guys grow...(today is their 2 week birthday) and I was showing Nicholas the new pictures of them just now...and as he is clicking through "pretending" to see how to put the deposit down on the dogs...he actually did, in fact, put the deposit down!

Ahhhhh!!!!! So the above little guy will be coming home with us the week of December 10th (FYI we will be changing his name....Aladdin?! I don't think so...if anyone has any good suggestions?....) I must admist we were both a little shocked that we actually put the deposit down today, but we really have been thinking of this for a long time now...and just knew this little guy had to be ours.

I am so excited/nervous I can barely stand it...we will soon have our little puppers! YAY!

Looking forward....

So I found out some news today that makes me VERY happy....what is one of my favorite things ever?! Answer: CHRISTMAS TIME. And who is one of my favorite singers ever?! Answer: Faith Hill.

Add those two together: Faith Hill Christmas Album= Perfection in my book! Can't wait to get my hands on this one soon....

"The Paris of Ohio"

Ever the funny one, this is what Nicholas has coined Cincinnati as...and where I am heading for 3 days for work. Something to do with one of his law books referring to Cincinnati as very European?....hmmmm, not sure about that....

In any case, it is the reason for my 4:45 a.m. post this morning...yikes! Enjoy the rest of your week!

Sidenote...

I also found the greatest invention ever this weekend....reversible tights! I strongly underestimated the weather this weekend and was on a mad search for tights after I realized how chilly it was....after searching and searching I found the tights...Spanx that are black on one side, brown on the other....who doesn't love 2-for-1?!

Leavenworth, Oktoberfest, Fall, and a Wedding

What a fun weekend we had! I have always loved Leavenworth, but the Fall season there has to be my favorite of all. So many gorgeous colors, the crisp air, sunshine...I was in heaven! Friday night after getting into town we stopped into a little German restaurant and had steins of beer and a serious trough of Bavarian food... (I forgot my camera on Friday night so picture is courtesy of Krissy....thanks!)

Saturday morning I went for a long run through Leavenworth...and I must say, it is one of the best runs I have been on in a long time. Everything just felt so good! Must be that clean mountain air!

We walked around town, shopped, sipped coffee, played with baby Addy and just got to spend lots of fun time with special friends. I've decided that I LOVE destination weddings that are still somewhat close by...everyone gets to come, but you are away from the chores and tasks of home so you really just get enjoy time together...it's the best!

Ruthie and Jeff's wedding at The Sleeping Lady was just beautiful! They wrote their own vows that were incredibly heartfelt and touching. It was the perfect location for these two to start their future together!

Singing and Dancing...two of my very favorite things!

"A witty 1930s satirical comedy"

This is the description of the play we are going to see tonight at the Taproot Theatre, "Susan and God". I really have no idea what the storyline of the play is, but since I love theater so darn much, it doesn't really matter! Our cute friends Mary and Grif, who were the leaders of our marriage prep course at St. Ben's invited us...I'll try to get a picture tonight, they are honestly just the cutest ever! I'm pretty excited....

Forgiveness...

Today at church as we recited the Lord's Prayer...one particular line really hit home for me...
"...as we forgive those who trespass against us..."

Seems very appropriate for our recent weeks happenings. I realized today that I really need to let go of the anger and frustration, and attempt to forgive the thieves who broke into our house in order to move forward. I still cannot understand how some people can do the things they do, but I will try the route of forgiveness, rather than anger.

Wish me luck-

Hmmm....I can't decide....

Is it a good thing or a bad thing that I wasn't carded for the first time ever when I went in the bar last night for Court and Chris's Engagement Party?........

I think I'm going with a bad thing...29 here I come...!

This Month's Goal: Return to the Source

"The season's first chill marks that time of year when life begins to turn inward again. There's a kind of pleasure in returning to that quiet place where rest and vitality take root. This month, take some time to retrace your steps a bit. Get back to the things that bring you comfort-- a long nap, a crisp sunny day, the weight of your heels on the cool, packed earth. Reaquaint yourself with the joy of having nowhere in particular to be, except here, on a well-worn path leading you home."

I found this in "Body + Soul Magazine" (kind of random....found it at the gym, you take what you can get....), and I just loved it's message.

These shall be my goals for this month.

Funniest phone conversations....

My boss Margo is on a working trip to New York with one of our core companies that we represent. She and her husband Tom are there for about 5 days, and between meetings it seems they are definitely finding time for some fun!

Me: The Annuity Source, this is Courtney...

Tom: Courtney....it's Tom...we are in this underground Chinese building or something and they have these really awesome purses.....(phone cutting in and out)....what kind do you gals like? Prada? Jimmy Choo? Gucci?

*Side note...if you knew Tom, you would know how funny this conversation is...he is a total "guy's guy"...never one to notice purses, but he and Margo just must have been so excited to find such deals

Me: Tom? (laughing) Where are you guys?!

Tom: Hold on...I'll send you pictures from my phone...

This went on for about 3 phone conversations back and forth, pictures being sent from his iPhone, and Tom running up to the street to describe the purses to us while I'm sure Margo stood guard of the prized chosen ones. It was hysterical!

I really am so lucky to have such an amazing boss. She is, truly, incredible.

I remember a card I once gave my mom that read, "Sometimes life is hard....that's when it's good to have a mom."
Here's one of my reason's why it's good to have my mom:

Hi Court-
I was just thinking of you this morning. I need you to remember how greatly loved you and Nick are. I am so sorry for these most recent challenges you are facing. It is so hard to understand why somethings happen....I guess we just have to believe that there is always a reason (most of which we can't comprehend)

Happy October 1st to my October precious daughter. How blessed we were on the day you were born. "The angels sang and they blew on their horns and they danced, on the day that you were born."
I love you sweetheart...make it a good day.
Love mama

I hope mom doesn't mind me posting her email to me here, but I just had to share one of the million reasons why I am so blessed to have her as my sweet mama, and why today is feeling a bit better than yesterday. I love you!!!!