Awesome Autumn? AND kitchen news

Brisk Air~ Morning Frost~ Jewel Toned Leaves~Hot Spiced Cider~Pumpkin Patches~Indian Summer Days~Dried Cornstalks~Smelling Burning Leaves~Squirrels Squirrying About~Thread-Bare Sweatshirts~Golden Evening Light~Gourds~Chili~Costume Hunting~Candy Buying~Trick or Treating~Crunchy Leaves~Bon Fire~Toasted Marshmallows!


What does the fall make you think of?


Recently, my mother in law asked me to have a quick photo shoot of our children with them. I had done a super quick shoot of my nephews (Matt's brother, Ron's boys) with my in-laws in August. Monday was a nice Indian summer evening, so we went to Tudor Hall which is just about 1 minute from our house to snap a couple shots. Honestly my kids were not on their best behavior. Actually, I guess they were just being themselves! LOL They weren't bad, just goofing off a ton and we had bundles of fits of giggles for some reason.
At the end of the shoot, Callie and Cole were semi-roughhousing and they looked really cute. Callie's so tiny and small featured and Cole is BURSTING into this body that we don't even recognize. Litterally his bones look like they are doubling in size! He's now a GOOD inch or more taller than my 5ft 7 1/2 . When he kisses me goodbye in the morning, I have to reach up a bit. YES, they ALL kiss me and hug me goodbye before they get on the bus. We often say we love each other too. I hope with ALL OF MY HEART that this doesn't end. Love is a word we share a lot around our house and I pray it stays that way. Please don't mistake me. There is a LOT of not so fun stuff said too. Many words full of teen attitude (even from my not so teen 7 1/2 year old). I just hope that the POWER of the word LOVE reigns eventually over all the other crummy stuff. I think it will.


Back to the pictures... At the end of the shoot, Callie and Cole, our twins, were goofing off (as they were most of the time) and I suddenly begged them for a hug.  Just ONE hug.  I pleaded.  So in about 30 seconds these are some of the shots I got. and...I. LOVE. THEM.  They may not have perfect composition, some are blurry, one is kinda gross, one is sorta mean (although he wasn't pulling her hair hard) and the squeeze just kills me how both of them squinch up their noses!
For all their faults, it's the EMOTION that I love.  These two really do LOVE each other even though sometimes you'd NEVER know it.  They have the best bond and I feel so blessed to be their mother.

IN super cool kitchen news, we took the reclaimed wood to a friend of Matt's to see if he could plane the sides so that they would fit together.  I didn't wan't to loose much of the patina if we sanded it a lot but I also don't want the kids to get splinters. If ANYONE can make magic with this wood it's Bryan Ford.  His company,  Bryan Ford Contracting does

some of the most amazing work you've ever seen.  The houses he builds have incredible attention to detail.  His home is now my NEW favorite house.  The mouldings in his house were all made by Bryan and they are GORGEOUS!  This house feels like it's been around for 200 years but it hasn't and the built ins and goodies he had just killed me.  I could have moved into his cape cod style shop, it's 3000 square feet!  But remember one of my favorite scents is freshy sawn wood!  So if you are in the Harford County area and need a CUSTOM home, call BRYAN!