Halloween

I'm not the biggest fan of Halloween. There is no particular reason. I just don't get that into it. I didn't buy candy to give out. I didn't even buy Millie a costume. 

 I wasn't going to dress her up at all. Then I realized we have a cheer leading uniform that may be a little big, but it works for Halloween. I think the shakers add a lot to it. We dressed up yesterday to go play at a friend's house, and we are going to a party at our church tonight.

(I think she knows she is supporting a team with a 1-7 record, and she-along with every Auburn fan- doesn't seem happy about it.)

 When Millie is old enough to trick-or-treat and pick out her own costume, I'll be all for it. But until then, I'm not spending much time or thought or money on Halloween festivities.

I know I sound like a downer. I do love fall and pumpkins. And I'm enjoying getting out all of my fall attire. 

I'm also looking forward to Thanksgiving. That's a holiday I can really enjoy! 

Our Weekend

We had a good weekend. I documented it through I Phone photos. 

This photo was actually taken on Wednesday, but Millie likes to Swiffer. I swiffered a lot on Friday. I was trying to get our kitchen floors as clean as I could. Millie likes it so much that I had to hide it from her this weekend.

This is a new favorite thing. This was Friday night. We think she needs a tent for Christmas. Right now her and Nick are just sitting under this blanket reading a book. 

Cousins came to play on our new yard toy. It may be a small play-set, but it provides loads of fun!

We would have loved to get a big play-set with swings and a big slide, but we don't have enough room in the yard. 

Stephen found the Mardi Gras mask from Nick's conference.  

Then Millie wouldn't stop taking it on and off. I had to hide this with the swiffer. 

We also made our first fire of the season. It was only 60 degrees outside at the time, but we were freezing. 

 Today after church we joined our Sunday School class for lunch at Lake Martin. A sweet couple offered to host everybody at their lake house. We all brought a dish and visited for hours.

Millie had a fun time chasing the dog and playing with the couple's high school daughter. We left a little after 3:00, and Millie slept from then until after 6:00. I had to wake her up. I'm worried she won't go back to sleep now. 

It was a lovely weekend. We also did a lot of cleaning and home repairs. I'm glad it is cooling off. I love having fires, and I'm happy that I can wear scarves now. 

I've been cooking some new things too that I hope to share soon. 

Have a good week. 

House Lift

We recently had to give our a house a lift. It was literally falling down the hill.

We started noticing this a few months ago.

 This is our dining room. The wall started popping out.

 And cracks started appearing everywhere.

So we had to get the foundation fixed. We are the third house in our neighborhood this month to have this done.

The worst part, besides the cost, was digging up our plants. They put them back in place, but I'm not sure if all of them will make it yet.

  They also dug up our front porch. Each board is covering a big hole.

I thought it was funny that they brought their microwave for their lunch break. I have no idea what they ate. 

Here are the after pictures. These plants look fine. 

 I'm not sure how well these are going to end up.

Can you see the crack? This was after the job was done. It was a lot bigger. 

 Our poor porch. It is now multi-colored.

It is sad to spend so much money on our house, and I didn't even get to re-do a room. Or knock out a wall. Or re-do a bathroom. But at least our house is secure......for now.

Now we have to repaint the front of the house to fix all the cracks. We are also going to paint our kitchen just because we don't like the color. 

So I need your help. What color would you recommend painting the dining room and living room (pictured above)? And what would you paint our kitchen (pictured below)? Sorry, it is not a great picture of the kitchen. One day we want to get rid of the ugly chandelier and re-do the lighting.

I am open to any suggestions. Decorating is not one of my strengths. 

Relaxing in Mobile

Nick and I recently went to Mobile for the annual AWWA (American Water Works Association) conference. This conference was just for the Alabama/Mississippi group.

I often laugh at these conferences because Nick is usually busy, and there is a special spouse program for me to attend. A spouses program just makes me think of a bunch of old women that don't know each other being scooted around to various boring places. However, this conference was quite fun.

All bad or blurry pictures are from my phone. Sorry, they are not very good.

 We stayed in a nice hotel with a pretty view.

 Two of the elevators looked out over this view. Every time it made me a little dizzy. It dropped too fast.

Nick had a lot of responsibility for this conference. This is his third and my second conference to attend. He was busy. One time I even had to stop him to talk to me for a few minutes. As for this spouse, I had more leisure time than I expected.

Sunday night before the conference started we were able to eat dinner with some college friends and their sweet baby girl. We had a good time catching up with old friends. The only picture I took was of my delicious fish taco.

 

The conference started the next morning. I actually volunteered to help with registration. All it involved was handing out folders and bags to all the men and their wives. I partnered up with one of my friends who lives in the area. Her husband use to work with Nick in Montgomery before moving to the Pensacola office. I was also able to meet a lot of the other wives here. 

I spent the rest of Sunday walking around downtown Mobile, eating Pita Pit (I wish we had one), running on the treadmill, reading by the pool and napping. 

Sunday night was the kickoff dinner. It started with happy hour before parading with an excelsior band to the Mardi Gras Museum. 

We actually missed the parade because we couldn't stop talking, and by we, I mean Nick couldn't stop talking about football. Anyways, we walked there with some nice people from Jackson, MS.  

The gowns and everything in the museum were beautiful. The tour guide said some of these cost more than $80,000. Along with the parties and other things it could be more than $100,000.

I also learned that being queen or king runs in the family. However, you can marry into it. It's too late for me.

 Some of these outfits are from the 1700 and 1800.

This was our dinner scene. The food was delicious with crab claws, fried fish, gumbo, fried turkey, and bread pudding. There were some fruits and vegetables mixed in too.

We were one of the last couples to leave. When we came down from listening to the tour guide everyone was gone. It was a really cool place.

On Monday I left with the ladies to go to Fairhope. We shopped the downtown area before eating at the Fairhope Inn. The food was wonderful! And Fairhope is a charming town. 

Again on Monday afternoon I got on the treadmill, read by the pool, and napped before getting ready for dinner. This dinner was for all the Nick's company's clients. We ate at the Bienville Club with a beautiful view. It is in the top of a tall bank building.

Tuesday morning was Bingo morning. This is an annual event that all the women look forward to. I was more successful this year than the last time I was here. Last time I won a snuggie. This time I got a decorative item that I picked out and an orange canvas picnic basket.

All this time Nick was busy setting up booths and giving presentations. He also had to give out some awards at the luncheon.    

I'm very proud of all Nick's accomplishments during this conference. Being involved in this association is a big deal in the water business.

Again on Tuesday afternoon I enjoyed a book, the treadmill, and a nap. To say I had a really relaxing time is an understatement.

Thanks to Lovie for keeping my Millie here in Montgomery. I know she had a good time. I know I got some much needed rest and relaxation.

Now we are home unpacking and cleaning.

Today is actually my birthday! My mom text me around the time I was born. It is funny to think about being a tiny new baby 27 years ago (especially after having a kid of my own). I've had a good day with Bible study, lunch with a friend, tutoring, Millie took a long nap, a walk, Mexican food, Grey's Anatomy, and a margarita! 27 years! This past year was good one, and I'm looking forward to the next one!