[ safe in the city with all things great and fall ]

This has nothing to do with fall or this post, but my roses are a week old last night and loved the way the sun was coming in the back of the house... and loved the way this picture turned out! :)

I'm the bad Mom who had the slider open, exploring the rain today with my little after the tornado sirens sounded instead of hiding out in the basement. Nah, I don't really think I'm a bad Mama, because with mine and my mom-in-law's judgement we decided we were safe in the city and the storm was enough south of us. Just to get a grasp on how appealing the rain was to Breck... Just as soon as I turned PraiseBaby on, the rain really picked up. He looked out the window at the rain, heard the intro music to PraiseBaby, looked at the television, then turned and started crawling to the slider. It was amazing how I could just see him thinking, chosing, and then making a decision. Can't believe PraiseBaby got the boot. Not for long though. Just until the rain goes away.

Look at these two... they are like brothers. Sterling has to always be where Breck is... and Breck cracks up at everything Sterling pounces at. It's adorable to watch them together! They were mesmerized by watching and listening to the rain this morning.

Made our favorite fall comfort food tonight: Apple-Cheddar-Squash Soup Try it! You won't be disappointed! (The first time I did use Butternut Squash, but this time I only had a mixture of Acorn and Buttercup Squash on hand. It tasted great also! I also like to put a little bit of sweet potatoes in too.)

And I can't even explain how happy it makes me that this recipe called for apple cider and... wouldn't you know I had apple cider in my refrigerator, but not just any apple cider, I had Robinette's Apple Cider. The Cadillac of apple ciders, I'm sure. Oh. My. Goodness! This is fall euphoria.

Fall Heaven. Right there in your mouth. Nummy, Nummy. Breck even enjoyed some of this for dinner also (minus the cheese, bacon, and chives)!

Speaking of fall euphoria... could a magazine cover, be any prettier or more fallesque? I think not. I love you, my Real Simple.

 Burning the heck out of these! My honey knows that buying me candles, especially ones who's scent match the season, is the equivalent of buying me flowers or a diamond ring. No joke. A Mama can never have enough candles. Thank you babe, and Sammy's Club for this gift set!

 I seriously think Breck looks forward to his baths every night, he loves them so much! They are like his last hoo-rah of the night. As soon as that terry-cloth swipes that sweet bum of his, he is ready to hit the sack. No turning back and you'd bettered have everything prepped and ready to go to get him from the changing table to the glider to nurse in fifty seconds flat or there will be a meltdown. :)

I adore this picture. I love how they both are peering over the edge of the tub, Breck is ready to laugh, and Sterling is ready to pounce. It is a perfect representation of these two, the way they interact, and what our bathtime looks like every night! Whenever there is Breck or running water... you can bet your bottom dollar that Sterling will be right there too.

[ date night delivered ]

You know that Amy Grant song, Big Yellow Taxi? Goes something like, Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got till it's gone? Well, I felt exactly the opposite last night. Ever felt like you never knew how much you needed something until you had it? Being a Mama has blessed me so much that when we are together as a family so much of my attention has shifted to Breck since he was born. Breck is almost nine months old and last night was our first date night out together since he was born. I realized as we were out that we need to take the time to reconnect and purposefully set aside time for us so that I'm able to focus solely on BrettRyan every once in awhile. And in doing so, in return, we can give more back to Breck. My Mom-in-law has frequently told me that  You will make mistakes along the way in raising your kids, but the best thing you can do for them is for you two to love each other, and to make sure your kids can see the love. (I felt like she said it much more poetically than that, but it was something along those lines!) Anyways... it has always encouraged my heart whenever she's said it to me. So whenever I feel "guilty" for needing alone time... that is what I will cling to. 

We had such a great anniversary evening!!! It started by my handsome hubby walking in the door with these beautiful thangs...

We had dinner at our absolute-hands-down-most-favorite restaurant ever... Marie Catrib's! 

((It’s Hard to Imagine,

but at one time Marie was banned from the family kitchen.

"They didn't want me in there - I was too messy," she laughs. After the dinner dishes were done, Marie would tip-toe past her napping mother and grandmother to perform her culinary experiments. When her blind Grandmother ventured back into the kitchen to begin the next meal's preparation, she could feel the dishes left in Marie's wake. "My God what happened in here?" Those early experiments paved the way for Marie to discover that with a twist of Lebanese, a hint of Yooper and a yen for unique pastries, she would bring her love here to Grand Rapids.)) 

Check out more of Marie's story and her menu here! 

 Love it's whimsy....

And of course I love this guy...

 I'm convinced this recipe was sent straight from Heaven! (during fall, might I add)... The Sweet 'N Sassy!

"Black forest ham and mild cheddar meet a sassy combo of caramelized apples and onions spiced with brown sugar and cinnamon on your choice of grilled bread with spicy mustard." (At Marie's you should always order, with out a doubt, her Challa bread!)

After dinner my honey surprised me by taking me to Oasis... (Hot Tub Gardens)! 

Happy two years to us! I'm the luckiest for sure! 

And by the way... look at what two years of marriage and nine months of pregnancy has given us! This, I am convinced, is the best gift ever! 

Absolutely amazing to think that two years to the day of us getting married... this is what I was looking at! And to think we had NO idea who Breck Reid was on October 18, 2008. And here he is on October 18, 2010! God is so very good!

Have a great day! Happy Fall! 

-Amber