Happy Stay Home from Work Day!

...or Happy Columbus Day. I prefer the former. I hope everyone had a relaxing and fun-filled holiday. My day was busier than I would have liked, but it was still great! My trip upstate this weekend was fantastic, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Connor and I got there on Friday evening and brought home a gift for Brianna. We bought her a transparent board that allows her to slip coloring and activity pages inside of it. It's great because she uses dry erase markers on the board, so the pages are reusable! We played all night until it was bedtime for the little munchkin.

On Saturday, Connor and I started our day early by taking Brianna apple and pumpkin picking. It was SO much fun! We bought Bri an apple cider donut and took a tractor ride to the orchard. She loved every minute of it. She picked so many good apples and actually taught Connor and I how to properly pick apples. She told us to remember to "twist and pull!" Adorable.



When we were done apple picking, we went to a pumpkin patch down the street. We took another tractor ride and picked some beautiful pumpkins. Before we left, we stopped by the petting zoo and Bri fed some goats, met a pony named Huey, and looked at some chickens. She had a blast. She especially loved the pony, which I thought was so cute. When we were feeding the goats, she got a little scared because of the eight long tongues frantically searching for pellets.

Sunday was a much more relaxing day. We stayed in for most of the day, and I baked an apple crostata. It was absolutely delicious. Nothin' like baking with fresh apples!

Today, I woke up and baked a banana nut bread loaf with some leftover overripe bananas. It made the house smell magical. I wish I could have bottled the smell. It was incredible. It was also really nice to turn on the oven on such a chilly morning! After breakfast, Connor and I took a quick trip to the grocery store, and a nursery to pick up some mums for the front of the house. I'm so excited for them to blossom! For dinner, I made penne a la vodka with chicken. It was sooo yummy. I wish I could say I made my own sauce, but I did not. That is something that needs to happen very soon.

Connor has been studying a lot lately because of his two upcoming exams. He has an anatomy test tomorrow and his 3rd computerized exam on Wednesday. What does this all mean, you ask? This means a really wacky Connor who at time loses touch with reality. It's kind of funny. He's really looking forward for the exams to be over. I am too! Unfortunately, he starts Musculoskeletal on Thursday, so he won't really get a break. But that's med school! It certainly pushes the limits of your sanity. Here's to 4 years of the madness!

Mandy