Boo Bash on Grand Ave. and Church Halloween party!

My friend Katie and I took our girls out on Grand for the annual Boo Bash. We always see so many adorable costumes on the kids. Ethnie and Ariana of course ate way too much candy! I guess it's the one day you can have a few Snickers bars for lunch. Anyway, we had a good time. Ethnie was a giraffe and Ariana a bee. Ace Hardware had a small petting zoo. There was a calf, a sheep, two goats (who attempted to eat the stroller!!), and 3 of the cutest bunnies I've ever seen in my life. So, the girls hung around the animals for awhile. Then we made our way back down the other side of the street. Ethnie took a great nap afterward.

Later that evening, our church had its annual Halloween party in the gym. They do a really great job with games and food. Matt bobbed for an apple and got one! Although there was tons to do for the kids, we think Ethnie had the most fun running around in the halls with her little boyfriend Reagan! At the end of the party, we all went out in the parking lot for the 'trunk or treat'. Volunteers decorate the trunks of their cars and pass out candy. It's pretty clever and safer, I guess. Ethnie dressed as a little hula girl and she pretty much hated it. Bummer!

Our Fall

We'd like to update everyone on a few things. First of all, we have really enjoyed this fall season so far. It has been so beautiful and the weather has been nice! I wonder if it will hold on for a few more weeks... Ethnie loves stomping on the fallen leaves and listening to them crunching beneath her feet. She also likes to tell us which colors they are.
We are trying to get Ethnie potty-trained asap! She is phisically ready, but scared to let it out when she is on her potty. We encourage her every day so we'll keep you all updated on her next milestone! Our goal is to have her trained by her birthday.
Michelle got a part-time job. Franz, Matt's brother, helped her get a job at the office he works at. The company is called Bahama Consulting and it's in Eagan. It's a really easy job and gets her out of the house. She is the Project Manager, which is pretty self explanatory. She does the projects for the team of employees to make their jobs easier and more efficient. She is learning two new computer programs, which will be great to add to her resume.

The biggest update we have to share is that WE ARE MOVING at the end of November. We are renting a house in St. Paul on the corner of Dunlap and Hague Ave. It's only about 8 blocks from our apartment. We are really excited! We will be getting much more for the money. The entire first level is ours and it's almost 2,000 square feet. We also get to use the basement for laundry and storage. Plus, Ethnie will have a yard to play in! We have already started to pack and can't wait!

Michelle's Trip to Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Our friends, Dan and Elizabeth Burton, invited me out to stay with them in their home in Baltimore.  We had been meaning to get together for a long time and it finally worked out to go out there and stay with them!  They have a very nice and cozy apartment and live in a great area.  It was so nice catching up with them and seeing the sights.  We had a really great time and am so grateful I was able to make the trip.  The pictures I have posted are of some of the fun things we did.  On Friday, we took the subway downtown Baltimore to the Harbor.  It looked amazing at night with all the lights.  We took a water taxi and went to the Rusty Scupper, a fantastic seafood restaurant on the other side of the Harbor near the Aquarium.  We ate until we were busting out of our pants!  The food was too good to be true.  On Saturday, we set out for D.C. and went to the D.C. Temple.  It was gorgeous and unbelievably peaceful.  If you look closely at the picture, you can see me sitting on the edge of the water fountain.  That will give you an idea of how huge it is!  We then drove into D.C. and stopped at the Chevy Chase Plaza to do some shopping and get something to eat.  I didn't know so many things in D.C. were named after Chevy Chase.  We made our way farther downtown and walked around the Capitol Mall.  It was so pretty.  The pictures do not do it justice, believe me! The picture I took of the Capitol is right over by the large reflecting pool (from the scene from Forrest Gump).  Our last stop was the White House, which was much smaller and plain than I had imagined.  Regardless, it was beautiful and a sight to see!  I really loved it out there and would definitely consider moving there some day.  Thanks, Dan and Elizabeth for a fabulous weekend!