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Government class.

Usually I find it fascinating (dork, I know) but today it is brutal.  Should I pay attention and not be on my computer? Probably. But after an hour of hearing about nothing but congress I am dying. Majority leader, filibuster, speaker of the house...blaaaah.

It's time for a vacation. My routine of waking up early, going to work, then school, then homework is getting old. Oh life, why must you get in the way all the time?

Now it's on to the Math Lab for an hour and a half of math and then we're on to Institute until 8:30, then a two page paper. Whew! Tonight is going to be glorious.

As a side note to any of you who live in Provo, the Fresh Market on University is going out of business on Friday, so if you're looking for some cheap Halloween candy and groceries, hit it up!

fall festivities

I. Love. Fall. It is without a doubt my favorite season. 

Some reasons (in no particular order, they are all the best) include:

Reason #1--Pumpkins.

Cam and I got our first pumpkins together this year (awww, right?) We went to a pumpkin patch with Conover side of the family, complete with a legit hayride at Wheeler Farm. My camera battery died, but I got a picture of Cam with our adorable nephew Liam in his duck costume on my phone, and Cam's sister Val got a few of us with our pumpkins.

 Thanks Val for the pictures! :)

Reason #2--Pumpkin CAKE!

Unfortunately, I took zero pictures of this glorious thing that I baked, which looks like nothing fantastic anyway, but IS. Simple simple pumpkin sheet cake with cream cheese frosting. Every year I probably eat 50+ pieces of this delicious stuff. And if that description peaks your curiosity, here's the recipe!

• 1 (15 ounce) can canned pumpkin puree
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
• 5 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 teaspoons milk

1. In a mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, 2 cups white sugar, and oil. Add eggs, and mix well.
2. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, and beat until well blended. Pour batter into a greased 15 x 10 inch baking pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter or margarine, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, and mix well. Add milk until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency. Frost cake. 

And the great thing is, it makes a ton. 

Yum.

 Reason #3--Corn Mazes

 We went to Hee Haw Farms with my family last week, for another legit hayride, corn maze, and trick or treating, with animals everywhere!

So, I have this thing for ducks. Feeding them, watching them, trying to catch them...just like a 5 year old. Only the problem is, they are impossible to catch! Yeah, until now.

 We were telling Sophie to give the chicken kisses. By the way, how cute is she in her butterfly costume?

 At the end of the hayride, we were dropped by these creepy looking GIANT dead sunflowers. I was obsessed with taking pictures because I thought they looked so cool.

 

Sunflower seeds, anyone?

 

Reason #4--Frightmares!!

Love love love Frightmares. And since our Disney trip didn't quite work out, it was a fun alternative. (Although I would take Disneyland in a heartbeat) It was a blast though. Cam and I went with my little brother and sister, Jack and Megan for a day (& night) filled with the white roller coaster (Jack's favorite) haunted houses, and Subway.  I forgot the camera AGAIN, but I at least captured this picture of Meggie Dear "Froggy" on the frog on the carousel.

Ah, so much fun. :)

rainy thursday

Nights like these I love the rain. Not the drizzly cold, gray, lingering rain, but the booming thunder, light up the sky purple when the lightning strikes, rain. I think it is absolutely beautiful. If I were an awesome photographer with a fancy camera, I would have neglected grocery shopping and studying for my math test, and sat outside in the rain to get a picture like this:

 Only mine would have majestic Utah mountains in it of course.

I love thunderstorms, I love chilly fall nights, I love cuddling up with my husband and eating orange rolls...

There are so many wonderful things to be grateful for. :)