Halloween Hijinks!

Julie and I went to our ward's Halloween party last night. Our costumes speak for themselves. I fully realize that I will lose all dignity and respect by posting these pictures, but I already lost a considerable portion of it by appearing in public dressed like this. Why should I worry now? Enjoy!

Pooh Bear and his pot of Hunny. Go ahead. Laugh. Everyone else already has ;)

Chet and Meagan were a senorita and her pinata. If you hit him he threw candy. The kids loved it.

Nate and Nikki as Senator McCain and Governor Palin. Their break dancing moves put us all to shame!

The missionaries organized a pie eating contest. I lost. Spencer won. This doesn't bode well for the BYU / Utah game.

The baby continues to grow. Julie thinks she's huge. I think she's beautiful. The baby agrees with me!

The City of Washington

Recently, Julie and I decided that Phil, Erin, Olivia, and Sam needed a continuation of the steady stream of visitors they have experienced over the past month. We packed our car, fired up the new GPS, and headed south for DC. It took us just over 4 and-a-half hours to arrive and we spent the next two days leisurely enjoying the sights of our nation's capital. The trip was much too short to fit everything in that we wanted to do (and Julie is much too pregnant to race around seeing everything), so we are going to have to visit frequently and often! Here are some pictures from our trip. Enjoy!

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. We were able to see the changing of the guard. Very impressive.

Julie's cousin's name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. We took a pencil rubbing of the name. I'm really glad we were able to see it.

The man, the myth, the legend, Abraham Lincoln. 'Nuff said.

Mount Vernon. Someday my house will look just like it!

Apples to Apples!

This last Wednesday, Julie and I accompanied our friends David, Jana, and Breyton Badger north into the wilds of Westchester County on an apple picking expedition. Our destination was Outhouse Orchards (with a name like that it had to be fun). After grabbing our bag and apple picking poles, we began furiously acquiring apples galore. We had a fantastic time and now have more apples than we know what to do with. It was good to get out into the fresh (er) air north of the Bronx and to reconnect with my outdoor roots. If you're ever in New York in October, I highly recommend picking some apples at Outhouse Orchards; at the very least you'll get to make fun of the name! Enjoy the pics.

Julie told me not to post this picture, but I couldn't resist. Those apples can be dangerous!

The perfect apple for the perfect lady!

And here we are with our bag of hard-earned apples. We only picked half of these; the Badgers picked the other half.

Laura's Christmas Present...For Last Year!

I have been crocheting for many years now. My first crocheting adventure was a scarf for a friend who was serving a mission in Iowa. I then started on an afghan that was long enough to fit a queen size bed. It became the afghan of many colors as I would add to it with left over yarn from different projects. It ended up to be maybe arms width wide and really long but my family still uses it on occasion. I recently picked up the crochet hook again and finished a scarf for Laura by putting flowers on it. I then decided to make my first hat with the left over yarn. It is a little big but I am proud of it anyway. I hope Laura likes it. And you get a new belly picture...I am HUGE!

Doctor's Orders!

The other day (Wednesday, October 1 to be exact), I meandered over to my doctor's office for a scheduled appointment regarding the sebaceous cyst on my head. He inspected it and scheduled me to have it removed in a week. Nothing exciting here, right? On the contrary, my loyal readers. After calling me into his office to get my family medical history for his files, Dr. Torres looked me in the eye and began the following conversation:

Dr. Torres: Do you drink coffee?

Me: Nope. I drink Coca-Cola though.

Dr. Torres: Did you have one before you came over?

Me: Yes.

Dr. Torres: That would do it. Your resting heart rate is 106.

Me (rather surprised): Oh.

Dr. Torres: I wouldn't want you to develop an arrythmia. You need to stop drinking caffeine.

Me (rather depressed): Oh.

Now, I've known all along that Coke wasn't particularly good for me. It has carbonation, sugar (unless you drink diet or Coke Zero), and caffeine, which obviously stimulates the body; I mean, that's why we're drinking it. Apparently, however, my body has reached the point where it just can't handle the quantities that I have been ingesting. Will it kill me? Probably not right away. Should I stop? I think so. I have been able to resist Julie's urging for two years, but when a board certified Internist tells you that you need to stop drinking Coke, well, the message might finally get through. So, my faithful friend of many decades, it is time to bid you a fond adieu. I will miss the rush of energy you provided, and I'm sure the Coca-Cola company will miss the money that I spent on you. Farewell and goodbye!

P.S. - Julie wants to take a poll: How long do you think Pat will actually stay away from Coke? Answer on the right and let her know!