And You Think Your Family is Pretty Wacky...:)

Most people might think they have a pretty wacky family but I have proof with these pictures of my Dad's family on Halloween. For the first time since I can remember, I spent Halloween at my grandparents' house this year. My Uncle Sonny and Aunt Linda were in Pinehurst, NC from Wyoming so I decided to come down and visit everyone. It ended up being one of the funniest/best Halloween's that I have had in years. They had like 100+ trick or treaters so it was amazing. But my family definitely overwhelmed them because we were all dressed up too!


Here are some pictures from our day of fright:

Uncle Sonny:








Aunt Linda:





To be fair, I should show you what they look like normally. :)









Good 'ol Pops... do you think he'll be Ms. December?







My Granddad and Cousin Zelda casually sitting around in their masks. :)







Doesn't my Granny make the most precious lamb you've ever seen?









My cousin Wyatt.









Don't be fooled...we had a mask for everyone in the family....

The cutest pumpkin on the planet!!


Is it really questionable why Chip likes Andy more than me? Andy would've never let me put that costume on Chip if he had been there with me.



My Cousin Zelda and I when I first arrived.

My parents and I.

Book and Movie Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

All summer long, I highly anticipated the release of "The Time Traveler's Wife" in theaters. I absolutely love Rachel McAdams and could not wait to see her latest flick. I saw the movie the night it came out in theaters and cried through the last half of the movie. Her performance was fantastic. It made me realize that it wasn't "The Notebook's" story that I loved so much, it was the way she was able to fully embody her character. I was captivated by the movie and would recommend it to anyone. I saw it twice in theaters and for whatever reason, haven't stopped thinking about it since.

Early last week I bought the book and couldn't put it down. I read it after work for hours and finished it on Sunday. Like most books made into movies, the book is very different from the movie. However, this might be the first time I've ever agreed with the changes. I definitely felt they cleaned up the story line of the book to make the movie appeal to a larger audience. Henry in the movie is actually a much more likable character than the Henry in the book. Regardless,

if you haven't seen the movie or read the book, I highly recommend them both. They will definitely leave you wanting more...

Pumpkin Carving

As we all know, carved pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns are considered a friendly greeting to children who are trick or treating on Halloween. After discussing pumpkins for weeks, Andy and I finally went out to get one last night after dinner. Confession: I haven't been to pick out a real pumpkin in years, seriously I can't remember the last time. There were so many choices and they all came in different shapes and sizes. We ended up buying two pumpkins: a cute petite shiny one for our front door and a larger one to carve for our patio.

Since I haven't picked out a pumpkin in years, it should be obvious that I haven't carved one in at least ten years. I didn't even remember how yucky and slimy the insides of the pumpkins are until we started preparing it for our artistry. Seriously, I pulled out orange nastiness for at least an hour until I believed we had completely gutted our pumpkin.

After googling "how to carve a pumpkin" we felt pretty confident we finished our project successfully. I asked Andy to draw the face and I helped carve an eye and the nose. He worked very diligently on the mouth, paying special attention while carving some teeth. We saw pictures of other carved pumpkins online and were very impressed with what these pumpkin artists could come up with. We decided we would try to be more ambitious with our design next year. So for this year, its just your basic and ordinary jack-o-lantern.

But we're proud of our first pumpkin carving experience as a couple, so here are some of our pics:

The beginning stages....

Chip was very skeptical of our pumpkin carving. He decided it was safer to lay in his bed.

The finished project....

I had to include the beautiful trees in our neighborhood. I have NEVER seen a tree that orange in my life. It's absolutely gorgeous.

13 Love Confessions about Fall

Today is a cold, rainy, and what some may say is a yucky fall day but I think it's beautiful. I happen to love the fall so to celebrate, here are my 13 love confessions:

1. Costume Shop Workers.

Halloween costume shop workers are hilarious when they stand on street corners holding signs. They look ridiculous and I'm sure they feel ridiculous because they are standing at insanely crowded intersections dressed as 'monsters'.

2. Colorful Scarves. Enough said.

Photo credit: dallas753 on Flickr

3. Fire Chief Pumpkins.

I can walk into Harris Teeter and see an adorable, painted face "Fire Chief" pumpkin with a plastic hat [thank you China]. It was precious and any small child will want it.

4. UGG Boots.

That's right, I just spoke the unforgiveable. I happen to own three pairs of UGG's and everyday I thank UGG for making it socially acceptable for women to wear shoes more comfortable than bedroom slippers out in public.

Photo credit: AlexandraBaldwin

5. Football Season.

Don't tell my husband, but I do enjoy watching the men get excited about something once in a while. Plus the food at tailgates always taste better because you're breaking bread with friends and family.

6. Baking Brownies.

When the weather outside is less than appealing, it just makes me want to bake. For the past two weeks I have been looking for any excuse to make brownies.

Photo credit: SonicWalker

7. Countdown to Christmas.

It is socially acceptable to start thinking about the holidays and Christmas.

8. Mountains of Leaves.

One of my favorite memories is when my grandma and grandpa made piles and piles of leaves for me to jump in after school. It was one of the best days of my life and I will always remember it.

Photo credit: TheNixer

9. Pumpkin Spice Latte.

It doesn't officially feel like fall to me until I've had my first pumpkin spice latte of the season. Some days there is just nothing better than going to Starbucks and sipping on that delicious foamy latte.

Photo credit: KatColorado

10. Rainy Days.

I love rainy days that forces me to snuggle up on the couch, light a candle, and put on a good movie, read a good book, or watch NCIS.

11. Vibrant Leaves.

God's creation is so beautiful when the leaves change color and fall on the ground. Everything looks so magical and the scenery makes fantastic photographs.

12. Cozy Sweaters and Sweatshirts.

Pulling out the box that has been hiding my sweaters and sweatshirts all summer. Seeing them again just excites me about the comfort I will feel wearing them.

13. Peacock Tutu Costume.

And.....finally, the cutest halloween costume I have ever seen was a peacock costume from Pottery Barn Kids and I swear it made me want to be a mother on the spot. [Side note: For those of you who know me well, I do not say this lightly.]

Photo credit: Pottery Barn Kids

Spiritual Encouragement in Charlotte

As many of you know, Andy and I moved to Charlotte at the beginning of this June. We lived in Charlotte last summer but this time around it has been a completely different experience. I haven't been homesick, I have been incredibly encouraged, and I truly feel welcome by the Charlotteans or other transplants.

Recently, Andy and I have been discussing how we feel that Charlotte has just been so spiritually encouraging for us. I'm not sure if its the amazing church we started attending a few months ago, the awesome Christian radio station we listen to every morning during our commutes, or the young married couples Bible study we're really excited about. For whatever reason, I just feel Christ in this city and am excited about watching Him move.

Elevation Church was only the second church we went to in Charlotte but we just felt God calling us to stay there. We had fully intended to church hop some more, but we were mesmerized by the awesome live worship band, full blown graphics campaigns to go along with the series' sermon, and Pastor Steven Furtick's amazing combination of contemporary verbiage and examples with very traditional messages and scriptures.

Our biggest complaint about contemporary churches is the fact that they water down the Bible or the messages. However, that is definitely not the case at this church. Pastor Steven's sermons are spot-on and fully keep your attention. If you really want to be blown away, WATCH HIS SERMONS. The series that Andy and I have personally liked the best so far are Intervention, GIVE ME FAITH, and Student Takeover. I would love to hear your comments on what this amazing pastor is doing in this city. http://www.elevationchurch.org/archive

In the mornings I have been listening to Charlotte's New Life 91.9 radio station and every single day I am encouraged. It's not only the show hosts, but it's the stories of people calling in that give me chill bumps or put tears in my eyes. I listen to the music, I hear the stories, and I thank God for all my blessings and that I am His child. http://www.newlife919.com/

God is truly doing amazing things in this city and I am so glad to be here to experience it.

**************

[I borrowed the photo of Charlotte and did not create the Elevation graphic.]
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=charlotte%2C+nc&form=QBIR&qs=n#focal=196d324ea2a976d1a3390c188ebdb018&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fenterin.com%2Fimages%2FCharlotteCity.jpg

An Ode to Prince

For twelve years I had a best man named Prince. He was my constant pal and was there for me when many others had walked in and out of my life through the natural passage of time. Prince never expected much, just the occasional embrace and a game of tug of war. My family called him the dog of a million kisses because no matter what, whether it was a good or bad day, you could always count on him to be faithfully affectionate.

During Prince's younger days, he spent most of his time standing on his two back legs whenever possible. I can still remember him running through our hardwood hallway in Radford desperately trying to get traction as he chased his blue and green bouncy ball up and down the hall. He usually ended up crashing into the front door but brushed it off and brought the ball back ready to play again and again. Prince always played hard and when he turned eight it caught up to him, forcing him to slow down dramatically.

Nevertheless, Prince was my protector and companion. He always hated every boyfriend I ever had and showed it by growling at them whenever they came to door, no matter how many times they'd been to the house. In his older age, Prince was never content unless he was in a lap: whether I was on the computer or relaxing on the couch, he could be found stretched out across my lap.

For the past few years I have been dreading the day that I would lose him forever. As an adult, I knew that all things die eventually and that unfortunately dogs don't go to heaven, although I still hope Jesus made an exception for such a fine specimen of a dog. Three weeks ago Prince broke his hip and had to have surgery. Unfortunately he was not strong enough to make it through his surgery and my parents had to say goodbye to him without me.

As an only child Prince wasn't just a dog to me. He kept me company when I got off the school bus and later comforted me when I had a broken heart. He was the perfect dog and I felt I was finally ready to honor him with a post memorializing the special time he spent with me.

For my small audience reading this, I hope that your family will someday be blessed with such a fine addition to your family.

Forever in my heart Prince. I love you always. Your pal, Cass.

First day of Fall

In honor of the first day of Fall, I have posted a picture I took in Giles County, VA. Please enjoy.

Westminster Abbey & BBC Studios

I began my day in the same place as yesterday. Well almost the same place because Westminster Abbey is very close to Parliament. Unfortunately, we had the same guide for Westminster Abbey as we did for the British Museum and he was again dreadfully boring. However, I was very impressed with Westminster Abbey. The architecture was similar to Notre Dame Cathedral but much nicer. The ceilings, stain glass, tombs, statues, and overall look of the church is incredibly beautiful. I would say the beauty is comparable to St. Peter's just less overdone.

It did make me sad when we got to Innocence Corner where the young king was killed by his uncle who wanted to be king. We also saw Queen Elizabeth I's, Geoffrey Chaucer, an acknowledgement to Shakespeare and Dickens, and a burial for Isaac Newton and many other kings and queens of the past. They had a poets, statesmen, writers, scientists, and musicians' corners which I thought was really cool. I think we are going to try and go back on Saturday to hear "Evensong" which is one of the best men/boys choir in the country.

I wasn't very excited about touring BBC studios at first but I actually really enjoyed it. They showed us a studio, conference room in the newsroom, dressing room where U2, Coldplay and tons of other bands have been. We also saw the entrance where all the stars arrive and check in for hair and makeup. For the final part they took us to an interactive studio! One of our students got to be a news anchor and two participated in the fake game show. It was really neat to see and be a part of and honestly made me more interested in that side of things. They also showed us how the weather people use blue/green screens and were able to participate in that as well.

Today was really good because I really enjoyed the places we went and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Parliament, European Union, Hampton Court Palace

The trip to Parliament was quite interesting because they have recently been criticized for unnecessary spending and have had picketers standing outside their building since we've been in London. Apparently they have always had allowances but now the way the spend that allowance is open to the public through the Internet.

The lecturer was extremely conservative which made me giggle a little because I know Andy would've loved him. He gave an interesting lecture on how they do things and how it's different than the U.S.. Apparently they are only allowed to spend 10,000 pounds per person for elections and campaigns are run much differently. They are not allowed to run attack ads, must only talk about their own policies, and utilize posters and meeting people door to door and a few church rallies than other means to advertise. For the entire party there is only a 20 million pound budget so there is a huge difference between us and them.

After that we went to AIFS to hear a lecture on the European Union which was also surprisingly interesting. A young professor in his thirties usually teaches a 2 semester class on the subject but he broke it down for us in an hour. He talked about why, who, how, when, and which countries currently belong to it now and which ones are still trying to become members. Basically in 1992 they opened the borders in 27 countries so people can work and live freely between each country in the union. The also united to have a little more world power instead of being tiny countries trying to stand up against world superpowers.

Hampton Court Palace was honestly a little disappointing compared to what I was anticipating. It was significantly different than the other palaces we visited. The best part was reading the stories about Henry VIII's poor wives.



Here are some pictures:















A sweet maze in the gardens....






Courtyard





The walls and ceiling above the grand staircase.





Solid gold kitchen supplies...




Today I was really homesick just because I know it's the beginning of the third week and I'm just so ready to see Andy and go home.

Llueve, Orsay Museum, and Final Day in Paris

I have always dreamed of going to Paris and I finally got to go. I would definitely say I was able to see everything I wanted to for a weekend trip. I really loved the look of the city and how truly romantic everything was. I can't wait to share that experience with Andy one day. I feel so blessed and so glad that I was able to go. Paris definitely didn't let me down for all of my years of expectations.

Today we went to the Llueve and saw the Mona Lisa. It is definitely still in really good condition and I had to fight my way to the front of it to be able to take a picture. The Llueve is actually a palace that has been converted into a museum and it's absolutely beautiful and each room really goes with the theme of the exhibit. For example in the Ancient Rome room with Borghese sculptures there were extremely elaborate ceilings with gold and 3-D sculptures popping out there were very over dramatic and similar to the architectural style I saw while in Rome.

I really enjoyed seeing Napoleon's apartment which was so much more magnificent than I was expecting. There were chandeliers everywhere and just extravagant and beautiful room after another. It was definitely worth seeing in the Llueve.

I left the Llueve early to see the Orsay Museum and to their insane Impressionist collection. I have never seen so many paintings that I recognize in one room in my entire life. It was definitely the highest point of my entire life as far as art cultural experiences go. They had Monet, Degas, Whistler, Pisarro Sicily, Renoir, Van Gogh and so many others. I was so glad that I was able to go in and have an hour to see the paintings because it was truly amazing to be in the same with them.

Paris treated me extremely well and I cannot wait to go back. The people were not the kindest but the city was absolutely everything I could've hoped for.

I am ready to begin my final week and prepare for heading home to my wonderful husband in Charlotte.