Lately - Late October

October feels like it has passed in a blur - I honestly cannot believe we are so close to November and also, to the end of another year! Time truly does fly and this month has been no exception! It's been a (mostly) good month and life is full! I figured I'd share some pictures from the last couple weeks - a lot of which are our crazy kittens!

The weather this month has been really lovely - perfect Autumn temperatures - sunny days with nice breezes and cool, crisp nights! Perfect for snuggly sweatshirts and turning on the fire for some extra toasties in the mornings! Beautiful sunsets and lovely sunrises... although that pesky time change is right around the corner.

Our backyard has been a surprisingly colorful spot and I have really loved just gazing at the gorgeous colors out our back windows! I truly love Autumn so much and this year has been no exception!

The kittens are showing their personalities more and more every day - and let me tell you - they are absolutely a mess. Spook is always fascinated when I decide to take a bath; if the door is open, he will come right on in, casually lounge on the edge and even situate himself on the ledge of the bath tub and dip his paws into the water. And don't even get me started on if the door is closed... little paws slapping under the door, expressing his frustration at being left out, ha-ha!

Loki has also gotten in on the bath tub intrigue and on a Friday night this month, he got a little too adventurous and ended up falling into the bath tub, while I was in the tub! Thankfully it was only his bottom half - but he was pretty spooked by Spook, and in he went! He scrambled out pretty quickly and he looked hilarious with his top half all fluffy and his bottom half soaking wet! 

We got in our October tradition of carving pumpkins - I did a more traditional jack-o-lantern while Ryan carved our last name into his pumpkin! They are currently gracing our front stoop and look amazing! Granted - once the last trick or treater has come and gone - they will probably end up gone too; as soon as they are carved, they start losing a little bit of their structure - you know?

We are really loving living in our new home and also really loving getting to know our new town and new state, ha-ha... even though we only moved about thirty miles from where we were - we are in a whole new state and that takes some getting used to! We are enjoying getting our routines established and discovering the places that will become regular "go-tos" for us now that we are settled into our new home! I can't wait to see our new place decorated for Christmas - and that will happen sooner rather than later, ha-ha!

Life really is very sweet right now - it's so wonderful to have a home to call our own, two precious kittens to love on (when they are in the mood, ha-ha) and the blessing of family and friends around us. I am doing my best to take in each day and hold the memories that we are making close. Let me not get too sappy here, ha-ha... oh look, more pictures of bath tub intruders! 

I can't believe the last two months of the year are knocking at the door - this year has been a pretty good one and it's almost time to start looking back on what we liked about this year and what we'd like to change; what should we take into 2025 (are we kidding - how?!?) and what is best left to the past...

One thing is for sure - October passed by in a blur - but it was a good blur, ha-ha! Happy October folks and may the last two months of 2024 be blessing upon blessing.

Fall Family Photos

Ryan and I were able to have updated family pictures made recently; our wedding photographer, who also took our engagement pictures and took family pictures for my family - she's basically our go-to - she did a Fall mini-session offering and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity!

Brooke always takes the most amazing pictures - and this mini-session was no exception! We met her at the Virginia State Arboretum, which was the same place we'd taken our engagement pictures almost three years earlier. The Virginia State Arboretum is the most beautiful spot and I honestly don't think you could take bad pictures with this gorgeous spot as a backdrop!

The mini-session lasted about thirty minutes and the pictures; I think, really turned out so well! I know I'm a little biased, but I love these so much and love having these newly updated pictures of Ryan and I! I cannot believe it's been three years since we were taking engagement pictures... and our second anniversary is just a couple weeks away! I love a good family picture; I think they are something to be cherished for years to come. And of course - these will be making an appearance on our Christmas cards this year too! 

Life with Loki & Spook

We have been cat owners for two months now - literally - two months today - and so far, it's been an experience! Even looking back at these pictures from the last few weeks, they've already changed so much! Now that we know a little more about their personalities, let me tell you a bit more about them!

Loki - named for the Norse god of chaos; he couldn't have been named better! We firmly believe he is the baby of the two, but he is definitely the one in charge. He is the first one to get into anything & everything, leading the charge on creating mischief! He has also been the one to become incredibly cuddly after our return from Norway; he loves sitting in laps & snuggling & his purr is so loud that when he went to the vet for the first time, they couldn't hear his heartbeat over his roaring motor! 

Spook - also perfectly named, this little guy seems to be very easily spooked by everything! He is timid but talkative & doesn't try things until he sees Loki try them first! We are convinced he's the older brother because he often "hugs" Loki or pulls him close & grooms him... those seem like big brother traits to us! He is very slowly becoming more sociable - but it is definitely a day by day process with this little scaredy cat!

They keep us entertained - whether it's racing from one end of the house to the other (which happens often) or diving around the house attacking each other (also happens often) - they definitely have very distinct personalities that shine through more & more each day. If you're sitting on the couch, Loki will probably crawl into your lap to snuggle but Spook will always be content to just sit near to where you are. Perhaps in time I'll have two cats in my lap?

I take way too many pictures of them - but then again, they are always doing something cute & cheeky!

Sometimes I think they even look like little cat models, ha-ha! Granted, this is only when they are sweet enough to pose for pictures... & that's a rare occasion indeed. But I have captured them napping on my book (made it a little hard to read) & Spook came upstairs one morning & let me know his thoughts on how I was doing my make-up...

He was almost compelled to help me rub something in - I must have missed a spot. When it's time for Saturday breakfast, Loki is always glad to be first to the counter! At least here I'm holding him, he's usually first to the counter because he's jumped on the counter! That habit is not breaking... *sigh* And of course, if you're eating anywhere besides seated at the dining room table, you can bet one or both of them are going to come over & investigate!

Sunday afternoon naps are always enjoyed a little more when you have a kitten in your lap - & Loki is always glad to oblige us, even stretching his toes out & getting cozy! One day maybe Spook will experience the joy of snuggling with someone & he'll be hooked too...

All in all - these two silly boys are adding a lot of fun (& fur) to our lives. We love watching them grow & getting to know them better every day! I hope they are a part of our family for a long time to come!