Brownie... in a mug

Is anyone else dying for Fall to start? The temperature is finally cooling down at night and I am craving pumpkin cookies, caramel apples, and apple cider.

So, I bought a turkey breast a few weeks ago and found this delicious crockpot recipe which led me to find on the same blog (A Year of Slow Cooking) one of my new Fall/Winter favorites: brownie in a mug. I know you can make the same thing in a fraction of time in your microwave but ours is pretty ancient and not very reliable. Plus, there's something wonderful about waiting and smelling something cooking in a crockpot. My only tip is to use 8 mugs instead of 4 (you might not be able to fit them all in at once) and to load on the ice cream afterwards! mmmmmmmmmm


This comes from the same blog as the recipe because of course we didn't remember to take a picture.

Other great news and updates:

• Only 10 more weeks until our baby's due date! We took 11 hours of child birth class last week and feel much more knowledgeable and excited!

• I was initially upset about being placed at 3 schools on the other side of DC this year (covering someone's maternity leave) but I am actually very happy and like my kiddos and schools!
• Stephen's night classes only go until 8pm instead of 9 or later. Yay for earlier nights and being together!
• We bought a stroller/carseat travel system! It was the same price as getting a carseat and a snap-and-go stroller so we decided to just get the travel system and buy another stroller later if this one doesn't work.

Classic Graco snugride! I was sick of researching and this seemed the safest for the best price.

Great Falls

Last weekend we took a little drive to see Great Falls in VA/MD. They were a little disappointing after our recent trip to Niagara Falls, but still fun!

Here's part of the falls, I think!

I really liked the rocks here. I think the water was a little low because most of what we could see was just rocky.

Looking handsome as usual

Stephen thought the baby should have a picture :) This is my belly at 29 weeks

Haskin family lake trip

After a great trip to Utah, I got to meet up with my sweet hubby for a few days of boating and fun with his family. The Haskins have a fun tradition of renting a cabin every summer and we're glad we could continue the tradition in Georgia. I might say I enjoyed the tradition even more now that the boating takes place in bath-water Georgia lakes and not icy Minnesota water. And now, the pictures! (I happened to take a lot more on this leg of my summer trip since I couldn't do any of the dangerous stuff on the boat).

Master water skiier Steve!

Nerding out, reading the manual for the awesome board game Todd brought (it's called Small World in case you are looking for something cool)

Chilling together on the tube on the pregnancy friendly "ride"

ahhh, the joy of reading on summer vacations!!

see? everyone's doing it

Yum! what would the cabin trip be without all the delicious food! thanks Mom and Dad!

The boy table

Traditional ride... I have a feeling this is going to get tougher in a few years

Not a tradition... yet

hahaha I guess this is what happens with too many hours in the sun and too many wipeouts

lol I'm not sure what was going on but I'm glad Katie took a picture of it

And the real picture :)

My aim for the timer picture was horrible, but at least it's the whole family! We had a great time attending the nearby LDS church meeting

The rest of the cabin decor was great, but this was just hilarious/hideous

Along with this wall and lamps

Yay! Even though Stephen couldn't take time off to go to both Utah and Georgia, I'm so glad we got to spend a few days of our summer hanging out and relaxing. Can't wait to take Baby Haskin to the lake next year!

Home sweet home

After a year away, I finally got to visit my family in Utah! It was so nice to spend a week hanging out with my parents and siblings and getting to see a bunch of extended family and a few friends (not to mention the joy of escaping from DC traffic for a few days). Here are some of the highlights:

• Meeting my one and only nephew!

The videos I took on our other camera show off his sweet little personality, but isn't he cute?! And to think he was less than 3 lbs when he was born... what a little miracle! I sure love him and wish the visit wasn't so short!

• Seeing extended family from both sides at a lovely baby shower for Baby Haskin!

Brighton cousins who participated in a round of "what to name baby." I think the consensus among the kids was "Spencer" but there were lots of other good suggestions too. We definitely need to get going on a serious list of names, not to mention a stroller, a car seat, and a bunch of other things!

Who will Baby resemble, Mommy or Daddy?

Here are some of the balloons we made for the shower (I had a blast making them)

Thanks Grandpa and Grandma Purser for driving down to see me

Later that week at the my uncle and aunt's home (last get-together in their small but wonderful! home before they moved to their big new house)

• Hanging out with two of my best high school buds, Mandy and Michelle (for those I didn't see...Christmas, please!)

• Seeing Ramona and Beezus with Mom and Krista in the only theater still playing it. If you read any of the Ramona books growing up, and even if you didn't, I highly recommend this hilarious family-friendly movie.

• Seeing the Pirates of Penzance at Hale Centre Theatre

• Visiting BYU and driving past prior residences

Campus Plaza where Stephen and I met! Does anyone else think it's weird that there's a new business in that space below the apartments every time you drive past? They must think the closer proximity to J Dawgs means they will be granted the same success.

our first ugly but wonderful blue/gray basement apartment

• Brick oven root beer

• Hike to Donut Falls

Lauren and cousin Alicia on our pregnancy friendly walk/hike

• VChocolates- their chocolate covered caramels are to DIE for! And if you go on a tour of the factory in SLC they give you lots of free samples. mmmmmmmmmmmmm
• Going with my Mom to get haircuts

So I didn't take a picture at the hair cutting place but this shows that I cut my hair and it's the belly picture I had my dad take of me. I was 26/27 weeks.

THE BEST PART: Knowing that I'll be going back in a few short months :)