The Great Pumpkin(s)

I've been wanting to go apple picking for the past...I dunno...5 years, and well, I've never accomplished the task of convincing Jeremy to go. Apple picking and the start of football season go hand in hand and it's hard to pry that man away from the tv. Add coaching into the mix and it makes it even harder. It was easy, however, to convince my sister when saying it would be a fun family outing that Keegan would love.

She hopped on the apple picking bandwagon in seconds! We picked a weekend to go, marked it on our calandar and waited anxiously for the day to arrive. There was one small bump in the road. Just the weekend before we planned to go, I read a post from the orchard saying they had the busiest day and Pick Your Own Apples was done for the season.

Done.

FOR THE SEASON!

I emailed the orchard just to make sure my eyes had seen correctly. Sadly, it was true. No more apple picking for the season. I guess we'll plan to go earlier next year so we can get our hands on some apples and the farm's apple cider donuts.

On to Plan B.

I was determined to still make a family day out of it and both my sister and I did a little research on what local farms we could visit. There were a ton to choose from and we landed on the Hunter Farm which included a pumpkin patch, a hayride, and a petting zoo. Sounded like a winner to us!

We arrived on the (so far) hottest day of October. A sleepy Keegan who just awoke from a cat nap was a little hesitant at first but once he saw the field of pumpkins he was down to business picking up every pumpkin his size, handing it off to Mom and Grammie. He was having a BLAST but we hadn't even  gotten to the best part yet!

After browsing the pumpkins, we loaded onto the tractor hayride which slowly took us to the petting zoo. Keegan is at the stage where he is an EXPERT at animal sounds. It was beyond adorable to see him experience all of the live animals and mimic their sounds right in front them. It was too cute for words I tell ya. The boy is fearless and even fed some goats!

I want one so bad!!!

After sanitizing the heck out of our hands, the four of us got back on the hayride to the pumpkin patch. We picked out 4 little pumpkins for each of us and headed home.

It was such a great and special afternoon with my family. Everyone had a great time and needless to say, we slept well that night.

Writer's Block

Well we're already almost halfway through October but I've finally had some time to sit down and write. By finding time to write, I mean while sitting on the vanpool on the way to work. Hey, I'll work with any extra time I've got. Anyways, the Singleton household has been running non-stop for the past 4 weeks. I've sadly neglected the blog. That or I may have a small case of writer's block. Here's a quick recap of what we've been up to the past month.

Jeremy started coaching his first ever flag football team at the Y. I've only been able to make it to one game this season (told ya we've been busy) but the one I went to couldn't have made me more proud to be his wife. The first look at his team compared to others had me a little weary but boy did they shock me. They went on to win that game without the other team even scoring! So far, Jeremy's team, the Blue Destroyers, is undefeated this season. I love watching Jeremy coach and interact with the kids. It only shows what a great dad he will some day be.

Moving on...two of my friends got married last month! My sister's best and childhood friend, Amanda, tied the knot at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. I had never been to the Gardens before so it was fun to walk around and take a quick tour of the facility. My other friend and co-worker, Kate, said "I do" to her beau late September. She had a unique barn wedding with the ceremony in a cow pasture. This wedding could not have been any cuter. It had so many unique details and you could tell a lot of work went into it. I'm so happy for both couples! Congrats to you both!

September. That means football. We only have one t.v. in the house so it's been a battle of who's watching what and when. Football always dominates but I've tried to make the best of it by having family and friends over for Panthers games or us visiting and watching while we're out and about. Both App and the Panthers haven't had the best start to the season but I'll try and stay optimistic.

My sister's job hosted a family fun day which included a huge blow up slide. Normally I wouldn't volunteer to climb up the wobbly steps but I'll do it for my nephew. He had the best time jumping in the bounce house. I love seeing him so happy and fearless :)

I don't think I've gone a month this year without going to a concert. The Evening Muse hosted Nathan Angelo who is always fun to watch perform. I remember the monsoon that we had to walk through that night but Nathan made it all worth it with his performance.

Midway through the month, Elyse and I volunteered to do a roadside cleanup at work. About 15 of us set out to clean a stretch of 3 miles of roadway. It wasn't the best or easiest job but it felt good to get outside and clean the environment. You wouldn't believe some of the things we came across. We ended up collecting 57 bags of trash within the 3 mile stretch. 57!! Crazy. Don't litter, people!

Jeremy and I ended the month with one of my favorite photographers and someone near and dear to my heart, Sunny of Themba Imagery. Sunny was gracious enough to capture our wedding, my bridal portraits, our first year photos and now our second year. She suggested we meet at Anne Close Springs Greenway for the shoot and it couldn't have been more perfect. She posted a few sneak peaks the next day and it left me even more excited for what is to come.

Alright. I'm all caught up with September. Our October adventures are soon to follow.

Obsessed.

There's one thing Jeremy is obsessed with right now and that's football. I, on the other hand, am obsessed with many things at the moment. Some obsessions have been developed over the summer. Some last spring. And some just yesterday. Here are my top five in no particular order.

1. The Mindy Project. My love for Mindy flourished during the second half of season 1. That show makes me laugh out loud any and every time I watch...even if I've seen the episode!  I'm pretty sure she's destined to be my best friend. (Kidding...kind of). Only two more days until season 2! I CANNOT WAIT.
   
   
   
               
2. Hold On, We're Going Home. I've never been a huge fan of Drake but there's just something about this song that I love. I can't stop listening to it. Hopefully the radio doesn't overplay it and make me hate it later. I'm pretty sure Jeremy is sick of it already. Oh well. That's what he get's for this. 
          
3. Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken Salad. Not only am I obsessed with this salad; Jeremy is too. So much that I call it the "Man Salad". It's not the healthiest in the world (at all), but it's gotten Jeremy to like and eat spinach so that's a plus, right? Recipe here if you'd like to take a look.
   
4. Save Rock & Roll. Rewind to 2005 and you'll find a punk rock loving Asha. I couldn't resist purchasing Fall Out Boy's latest album and I quickly fell in love with each and every song. Not to mention, it's the BEST album to work out to. I never have to skip a song because each one pumps me up and get's me going! Fall Out Boy is also creating a video for each song on the album. Each video tells a piece of a story and they are releasing each one at about a month at a time. The videos are a little weird and some violent but they've got me hooked wondering what happens next.
   
5. Scandal. One rainy weekend, BET was playing a Scandal marathon. I wondered what all the hype was about so I decided to watch not thinking I would get sucked in so quickly. I was only one episode in and I couldn't stop watching. Jeremy was quickly glued to the tv and before we knew it, we had spent 4 hours on the couch. We pretty much watched season 2 in a weeks time. We're just now watching season 1 and putting all of the pieces together. Can't wait until October 3rd when season 3 starts up!

Football has officially taken over our tv which means I'll probably have some extra time to find some new obsessions. I should probably invest that time into painting our master bedroom, bathrooms, etc, but who am I kidding...that probably won't happen. Happy Sunday everyone! Here's to hoping for a great week!

Goodbye, Summer

Jeremy and I said goodbye to summer in pure southern tradition with fried food, good music, humidity, and sweat. Our little town of Matthews throws a big festival, Matthews Alive, during Labor Day weekend that features four days of music, food, and local vendors. With it only being a short distance away from home, we visited three out of those four days. We enjoyed listening in on the music, visiting with friends, fried food (deep fried Reeses, anyone?), and buying local art. We decided to skip out on the rides this year (is this a sign that we're getting older?) but enjoyed ourselves, nonetheless.

Fair food!

A heart attack in the palm of your hand.

Had to post this. Too cool for school.

In the middle of the week, I officially said goodbye to summer under the night sky of Charlotte with the sweet sounds of Phillip Phillips and John Mayer. I was in good company with my good friends Elyse and Rachel as we found the perfect spot on the lawn to watch the show.

Elyse and I ready for John Mayer and Phillip Phillips!

The whole gang :)

I had seen John Mayer once before in 2010, and I'm not gonna lie, I didn't have high expectations from that last performance. The last time I saw him, it was right before his little hiatus of horrible publicity in the public eye (the whole Jessica Simpson thing, racist thing, etc.) I walked away from that show being very disappointed and honestly not wanting to see him live ever again.

I gave him a second chance. A cheap groupon was offered and I decided to give it a go. Plus Phillip Phillips was opening. How bad could it be?

Phillip Phillips started off the show with a laid back, "I'm happy to be here", vibe. He didn't seem much different than how we all saw him on American Idol. And of course, he played the few radio hits that have made him successful the past year.

Phillip Phillips!

John Mayer then came to the stage, right on time. There's just something I love about an artist saying hello to my city. He welcomed Charlotte and the crowd went crazy. He started out with all new songs off of his latest album singing Queen of California, Wildfire, and Paper Doll. I was quickly mesmerized by the scenic backdrop of the westward desert and canyons that changed little by little throughout each song. We were able to see seasons change, sunny skies, campfires, and the night sky. All with what seemed to be a happier, more grateful, John Mayer. This time around he was much more engaging with the audience, talking to us often and playing those old songs of his we all know and love. His voice sounded strong and his guitar playing skills often left me speechless (even when he makes those crazy "I'm feeling this guitar" faces).

One of my favorites from the night.

I couldn't have asked for a better way to end the Summer of 2013. A trip to Miami, a new position at Food Lion, and lots of time spent with my husband has made me one happy girl. I'm looking forward to Fall and it's layering of scarves, boots, and football but I have to say I'm a little sad to see summer go. I'll try to hang on to my Rainbow flip flops as long as I can.