Sofie and Sadie

The time shared with the little angels is so rewarding, thankfully we get to watch them learn and grow--Matt and I wouldn't have it any other way. We have been babysitting Sadie on Wednesdays for a few months now and the girls love to play and color together; best buddies fo' life!

Here Comes Fall, My Favorite Time of Year!!!

Cozy sweaters and blankets, crisp mornings, and evenings with a bite. . . Apple cider and yummy vegan stews are once again on the menu. As we increasingly become more of a plant-based-diet-family, now is the perfect time to break out the slow-cooker for some delicious beans and rice. I just love Fall, and we've been making the most of it. Unfortunately, Sofie has discovered that her garden no longer exists, and I think she was pretty disappointed. We kicked off the season with an afternoon walk to the meadow and an evening walk to our neighborhood Italian Deli, Cupini's, with Mom (aka: Mimi).

More of the Little Dancer. . .

Ballerina Halloweena

Sofie really dazzled as she spun her way down the aisles at the Brewery. Matt and Sof make such a great team and the pictures of the two together are priceless. She made the cutest ballerina for Halloween! My personal confession: I loved making the über girly tutu!!!

Flowery!

I can't get enough of the pretty summer flowers from my garden! The meadow produced some beauties too. Sofie and I walked nearly every day to pick flowers, veggies, rocks, twigs, pinecones, and anything else we could find our hands on. Sofie is becoming quite the floral artist as well. Take a look. . .

Summer with the Ruzichs'

We absolutely loved being as sustainable as we could this summer! The fruits of our labor sure paid off, and thanks to the Lutheran Church garden (Our Saviour Lutheran is actually our landlord), we had unlimited access to the beautiful garden's flowers and organic veggies! We endearingly call the garden the "meadow" since it is actually a huge vacant lot which includes the garden that is located a few lawns from our house. It's our perfect little lot of heavenly urban meadow. My garden took off too in my attempt to grow seeds this year. I learned a lot and will try the pumpkin patch again next year. Unfortunately, we had a infestation of vine-boring moths and ruined most of our squash crop. The tomatoes were monstrous, and I will grow more peppers and carrots next year. That said, we had a beautiful productive summer full of fun, sun, love, and family.