Note:
-I married a pumpkin carving connoisseur.  Max takes these things so seriously, but claims it's because it's his first Halloween in three years.
-Max also tagged along with me and my dad to his first ever BYU football game. I think he enjoyed himself, minus the cougar fight song. He refused to sing along with that.
-Witches night out this year was another success!
-If you're not into really, really scary movies, (like me) anything black and white will do. Cape Fear, Twilight Zone episodes, Rear Window... some of our favorites this year.
-And I'm always amazed at how much we get into our murder mystery dinner parties. I almost convinced myself that I had actually had an affair with Al Capone in 1928.

And wish us luck as we throw our first (ever) Halloween party. Homemade root beer and trick-or-treat bags all thanks to Pinterest will be on the menu, (ps. remind me to tell you which gift bag not to recreate, because it's impossible to be that cute, and I wasted two boxes of brownies on it) - anddd no UVU dances for me this year, thank you very much.

And thank you, dear month of October, for always being so great. I'll be missing you these next 11 months, until we meet again.

disneyland!

Unfortunately, I took maybe four pictures while we were in Disneyland for the remainder of the weekend; too many fun things to do, and I made zero time to capture all of our memories (regretted)... So what I do have to say, is that out of all the many trips out there with family and friends before, my trip with Max had to be my all-time favorite. He hadn't been since he was a little, so it was like going with a seven-year old version of Max. 14 hour marathon days park hopping (even though we were both exhausted by the end of the trip!) was the best.

And just for future reference: Mickey's Halloween party was like, the best Halloween party ever. They give you handfuls (handfuls!) of candy (and only the good kind!) at all 390,483 candy stations throughout the park. Plus all the rides have zero lines because everyone else is excited about the trick-or-treating. After stopping at only two of the stations, Max and I ran around the park like crazy getting on as many rides as possible (completing 21 rides in four hours!) eating two bags worth of candy! I had to stop at one point and just jump up and down. Not a joke. I was just so excited! This felt like every kids dream come true! And even though we had had enough of a sugar high to last us a month, we made sure to stop for some pineapple dole whips - theyrethebest.

Thesis statement: Disneyland is the happiest place on earth.
Add candy, costumes and no lines? Happiest-est place ever.

PS. Radiator Springs is totally worth the wait.

huntington beach.

California is great. I love, love, love the feeling I get when I see the flashing signs: "freeway stops here" and you know you've reached the very end of the West Coast. I just love it. Max and I arrived just in time to watch the sunset on Huntington beach, too - following up with dinner at everyone's favorite: Ruby's Diner. We even split a brownie sundae and snagged a few penny gumballs. This place is always a favorite.

picnic with sara.

Sara and I went on a fall-esque picnic a few weeks ago, carrying our grocery bags of candy in one arm, and our knitted sweaters over the other. The sun was warm enough as we ate too many Oreos, and the yellow leaves fell perfectly into our laps. So we caught up on the past two months in only two hours, and it was reaffirmed without needing to be said: we will always be kindred spirits.

napkin notes.

Max started leaving 'napkin notes' lying around the apartment once we got married, (closest thing to a post-it note I think he could find,) and it's been one of my many favorite parts about our newlywed days. I usually pride myself in being "the clever one," but if I'm honest, Max certainly takes the cake - especially when it comes to these.

Today's napkin note was taped on my bathroom mirror when I woke up, and I nearly squealed with joy when I saw it! Max knows I never take anything Disney-related lightly, which is why I have a Disneyland fact sheet, Disneyland playlist, and Disney fruit snacks all waiting for us in the car. I'm absolutely convinced that Max will be the best Splash Mountain buddy I could ask for, so if only I could get him to wear this costume (he refuses), I'm pretty convinced we'd make a great Mickey and Minnie pair at the Disneyland Halloween party, too :)

So we're off to sunny California and the happiest place on earth! Hope you have a wonderful week!

politicalness.

I shy away from any talk of my political beliefs, because chances are some of you might agree, a lot of you may disagree, and I probably won't sway anyone's opinions regardless.
But I'm going to go for it again anyway.

A lot of people care about a lot of different things: some people find passion in women's rights, in going green, even in saving the dolphins... But somewhere down the line, my interest and passion took root in politics. I have asked myself once or twice why I didn't major in political science? Whatever the reason, it's a big mystery to us all. Whether it was seeing my parents involvement, September 11th, the 8th grade debate team, I really couldn't say; but something, somewhere down the line was triggered and has since been something that has mattered to me so much that I physically feel this need, this impulse to voice my opinion, to stand up and to say something.

I think this drives Max crazy to be honest. In fact, I know it does. He makes me turn off the TV when I start getting antsy, and then we have to play a round of tennis when Obama has frustrated me again, (which lately has been a lot). I know my friends have always joked about it (they just need to ask me about socialized Obamacare) and truth be told, a lot of them just don't find interest in it. I can't entirely blame them I guess, because I don't have much to say about saving the trees either.

But what I do have to say, no matter who it is, no matter your interests, no matter your party affiliations, no matter what basically: (and I am shamelessly going to use my small soap box online to say it right here right now,) is that we all have an obligation to vote. Many of us know it is our privilege, but that is exactly what makes it so much more of our responsibility.

In the 2008 election, only 64% of people in the United States eligible to vote actually went to the polls; Utah had the lowest voter turn out rate in ALL the county (53%), yet so many of us just don't! So many people say it won't make a difference! Utah will be a Romney state no matter what. New York will vote for Obama. Some say there's a little bit more of a reason to vote in a swing state like Florida or Colorado ... but as for my generation, the generation who will be the most affected by everything going on right now: today, tomorrow, this presidential election... We are the one's least likely out of all the age groups who will actually get registered, and get out to vote. If statistics are right, only half of us will this upcoming November 6th. So I'm pleading with all of you who read this: Just go do it. Vote.

I know this sounds crazy, but I care so much I could cry. I truly believe that this is one election where things will actually drastically change depending on whose elected President of the United States of America. Things will be very different one way or another four years from now.

I love this country, I love what it stands for, and I love that we are the children, and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of heroes who have fought and died and lived for an idea that they believed in and that they'd put their life on the line for: for freedom to speak, to act, to choose, and to live. We are privileged and we are obligated to go out and make our vote count, not only because we can, but because so many hundreds of thousands of people never could, never have, and never may be able to. So please, please, please - just do it. Register. Wake up early to beat the lines on November sixth. Go make your vote. Use your voice. I know this entire post may sound like a public announcement ad -- but out of all the many things I believe in, the United States of America is right there at the top of the list.

(Print can be found via)

Atticus Finch.

"They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... 

but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. 

The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."

-Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Once the leaves started changing colors, and the sun became a little bit more orange than yellow, Saturdays weren't our favorites anymore, but Sunday nights were. Fall is a favorite in so many ways, but so many of my reasons is simply because of home. Growing up, we had our ritual Sunday night walks, Sunday night movies, and best of all: Sunday night snacks like cinnamon and sugar toast, and marshmallows, and hot chocolate.

It somehow became a tradition along the lines that the first movie we'd always watch together as a family during the season was To Kill A Mockingbird. It was always my dad's favorite, and naturally, became one of mine too. My eyes always sting when I see Atticus sitting outside of Tom Robinson's jail, with his lamp, in his chair, reading his book. It just said so much. I always felt so much. I still do.

This movie, (and most especially), Atticus Finch has and always will be an out-of-the-ball-park-sort-of favorite; and with my dad in town for the weekend, Max gets to join in on the Christensen tradition and I just couldn't be any more excited for my Sunday nights again. Happy (conference) weekend!