The Larson House

These bucket lists keep me so motivated to make fun memories. I just realized I never shared all the things we did during the autumn season and so I thought I’d just share a quick recap. We packed in a LOT- even a quick “babymoon” for Nova to Disney. We wanted to make sure she got her own solo trip before we add another child to our family (again- we have no idea when that will happen!) and when we found some $80 plane tickets to Orlando we just jumped on it!

Take a weekend trip.
Here are a few photos from that trip. It was as epic and as rocky as you would assume a trip to Disney with a three year old would be. I never knew how exhausting (for parents!) this kind of trip could be until it was our turn, but on a positive note Nova still talks about meeting Elsa and Anna (and the snowman, which technically did not happen- LOL) literally every day. 🙂

Taking instant photos.
In September we were at the park with friends and I let Nova play with my instant camera. She took a bunch of really bad photos, but she enjoyed doing it SO MUCH that we realized this was something she could totally do. Ever since I have been buying big packs of film on Amazon and letting her go with it about once every weekend. The photos she takes are hilarous- sometimes really good, sometimes not so good, sometimes just a black square. But she’s learning and her skills at operating the camera have developed so fast- I think it’s totally worth it!

Decorate for Halloween.
We went a lot more all out this year and had so much fun decorating. I let Nova help a lot and it was so much fun to have little projects to do together all the time. You can see our halloween home tour on ABM.

Send our dossier.
We started working on the homestudy in August and sent all the items to our agency in October for our dossier (it’s still getting prepped to send to China by them now). I was really proud of our speed this time. I really just wanted to get all that paperwork done and out the way before the holidays, so it was the best feeling ever to be able to do so!

Currently some things are processing with our agency and we’ll be waiting in 2019 to be matched. We do not have an estimation on how long it will take to match so we are prepared for a short wait, but totally open to and fine with the possibility that we could be waiting for a year or more.

Family costume.
We did it! I honestly have waited my whole life for this moment had have already started planning for next year. More costume details here.

And one of Jeremy’s and my biggest fights of the year was when he told me he wouldn’t dress up as Fred Flinstone and I was crying. hahaha If that doesn’t sum up our relationship I don’t know what does!

Here’s Nova s Pebbles Flinstone.

It was Nova’s first autumn in Tennessee and we LIVED. IT. UP.

Host Friendsgiving.
We do this every year for A Beautiful Mess, I think it was our seventh one. So it was wonderful to include Nova this year for the first time- and Lola too!

Nova’s first Thanksgiving.
It was also Nova’s first Thanksgiving and we traveled to Missouri to celebrate with family.

Halloween.
Nova’s first time Halloween was all kinds of adorable. We blogged about it here.

Fall picnic at the park.
We started taking a lot of picnics together this year (most of them just Nova and I) and it quickly became one of our “things”. I love doing them and she asks to go on a picnic almost every weekend now. Sometimes we paint or draw or just eat snacks. Sometimes we go to the park, but most of the time we just lay a blanket out in our front yard. The best!

Best autumn of my life!!! I’ll be back soon to share our holiday bucket list! xx.