Halloween Baby

Just in time for Halloween...

So that little martian-like creature your seeing in this ultrasound... yup! that's Baby's face!

Something about the head-on shot this early on is both cute and creepy at the same time.

As a mother, I couldn't be more charmed looking into the eyes of my little alien-baby for the first time.

Baby says Happy Halloween!

 Other Halloween things this week...

Squash soup in pumpkin-shaped bread bowls... nom nom nom.

For family night,  Jacob and I carved our pumpkins and watched the 1959 House on Haunted Hill (SPOILER!!! This  *CLICK HERE* is the best part of the whole movie) and the Halloween episode of Freaks and Geeks (one of my favs).

Jacob carved a spectacular Patrick and I carved... can you guess it? 

Let's take a closer look...

A PUG!!!

Let's just say I'm really proud of this one.

Jordyn, wherever you are (I think Puerto Rico?), I thought you would appreciate this.

Tonight we plan to pass out candy to all our cute neighborhood kiddos, 

and then we are going to see Deep Love: A Ghostly Folk Opera!

Pretty stoked about this.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Baby Robinson

Meet our tiny, precious baby...

Today Jacob and I have some pretty special news that we would like to officially share with everyone!

WE ARE EXPECTING!!!

You better believe it! I am about 3 months pregnant 

and sporting a mini baby bump! (kinda... it's getting there)

We are beyond excited to welcome this little one into our family and finally spill our lil' secret—

which has been the most TORTUROUS secret of our lives!

These last few months have been some pretty special times for us.

Jacob and I feel incredibly blessed to begin this new chapter in our lives and our marriage,

and are thankful to family and friends who have already shown so much love and support.

Baby Robinson will make his/her debut in April 2013.

Parenthood here we come!

Husky Convention + Conference

Jacob's parents and younger brothers (Josh and Travis) came to visit us in Provo over conference weekend. Their stay proved to be fun, relaxing family time + the Robinsons were able to attend a few sessions of general conference together in Salt Lake. Our only challenge was keeping the teenage boys entertained between sessions. Our house is not that exciting (no Xbox/only basic cable TV), and I could tell they were getting bored fast. I could only think of one decent solution...

We would take them to the HUSKY CONVENTION!!

HUSKIES EVERYWHERE!!!

Yes, you heard me right. There were rumors of a Siberian Husky Convention taking place in downtown Provo. Naturally, I was intrigued. However, there was virtually no information about this event on the internet—the date and location was all I knew.  We went on blind faith that, indeed, we would find a Husky-related event and see at least a few of these beautiful creatures.  Indeed, we found the promised Husky Convention. I was in Husky heaven.

True husky champions being judged in show.

HUSKY MERCH!!!

This shirt almost had me in tears. DOUBLE MEANING!!!

I'm so fascinated with this husky subculture. Learning so much.

Preppin' for the big show.

Josh and Travis probably thought I was a little too obsessed with the Husky Convention, but I know they were secretly loving it too. Next, we took these boys to the Provo Farmers Market.  We showed them the best waffles in town, and they helped us pick out a pumpkin for Halloween.

After J-Dawg's for lunch and playing pool at the Wilk, it was time to head to SLC for the Priesthood session. 

Josh and Trav were so tuckered out that they napped the whole ride. 

precious.

Brothers going to the Priesthood sesh.

While the men attended Priesthood, I met up with Mama Robinson and my friend, Kari. Priesthood session is always the best for some seriously overdue "girl time." We explored the Church History Museum (my fav) and City Creek, and talked talked and talked. After the session, the family regrouped and went for dinner at Ruth's Diner in the canyon—one of my favorite places, and I guess it's sort of become a conference tradition for me and Jacob.

I really enjoyed this day. 

Family + conference + huskies = all things Holli needs.

Our Squash Baby

Back in June, we bought a little baby squash plant at the farmers market. We were told that with tender love and care, it would grow and produce spaghetti squash. We gave that plant SO MUCH LOVE AND ATTENTION, and what did it give us? A JUMBO-SIZED BANANA SQUASH! Obviously the hippie dude at the farmers market sold us the wrong plant, but this was the best surprise of our amateur-gardening-lives! Maybe even a miracle.

We estimate that our baby squash weighed at least 15-20 lbs. Look at us. Proudest parents you ever saw. 

Squashie baby actually had a little brother growing on the vine, 

but sadly he was eaten by (most likely) a deer. Tragic.  

No worries though. This one will provide.

"HULK SMASH!!!"

And of course, 15-20 lbs of banana squash = about 8 large ziploc bags full of squash puree!

Plus, we also grew two large butternuts that are waiting to be roasted and pureed.

Looks like we'll be having lots of creamy squash soup this season.

Nom Nom Nom...

Magic Song: STRANGE LOVE

Another great song from the Frankenweenie soundtrack—this one's by Karen O.

Is it just me though, or does the melody/lyrics/rhythm of the first phrase sound almost exactly like the

melody/lyrics/rhythm of the first phrase in "Love is Strange" by Mickey and Sylvia?

I'm sure it's a coincidence.

After all, love is strange. They both got that one right.

Kimbra + The Stepkids

To put it simply,

ONE OF THE BEST NIGHTS OF MY LIFE.

My I-HAVE-BEEN-WAITING-MONTHS-FOR-THIS-SO-EXCITED face.

I didn't really know much about The Stepkids, but they played a pretty groovy set. These guys had skills, and their psychedelic light show mesmerized us all. My favorite was watching the drummer, who was smiling the entire set. Happiest drummer I have ever seen. 

And then, the main event. 

When her band started playing the intro, I was so psyched I could barely handle it. When Kimbra came running on stage looking like a crazy person, wearing the wildest dress I've ever seen, and rocking out on her tambourine—I WAS IN HEAVEN. 

I loved her purple-hula-skirt-cape... or whatever the crap that thing was. She really looked like a whimsical comic book character, and her dress kept evolving throughout the set.

This lady is just BANANAS. When she performs, she holds nothing back—and her voice is just stupid-incredible.  Here's a video that some random youtuber posted from the show. Not the greatest quality, but you get the idea...

Kimbra-lovers

My friends Lauren and Jordyn also came along for the show. I don't know if they understood what they were in for. When I found them after the set, they looked awestruck—and more importantly, both left with Kimbra merch. Two Kimbra fans were born that night. 

Every moment of that show was just incredible. Still not over it.

Magic Song: WITH MY HANDS

In honor of the Halloween season and the Kimbra concert I attended last week,
here's Kimbra's new track featured on the soundtrack for Tim Burton's Frankenweenie.

Some of the stylistic elements of this song (especially the bridge + outro) remind me so much of Michael Jackson. 

Not in a way that is obvious or derivative, but in a way that brings me happiness.

I love the combination of influences/styles she brings into her music.

Magic Song: DO MY THING

I love it when Janelle comes in on the 2nd verse. 

SHE IS SO COOL.

Mixed Feelings: CITIES

In which music reflects my feelings about my surroundings...

VS.

When I'm walking around in downtown anywhere, 

one of these songs is guaranteed to playing through my mind on repeat.

I kinda prefer feeling like the cool, streetwise, billy-joel-dog.
Either way, I always go home and play synthesizers.

Epic Bus

Dude. If only commuting were actually this exciting.

My standard of living would be upped to the nth degree. 

Maybe I should move to Denmark?

Magic Song: NO ONE'S GONNA LOVE YOU

What?! Cee Lo covered this song?

I dig.

Band of Horses original:

Great song.

And I love hearing it with that signature voice of Cee Lo's.

No one has quite the funky-raspy-soul that he does.