Happy Belated Halloween

As I've said before, my favorite part about Halloween is not dressing up or passing out candy. In fact, I didn't do either this year. No, my favorite part is the next day when I spend about 5 hours "liking" photos of everyone's kids on Facebook. I love seeing little kids dressed up. I just love it.

I have been really bad about taking pictures lately, so I tried getting these off of my sister's Instagram account. They looked normal on the iPad, I promise, but on here it just looks like I did a really bad editing job.

First off, a little pre-Halloween fun. My sister dressed up as June, and June dressed up as my sister. Hilarious. June's bracelets, Starbucks, purse, hair, sunglasses, everything is SO my sister. Perfection.

We had a little fun at the park with the Josie Bear, the dog, one day. I did not make it very long before needing a nap.

And here are my nieces, Winnie and June, on Halloween. SO PRECIOUS!

One of the best parts of being in Bakersfield for a while is hanging out with these two. Winnie (Minnie Mouse) has been obsessed with Michelle Tanner from Full House these days, insisting on wearing her hair in two pigtails - NO BOWS - and saying things like, "You got it, dude." June (Ariel) has been talking a lot about our baby recently. If I decline a certain food, she says, "Is that because Baby Mikey isn't allowed?" When I'm chopping something with a large knife, she tells me to put it down because it's dangerous for the baby. And, the other day she asked me how Baby Mikey got into my tummy in the first place. I deferred that one to my sister, laughing to myself thinking that giving her an IVF answer would have been so much simpler if that's the way God would have chosen to do it. 

Happy November, everyone. It's going to be a memorable month!

Durham Via Instagram

Enjoy these Instagram pictures from the first day of real snow. I'm totally over snow right now. TOTALLY OVER IT. I don't think I've seen the sun since I took these last week... it's just been grey, slushy, sleety, and gross. Blech. It doesn't help that I can check the weather anywhere in the world in five seconds on that iPad. It was 72 and sunny in Bakersfield today.

Our chapel from the parking lot

The cathedral from chapel hill

Cathedral from chapel steps

The chapel up close

Icy trees by chapel #nofilter

On my way to my classroom/Narnia

Schoolboys playing with the Headmaster's dog. As my friend Courtney said, "Very Dead Poet's Society..."

This is Cullen and Pamela's dog, Weldan, mid-yawn. Pamela (pmckenney) takes some amazing Instagram pictures, by the way. AMAZING.

You can follow me on Instagram at nicolesampleyparker. See you there!

Instaholic

So, I'm now one of those annoying people I used to make fun of who holds up an iPad to take pictures. I can't help it! This iPad my mom is letting me borrow is amazing. It's my first Apple product, and I must say that the quality of the photos/videos/sound/etc. is so, so far superior to any technology I've ever had. My trusty laptop was graciously given to me by a dear Whitefield family nearly three years ago. It was collecting dust in their basement and has worked long and hard for me. I still love it. But that iPad. Whew... it's just a hot little thing!

Here's my first Instagram photo - a self-portrait

Here's a picture of Nathan (pre-much-needed-haircut) harassing me while simultaneously reading theology. It's kind of the story of his life.

We had Julie and Sarah over for lunch on Sunday. Real food, not college food. We had Mexican. And guess WHAT? Sarah is a Taylor University student and lived next door to my dear friend Kristi's sister-in-law in Olsen Hall. I may or may not have cried real TU tears when I met her on Saturday night. How small is this world?

Here's Robin and me at her profesh soccer game. She is so cool. Especially because she shared the Cracklin' Oat Bran that she brought back with her from the USA with me.

More Instagram photos to follow, mostly of snow-covered things. The weather here is crazy right now. You can follow me on Instagram if you wish (nicolesampleyparker).