Time is starting to go faster and faster as we begin to approach the holiday season. October 2018 was one full of absolutely wonderful memories and a month that will never be forgotten. There was time with friends and time with family. The month was full of mini-adventures, breweries and visiting new places.
Frankie being the only child that he is, was spoiled with a new plaid hoodie and Halloween treats from friends out east. He's a pretty fashionable dog and likes to stay current with the trends :)
I went to happy hour with a friend at The Beacon within the Graduate Hotel on the East Bank Campus of the U of M. We enjoyed some yummy apps while catching up on life. I always forget how cozy that place is. I also had a fun Saturday shopping with my mom checking out the outlets in Eagan for the first time. I was excited to see the new store at Rosedale Shopping Center - Rose and Loon. It's full of locally made items and carefully crafted goods. Stop by the next time you're there!
We had an early birthday celebration for my dad at the beginning of the month. We celebrated with brownies and beer! On his actual birthday him and I checked out the new Bogart's Doughnut Co. and Five Watt Coffee in the new Keg and Case Market on West 7th Street. The donuts were very yummy and we liked the chocolate cake donut the best. Keg and Case is really neat with a very open feel and lots of shops and restaurants to check out.
Shawn, Frankie and I spent a day in Stillwater. We first went to the Dogtoberfest event at Lift Bridge Brewing and then enjoyed a beer on the patio of Maple Island Brewing. It was fun to take Frankie out and about and he enjoyed sporting his new plaid hoodie.
We had our first visit to Sociable Cider Werks with Shawn's parents one afternoon. I love cider so it was fun to get a flight and try a couple different kinds while we were there. We also brought Punch Pizza and enjoyed that. Frankie got to come too as they allow dogs inside and we used one more stamp on our Sidewalk Dog Brewery Pass.
October 21st is our dating anniversary (7 years this year) and we typically try to do some fun things around it, especially if it lands on a weekend. This year we took a long weekend to relax and do some of our favorite things and little did I know the weekend would end on such a happy note! We went to lunch at Groveland Tap on the Friday of our long weekend and then enjoyed a lovely autumn drive up and down the St. Croix River thru Stillwater and Afton. It was a beautiful afternoon and nice to get out and see the fall colors. On Saturday we went back to our favorite neighborhood, St. Anthony Main, and had a cozy lunch at Aster Cafe. We walked up and down Main Street and onto the Stone Arch Bridge. We headed over to the North Loop and walked around some shops over there. It was a nice leisurely afternoon walking around Minneapolis.
Another tradition we have is to go to Pine Tree Apple Orchard every autumn, and usually around our anniversary. This year it ended up that we were able to go on our actual anniversary - Sunday, October 21st. Shawn was very adamant that we got to the orchard at 9:00am to beat all the crowds, which was fine because neither of us really enjoy big crowds. It was a beautiful blue sky sunny day, a little chilly but perfect for cozy outfits and autumn boots. After we got there we got our usual apple cinnamon donut and apple turnover before walking down to the lake that is at the orchard. It's really pretty down there and we usually take some photos. Little did I know that we had to get there early that day because Shawn had the biggest surprise ever planned for me by asking me to marry him and having a photographer capture the entire thing! I was so extremely surprised and so, so happy!
We had a great time after the proposal taking photos with NarrowLeaf Photography all around the orchard. Check out the photos here! Our whole engagement story was even published on the How He Asked website: right here! The rest of the day was spent going to both of our parents and sharing the good news with them. We are so happy to be engaged and I'm so excited to marry my best friend!
The rest of the month was filled with sharing our engagement news with family and friends, having a family autumn birthday brunch celebration and gearing up for my favorite time of the year - Thanksgiving into Christmas into New Years!
I also received the October HiFive from 1canoe2 and it was the best one yet! I loved getting so many fun holiday cards in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season.
