Macaroni and Sneeze Please...

Well it is officially Fall Ya'll. The air is crisp at night, the leaves are beginning to change colors and float through the air...and allergy season is back.

I have sneezed, coughed, hacked, and rubbed my poor face half to death. ( Not that there was much to start with... ) Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. Sam tells me that I say that about every season. I am afraid he may be right.

I have so many reasons to love fall...here are some of them:

My anniversary
Riley was born in the fall.
So was Sam
So was I
The pure joy of seeing a season melt into the next...
Watching the golden leaves fly up behind my car
Feeling the pink in my cheeks from the nip in the air
Two words---HOT CHOCOLATE ( need I say more? )

There are many reasons that I SHOULD love fall most.
All of the reasons are good ones...but somewhere in my
heart I am past the summer of my life...past hot summer days, loud music and
running around barefoot all over ( ok, some things never change...)

On to a new and more profound stage of life. Where things in my mind and body wind down. It is evident in my pant size, but beyond that is my mind. The stillness. Realizing that each day is a rare and precious gift beyond measure. The beauty of the sunset, the joy of sunrise, watching as my children grow and learn. Seeing Sam and I grow older together. Moving into the next phase of our marriage. A deeper love takes hold...and I can't imagine my life without him. We have truely become one. Somewhere in the madness the line between us blurred, and I became we. So, as we step into this next stage of life...it is so nice to know we are doing it together. Sunday we celebrate 13 years together. We have had some tremendous ups and downs. ( Like a roller coaster ) We have endured, and hope to endure all things in our life. Hand in hand...through the autumn leaves. Best friends. Always. Forever.

Musings of Life and Laundry

Back to reality, and laundry of course!

As I drag myself from beneath the pile, it is nice to be thankful for a nice, long weekend. ( Camping produces insane amounts of laundry )

We had a terriffic time up the canyon with the family. The kids had a blast running through camp and the outer perimeter ( which they have dubbed 'their' kingdom ) terrifying all of the chipmunks and occasionally the horses. They built huts, forts, and who knows what else back there! The big boys...Sam and his brothers were archery hunting for Elk. No luck yet! But it should be cooling down this week, which pushes the elk down into the mountain valley. Good for hunting...not so good for the Elk.

Mostly we just hung around camp enjoying the fresh mountain air,
the milky way by night, and each other. Nothing is quite like sitting around the campfire looking at the stars. Wow. Just wow. How did God make the world so beautiful? There were several shooting stars, and howling coyotes. *squeak* That was my cue to come home. I am NOT a camper. So I just mosey myself home and shower, sleep in my own bed AND use a real bathroom. AHhhh.

Other than that, the real joy is watching all the kids learn about the world. Seeing the babies pet the horses, the toddlers trying to feed them, and the kids pretending to break them...watching all of them work together to have fun and get along is just the coolest ever! Well, and being a family. That is the best part altogether. Family.
Isn't that what life is all about?
And don't forget those piles of Laundy.