canyon leaves

One of my favorite fall activities is always heading up the canyon to admire the fall leaves. Seriously stunning. The colors make me so happy!

recent discoveries

Golfing with 2 kids (and getting my first legit par!) can be done. Only a few holes, but I got to dust off my clubs for the first time in three years.

Everything tastes good. Everything that's anything gets shoved in Turner's mouth. No exceptions.

Finding an old box of my grandmother's and mother's jewelry is such a sweet surprise! I have never felt more special accessorizing!

I wish these little leather BYU moccasins came in my size! They just so happen to be our favorite shoes around here :)

around here...

We are sitting up and army crawling... And fast. We're also on our 3rd haircut. Not even 7 months old, and he's had 3 haircuts... He grows hair like a weed. I do love the big poof :) And a new obsession with all things tongue has developed-- this kid sticks his tongue out all the time. How is he getting so big already?

I went to the dentist for the first time in 3 years (I know, disgusting.) however, I only had one cavity, and I loved getting my teeth cleaned. Such a love/ hate relationship with the dentist.

I also think I have a sugar addiction. Seriously. It's like I crave it. When I came across this cupcake scarfing picture in women's health, I wondered if they secretly stalked me to get this... It's a problem. I'm (sort of) working on it. Old habits die hard.

Camden is hilarious. He does and says the funniest things. He came upstairs wearing Ryan's long-sleeved shirt and proceeded to tell me that he was going to go meet Merlin so they could do magic together. I didn't hear from him for a few minutes, and when I went to check on him, he was sound asleep. Thank you, Merlin-- you and your magical ways!

thoughts

This week I've thought a lot. Usually, any spare moment of my alone time consists of day to day thoughts... To- do lists, plans, reminders, that sort of thing. This week, I was consumed with thoughts of empathy, sadness, wonder and love. You could argue they are more feelings than thoughts, but feelings result in tears, and tears are something I have a hard time turning off, so I try to just think :)
A family member passed away unexpectedly-- and it really did send a jolt of awareness through me. I suddenly remembered the sweet memories I had of her. The baby blanket she made for Camden and brought to my house, I wasn't home, so she left it at the door. I really wished I would have been home. Or how after I had Turner, she spent an entire bridal shower holding him. I also remembered the last funerals I attended. That terribly hard time for my family. I remembered that death is harder for those that are still on earth.

I have decided that the older you get, the harder things are. You've experienced more. You are no longer naive or unaware. When someone loses a child, before you've had children, you think "man, that's hard." Then suddenly you become a parent and think "that's impossible." You think of your own life when you hear of other's trials.
The conclusion I came to is this: life is hard, but wonderful. And if you find yourself dwelling on the hard stuff, you'll never see how wonderful it really is.
I know we need to experience sadness to feel joy, hurt to feel love, etc. but more often than not, I think, really? Do I have to?
Yes. So I can really appreciate how she always hugged me hello. So I can sweetly remember her service and love. So I'll make that extra effort to attend that baby shower, wedding, family reunion.
I guess there is just one more person up there, cheering us on, right?

week in review

Monday: BPFFP! (Bachelor Pad Finale Fondu Party) a tradition that brings us together for cheese fondu, chocolate fountain deliciousness, and highly entertaining television.

Tuesday: September 11th. I took the boys to see the flag display at sandy city hall. This day always fills me with mixed emotions of sadness and pride. As I hugged my little boys, I couldn't help but feel grateful for them, for this wonderful country we live in, and our many freedoms and blessings.

Wednesday: an evening walk to kneaders... A regular habit of ours. Ending in a smoothie to share and a key lime tart (not to share... More like to hide until I could down it crouched in the closet).

Thursday: a visit from the cutest visiting teachers and friends. Funny how a conversation with good friends can make you feel important.

Friday: the ward Luau. Ryan was in charge of getting the roasted pig... I don't like meeting my dinner beforehand.

Saturday: BYU vs. Utah. This game always makes me nervous. Even more so at Rice Eccles. Crazy ending. I took it as a bad omen when I sliced my finger open on a can making treats for our watch party.

Sunday: cake decorating at it's finest! Camden had a blast at Grandma Lourie's decorating his special little cake-

Busy weeks happening around here, but would I have it any other way?

anything but dull

These 4. That's who I got to hang out with today. And by hang out, I mean hide under blankets, sword fight, play helicopters and airplanes, and remember what it's like to have a baby tug at your pants to stand herself up. So lucky that our kids play together so well and that I love these little girls like they were my own! Today's discovery? Knowing there is a reason why it isn't physically possible to have 4 kids at these ages...