many hands make light work

Grateful for my girls positive attitudes today as they spent their day off helping to get our house in order, particularly the outside. It does seem they're more fond of raking leaves and using the blower than they are at cleaning the bathrooms or vacuuming the floors (Jill, I guess that gene didn't get passed along). Can't say I blame them, there is something fun about being outdoors in this weather even if you are working hard.

Although I'm aware cleaning/picking up did not come pre-programmed in them, trust me there are plenty of opportunities to keep them on task (especially the little one), they do understand that each of us has a part in our family and recognize how much quicker everything goes when we're helping together.

Feeling so blessed.


12of12 reminder
I wanted to remind you that tomorrow is the 12th. I am, like always, amazed at how quickly the time has passed. It's going to be December before we know it, which means Christmas is around the corner. Crazy. Anyway, I look forward to seeing what your Saturday holds. I hear it might snow--should be good.

Have a great day!

everydayness | october

We found time, just the two of us,


and time at home, together.


We looked for witches at Gardner Village,


and revived game night.


We spent ample time outdoors enjoying the fall,


and equal time indoors getting ready for the season.


Tess finished up her soccer season,


and Megan too.


Bella enjoyed her 30 year reunion (more to come) while Megan continues to learn what a ront de jambe is,


All of us working, we brought our busy life together.


We baked fall goods,


and trick-or-treated for some too. (52 photoproject week 28 | trick or treat)

family hike

As I sit watching the snow pile higher and higher as each flake dots the ground I reflect upon the delicious fall we experienced this year. There was a moment earlier in the season where I thought our fall had been lost to us, but luckily it came back with a vengeance and the last few weeks have been nothing short of a delight.

Fully aware our time was limited we took complete advantage of the weather and our proximity to the mountains and spent as much time outside in the canyons as possible.
















[Saturday, 22 October | the photos with me in them were taken by adam]

fallness | artist date

I stood in my kitchen with my todo list staring back at me, my mind wrestling with the thought of getting it done. I promptly turned away and grabbed for my camera--there would be time enough for that later. I decided getting out and enjoying the fall for a few hours was the option I needed today.











What more can I say then it was a delightful hour and well worth my time. When I returned home my list was waiting for me exactly where I left it, but this time more doable then before. I'm finally learning that some days you just need a moment or two to get yourself balanced before jumping in. I remember when I had babies at home how much I relied on nap time for that brief moment of clarity. I don't know why now it feels more like I'm getting away with something when I know it's still important to quiet the mind. After all, life is still just as busy, it's just a different kind of busy. Since coming home from squam I've been trying to do more yoga in the mornings, even if just for a few minutes. It seems to really help the quality of my day and now I'm wondering how I got along without it.

--what do you do when you need a moment to regroup?
--do you practice yoga?

Have a great weekend!

wednesday miscellany

01. Anyone can slay a dragon, he told me, but try waking up every morning & loving the world all over again. That's what takes a real hero. ~storypeople

This storypeople started my morning out right with a big smile on my face. I guess you could say after listening to The Power thoughts of "loving" are constantly on my mind. While I don't find it difficult to love the people/things I love, I am, unfortunately, still needing mental reminders about loving the things I don't love. Some days it does feel a little like slaying dragons would be easier. I am finding, though, while focusing on the good that my outlook is not only brighter, but I'm enjoying the little things so much more. Thanks Jill for the book suggestion. I feel like the book plus my experience at Squam is changing me in the best way.



02. I am holding onto Autumn as long as mother nature will let me. This is one of the longest falls I can recall in several years now, in fact I don't remember being this far into November and still seeing so much color on the trees. While I can't keep up with how quickly it goes from snowy and cold to warm and sunny, I'm simply grateful it's taking it's time.


03. I had the privilege of hearing Neylan McBaine, the founder of Mormon Woman Project, speak last night at a church YW night. I was pleasantly surprise to see that she was the key note speaker and found myself mesmerized as I listened to quotes and stories from other Mormon women making a difference in their part of the world. What I took home with me is that no matter where we're from or what we believe, we all have a unique voice and something unique to offer each other...we should never be afraid to share who we are.



04. Thank goodness for classroom pets like brownie that allow us to get away with not having one of our very own.

saturday goodness

When I woke up Saturday morning I had no idea what was in store us. I figured it would be a day full of shuttling kids back and forth from violin practice to soccer games, when in fact it was the moments in between those two events that shaped the rest of our day.


It started with bagels, of course, like all things start for Adam and the girls on Saturday. It was enjoyable to sit back and watch them, they're pros at it now, each of them ordering for themselves with confidence. This is a new side to bagel day I hadn't seen before. They are growing up.









After dropping Bella off for her violin rehearsal at the Conference Center we decided to stay downtown until Bella was done and after I realized Megan's game wasn't until 1pm it seemed like the perfect plan. We took Tess and Megan to Memory park to walk around, but what I didn't realize is how busy it would be on a Saturday morning. There was family after family and engagement couples running around every where getting their photos taken. In fact there were even people waiting in line for certain spot. It was craziness, but fun to see so many cameras milling around the park.










I enjoyed getting another round of fallness...hope it stays for a little while longer.

Afterward we still had about 40 minutes so we decided to take the girls to one of our old haunts when we were downtown dwellers...Sam Weller's bookstore. It's a quaint little store with a great selection of new, used, and rares books. It smells like what I imagine the forgotten books from the book The Shadow Of The Wind smelt like. Delightful. I was happy to hear both Megan and Tess complaining when it was time to leave.







This part of the day seemed brief, but it's exactly what we needed to make an okay Saturday into a great one. I need to remember it doesn't take much...and to think, I almost didn't go.

xoxo,
amy

fall at last

I would never say this hasn't been a good fall, but it has been a strange transition from summer to autumn for sure. At least by now we would have carved pumpkins and had fires and worn sweaters, but we've done none of that. Although when I look up at the mountain it does look like fall, it sure hasn't felt like it. For the majority of September it was hot, summer hot. Just as the leaves were beginning to change colors the heat wave showed up and never really left.

Finally, as of yesterday, it's feeling more like fall out there, cool and earthy, so we went to the canyon last night for FHE to enjoy it.


This is megan telling me not to take any pictures, so I only made them take one.

this one...

and I only got it because adam was entertaining them...we'll leave it at that. :)















We either missed autumn's bloom or the heat messed with the leaves because there wasn't a lot of color out there. I was let down to say the least, but regardless we had a great time and believe me, that was not my last attempt at searching for fall.

--Has it been a strange fall for you?

xxox, amy