Ahhhhhhh....Summer

Already the first week of summer, and we're off to the sandy beaches of...

Not!  (But we can dream, right?)

In reality, Nate and Jeran are off doing their scout thing at Silver Moccasin, and Megan is in Colorado at a basketball camp.  Tim and I are here at home with Joie and Gabby, thinking how only two kiddos can make life really, really quiet.

But we've enjoyed the late nights, friends, a little swimming, and the laid back life of no homework and fewer deadlines.

I always say I'll post later about all the goings on, and I'm sure I will (wink, wink) but not today.  Happy summer, everyone!

Apparently You Can Get Mono Twice

 No wonder I'm so exhausted.

And this sore throat that feels like strep comes and goes and won't go away!

And those days where I'm achy and feverish...

I just thought I must be getting every cold that is going around this fall, but apparently it's one really, really long virus.

But life goes on.  Ibuprofen and Airborne are my friends, because I feel better and function better when they're my friends.

And as long as you don't kiss me or drink out of my water bottle, you should be fine.

And some fun news...

We're excited to be going back to Omaha next week to visit Gabby's sister and former friends, fantastic foster mom, etc...

Meanwhile, enjoy the fall pictures.

Joie was ticked that we had to go see the "stupid fall leaves."

Great picture.  In reality she was running away from the camera.

Then she got into the whole idea of Hunger Games and suddenly the fall leaves weren't stupid anymore.

Then

Something about rugby conditioning...
He packs her around a lot lately, and obviously, she doesn't mind.

They  hiked up from the clearing below where Jeran somehow got them to sit and just take it all in and create a mental picture of their visit to the mountains.  They had a Walden Pond moment.

You would not believe how hard it was to convince Nate to join a family picture.
(Not like you couldn't tell from the look on his face.)

We Found Fall!

We're no longer asking, "Where's Fall?"   It was hiding a few thousand feet up the mountain and was hanging out with both fall colors and cooler temperatures. 

And a few action shots just for fun...

Where's Fall? (And Meeting New Friends)

Missing: Fall

Last seen wearing red and golden leaves and cooler weather. Also answers to the name Autumn and is a fan of football and pumpkin pie. If seen, please return to Utah.  We miss you. (Borrowed from my friend' Shawna's facebook post...except she was missing fall in El Paso.)

I think I've said before I don't have a favorite season.  I love them all...but only when they're new.  I love the seasons changing.  I would get tired of the same season all the time.  This year the seasons in Utah are confused.  We had the longest spring ever.  Summer didn't arrive until mid-July.

Now I'm seeing pumpkins everywhere, and neighbors are beginning to decorate their yards for Halloween.  We had parent teacher conferences for jr. high and high school this week.  Stores are selling Christmas items, yet it was 89 degrees outside today.

Tomorrow it will be October, and I'm looking forward to sweatshirt and sweater season.

I need fall.

Soon.

*************

And now (drumroll please) for some new friends...  A few of you will be new to this blog today, visiting from Diapers and Divinity.

If you're new here, there are a few things you should know:

• My children amuse me, so yes, I blog about them.
• I also blog about any random thing that I might find fascinating, like abnormally warm fall weather.
• I started this blog about four years ago, when tragedy struck our family (see here).
• That means I also blog (sometimes through tears) about grief and loss.  But you should know I also blog about healing, and I hope we communicate through our stories that the joy of healing is just as real as the pain of loss.
• I also blog about adoption, and since our two most recent adoptions are older children, I blog also about the bonding process involved, which can be both difficult and amazing.
• I also find myself blogging more and more about teenagers, since my adorable children are morphing daily into this phase of life.

So welcome, and for those who haven't met Stephanie at Diapers and Divinity, go visit!  She has some amazing insights and ideas on the upcoming general conference for our church.  I think I read last week that it is one of her favorite holidays.  (See here and here for ideas and see here for the Find A Friend post featuring our family.)

And Happy Fall to everyone!  With October just a few days away, colored leaves are sure to be right around the corner.

It's the End of the World As We Know It

You all heard the world was supposed to end Saturday, right?

Yes, really.  The end of the world.

The End.

So I decided that I could risk not doing laundry all week.  It's my least favorite task, so if the world is ending...

And it piled up in the laundry room until Friday morning when the laundry started creeping from the laundry room into the hallway, so before children were awake, I forced myself to start a load of laundry (just in case the world wasn't ending).

About 20 minutes later Megan went into the laundry room to get something out of her basket and came running upstairs to tell me the laundry room was flooding.

The universe was trying to tell me something:  No laundry.  The world was ending, and I did not need to do laundry (but just in case I called Tim who worked for a plumber in one of his former jobs, and he said he'd take a look at it later...which he did between his shift yesterday and another shift early this morning).

Bad news.  It wasn't the plumbing.

And since the world didn't end Saturday as planned, I had piles of laundry and no washing machine, which meant a trip to the laundromat after Saturday soccer mania.  (Go Orange Crush and Pink Bubble Gum Blasters...who both rocked today!)

And did I mention that it has rained all week?  Saturday was the first beautiful, sunny day since...  I don't remember when we last had a sunny day.  We're floating away here in this mountain desert of Utah.

So instead of working in the yard and planting the garden and celebrating in the sunshine I did laundry.  In a laundromat.

But Megan and Gabby came with me, and when we stopped by buy quarters at the grocery store we also bought a deck of Old Maid cards, so it wasn't so bad...and I only got Old Maid once.

And then there was the turtle story today.  Which I won't tell right now because it's a long story, but please enjoy our former turtle stories...here (look for all the stories with pictures of turtles).  And just know that there's another awesome turtle tale coming soon.

Spring Soccer

Last night the girls were outside practicing soccer for their games today.  We laughed at the snow storm that wasn't, and were ready for a soccer filled Saturday...

Then woke up to six inches of snow on the ground this morning...and the soccer ball right where they left it last night.

Due to our snowier-than-normal spring, Megan's team has had to cancel 3/5 games; Gabby's team cancelled 2/5 (she plays later in the day), and Joie is now 1/3 for her team.  At this rate we'll be playing make-up soccer in July.

But what's that they say about Utah weather?  If you don't like it wait five minutes?  

Same ball.  Same yard.  Same day.  Gabby and her friend had been playing soccer and went on a scooter ride when this picture was taken.

Then they came home because it was snowing so I looked outside again, and sure enough...the five minute rule applied.

Yes, those white flecks are snow.

We're hopeful that spring is on it's way.  Meanwhile, the snowpack in the mountains is the highest in almost 30 years, and at some point it all has to come down.  The lakes, rivers, and streams are already full, and if the snow in the mountains has no where to go...

Well, let's just say that kind of scenario turns soccer fields (and a lot of other places) into swimming pools.  

We hope not...but 6 inches of snow on April 30th might mean that Mother Nature has other plans.

Love Note on a Chilly Day

What we woke up to Sunday morning... 

Every time it snows this time of year we hope it's the last, but that usually doesn't happen until June.

Maybe yesterday wasn't our last supercold soccer game.

And Gabby wins the award for the most creative formats for love notes.

First a soccer ball, now a toilet paper roll.

I've never been given a toilet paper roll love note before.  

I think I'll keep it.

Winter Fun

"Mom, I'm fluffy!"

She lost the scarf a few minutes later and never wears a coat unless she's playing in the snow.  When I tried to spot her in the sea of children leaving the elementary school the other day I started looking for kids who weren't wearing a jacket...and I found her!

Snow queens.

Joie likes Jeran's old coat because it's "fluffy," and with the hood up looks just like he used to look from the back.

Let it snow!

Jeran on December 31st, 2010

...waiting to eat his first piece of candy after a year of going candy and soda free to earn $100.00.  It was a happy moment when Tim counted that cash into his hand.

And as I type Gabby is testing out my new play therapy foam swords on sword fights with the boys...

And is giving them a good fight!  

(We watched Narnia:  Voyage of the Dawn Treader today.) 

This is what I'm hearing:  

Gabby:  I'm stronger than I look.  Ready, set, go!  

(swords clashing)

Nate:  Ok.  New rule.  No stabbing below the belt.

(hysterical laughter from all the girls)

Gabby:  Ready, set go.

(squeals and foam swords clashing)

Nate:  I got you.  If this was real life you'd be dead.

Gabby:  Nope.  I'm still here.

Nate:  At least your arm would be gone.

Gabby:  Nope.  It's still here.

(more foam sword clashing)

Gabby:  I wasn't ready!

Nate:  Well get ready.

Gabby:  Now I'm ready.

(swords clashing)

Gabby:  I got you!

Nate:  No, it's just a flesh wound...

(more swords clashing)

Gabby:  Mo-om...He's chasing me down the stairs!

Nate:  I'm just trying to teach you the tactics of basic hand-to-hand combat...

How many days until spring?

Signs of Spring

When Nate, Megan and Jeran were younger, I used to tell them, "Spring is winter fighting with summer, and summer always wins!"  This spring has us doubting.  Winter skipped over our part of Utah this year, and it's definitely making a comeback.  We need the rain (and even snow) so we're trying not to complain, but we're ready for summer!  In spite of the lousy weather, we have managed to capture a few spring moments on camera.

They're weeding the garden.  (Our excuse for not planting it yet is that we're still waiting for good weather.)

Look at the pile of weeds behind her.

Blossom wants to help dig in the dirt.

The boys cleaned out the window wells.

Name that animal...

Joie and her friend, Hannah found some eggs on the front lawn.  They were convinced the little birdies inside must still be alive, and made a nice warm bed for them on top of the heater vent, under the heat lamp.  When Hannah's dad showed up to pick her up, both girls met him at the door with, "Guess what?  We're mommys!"  Five short days later it was determined that the eggs were't alive, and they turned into a science experiment for the boys.

Every year for the kids' birthdays (all summer birtdays) they choose one large summer birthday present they can all share.  This year they chose a firepit so they can invite friends over to hang out and roast marshmellows.  The night we got the firepit we barely lit a fire before it started to snow.  We got to enjoy it for a few minutes.  Stay tuned for more exciting summer firepit memories...  We're hoping the fire stays in the firepit.

And they're not too old to ask, "Can we play with the box?"

Fall

This is one of my favorite pictures of my kids...and Champ, since he provides the humor for this picture.  It was taken five years ago when we moved into this house. It reminds me of fall. I've decided my favorite season is changing seasons. I like seeing mother nature transform every three or four months, and am happy to live in an incredibly beautiful state where mother nature puts on one of her best shows. I find it fascinating that the same fifty degree temperatures that have me peeling off the layers of winter clothing in the spring have me running for sweats and a blanket in the fall. It's all about perspective, I guess. Happy Fall.

Battle Between Spring and Winter

I pulled into the driveway one day to find ice hanging from the roses.

Around here we say that spring is winter battling summer, and SUMMER ALWAYS WINS!!!

It's winter in Utah

Cold, snowy and wet would be good words to describe today. As I type, the kids are roasting marshmellows on the fire (yes, again, for no good reason except we have a lot of leftover marshmellows from the other night). I'm wearing a shirt, sweatshirt and vest, and am finally getting warm. Winter is here. We love it and hate it. We hate driving in it and love playing in it. We hate shoveling it, but love looking at it. It's one of the reasons we love living in Utah, right?