9/11

For 9/11 we drove down to Salt Lake and attended Music and the Spoken Word, afterwards we went up and walked around the State Capitol building. It was nice being in a place of the Spirit as well as a place that represents the freedoms of this country on a day commemorating so much hurt and pain.

I was reading an article not too long ago that followed a kid who was born on 9/11. It was really humbling to realize that 10 years had passed since 9/11 and outside of that, how much the world has really changed as a result of that day. These kids don't know what it is like to not be at war, or that the only metal detector you used to walk through was at the airport not such things as sporting events and General Conference. Speaking of flying, you didn't used to have to strip down to nothing but socks, shirt, and pants and babies and toddlers weren't on the suspect list. They will never be able to greet a loved one at the terminal as they get off the plane. Terrorist is an everyday word now. Such places as Iraq and Afghanistan are always in the news.

I am grateful to be a citizen of a country that stands for freedoms and encourages opportunities of choice. Despite the changes that have happened, this country is still based on the founding father's goal of democracy and freedom. I am proud to be an American. :)

100

This being the 100th post on this blog I have decided to list 100 things that I love, they are in no particular order:

1. JD 2. Family 3. Gospel 4. Work 5. Scriptures 6. School 7. Temples 8. Prayer 9. Friends 10. October 11. Autumn 12. Cameras 13. Music 14. Oceans 15. Beaches 16. Flowers 17. Lamps 18. Books 19. Road Trips 20. Hot Chocolate 21. Leg Warmers 22. "Light" Sun Burns 23. Warm Summer Nights 24. Stars 25. Decorations 26. Blankets 27. Crafts 28. Cheesecake 29. Thinking Spots 30. Picture Frames 31. Crock Pots 32. To Do Lists/Lists 33. Adventures 34. Waterfalls 35. Hikes 36. Rivers 37. Wheat 38. History 39. Scrapbooks 40. Memories 41. Flip Flops 42. Swimming 43. Sunrises 44. Sunsets 45. Chirping Crickets 46. Hugs 47. Maps 48. Snow 49. Crunching Leaves 50. Piano 51. Helping People 52. Saving Money 53. Trees 54. National Parks 55. Disneyland 56. Oceanside 57. Cleaning 58. Projects 59. Blogging 60. Curry/Indian Food 61. Walking 62. Organizing 63. Talking 64. Teaching 65. Learning 66. People Watching 67. X-rays 68. Outdoor Concerts 69. Symphony Orchestras 70. Space Heaters 71. Fresh Fruit 72. Peaches 73. Faith 74. Sisters 75. Broadway 76. Feeling Better 77. Stretching 78. Primary Songs 79. Holidays 80. Cabins 81. Grandparents 82. On Time 83. Necklaces 84. Hoodies 85. Fireplaces 86. Real Soccer Games 87. Peace 88. Writing 89. Planning 90. New Beginnings 91. General Conference 92. 5K's 93. Volunteering 94. Free T-shirts 95. Coloring 96. Boating 97. Fishing 98. Trendy Hats 99. Fans 100. Changes to Come

I Love Fall

Labor Day Weekend

We had a fun weekend up at the cabin. We got to spend time with the Hewletts, watch fun movies like Sleepless in Seattle (had never seen it before) and Mary Poppins, swim, read, and just hang out. JD was able to take two tests before leaving which made way for an entire homework free weekend of bliss. On our way home we went to Tony's Grove. It was beautiful, the flowers were in full bloom and up to our waists as we hiked around the lake, I had never seen anything quite like it. It was nice going to a place that was so peaceful and beautiful, overall this weekend was a much needed change of scenery from the past few weeks. Now back to real life....and fall. :)

Autumn

My autumn has officially begun and oh how I love it!

Good Riddance Summer

Not going to lie, I am SO excited for September 1st. I wish to redact all kind words that I had to say about summertime, I know come tomorrow I will say not necessarily all of them, but for now I am bitter and against all things summer. Summers can be cruel and life changing and very unfun. Yes they can be quite the opposite, but for two years running, my summer falls into this category where some of the very worst things I have ever gone through are plagued by summertime woe. I was tempted to decorate for fall a week early to escape the darkness that the course of summer brought with it, but I decided against such actions for fear of tainting my favorite season with summer's memories.

Tomorrow I break out all the fake fall colored leaves, sunflowers, warm hued decorations and my Spiced Orange Harvest scentsy bar. I will bask in the beauty of autumn as I recover from the events of bygone days of the previous season. I will enjoy the cooler evenings and crispy mornings. Harvest salivation will be an every day occurence with peaches, and tomatoes, and corn, and all such delicious produce. I will wear long sleeved shirts and sweaters and hoodies. Colorful photos of changing leaves and delightful crunching of fallen leaves beneath my feet will bring a constant smile to my face.

Goodbye summer, you really stink.

The Shadow Proves the Sunshine