I Voted.

I should be embarrassed to admit that today was the first time in my life I have voted & I am 27. But I'm not embarrassed. I'm really proud of myself, because this year I didn't let all the junk get in the way like I have every other election year. I'm not one of those people that thinks that my vote is going to make the difference. Sorry if that makes you crazy. I think collectively all of our votes make the difference, but in years past I've been able to convince myself that there were things just as important to get done that day than get out & cast my measly little vote. I may not be the most educated on the issues, but I have really tried to look at all sides of the issues & gather unbiased facts on the issues, which is sometimes tough to do. Politics can really be a fib fest. My eyes & ears have been open this year collecting information that led me to my decision, be it perfect or not.

Mr P was the hit of the Ice Sheet as I was apparently the only one brave (or dumb) enough to take my kid with me. We made all kinds of friends as he gave away his shoes, growled, laughed & chatted with all the nice folks around us. The workers even buttered him up with Teddy Grahams, so our waiting in line 45 minutes, which was about 30 minutes into nap time went incredibly smoothly.

What an amazing world & time we live in when we can stand up & be counted in what ultimately guides our great nation. My heart breaks for the people all over the world who don't enjoy such simple freedoms as going to church wherever they choose or having as many kids as they choose, let alone electing the leaders of their countries. I am grateful that I am free. And that women & others can vote, without any fear for our safety. And that many people worked very, very hard to make that a truth. Dang, I've got a cushy life. And Dad, if you ever choose to actually read my blog, aren't you proud?!

Pumpkins A'Plenty.

This week we had another fun Halloween Treat. (We're going all out this year!) We went out to the Pumpkin Patch, took a hayride, got some lovely pumpkins & even picked up quite a selection of squash. Ty, Jacob & I even braved the haunted house, which I haven't done in years. Good thing I had 2 strapping men to go on either side of me & keep me safe. Mr P wasn't sold on the pumpkin selecting, though he loved the tractor, the baby cows & the big slide. I felt bad though, because it was FREEZING by the time we left. Poor kid. I could do this kind of thing all year round. What kind of 'patch' could we conjure up for the spring time? Let me know if you think of anything. And ThANks!! Jer & Roxi for inviting us! It was a splendid time!

On the Hayride.

Now THAT's a Pumpkin!

Our Final Selections.

My Handsome Men in the Sunset.

Family Photo Op. (Thanks, Roxi!)

Trying to keep a frozen Mr P happy.

Happy Birthday, Amy!

Today was my dear friend Amy's birthday so in celebration we took the boys down to Gardner Village to see the witches & other cute HaLLoWeeN shenanigans they have going on down there right now. It was pretty chilly, but fun, & worth the drive for the tasty cinnamon roll. Happy Birthday, Amy!

Halloweenie Roast

Monday night we ventured to Paradise (it literally is paradise) for good times with family & friends & our annual visit to the HaLlOwEeNIe RoASt. What is a Halloweenie Roast you might ask? Well let me tell you. There are a couple of retired sisters in Paradise (Mrs. Tams ring a bell, any NOJH alum?) who were left their father's farm & years ago they started decorating it for Halloween & doing hayrides for their

grandkids. Since then it has grown every year & this year they've seen over 700 visitors. They do a hayride & also a little train ride, made out of plastic barrels, pulled by tractors where they take you out through the field & show you all their fun little decorations. They also have a little spook alley in the barn & a bonfire if you'd like to roast a weenie or a mallow. Good times, folks. They go to a ton of work & I sure hope they keep it up so we can take Mr P for years to come.

Ogden Nature Center

Last week Mr. P & I joined Grandma Olsen & 3 cousins for a picnic & other fun at the Ogden Nature Center. We looked at the birds (which were in cages & therefore unable to peck our eyes out), took a walk to the tadpole pond & Blackbird Pond & ended up at the treehouses for a delicious & nutritious (c'mon, this is my mom's picnic we're talkin' about) lunch. A splendid day for all to be had. Thanks, little nature friends!!

It's Over.

For another year, it's over. There are all kinds of possibilities for what this title might entail, but for anyone who's in primary, you know it's the season of the primary program, & yes, ours is over for another year. Don't get me wrong-- I l.o.V.e. the primary program & I don't mean to sound negative. It's just that being a Sunbeam teacher I sit on the stand with approximately 2,000 questions running through my mind whilst saying over & over 'sit on your bum,' 'ssshhh,' 'yep, we're almost done,' & the like, trying to keep a smile on my face & hear what all the kid speakers are saying. It's a chaotic 45 minutes to say the least. What questions are running through my mind, you might ask? Well here are just a few:
*Is my kid going to be this crazy when he's in primary?
*Is this kid's mom staring me down, thinking I'm being mean because I'm repeating the above phrases over & over to her child, & never going to talk to me again?
*Is Ty letting Mr P eat copious amounts of sugar to keep him quiet while I'm up here?
*Is that mom giving her kid that evil eye, or me?

And other such questions. The most rewarding being: Is hearing these kids sing 'I Love to See the Temple' with such conviction (yes, even my tiny little Sunbeams) going to make me cry every time? I think that's the only one I can answer & the answer, my friends, is yes. Every time.

Beware: Politics

OK, so most of you know I steer clear of political conversation & debates for many & varying reasons. But, as I watched the debates tonight I made a few decisions & came to a few conclusions. Here's what I'm going to share. I believe they're both left-handed. What are the odds?! And the rest will stay locked in my mental archive.

Birthdays Aplenty!

Last week we celebrated Lee's 24th birthday with ice cream at Casper's in Providence. Some faves from the night:

Birthday boy & his gal. Special.
Owen & Jakers sharing/teasing Mr P with their cones. Poor chap fell for it every time.

Contemplating if he made the right choice.

Positive he made the right choice.

No doubt about it, right choice! It's ice cream, isn't it?!

Then on Saturday we braved the stormy weather to go celebrate Lincoln's 1st birthday! Which was well worth it for Kate's culinary abilities. And to hang out with the fam, of course!

Woo woo!! My own cake!

I guess I can share.

That was some tasty cake!

Happy Birthday, Fellas!! Love you!

Blech.

Well, so much for my bright, cheerful garden. I think my zinnias are done for. Snow the second week of October is just harsh. The weather man better be right when he says it'll get back up to around 70 by the weekend. I need some fall weather to transition my old bones into winter. My lack of enthusiasm for the coming winter season is, however, nearly made up for by my vivacious enthusiasm for sweater weather. Yes, I said vivacious & I meant it.

BUT... Our house still has this going for it.

I love the classic look of the grape vines with the red brick, & the ferocity of the color is seriously indescribable. These pictures make it look blah compared to what they look like in real life. It's my favorite part of our house right now. Come visit if you'd care to enjoy them as well. But you may want to hurry. The snow may have tainted them when it planned it's assault on my zinnias.

Your Tax Dollars At Work

Mr. P's playing with my phone. Phone is in locked position. Phone rings. I answer it & the following conversation ensues:

me: Hello?
Jenny: Hi, this is Jenny with 911 Emergency. Is everything OK?
me: (blushing) Oh my lands! Yes, I'm sorry. My son must have called you. Sorry.
Jenny: I thought it sounded like a baby calling. (??) No problem. Can I have your name so we can close the call? (My translation: Can I get your name so we can track you down, bill you for our expenses & put you on 'the list' in case your 'son' ever calls again.)
me: It's Jaime. And sorry again. I won't let my son play with my phone anymore.
Jenny: No problem. So you don't need any fire, medical, or police assistance, correct?
me: No. Sorry.
Jenny: No problem. Have a wonderful afternoon. (My translation: Have a great day busying up the phone lines that would otherwise be used to save the lives of victims all across Ogden. Supervise your kid, schmuck.)

Please tell me this is a relatively common occurrence. Other kids get a hold of locked phones, unlock them, call the authorities & hang up on them, right??! At least Mr. P wasn't crying or screaming in distress when she called back. DCFS will probably show up on my doorstep tomorrow morning.

Weekend in Review

I had a marvelous weekend this past week that might make for a bit of a long post, so bear with me here. Or just look at the pics. Whatever you choose. Mr P & I headed to St George with my parents, Lee & Lindsey (his cute new filly) on Friday morning & after failing to find the democratic headquarters, waiting for Lee to do some military business & lots of laughter in the car, we made it. The folks & Lee ran the marathon, making this my dad's 39th & my mom's 24th, always crossing the finish line hand in hand. Awww. Yes, kids, you read that right. By my calculations that means my dad has run over 1,021 miles & my mom over 628. That's just marathon miles, mind you. It doesn't include training, halves, 5k's etc. Just marathons. If they can run a combined total of over 1,600 miles, surely I can make it a mere 13.1, right? Let's hope so, because I really want to do a half next year. Wish me luck.

Anyhow, they all did great even with soggy shoes, clothes & hair because it rained the entire time. What troopers.

Later that day we drove into Zion for a scenic shuttle tour & hearty laughter followed by our traditional dinner at Pancho & Lefty's. Tasty.

Sunday we enjoyed Conference & dinner together before Cami, Lee & Lindsey headed home. I really like Conference, & this year was no exception. President Monson's talk really drove home to me how lucky I am to have Ty. As he was talking about enjoying the NOW I just kept thinking about how good Ty is at that. Every week we have fun little outings that help us remember to enjoy the journey, almost always instigated by my thoughtful other half. I just think Mr P is lucky to have a dad who loves life so much. I get in ruts where I become an unbelievable home-body, just waiting for the next 'big' event & he gives me that needed kick in the pants to get back out there & experience the beauty. The small & simple goodness that is life. So it was good. He is good. I need to remember that, especially now for Porter, because he relies on me to experience all that life has to offer, since he can't do it on his own yet.

Anyhow, Monday we took a (long) drive out to Turoweep to bask in the magnificence of the Grand Canyon. It was gorgeous weather & we took our time getting our fill of how amazing it is. Tuesday we ventured homeward by way of Zion & Bryce National Parks. We spent a bit of time in Zion & took a little hike that ends at an overlook where again, I was in complete awe of the sheer magnitude & beauty it offered. We met people who had traveled from all over the world to enjoy what is sitting in our own backyard. It was incredible. Bryce was much the same; I was almost overwhelmed at the expanse it covered & the contrast of the orange rock & the blue sky was, to say the least, picturesque. We decided that we will go back & spend some real time there appreciating more of what it has to offer. If you've never been I highly recommend it.

We got home pretty late Tuesday night & it was so good to be home, see Ty, sleep in my own bed & not be in a car anymore. It was definitely the longest dad & Mr P had been apart, so they were very excited to be reunited. It was such a good time with my parents, just talking & enjoying being family. They are really, honestly, truly the best. Thanks, ma & pa!!

Rock Star Attitude

This morning Mr P came over to me with Ty's sunglasses on, just grinning like it was Christmas morning. This kid knows he's 'the stuff.' After he gave me a good couple of cheeses & a courtesy laugh, he stumbled away like a drunken (but very stylin') sailor. I love to watch that little bum waddle!

Leaves, They are a-Changin'

Though disgusting & unsanitary, wouldn't you agree that this is the cutest biffy ever?

Last night we went on a drive to Grandpa Noker's property near Hardware Ranch, & enjoyed the gorgeous fall colors & crisp, fresh, mountain air & an amazing sunset. I ReAllY LoVE autumn in Utah. (Sorry again, Cami, for getting you back so late!!)