Margaret Manning McCracken.

So cozy the night before the funeral.

A very sad day passed in my family a few weeks ago when my grandma was able to let go & move on with her mortal journey. Though it was a blessing for her, the loss & heartache we feel is wrenching. It was a great opportunity to spend time with family & reflect on the greatest blessings of this life. As my aunt Margie said in her remarks at the funeral, we hit the jackpot when we were born into this family. It's soooo great. And a huge part of that is due to my grandma, who never (ever) said an unkind word to or about anyone, always had a cookie waiting & made you feel the most beautiful, special person on the planet. She & my grandpa made it 70 happy years together, & I'm going to spend the next 70 years trying to be more like her.

Another fun-fill autumn day was spent at the zoo with one of Mr P's best little buddies. It was chilly but nice, & lots of animals were out in full force. Including many babies! I came dang close to petting a giraffe that was within reach, but came to my senses. Although looking back, I probably should have, cuz who gets that chance twice in a lifetime?! Anyhow, good times, good friends.

Please Let Me In.....

A Workin' Man.

Mr P's latest thing is telling me that he always has to go to work. The job he's headed to varies depending on the day, but it's generally something involving something very large & motorized. Or fast. This particular day he wasn't disclosing where he would be working, but threw on one of grandpa's hats, grabbed the silverware basket from the dishwasher & headed to the front door. Upon questioning I was told he was late for work. Yes, even on a Saturday. Guess he takes after his dad there too.

Living Planet Aquarium.

Cami & I took Mr P out (pre-ear-infection knowledge) for a day of fun at Ikea & the aquarium. Turns out he really loves fish, eels, crabs & other sea life, wanted to get in with the sting rays & makes friends amazingly easily. (With kids & grown ups alike.) I was glad he had a good day before his 2nd ear infection in a month hit & he cried all night & day, thus breaking my heart & rendering me useless in disciplinary situations. Thank goodness he bounces back quickly & he'll probably be good as new for this weekend's many festivities. (Knock on wood!!)

My sister was in Seattle for work for a couple of weeks, so my dear friend Kim & I took the opportunity for a weekend trip to grace her with our company. It was so fun. SO fun. We did the usual touristy things cuz Kim had never been there & I haven't been for something like 10 years, so Space Needle, Pike's Place, a harbor cruise etc... We had tasty food, played some late-night Bingo, spent a couple of hours lost, did a lot of walking, utilized public mass transit & laughed quite heartily. Thanks to the sister's employer for the hotel room & rental car!!! I can't wait until they send her away again!!!

All Hallow's Eve.

Fall Version 2009.

Fall is pretty much my favorite time of the year. We have stayed so busy & loved every minute of it!! I haven't done the best at documenting all our adventures, but here's a little glimpse.

Kids.

Just before my brother left Kate asked me to take pics of the kids to surprise him. It lasted about 7 minutes max, but I came away with nearly 200 pics, most of which were great, needing very little work. I can't tell you how in love with these kids I am-- they work the camera like mini J-Crew models. Lovely. The bad news was that because the army apparently has a lot of strict rules & what-not (who knew?) Kate was unable to give him these pics before he left. Well, now it looks like she can send them, & you better believe there's going to be one soldier in South Carolina crying like a little baby when he sees these.

A Little Plug.

As you all may or may not know, November is National Adoption Month & since I just love this topic for obvious & various reasons, I'm gonna give it a little plug. I am SO happy to say that 4 of my friends have become parents this year through this awesome process (YAY!!!), but there are so many more who haven't. I pray for them, wish on stars for them & throw pennies in fountains for them. I wish I could do more. But I think that if we all spread the word about how great adoption is we might together be able to help more of these deserving people. Work with me, won't you??? And if you so desire, check this out. I know I'm overly touchy on a few things, but it has always bugged me when people would say I gave my baby up. Just a little heads up! And again, yay for adoption!!

He's Proud to be an American.

My elder brother Andrew embarked on quite an adventure last week. He joined the military reserves. Marines, I think. He'll be gone for 10 weeks, home for Christmas & then gone again for upwards of 6 months before it becomes just a monthly weekend thing. I can't imagine the thought process he went through in arriving at the decision to do this, but I am dang proud of him for wanting to serve his country & do his part in making it a better place to raise my kids. He is much braver than I. It's pretty scary & I can't begin to know what's in store for Kate as a single mom for the next while, but I am grateful for those that choose to sacrifice for all of us. His letters make me really glad I'm not there-- all the yelling, running, push-ups, swearing in your face, pull-ups & late night guard duty make me really happy to be comfy at home. It's a good thing he's much tougher than I am, cuz I'm pretty sure I'd be curled up in the fetal position crying! But perhaps this is a just a little payback for all the times he was mean to me when we were younger. Haha!! Just kidding. Good luck, brother. See you in a while.... Glad we got some good family pics before you left!

Wedding Numero Dos.

My brother's super sweet mother-in-law got re-married a couple of weeks ago, & was so awesome (& daring) to let me do the pictures. It was so gorgeous & they had the most fun reception with dancing & laughter aplenty. I wish her all the happiness in the world with her new husband. Heaven knows she deserves it. And thanks again, Ruthie, for taking a chance on me & letting me get some more practice!

Grandpa Stick.

My sweet Grandma has been quite sick for a few weeks now, which is never fun, but it has given us the chance to spend some really awesome time with her & Grandpa Stick, who Mr P has come to adore. They like to hang out on the hospital bed that was intended for Grandma but was taken over by these 2, for the purposes of eating candy & watching golf. It absolutely melts my heart to see how my grandpa lights up when he sees that Mr P has come to visit. Though he can't hear a lot of what P's saying, they just laugh & laugh & talk to each other for hours. I'm so grateful for this special little bond these 2 special guys in my life have. It makes the hard times a little more bearable.

The Land of Cotton.

While in the land of cotton for the marathon, we enjoyed some extra adventures as well. Mr P grew up quite a bit, having to take to the spectacles & shaving like all the other old folks around. We also got to see just a bit of Zion & Bryce National Parks which are so amazing to me. It's so hard to wrap your head around something so gigantic & gigantically gorgeous. Not a long weekend, but enjoyable none-the-less.

2 Marathons, 1 Month.

My parents have super-human strength. That's all there is to it. They just finished the Top of Utah & St George marathons within a couple weeks of each other, making them my dad's 41st & 42nd and my mom's 26th & 27th marathons. I should feel inspired, however I mostly just feel tired. I hope the inspiration starts to set in... Congrats, you runnin' fools!!!!

Island Park.

Eeps!!

Water wheel made

from old tin signs.

Last month our super friends Rex & Meredith invited us up to their cabin in Island Park for a splendid weekend retreat. I cannot tell you how cool this place was. Acres upon acres of undisturbed land, a crystal clear (COLD) stream stemming from several fresh water springs & cabins built decades ago, with original furniture & style. We had such a great time riding 4 wheelers, driving backhoes, dining in West Yellowstone & watching the billions of stars you don't get to see down here. Mr P & Miss G had a great time throwing rocks in the stream (much to Rex's dad's dismay- sorry!), swinging & being completely covered in layer upon layer of dirt. It was a great little retreat & we're so stoked to have found out about the ice cream place with the 'Tom Huckleberry.' It doesn't get any better than that! Thanks, friends!!

Celebrate in Style.

I almost forgot to mention-- This is what you get for breakfast when you're at grandma's on your birthday morning. Whatever you want. Yes, it does in fact include Dorito's & a cupcake. Splendid way to start the day.