Holidays!!!

It's that time of year again. When fun is put into the family word: dysfunction!!! We all want to be around our families because that is what we are used to. The way we remember each holiday is to filter out the crap and then remember the good times. Ah, but here we are agian.

The family is all together, the fire is roaring in the fireplace, the snacks are out and around the table, drinks are abundant, and the bickering starts. It can be as insignificant as: "I told you to take out the trash" or as prominant as "The last time I told you about your money you said...." These could both start fights. But do we stay away from taboo topics. Not in this family. Or rather not in my new family with the In-laws.

I don't know. But I really miss my mother, God rest her soul. We had Thanksgiving each year at her house. Everyone dressed up in our nice clothes. We cooked and visited and had a genuinely good time. We didn't fight nor bicker really. It was nice, and homey, and felt real. I miss those times.

I hope that no matter how you celebrate this day that you all have a good day with your family and its filled with love and happiness.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone,

Autum :)

Pics from the Zoo

Free!!!

I moved to Denver in July, well Denverish area. But I have noticed that several times since we have been here that there are several different attractions that offer free days. It was Denvers 150th Birthday and the zoo offered a free day on Saturday. It was really nice. It was a nice day and the price was right within my budget. There were a ton of people, but the place is so big that it did not matter.

The reason I write about this is that in Utah, which is where we are from, they would NEVER offer a free day. That would take money out of some fat cat, rich, families pockets and they would not be able to buy the 8th four wheeler for the guests of their guests. I was really surprised and pleasantly so that there are actually places in the world who don't think of money. Really they did not fare all that horribly any way since I am sure that most people ended up buying some kind of food, drink, or visited the gift shop.

If the world were made up of the people I believe are behind the NO Free days in Utah, then the whole world would be far worse off. Especially since the teachings for the people who are behind the money grubbing is that you should love thy neighbor. But really it is more to the point of being "love thy money and all of it you can get."

We don't usually have that much money and for the most part we are an extremely happy family. I don't think that money buys happiness, I believe that the free things in life are what makes someone really happy.

Just some thoughts of mine, think about what makes you happy!

Smile :)
Autum

Some things I would like to have......

A Clean closet of my own

Rachael Ray Cook Ware

A New Digital Camera

A Cute Castle of My Own

A Camcorder for my Hubby

Leah

I was just told the sweetest story about my sisters kitty cat! My sister got a kitten a little over two months ago. To date the cat did not have a name. She tried every name that may fit the kitty, but nothing seemed to stick. The cat was not having any of it either, the names were not for her.

Jenny, my sisters friend, her mother just passed away. She had been sick for a while now. But my sister told me that no matter how sick she was or if she felt really bad that day Leah always had a smile of sorts on her face. When her kids weren't doing anything good, she would shake her head, but smile at them like the next time they would do better. And in her heart she always believed this. Leah always smiled, I am told!

My sister named her kitten after this loving and gentle woman. Leah. That would be the new kittens name. The kitten is always happy and seems to "smile" all the time. The best part about this is that the kitten will answer to the name and come to you when you call her.

This isn't my story, but I felt compelled to share the story with you! Every time I think of this sweet woman and her name-sake kitten, it brings a tear to my eye.

Smile :) (no matter what)

Autum

Snow!!!

I woke up this morning to my husband telling me the it had snowed! Yeah, SNOW!!! I am still like a little kid when it comes to seeing snow on the ground when there hasn't been any yet. So I sleepily roll over in bed to his side, which coincidentally has the window, to peek at the snow. I pull up the curtain and then I hold the slats to the blinds apart and I look outside.......and I see snow. What a disappointment!

It's not really snow. I call it the powdered sugar affect. It's when a really light snow falls but only leaves a little amount and you can still see the grass beneath it. It looks like someone just took an extra large sifter and sprinkled powdered sugar snow over the area.

When I see snow I want to see SNOW! I want to see a foot or more, sticking to the trees and anything it can sit on. I want to see an entire winter wonderland! Of course I don't want to drive in it or go out in it, but I want real snow!

So I am going back to sleep to dream of snow filled world! Not actually, the baby is up and we are going to turn up the heat. Because despite the snow, or lack of it, its really quite cold out!

Smile :)

Autum

Christmas List

Today I decided to think about my christmas list of things that I would like to have. You know the one that eveyone asks about to get ideas from on what to get you. Now I know through out the year there are always things that I see or think of that I would really like to have, but for some reason sit me down with a pen and paper and my mind goes blank.







I cannot think of one solid item that I would like to have. I can't think of the smallest item that I would want. At this time of year I do one of two things: Tell the other person that I don't really want anything; or Tell them about something that I just recently saw, but wouldn't mind having, however its not what I would really need or want.






I am not sure how to fix this. Every year this time, I also vow to take a list with me and when I see the item I want and won't buy for myself I will write it down. To this date there is no such luck!!







So I will just stick to my old standby and tell people, "There isn't anything really that I want currently!" What a Crock, I just can't remember what I would like. Sick, really!

Smile :)

Audie!

The art of losing yourself

The other day I was in the kitchen making dinner and I realized that even though I was aware of my surroundings, that I truly was immersed in my task. If I think about it now it was surreal, almost like I was lost in the cooking process. It could be because I love to cook or due to the fact that I was making a new dish that I sort of made up. I am not sure.

Then as I reminisce on the things that I loved to do I notice that I used to be able to lose myself in the moment and everything would just disappear. Or rather it would seem to do so. I mean, everything would just melt away and I would be focused on the book I was reading, the meal I was cooking, the TV show I was watching, etc.

Now that I am a mother I only seem to get lost in the mundane errands that need to be done, or the next item on my list that needs to be done around the house, all the while making sure to keep one ear open to my daughter. I am sure that once she gets past the younger stages that I will, again, be able to lose myself in my own little world.

Smile :)

Autum

Deer Hunting

I haven't been writing lately, we went out of town to go deer hunting. Well, my husband, father-in-law, and brother-in-law go hunting. Me and my mother-in-law either go shopping or out to lunch and hang out around town. Last year they did not get anything even though they tried for a deer and an elk. This year they had four tags: one for a doe, one for a buck, one for an elk cow, and one for an elk bull. So far the deer hunt has been semi-successful, they brought back a doe.

I am not sure how I feel about the hunting of animals. I love animals, especially the cute, furry, animals. But I know the logic in hunting; at least for population control. So, back home in Springville, UT we got deer all the time coming in to town and they would get hit. We saw one that had already been hit, but just barely so. It was so sad it was in pain, you could see, and it was trying to get up, but had been hurt too badly. I was so upset and it made me cry. Not to mention that I was pregnant. But I think it would have made me sad anyway.

Seeing this deer that was already dead, and being taken care of so that they could take it to the meat packing plant to be processed into various pieces of meat, I was torn between emotions.
So, I am happy that they got the deer that they wanted and sad that this beautiful, graceful creature had to die.