Grateful

I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am about this September. It has been the most amazing weather and absolutely beautiful. I love walking Adelaide to and from school every day and I don't even have to throw on a jacket. I love hanging outside with the kids while they draw with sidewalk chalk. I love opening the windows in the morning to let the cool, fresh air inside. The red color spotting the mountains is fantastic. I have been reveling in this amazing gift of weather and I'm thinking that it just might help me make it through the winter. It makes me happy.

Never Forgotten

I'm not a big fan of watching football on T.V. I like going to games and being in the stands with the fans, music, and food, but it's not the same watching it from home. Football is on in our house every Sunday and I almost dread it... but today was an exception. I've cried on this day for the last ten years and I probably will in the years to come. Nothing brought tears to my eyes like listening to Jim Cornelison sing the Star Spangled Banner at the NFL commemoration before the Bears Vs. Falcons game today. The gigantic American flag was stretched across the field while the fans cheered like I've never heard them cheer before. He sang with such intensity and fervor, it gave me the chills.

I don't know anyone personally who died in the attacks that day, and I could never begin to understand how they or their families felt or continue to feel. My heart still breaks for them every time I relive the unbelievable moment I saw the second plane crash into the tower. It breaks when I see the children of parents lost that never knew them, as well as other relatives, lovers, and friends. I pray that we never have to experience a loss of such magnitude ever again and that people can learn to live harmoniously regardless of religion, politics, or personal beliefs.

I love this country and I am grateful to all of the people who willingly place themselves in harms way to protect it, and to all of the people who never imagined they would have to fight but did it anyway to save a coworker, stranger, or a friend. We truly will never forget...

Seriously Summer?

 

This is the view we have of the mountains from our house. 

Beautiful, yes? A perfect summer night.

I am struggling with the realization that summer is almost gone. I didn't have much of one because I chose to finish my classes, so I feel like it happened without me. It's sad that I have to prepare myself for the impending gloom of winter, but I do. Everyone in our neighborhood skis, snowboards, or participates in some winter activity and they swear that if I get into it that I won't mind winter so much. Maybe they're right, but that involves buying a lot of equipment and having to pile on a bunch of clothes to keep warm, and spending a ton of money to get on the slope of a resort. That doesn't tempt me so much. 

Maybe that's one reason I love summer as much as I do... the simplicity of it.

Simple, yes. All you have to do is walk out into your front yard, pull up an awesomely cheap Adirondack chair from ShopKo and sit. It's warm so you don't need layers of clothes (love it), while the kids roam around the neighborhood with bikes, water guns, and games of tag (love it). If that doesn't tickle your fancy, you can go for a walk up to Bridal Veil Falls, ride your bike, have a picnic outside, take the kids to the park, go to an Owlz game, or go for a drive up the canyon or around the lake (love it all).

But you know, it's September 6th.  Glorious September 6th. It's going to be a good month. The weather has been beautiful and I'm soaking it in. I have to store it away until May, yes I do. There has to be a way to make the winter as awesome as the summer, right? I'm going to figure that one out... if I could just find a way to keep my feet from being so cold all winter long. That would be a start:)