October....

Welcome Fall...welcome October!!! 

This is my favorite time of the year! The leaves are changing and painting our mountains in glorious, warm, vibrant colors.

There's a crispness to the air that seems to enliven everything. It's harvest-time and time for pumpkin fests and pumpkin-flavored everything...

...and my personal favorite...all things apple!!  YUM!!!

The air is rich with the warmth and spice of the last hurrah before winter!

Then there's Halloween. 

It hasn't been my favorite holiday, but in the last 6 years that has changed. That's when we met the Warren and Marnee Price family. (Thanks to our daughter, Amanda and their son, Matthew.) The first few years of our friendship, on Halloween, we headed up to Marnee's brother's house to help with his annual Haunted House. Each year his haunted house had a different theme. One year was a "Haunted Circus" with everyone's favorite terror CLOWNS!!!!!

Then there was the year when all the characters of  "Alice in Wonderland" went a little crazy and had to be committed to the asylum...

Those days were crazy and fun. Since then, the kids have grown up and moved on. The Haunted House has been scaled down to accommodate the lack of helpers and the Prices have moved to their farm in Idaho.

Which has led to a new tradition...it wouldn't be Halloween if we couldn't spend it with our Price-Family. So every Halloween since they moved, Kevin and I have packed our bags, loaded up on fun new recipes to try, stocked up on Halloween candy, and headed up north for Halloween on the farm. We talk, we laugh, we eat, we enjoy the local Ward's activities, we play games and watch movies.

It's a typical Price/Webster fun-fest, and one our favorite places to be!!!

With all the fun, food, foliage, and frolic, is it any wonder that I love this time of year??? In fact - for me, it's the beginning of "The MOST Wonderful Time of the Year"!!!

So, here's to Autumn...stoke the fire, rake up the leaves for jump-in-them fun, bob for those apples, carve the pumpkins, gather up the ghouls and boys and let the festivities begin!!!

PS: What's your favorite Autumn adventure???

Post-Thanksgiving...

...and still giving thanks..

The last couple of years I took the "30-days of Thanks" challenge and for each day of the entire month of November found something for which I was grateful.  This year, I decided not to. Not because I'm less grateful, but because I wanted to do something different. I've given being grateful a lot of thought.  Kevin and I have taken time to notice just how blessed we've been over the last year.  Quite frankly, I am a bit overwhelmed with gratitude.

I am grateful for Amanda being willing to come over and help me get the house ready. She always brings such a joyful spirit when she comes over. I love getting to be her Mom and friend. I love the fun, silly relationship she has with her Daddy, and how much his opinion matters to her.

Jackie lends a flavor to our family that is uniquely her own. How grateful I am for this child of mine who allows me to view life through her eyes. I get such a singular perspective from Jackie that I could find no where else. I still say she's going to grow old and become the crazy cat-lady...

I am grateful to finally have a son.  The depth with which he loves my daughter truly endears him to me all the more. Chris is a good man in so many ways!  The fact that he can reach the top our 7 + foot Christmas tree is icing on the cake. lol

Kevin is truly one of the greatest blessings in my life. I don't know what I did to deserve him, but whatever it is...I am glad I did. He's my best friend, confident, and the love of my life.  He "sees" me...that's a gift that is rare and very precious!

I am grateful to have a warm and welcoming home. The kids always told their friends that if they came over more than twice, they were family.  This year we "adopted" Kevin's friend from work, Fraz. Fraz spent all of Thanksgiving day with us and got his first taste of an all-American Thanksgiving celebration.  I am also grateful for traditions that last through the years...like gathering to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I love getting my house all dressed up for the Holidays. I love the light and cheer these decorations bring to our home. I love the traditions that go along with them, and all the happy memories each one holds.

Finally, I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the gift for which I am truly most grateful. The knowledge I have that He took upon Him my sins and suffering gives me peace and hope. I am grateful for that knowledge and that hope which provide such a strong foundation for my life. Heavenly Father has truly opened the windows of Heaven and poured out blessings upon me and my family beyond our capacity to hold. In added measure, He has opened our hearts and lives and filled them with wonderful family and friends who bless our lives everyday.  Truly, I have much for which to be thankful!