Make Way for Halloween ~

 Thats right...its just around the corner, and we couldnt wait any longer!  Jordyn and i decided to drag out all the Halloween decorations. Jordyn adorned the windows with festive decals, played with the pez dispensers, and then ran around in my witch hat while playing all the Halloween movies that had been packed away from last year. Meanwhile, i enjoyed unpacking all of the wonderful clearance items i scored last year after the holidays...some i totally forgot about :) Halloween is my favorite holiday! October...we're ready...bring it on!!! :)

Life's Wonderful Colors ~

Backhoe Fun ~

Last weekend was Great Grandma Berdenas memorial, and we had family travel in from all over the place...Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma and even Alaska.  It was a beautiful celebration of a life, and when im done editing photos, i will post all about it.  In the meantime, the last of the family pulled out today... it was sad to see everyone leave, we all had such a wonderful time, but it was nice to have some quiet down time.  Of course, with the backhoe running, i dont know if it was that quiet :)  Justin was anxious to try out his new toy, and Jordyn was excited to see it in action too!

And this was his project today...digging out all these annoying rocks that we were constantly tripping on in the driveway.  Thats a lot of rocks...but then again...this is the rocky mountains :)  And of course Jordyn had fun raiding the last of the carrots in the garden.  She wants to plant a bigger garden next year, and with the backhoe, that should be a piece of cake :)  and speaking of desserts...

look at these Italian cookies i made yesterday.  Im not much of a cookie person, but the rest of the family seems to be gobbling them up :)   Have a happy weekend!!!

 

Happy Autumn ~

Another Gorgeous Sunset!

Hollywood, Africa

Jordyn has informed me that she is taking a trip to Hollywood, Africa. It's a long way away, so she packed her backpack with all the things she will need, and she will be home tomorrow! And just what does one pack for a trip to Hollywood, Africa?

1. one large pink backpack
2. a computer
3. one fuzzy blanket
4. 2 stuffed doggies
5. one jacket
6. sunglasses
7. scootaloo pony, with scooter and remote control
8. foam dominoes
9. cat toys
10.plastic fish
11.one feather

She plans to see leprechauns and lions at their zoo, so maybe she should take my camera.
Before she leaves, i ask, "Jordyn, i made mac n' cheese, do you want some before you go?"
"yeah, I'm pretty hungry...i better eat before i go. I better take this milk with me too."
She heads off to Hollywood, Africa, (which is just upstairs at the end of the hall), and races back downstairs to use the bathroom.
"uh, mom...i forgot to pack some fresh underwear, im gonna need to pack some fresh underwear"...and then she discards the dirty "accident" pair on the floor and runs off!

Bittersweet Moments...

Fall...my absolute favorite time of year...is there any wonder why! Fall brings about change...The nights are cooler, the tourists are gone, which means things have quieted down, and the colors are gorgeous! Something else that's changing...the tearing down of the old school house/community center to make way for our new fire station. It was a bittersweet moment seeing it torn down today...as an EMT, i am thrilled to finally see some progress on the new station we so desperately need...but i am saddened to see this little bit of history gone forever. Justin's elementary school years were spent in this one room school house...sometimes with only him and one other child (the teachers kid) in attendance. Growing up in Los Angeles, i cant even imagine what that life must have been like, but i could always bring Jordyn here to play on the playground and get a little taste of that life. She was sad to see it go...but i know the new fire station/community center will bring joy to her eyes...and better, safer equipment to our crew!

Here is a shot of the building being demolished. I just couldn't leave without taking a bit of the school home for Justin, so i decided to take home a piece of the fireplace (this giant gray rock)...sometimes photos just arent enough :)

On a lighter note, here are some blocks i did for a swap on about.com. I havent participated in a swap for a while, but this one caught my eye. 6 sets of 8, which will get me a total of 48 different Halloween squares! I have another 32 to make at home, so that should create enough blocks for a twin size quilt. I didnt realize i had that many Halloween fabrics. Wont these be fun! :)