Beware the night…

Happy Halloween!

I admit it.

We are hooked on Halloween parties!

This year was no different.  We gathered together for a baby shower for this soon-to-be-born-cute-baby-boy.

(aka Little Blake –along with his proud parents)

Not wanting to waste even a moment of playing time, we had a party after a party (we live a little ways apart and don’t get together often enough).  After the gifts were opened, we switched gears and all scrambled to the far corners of the house to change our identities. 

Some divas showed up, but were quickly apprehended by the local small town sheriff (Who also rounded up another shady character).

The crowd included some other interesting folk…..

It was a great night.  Don’t you love it when you can let your hair down and have fun?

Have a fun holiday!

JoAnn

P.S.  Some people hide from the camera and have to be edited in. 

(Since your play house was so popular with all the kids, we forgive you!)

Don’t worry, be happy!

“We don't laugh because we're happy

- we're happy because we laugh.”
-William James

I hope you can have a good laugh today!

♥

JoAnn

A little break time…..sigh!

We have a four day break from school (well, counting the weekend), and I am going to enjoy every minute of my time off.  The weather is quite perfect- not too hot and not too cold.  Flowers are thriving (now that the hot, dry heat is over). 

Fall is in the air. 

“Live your life as an exclamation, not

an explanation.”

by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

-Life’s Little Instruction Book #332

JoAnn

P.S.  Look who is growing!  Isn’t she sweet?

 

Fall color ….going…going….

I took a little drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon today, hoping to catch a glimpse of some fall color before the next storm arrives and finishes it off.  I’m pretty sure I missed the peak time, with all the reds and burnt orange, but is was still pretty.  It was a little overcast and my camera lenses had a big fingerprint right in the middle (darn), but I enjoyed my drive.  After a little cropping (or a lot of cropping), I salvaged a few prints, but I can’t say I love them.  My camera just doesn’t do them justice!

The drive was beautiful. Apparently a lot of other people had the same idea.  I saw so many people taking pictures.

Fall is such a beautiful season. 

It makes me happy!

(You can click on the pictures and make them larger.)

JoAnn

 

Happiness…

 

“Let us relish life as we live it,

find joy in the journey,

and share our love with friends and family.”

              -President Thomas S. Monson

 

 

Have a great weekend!

JoAnn

Thanks for the picture, Brooklyn and Liz!

(Liz made this cute costume! )☺

Fall…Please take your time!

Dear Fall,

     Please don’t leave for a while.  You are my favorite season and I haven’t had time to enjoy you yet.  Could you please hold on to your bright colorful leaves a little longer?  I’m trying to find a day to ride through the mountains and enjoy your beauty. I want to savor your smells.

     My fingers are itching to mix up my favorite apple dumplings and spudnuts.  Some hot apple cider sounds so cozy.  The pumpkin patches are still waiting for my visit and selection process.  My autumn mums are just starting to bloom.

     Thank you for making me so happy and reminding me that there is beauty at the end of  summer’s much too short stay!

                                                        Love,

                                                     a huge fan,

                                                          JoAnn

    

    P.S.   It would also be nice if you could delay the cold weather and snow for a while.  Please don’t let the stores start  the Christmas rush yet.

                                                   Photo credit here.

Digging Through The Past…..

 

It’s Saturday and I am cleaning my bedroom.

Why, you might ask, am I stopping in the middle of my project to do a blog post?

(I am easily distracted.?.)

Today is one of those cleaning times where one digs a little deeper and looks at some of the things that have been taking up storage space.  The paper shredder has been busy eating up old insurance papers, really old paycheck stubs, and so on.

I’ve found a few lost socks way under the bed and a Wal-Mart gift card that I’m not even sure is of value any more.

Last year’s Christmas cards from friends are still in a box, waiting to be filed or discarded. 

So many decisions to make.

What do I keep?

What do I toss? 

(WILL I REALIZE NEXT WEEK THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I NEEDED?!!!)

I think the real reason people collect clutter is that it is so difficult to make decisions on whether to save it, chuck it, or even where to store it.

With that said, I am glad that I have saved photos and cards from my past.  The picture below is from my college days and two of my roommates, Marcia and Joyce, and myself.  We had great experiences and bonding time as we attended BYU together.

Marcia is now my sister-in-law, but I haven’t seen Joyce for many years.   We keep in touch every Christmas with letters and pictures.  We send wedding gifts to children that we have never met.  We keep hoping that our paths will cross again soon.

So, that is my problem. 

As I clean, I have to stop and relive good memories.  The little files in my mind are also getting a nice workout.  Let’s hope the process can go quickly enough that I can uncover my bed tonight.

Now…. if I could just make some decisions!

♥

JoAnn

P.S.  Did you know the I am part of a cult?

Robert Jeffress, a senior pastor of the 10,000 member First Baptist Church of Dallas said that Mitt Romney who is running for President of the United States is a good person, but of a cult.  His words were, “We understand Mormonism is not Christianity and thus the difference between somebody who’s moral and good like Mitt Romney and a true born-again follower of Christ.”

I’d just like to reply:

Dear Pastor Jeffress,

Our religion is CENTERED on Jesus Christ.  The name of our church is

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of this world and we love, honor,  and serve Him.

Whether or not Mitt Romney should be elected president of the United States should not be dependent on his religion, but on his strengths as a leader.

Yours truly,

A fellow Christian,

JoAnn Clegg

P.P.S.  Do soapboxes and deep cleaning go together?