Waiting for the dust to settle….November was busy!

November has been one crazy month.  We’ve taken on a few “house projects”,  along with all the other things that come with a seasonal change, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means still more busy times are ahead.  I guess you could say we continue to live in a whirlwind. 

Little Aubrey spent most of last week at Primary Children’s Hospital, with breathing problems.  She has asthma and that always makes things more challenging.  She had a hard time leaving her oxygen mask on, and some creative nurses gave her this new doll to encourage her.  There are so many kind, creative people out there. She is now home and getting better.

We have been making room for these cuties and their parents to move in our basement.  Their parents are relocating to Utah for schooling and a job change.  We are so excited to have them closer and part of our every day living adventures.  We have done a lot of de-junking and down sizing to get ready.  It has been a slow process, but we are so excited to have our house streamlined and we really look forward to having them here and getting to know their children better!  They are excited to have cousins to play with.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving this year.  (Yes, this post took a long time to finish.)  Since some of our children were with their in-laws (at least they are on the same off-year schedule), we combined with my sister Linda and her husband, Dave, and their daughter Melissa and her husband Mitch.  It was different because there were no little children, but we enjoyed the quiet day-at just one table!  My husband and I still managed to spill on the new table cloth. 

We participated in the Shane Mitchell memorial walk.  We may or may not have walked much, but we always think of Shane and miss him so much.  Wishing our parents, grandparents, and Aunt Mardene, were here today, too.  It is funny how strong the memories are of the way they contributed to the day.  Nobody makes hot rolls like my mother did, and Ken’s mom was such a good sport to play with the kids.  I’d give anything for some of Grandma Palmer’s bread pudding with caramel sauce.  I never really liked the pudding, but the sauce was heavenly.  (Think 1 part pudding to 10 parts caramel sauce!)  The napping men remind us of our busy dads catching a few quiet minutes on a rare day off. 

Our family always loves being together.

So, even though this month flew by at record breaking speed, it was a good month.  We have many blessings to be grateful for!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, with delicious traditional foods, happy memories, and time spent with your loved ones!

Happy Thanksgiving!

JoAnn

“All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth,”….times 2

Our two first grade grands have similar wishes for Christmas this year.

Their two front teeth!

Do you think they will get their wish?

JoAnn

 

October-Hello and goodbye!

Dear October,

     I really look forward to your coming every year!  Your arrival is always so anticipated, much like my ten year old self peering out the window, eagerly watching for favorite cousins to arrive for a holiday.  Can I say I really LOVE you?

This year you kept the temperatures warm enough for my geraniums to survive and mingle with the pumpkins and falling leaves.

Pumpkin hunting only required a sweater for comfort.

Thank you for some beautiful skies.

And a few friendly rodents.

It is the time we gather together with family and friends to be a bit goofy and soak in the haunting atmosphere of Halloween.

Thank you, October for some fun memories!

Happy Halloween!

JoAnn

Oktoberfest-in September

A few weeks ago my family and I headed up Little

Cottonwood Canyon to the ski resort of Snowbird, for the annual Oktoberfest Celebration.

The leaves were just starting to turn red and yellow, and it was indeed a pretty sight.  Some years we wait too late to appreciate fall’s beauty, but this year we were on the early end.  We’ve since had some rain and I’m not sure what that did to the leaf display, but at any rate, fall is a stunning season and Utah’s mountains are one of my favorite places to be.

  The weather was perfect.  Not too hot- not too cold. 

Since we aren’t beer drinkers and Oktoberfest is a beer drinkers holiday, we focused on the scenery, German music, and food. 

We always enjoy the brats and apfelstrudle.

Yum!

We enjoy sitting in the dining tent, listening to the live German band, watching the “natives” in their traditional folk dress, and letting the kids dance with all the other kids (and brave adults).

We had a fun day!

 

Bet you didn’t think I could still fit in my dirndle!

Happy October first!

JoAnn

P.S.  I wanted to share some Utah fall-mountain beauty.  The following three pictures were taken in 2013 while driving the Alpine Loop in American Fork Canyon.

Hopefully, I’ll get there again this year.

Live Writer Ate My Post

 

I had prepared a little before and after post showing some changes we’ve made in our living room.  We had done some painting, remodeled a table, and purchased a new couch.

As I was about to hit “publish” I somehow deleted the post.

ARRRGGGHHHH!

Gone- without a trace.

Vanished- into thin air…

Evaporated.

And…

I can’t make myself recreate it.

Those thoughts and words are gone forever.

I guess this will be the condensed version of that post.  As Sgt. Joe Friday would say, “Just the facts, ma’am”.

Here goes (in one long breath):

We tired of our green walls and painted them tan.  The bright red/orange flowered couch no longer matched anything in our house and it was replaced by a new neutral one that we really love.  Ken added a shelf and some small legs to make a KSL.com (thrift ads) table taller.  I am grateful for a husband who takes all my wishes and bright ideas and turns them in to reality.  He really is talented and I know I am blessed!

Whew! 

At least the pictures are still available.  I’m going to let them speak for themselves.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Here are a few more after pictures.

Is your head spinning yet?

I know that neutral is often a synonym for boring, but when I go from room to room now it doesn’t feel like I’m crossing over the border to a new country.  It feels peaceful. 

Besides, who can’t use a little more tranquility?

JoAnn

P.S.  THANKS, KEN!

♥

 

A Great Escape (or hanging out with the Comic Con crowd)

Picture a perfect September evening, after a long, busy, extra- warm week of work.

Imagine the ambience of City Creek Mall in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.

Throw in some great company.

(Irene, Katie, Jessica, Michelle, and Liz-missing Heidi and Brittany)

Spend some time relaxing over a yummy dinner of Johnny Rocket hamburgers and people watching.  Did I mention it was Comic Con weekend? 

 

 

Laugh, listen, and linger until the sun sets and the cool fall air sooths away the stress of the week.

Return home refreshed and invigorated.

(Unless you spent the night at the Marriott Hotel in the Presidential Suite- on roll in cots.)

 

It really was a great escape- kind of like losing yourself in a familiar comic book, novel, or movie!

JoAnn