Leaves

Saturday was cleanup-the-leaves-and-finish-all-of-the-projects-around-the-house-day.

Busy at work

As I cleaned up the last-night's-dishes-left-in-the-sink, I watched the kids out the window play in the leaves. If I had to choose one experience in life that was to capture the essence of childhood it would be watching my children play in the leaves...there is something very simple and very beautiful about fall leaves.  It brought back my own childhood memories of fall and the plethora of leaves that always fell and piled up in our front yard.

There is something hidden

And there is something found

She emerges

Now he agrees to be hidden

The covering...

and the emerging again.

Donut Falls

The kids were out of school last Friday and so to say goodbye to our warm days in November, we decided to hike up to Donut Falls. There was a little snow on the trail and a lot of ice. The kids enjoyed breaking the iced-over pot holes in the road and carrying the sheets of ice. When we got up to the falls, it was still flowing. Maggie and Sam were amazed at the falling water and the ease of the trail...the last time we hiked there we snow-shoed in....it was not easy and the falls were frozen. It was an enjoyable afternoon. We celebrated our hike with donuts when we finished.

Sheets of ice, like glass

Sadie loved every minute

Iced trails on the way up and mush on the way down

Sam eating beef jerky

Halloween

We had a busy week leading up to Halloween. I made blankets again for babies in the heart unit in San Francisco where Caleb had been and we celebrated his birthday on Halloween. He was born on the evening of Halloween and will always be our little spook. We had a peaceful day on Sunday remembering him. We visited his graveside and left our traditional jack-o-lantern and flowers in honor of him...he would have been three this year, but instead he is busy in heaven where time has no meaning and the eternities reach on forever. 

Our sweet Caleb

Thank you Karen!! for this beautiful arrangement in memory of Caleb

While at UCSF, Caleb received many blankets as gifts, so now, we make them for others.

The kids celebrated Halloween early this year as they were out of school on Friday. They had their annual Halloween parade followed by class parties. As Sam is into costumes lately, I wasn't sure what he was going to be. He chose two different costumes this year, one for school and one for Trick-or-Treating. Maggie was a beautiful, pumpkin queen and Sadie was our little Bee.

The Pumpkin Queen

Costume 1

Costume 2

My Mom made this spooky graveyard ghoulash

Maggie made monster eyes and monster mouths

Sadie wasn't so sure about Halloween

The lute and booty

Moab Day 3

This trip was a farewell to summer for us. The last of the warm weather. On the last day, we walked up a nearby canyon to look at a few panels of some Native American rock art. Along the way, Uncle Andrew showed Sam the bear cave he had been looking for. Maggie stayed back at the house, rode bikes and swam.

The trail up river

Part of the panel

And some more

Sadie loved the elephant grass along the trail

"The bear cave" as Sam called it

And yes, my brother is running for Grand County Attorney

Moab Day 2

On the second day of our trip, Brian, my Dad and I joined my brother Andrew and his local Moabite friends on a spectacular mountain bike ride, almost 5 hours of downhill down the backside of the La Sal mountains. We started below Mt. Peale around 10,000 feet and descended to around 7000. The trail was mostly single track and wound its way down the mountain through forests of aspens, pines and oak. The leaves were amazing, it was hard to take in all the beauty. Sister Wirth kindly watched the kids so that I could go. She made this day possible for me. A BIG thank you to her!

The shuttle ride up

At the start of the trail, below Mt. Peale

Mt. Peale

My brother Andrew on the trail

I told you the leaves were amazing

My Dad, I had a hard time keeping up with him

Brian and I wearing the body armor

My Dad and the trail

One of the many Aspen forests

Mt. Peale in the distance and the oak trees

The oaks and a mountain, quilted of color

Moab Day 1

 We took a trip down to Moab over UEA. The weather couldn't have been better, warm 80+ degree sunshine and the beauty of red rock and blue sky. Our dear friend Sister Wirth came along on the adventure. We loved having her. The first day we explored Arches National Park.

Sadie loved the ride

Maggie underneath Delicate Arch

On the way down from Delicate Arch

Samuel on top of the world

Sister Wirth on the way to Landscape Arch

Landscape Arch

Walls of Red Rock

The hidden sand dunes on the way to Landscape Arch

It wouldn't be the desert without a little sand in the shoes.