Bonfire

Jimmy made a nice bonfire tonight. We tried to find some marshmellows, but no luck. We have had some beautiful fall weather here and it was a perfect evening for sitting by the fire.

Big Brother

Each day as Amelia gets more mobile, Fischer and her play more together. This also means that Fischer is getting a bit more physical with her. For example, in the above photo, he lifted her up to get her inside the table. She did enjoy this but eventually started to get mad as he wouldn't let her get out! Usually her verbal protests let me know something is up, or I catch him in the act of lifting, pulling or pushing her somewhere or somehow. Amelia is standing up on her own now, and has taken a few steps by herself. Sometimes Fischer thinks he needs to help her stand or walk. This really doesn't work well and usually ends up with a fall. She is becoming a tough little girl and it won't be long before she starts giving it back to her brother! She so does adore him though, and I think he feels the same way about her.

Jack Frost

Jack Frost definitely came last night. Fischer woke up this morning and said "Mama it's white outside," and he was right. It got down to 24 degrees last night. I had to bundle everyone up this morning when we went to run errands. This afternoon though we all were outside without jackets and it was around 60 degrees! Crazy temperature swings in the mountains. It's supposed to warm up as the week goes on. Amelia sure looked cute in her winter coat and hat.

Sleepytime

As everyone heads off to bed, I thought I would post a few pictures that might make you want to go to sleep too. They all look so peaceful in dreamland. Amelia sound asleep in her stroller. Griffin all nestled against his dad. Fischer and his Papa all snuggled in on the couch. Our household is tired tonight. Jimmy had a long trip back from Illinois and I of course had a busy day of canning. Good night, and sweet dreams.

A Dreary Day?

A definite change of weather today. The front blew threw last night and it rained off and on all day. We haven't had rain in so long that it was a welcome change in weather. The skies were dreary outside, but inside the summer colors were everywhere. The house stayed warm on the inside with all the canning going on. The cupboards are filling up with tomatoes, tomatoe sauce, pickles, peaches and jam. There is still more to be processed. The only time the sun came out today was when we saw this rainbow.

Cosmo got a new food mat today. The green one is her old one, which was also Moxie's. I was able to find a few minutes to sew in between all the canning. It is a lot more cheery than her old one. Don't you think?

Peek a boo

Amelia doesn't miss a beat. She always has to see what is going on. She just goes and goes, happy as can be. Very little upsets her. Today she stood up on her own without holding onto anything. You could see the little wheels turning in her head as she processed what she had just done. She was quite proud of herself, so was her big brother. We all know what comes next.!

The grasses in our yard are just spectacular. Each patch a little bit different. Each hour of the day offers a new perspective on them. I just can't get enough of them.

Our yearly harvest

We went for our yearly ride to go and pick plums and pears. The plum and pear trees were heavy with fruit. It was a good year for harvesting. The plums were a beautiful deep purple and they seemed sweeter than ever. Fischer and Claire played in the grass, while plum juice dripped from their chins. Amelia was in the backpack hanging out trying to grab the pears and plums off the trees. Today was the last of the warm days, temperatures in the upper 80's. A cool front is supposed to be coming through tonight. At least then I won't feel so bad about being in the house to can and dry all the fruit.

Moon over the Mountains

The moon was almost full as it rose over the mountains. It was a beautiful evening. Fischer and Jimmy went down to Boise for the day and spent the night at Boyd and Shannon's. Amelia was able to get some 1 on1 time with me without Fischer around, which she doesn't get very often. We went for a nice evening run and spent some time out in the yard. The aspen are starting to turn yellow and the fields and grasses are golden. Fall is in the air.

Picnic in the Park

We went to the park to today to meet some friends and have a picnic lunch. The weather couldn't of been more perfect. Fischer and his friends rolled around in the grass, played on the rocks and even went swimming in the cold mountain lake. Amelia was hanging out on the blanket with her friends Reagan and Conrad. Everyone enjoyed themselves. If only we could have a few more months of this weather.

A beautiful fall day

It feels like fall here. Everything is very dry and dying off. The grasses in the fields are starting to turn a golden yellow with touches of crimson. The days are beautiful. Temperatures in the 70's. We have had a few frosts already. Elk hunting season is upon us. Hopefully we will have a nice full freezer of elk meat this winter. Jimmy took some nice pictures of the kids enjoying the beautiful fall weather.

A Little Taste of Summer

We went blackberry picking a few days ago with some friends. Fischer had his own bucket, but I don't think any ever made it into it. Fischer grew bored pretty fast with picking them off of the bushes. It didn't take long for him and his friend Camas to find Denise's bucket which sat so invitingly with already picked berries in it. They feasted for a little while before the evidence of dripping juice running down their chin gave them away. We all came home with scratches all over our arms and legs from battling those thorny bushes. Even little Amelia had scratches on her feet from being worn in the front pack while I was picking. It was all worth it though. Those berries were so delicious. Fischer and I made a blackberry peach pie and some jam. Absolutely scrumptious!




Amelia is cruising all over the house now. Fischer is having a lot of fun with her now that she is more interactive. She just gets the biggest kick out of her big brother.

Lil' Gardener

Amelia helped lighten up Grandpa's yard work and keep him company while working on his "to do" list.