Leaves are turning...

I can't believe we are approaching fall in the next few days. I mean the nights are chilly and the mornings are even more chilly. I can handle the days alright but already I am getting cold off and on throughout the day that I have had to wear my jacket. Like all autumns here in Utah, this one too will be a short one. Soon there will be snow on the ground. I just hope it stays decent until Halloween at least.

Speaking of Halloween, Savannah just can't get enough of her costume. She wants to wear it and play with it and show it to everyone, even passing neighbors on the street. She says, "You want to come see my room? You want to some see my costume?" This year she is going to be a princess. She calls her crown a "queen" and her magic wand a "bippidee boppedee" (I know princesses don't have magic wands but I couldn't resist getting it.) The dress is a little big for her but I planned that on purpose so it will last for more than Halloween since she loves to dress up.

Also speaking of Halloween, what is every one's view point of it? I have recently been influenced that is not right to celebrate however I don't think that what our culture, or at least not mine, is celebrating is the original Halloween derived from a long time ago. I do not feel as that we are celebrating death or evil spirits. For me it is about celebrating autumn time with silly pumpkin decorations, dressing up to be someone you are not, and candy. The witches and skeletons really have and never will represent anything morbid or evil to me. I just can't imagine a child never to experience their childhood without trick or treating, can you? I suppose if they never have, they will never know, but with all the commotion on around them such as neighbors, schools, and in the stores, how can they not be engulfed and intrigued by it already? I dunno. And in addition to the controversy about Halloween, I also think it's okay to read and watch Harry Potter and that wizardry is hardly anything to worry about for hurting some one's faith in God. Guess either I'm not a true Christian or have never really been exposed to anything harmful enough from these things to feel or believe there is harm in them.

Growing up!

My babies at home are growing up too fast.

Jake started driving range last night. Just like it was for me, Driver Education is his favorite class. I can't believe my baby boy will be driving soon! (Actually he's hardly a baby boy, he passed my height up a long time ago and shot up just like a weed. Kind of funny how he was short for what seemed like forever. Not anymore. But he'll always be my baby boy.) I've been thinking about handing down my Dad's brown truck to him and to let him put in his name when he graduates High School. I just really trust him to take care of it and it would be better that he use it rather than it just sit around collecting dust. Besides, isn't it an honor to be given such a sentimentally valued item?

Savannah started preschool yesterday. She was so excited to tell me about it even before she went. I think it will give her a good start that I wasn't able to offer to my other kids but get this; (and I love my husband for this) ever since I told him, Charlie has been so worried that we are pushing her too far too fast by letting her go a half year earlier than we discussed. I reassured him that at this age it's like a glorified play date with structure and that if she doesn't like it we would take her out. I love him for being concerned for her sake and not the money's sake, and I realize he's just as scared as I am to let her grow up too fast. I also love him for the fact that I know another person that was told by her husband she could not let their kids into preschool because "he" didn't want to pay for it. I see this comparison of Charlie to this guy as well as to my first husband's lack of interest or even desire to give an opinion on his kids and this is what makes him a true father. All the more to prove item #2 in my tagged list below. :)

I've been tagged!

THE RULES OF THE TAG ARE:

Each person posts the rules before their list, then list 8 things about themselves.
At the end of the post, that person tags and links to 8 other people and then visits those people's spaces and comments letting them know that they have been tagged, and to come and read the post, so they know what they have to do.

(I am ignoring the rules, so please take it upon yourself to post 8 things on your blog for me to learn about you!)

1. I had my first child at age 16.

2. I have been married twice, this time it's a keeper...well, most days anyway. (Just kidding!)

3. I am half Mexican.

4. I have worked for the state government for 7 years.

5. I love freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

6. I have lived the life of a drug user was able to get out of it.

7. I have never moved out of Utah County or even the state of Utah. I want to.

8. My first job I worked as a seamstress.

Saturday is a special day....

Planting trees!

Savannah playing on the swing set near the Peach tree.

Planting the flowering pear trees in the city strip. This was not as exciting to us as we didn't get to make the choice as we did with the others. The whole town has them and we were told to use this type of tree so just to mix things up we also planted a flowering crabapple next to our mailbox! Take that! (picture not shown.)

My favorite of all, the Linden tree. Funny how when we went shopping and I saw them at the nursery I really didn't want it but it was something that Charlie wanted so I decided no matter. Now I love it!

Backyard view of the Fruitless Mulberry. This one isn't so hot looking now, but we saw a full grown one at the nursery and fell in love with it. Looked like a good climbing, shade, and over all a "happy little tree."

Yes, finally after living here for 4 years now, we have trees! Just like kids and pets, we'll watch them grow. As we complete more and more on our house from when we got here and it was brand new, I think about all that we have done and yet to do as well as what I'd like to improve and I decided there are now only two things that I really dislike about my house the way it is now and they are:

1 - The commute. (this will get better in time though, the place is growing like a madhouse so of course it will fill out before the next 5 years and the fact that I work so far away is my own fault)

2 - My carpet. It was once beautiful and soft and luscious until we had a kitten, a baby, a dog, and now a puppy. I can't even stand to look at it or walk on it and to tell you the truth, I'd rather invite my company over when it's dark out and we are using candle light. Yes that is how embarrassed I am about it. Been thinking about getting hard wood flooring done or even vinyl...

The things that I absolutely love about my home:

1 - The night sky. Little to no light and you feel as if you are actually in the Milky Way.

2 - No sirens. No city crap. So quiet and peaceful. I especially love Halloween here. It's like I remember, all the kids in the streets at night getting all the loot they can. None of the "trunk or treat" stuff around here to make sure kids are safe.

3 - Our new backyard! I love having a fence and now patio furniture. We use our back yard like we never had. BBQ'ing has a whole new facade for me and it reminds me of growing up at home where we always ate outside as a family.

4 - My new vinyl floor in my laundry room! Thanks sweetie for putting it in and thank you Home Depot for having an awesome close out sell on those tiles. I love not standing on the cold cement any longer.

So you see I could probably go on and on even more with the stuff I love yet there are only two things I would like to really get changed...and you wait and see, they will! (Eventually, just as soon as those trees start growing that money!)