Time off

I have been blissfully enjoying my fall break.

Enjoying it so much, I haven't bothered to take many pictures.  So this entry will be a bit scattered.  When are they not? 

We went to the desert right before the kids had to go back to school.  The husband went with, because he could take off for a bit.  Not something that happens in the spring or summer.  We hit quite a bit of desert, ending in Zion.  Yeah!  It IS my favorite place to be.  There is a lot of creative energy down there. 

When walking to a swimming hole, I was describing to the husband why I love the desert so much.  It is so hot, that your back is warmed by the sun and your front is warmed by the heat reflecting off the rocks in front of you.  To me, that is the perfect temperature.... something pretty miserable to others. 

On the day we had to go back, Hank and I hiked Angel's Landing.  I will start tearing up now, for how proud I was of him!  The whole time, he was saying, "This is our best adventure ever!"  He made it up in an hour and a half.  We had a ton of fellow hikers marveling at him.  There were even people that wanted pictures with him, to prove to friends that a boy made it up there.  So the trip was a success.  Lots of swimming holes, lots of great hiking, and all of my little family there to enjoy. 

Okay, my next big thing.  My dad was planning a trip to Boulder, Colorado, another one of my favorite places.  He was going over to help with some projects for my sister's new house.  My sister is one of those people that can do wonders for a house.  This one is quite compartmentalized.... which is to be expected because it is a 1950's house.  So we drove over together and had a great week of working.  The kids stayed with papa, which is huge, because I got to just work and not have to make breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  You can get a lot done if you eliminate the essential things like fixing food, caring for kids, etc.  We had dinner out most nights.  I got to sneak in a bike ride or two.  All of this in the city of Boulder.  I lucked out. 

So this is a picture of her living room floor.  It was a step down living room.  I have nothing against them.  I like their retro feel.  But we wanted to open up the dinning room and entry way, so it had to be raised up to the rest of the house.  Once the walls came down, it made a Huge difference.  I don't know if I like anything better than demo and remodeling.  My dad is still there, being the great dad.  He knows how to do everything.  I know how to cut and measure.  So the floor job was just right for me:)

I am wishing you a happy fall.  The cold is coming on, and for some reason I don't mind. 

Oh, it is because I am writing this in front of our new wood burning stove.  It is the quirky things that make me happy.  I hope you all have a warm and cozy place to hang out.