Sunday Splendor!

We loaded the boys in the car after church and headed up to the mountains for a drive hoping to see some of the beautiful autumn colors.

We each had our caramel apple suckers in hand and were listening to some of our favorite Sunday music. (Sail Away about 10 times- that is the top of the boys list:)

We played the "thankful" game and stopped here and there for a picture.

As I looked out the window I could not help but think about the words to America The Beautiful:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!








I love these golden plains. Rolling hills as far as the eye can see. It is a different kind of beauty rather than being in the heart of the mountains.

He's Figuring Out Life.

Me: Hey Nathan, I'm going to go to Costco and you get to go to the library with Dad and Kendall.

Nathan: Oh my HECK! I LOVE quiet places!


Nathan: Mom, I KNOW what is inside the Chick-fil-a cow!!!

Me: What?

Nathan: (he is saying this a little mad with his head down and eyes slanted) HUMANS!!!

I Smell Grandad.

I was taking a walk during the wee hours of the morning with my mom. We were engaged in great conversation and pushing each other to great limits as we would round the corner to the hills of Estes street.

I was trying to soak in the beautiful purple and pink clouds with glintz of gold outlining them. The birds were just waking up cheerfully chirping, and you could hear the car on my left backing out of the driveway- it's tires quietly rolling on the pavement.

The air was crisp and cool with warm pockets. It made you want to take deep breaths and hold it in because it was so clean.

I noticed up ahead, one of my favorite houses, the one that had a huge wrap around deck and tons of windows (like the ones you would see on the coast of Maine). It had a huge lawn with green foliage and great big overgrown trees. You could hear the sprinkler. Oh, the sound of the sprinkler...click, click, click, shhhhhhhh. Over and over. To me, that is the ultimate sound of summer.

After the sound comes the smell. Grandad. The water was sweet and cold. Fresh and pure. And some smells are attached to memories. This smell just so happens to be attached to my Grandad.

All at once, scenes of me and him poured into my mind. All the hours he would sit in the lawn chair and carefully water each section of his prize winning lawn and then get me a chair so I could help him. And that led to all the times I would wake up at 5:00 am every morning with him to enjoy a cup of Postum.

And then the time when he got his new Cadillac and he let me drive it. He looked over at me and said, "Lets see what she can do!" So I pushed on the gas and it went really fast. 90. We were on the back highway going to Kirtland and I could see his fingers drumming the base of his window and the corners of his mouth curled slightly up. He was pleased. And so was I because I had never in my teenage years driven a car that fast.

My mom and I rounded the bend for our final stretch home and the smell was gone but my morning with Grandad lasted all day. And I was so grateful someone was watering their lawn so early in the morning.

Worth the Mess!

The day before the Cardon boys left for the summer, we headed to the park so that Sara could pack... for like 5 minutes!

We needed one last experience that would bond these cousins for life. Frostys, the park, and a big mess.

Check.

Well Earned!

The boys have been working really hard this summer to earn a trip to Heritage Square with Mammy.

It seemed like the day would never arrive... but it did. They packed a lunch and headed up into the mountains. It was warm with a breeze and you could smell fall right around the corner.

Mammy took turns riding with each special passenger, giggling with them as their ride went faster and faster.

The sun began to set and the day was coming to a close once again. This time each of them took to bed, a memory that wrapped around their body. A feeling of warmth and love.

Saturday Morning...

During the wee hours of the morning, 5 little boys with sleep still in their eyes, could smell something wonderful baking down at the Doughnut Hut.

What do you do? You make a mad dash for the mini van still in your jammies and pray they still had some doughnuts with sprinkles left!

After the boys washed down their breakfast with some ice cold milk, Mammy and I decided a quick trip to Walmart was in order. We looked in the mirror, fluffed up our hair, looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders trying to convince one another that we didn't look THAT bad. It was still to early to see anyone that we knew.

We load the boys in the cart and run around the store grabbing all the essentials off the shelves. Oh Shoot, Mammy sees a few cute ladies that she knows and has a small visit with them in the isles.

As soon as we get back to the mini van, Mammy smiles with a victory and I notice a huge chocolate sprinkle in her front tooth. Then she turns around to buckle one of the grands and there is a huge glob of doughnut goo on her bum! We die laughing and chalk it up to another great start to the day!

Does Your 3 Year Old Ever Make You Feel Like This?

Help!

Giggles...

We were stopped by some high school kids that were smoking and Nathan said, "Are those guys cigaretting?!"

Nathan: "Dad works by I HOGS - Cool!" (I Hops)

Nathan after school: "Mom, Our whole class forgot to say the blessing today at lunch!"

Nathan and Kendall were painting with pudding and basting brushes in the bathtub and Nathan was whining. When I asked what the problem was he said, "Well, OBVIOUSLY Kendall keeps painting me!"

Western Week!

A Saturday morning + balloons + candy + dancing horses + high school marching bands = happy kids and a dang good parade!

A Game To Remember!

My cute Aunt won some pretty awesome baseball tickets and she just so happened to get four! She so graciously gave them to our family.

The boys had never been to a baseball game and they were floored! They took a great nap during the day so that they would be ready to see the baseball players. Mammy packed them up some supplies: a tootsie pop and a huge bag of peanuts. They were set!

Baseball atmosphere is the best! We danced, sang and clapped to all the songs, cheered for the Rockies, enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the mountains, and soaked up a fun family night together.

When I asked Nathan what his favorite part was, he said, "ALL OF IT! IT WAS ALL MY VERY FAVORITE!"

Focus, focus on the game!