Tis the Season'

I can't believe that summer has passed, Fall came and went, and now it is winter. According to my blog I am in denial of such recent changes in weather and life. But I must come back to the present (christmas present?)! Halloween and Thanksgiving came and went, and now Christmas is in the air. Oct brought us a trip to lovely seattle and a Halloween Shindig, November brought baby blessing, Thanksgiving and more. A few highlights:

The lovely seattle horizon.

Pikes market, I wish I could go everyday!

Yoga Rocks! Adho Mukha Vrksasana, on Bainbridge Island.

Notice the Warrior II rock behind me.

Vrksasana, so steady and focused.

With all the yoga influence on this small island west of Seattle I am certain it is the right place for me!

On to halloween festivities. This year Micah and I had a family and friend party with all the lots of creepy treats!

The Whole Spread

Mummy Dip with Fingers, ooh scary!!!

Ghostly tortilla chips

Healthy Pumpkin Face

Mummys in a blanket, these went fast!

Banana Ghosts!

Pumpkin Cakes!

And it can't be a party without cookies!

and scary spiders!

Spooky Decor!

Thank you pumpkin for this season!

Then came the chill of november, beginning with Baby Alec's blessing, he was dressed in the most adorable white tuxedo!

Grandma Karen and baby Alec.

The only picture of food on Thanksgiving Day, and it was yummy!

And Baby Day's first Thanksgiving!

Developing Roots

I wonder how anything on this earth can grow without establishing "roots"? I mean our little garden wouldn't produce without firm roots, babies wouldn't be born if not for an umbilical cord, careers wouldn't flourish, flowers would never bloom. Basically this earth would be one heaping mound of darkness, death, and decay. Luckily, we all have "roots", some are strong, some weak, but they all connect us to something, something greater that what we are on our own.

Little plants like to stay connected to mother earth for nourishment, protections, and growth. Babies need nourishment to grow and live on their own, and we all need the root to a greater 'source' than ourselves. Whatever you call your 'source', whether it is God, Universal Spirit, Love, Peace, etc, it seems to have the same effect. We realize there is something much larger than us, much greater than ourselves, a force so strong that we can do things beyond our own power, and flourish beyond our own imaginations. It may mean submitting to a plan that we didn't foresee for ourselves, being present in the moments of adversity, but it is a plan so much greater than our own. It is a plan that I am sure will provide innumerable benefits, countless implications, of the which we surely couldn't understand. It is a great plan, that began with establishing 'roots', and remaining connected to the right source of all strength, power, and ability.

Growth

It seems to be that at least 50% of the days in May have brought rain. I thought the song went "April Showers bring May flowers." Apparently Utah doesn't espouse to such adages.

While this one to one ratio is great for the life recently planted in the soil, it sure makes it tough to take a walk without getting wet. I love springtime, I love to walk by houses and look at how they have landscaped. I like to see the reflection of personalities in what flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees people like to adorn their home with. I love that people take great pride in their homes.

I lived in NYC for 3 years where one was lucky to claim a step of a concrete sidewalk their backyard in the urban dwellings. Oh how different it is here. There a 400 square foot studio apartment for one was a haven of spaciousness. Here a home under 1000 square feet seems like a meager living. In NYC no need or space for a car, here it seems each house needs at least 3. A big family in NYC is a couple of two, here it is ten. There the outdoors consisted of a run in central park and trip to Union Square Market, here it is planting your own garden. In NYC we walked outside rain, sun, snow, cold, hot, because if you don't you can't get anywhere, here we walk when its sunny and warm but not too hot. There the kids played on the stoop and the sidewalk, here they play in their backyard. In NYC the opportunity to grow came in a bonsai tree kit from Urban Outfitters planting in my refrigerator, here it is in the open sunlight of organic matter, real sunlight, and real rain.

Oh how my life has changed over the past 2 years. I have gone from urban dweller in its surprisingly simplicity with little space and little room to grow, to the expansive burbs' of Bountiful Utah. Every day I am still amazed at how much space there is here, how much convenience, how much ease in daily living.

At times I miss the city of NYC, even in the tiring nature of carrying a bag of groceries on your back, and walking everywhere you need to go. Yet I realize that in my small home there, as wonderful as it was, I didn't have an essential ingredient nor the space to grow. Now with my husband, we can plant and grow.

Scripture

I am reminded ever continually of the power of God's word.

"His commandments are the voice of reality and our protection against self-inflicted pain."

Elder Todd D. Christofferson in GC April 2004, The Blessing of Scripture

"Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked."

Helaman 3:29

32 peas for 32 years

After celebrating many significant holidays (birthdays, Valentines, Christmas, New Years, 4th of July, Halloween, you get the point) for years as a single gal I learned long ago to bring significance to your special day without bringing TOO much attention to yourself (aka annoying songs belted out by servers that are perfect strangers in a cheesy chain restaurant). And a birthday party cannot turn in to a party of self pity, or it isn't a real party.

So I ask the question: What significance is their in celebrating our day of birth and each year of life we have survived from that date of birth? Well, I decided in my days of single-hood to make it a day of purpose, including but not limited to either personal accomplishment, service, creating, or otherwise ridiculous feats. For example in years past: 25 years from birth brought running 25 miles, plus 1.2 for good luck, a marathon. 30 years from birth brought walking Manhattan Island top to bottom (13 miles) in honor of my favorite movie, 13 Going on 30. So what would 32 years of life bring? I racked my brain on this one, and after some thought I could think of nothing more important on this day that to give birthing rights to 32 peas in our garden. And Micah's awesome card accompanied the peas birth.

32 peas now have 32 homes: a home to keep them warm, a home to be nourished, a home to take root, a home to grow, a home to create offspring, a home to nest. Ok, so truth be told, I may have gotten carried away and planted 64, but can you blame me? Their new home is in our backyard.

As if 32 peas isn't enough excitement for a day to celebrate 32 years: Micah and I decided to relive our wedding day in Logan, visiting Nefertiti's Court at the Anniversary Inn in Logan.

Logan has always brought Leopard Prints into my life since my college days, so I couldn't resist. As it turns out the Anniversary Inn also provides Love Swans in addition to Leopard Prints, can you feel the love?

And they feature nice beds to share the love.

Don't worry we kept ourselves busy with lots of activities, like going for a ride in Logan Canyon to utilize my new awesome gift from Micah. The basket.

And the canyon is beautiful this time of year.

And full of cool trees.

And 32 years olds.