Bleeech.

That's how Ella feels about solid foods. Not quite ready, I guess!

Witch-a-palooza

It was a beautiful fall evening, crisp air, colorful leaves, and the need for a pumpkin or three filled our beings... so Jon and I headed out on the town. But where do we go? We can't get a pumpkin at Wal-Mart or Target. Those are fake. You have to go to a farm and get dirty and fish through all the odd-shaped joys that surround you. So we went to Gardner Village. They probably have pumpkins. Or so we thought.

Gardner Village is a quaint little gathering of shops and farmland where you can get anything from little fancy pieces of fabric to nice pieces of delicious fudge. That is exactly how I talked Jon into going to the "Village". We were envisioning a calm evening of pumpkin hunting and fudge eating, but we were very surprised when we got on the block of the entrance and there were so many people that the police were there directing traffic. Holy cow. No, actually, HOLY WITCHES! We chose the first day of WITCHAPALOOZA to venture out and start our Fall celebrations. It was hilarious - little moms and girls were all dressed to the nines like witches and there were the occasional daddies lugging everything in the stroller looking dazed.

Even funnier - they don't sell pumpkins. We fought the crowds in search of our porch decor, but to no avail. At least we got some fudge and a caramel apple. Yay for Halloween!

Fall Feelings

Usually I hate Fall. Hate it with a passion. But after a few moments of reflection I realize that I don't hate Fall, I just hate that it's only about 5 minutes long, then Winter sneaks in before we know it. So I've decided instead of complaining about Fall that I'm going to enjoy every little minute of it. That way when Winter rears its ugly head I'll be ready. Maybe. So, here's a little list of things I like about Fall:

1. apple cider
2. rainy mornings and nowhere to be
3. cozy boots
4. no air conditioner or heater, just fresh air
5. pumpkin hunting
6. dinner-in-a-pumpkin
7. costume deciding
8. changing leaves on the mountains
9. UEA weekend
10. witches at Gardner Village
11. the scarecrow festival
12. wreaths and porch decorations
13. going on walks in the middle of the day and not dying of heatstroke
14. caramel apples
15. pumpkin pie (in moderation!)
16. hiding in sweaters and scarves
17. jumping in puddles
18. pre-christmas shopping that I always say I'm going to do, but never do
19. crunchy leaves in the canyons
20. snow only on the mountains, not in my yard

Buy Local

On my trip to Monterey I found the old candy shop I used to visit as a kid. I have always loved going back there and getting some taffy with that salty sweet flavor of the ocean. So Amelia and I pranced around choosing a few pieces from the many colorful bins and baskets. Then on our walk back to the car we enjoyed the fruits of our search. The humor struck me that I flew two states away to get SALT WATER taffy, something that we here in Utah make for tourists.

I shared this irony with Amelia, but then explained how the taffy from California has a saltier flavor, thicker consistency, blah blah blah. I was so proud to carry my bag of sweets to Jon so he could enjoy this California delicacy.

The first thing he did was peel one open and said, "Hmm... Taffy Town taffy. You know these are made in Utah, right?"

He's right. Duh. Is it still considered buying "local" if you rode on 4 airplanes to do so?

Yawn!

Ever feel like you need a vacation after your vacation? It doesn't matter how restful and glorious the vacation was, you get home and feel like you could sleep for a week. For me it's the airport and the airplane rides - they're so rushed and stressful. And it seems like entering a war zone or a hurricane every time I land in Salt Lake City. Welcome home, let me shake your brains out and scare you to death. Not to mention the fact that I left 70+ degree weather in California and there's SNOW here. Grrrr...

Anyway, I just got back last night from a fabulous vacation to Capitola, CA with my bestest friend Amelia. We played on the beach, shopped, and got caught up on the last season of Grey's Anatomy - a perfect weekend. Jon was so nice he let me extend my trip a couple of days and we got to go the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Wharf. It took me back to my roots and refreshed my soul.

But I'm so wasted I slept in and didn't get showered or dressed until after noon. And it's now 1:30 and I'm ready for a nap! Luckily, I'm not the only one. Ella slept in as well and has been working her way through a 3 hour nap. I did unpack my suitcase and start laundry. That's enough for today! Yay for getting back to reality.

4 Months!

Our little Ella Bean is 4 whole months old. This darling pic was taken by our friend Caity at the State Fair (more to come on that). The day of Ella's 4 month "birthday" she reached an exciting milestone - see for yourself! (And ignore the screams of glee from her proud mama!) I was just so shocked that she did it while I was video-taping. What are the chances??

I LOVE DENVER!

This statement may surprise some of you given my hideous past with the city of Denver. I am shocked at myself as I type those words. But I really do love Denver!

This last week my friend Caity and I fled reality and headed East for a fun girls' trip. She invited me to go to a Killers concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater and (again, shocking) I was able to go! Thanks to my sweet mom who watched Ella, and my sweet husband who let me run wild for a bit, these couple of days were so rejuvenating and exciting!

We took off Wednesday morning and drove through Utah and Colorado and some of the most breathtaking vistas I've ever seen on a road trip. Vail and Georgetown were our favorite towns. SO worth the drive. Then we rolled up to Morrison (Red Rocks Amphitheater) around 7:30 and everyone was having tailgate parties and rockin' out to their car radios right outside the concert! That was something I'd never seen before - so fun!

The concert was amazing. I wouldn't have ever considered myself a huge Killers fan, but the show was so much fun. We danced and sang 'til our voices couldn't cut it, and just enjoyed the beautiful atmosphere. The pictures above are not ours, they're from the web, but they show how gorgeous it is there.

Then Caity and I hung out and shopped a bit in downtown Denver, and hit the road again. (Thanks Caity, for letting me drag you to the antique shop - I love my finds!) There's nothing like road trippin' and girl talking with one of my best friends. When I woke up the next morning I didn't know if my voice was gone because of singing at the concert or because we talked non-stop for nine hours!

This was a wonderful opportunity to take some time for myself, see some sights, and appreciate my husband and daughter even more. Thanks so much Caity!
(Below are a few shots of our trip. Check out Caity's blog for probably a TON more pics and fun stuff about the trip!)Honkin' in the tunnels.
Singing Heart while waiting to leave the parking lot. The best hour of waiting ever!