Glorious Autumn...

And suddenly, Fall is here. The air is crisp and cool in the mornings and evenings, pumpkins dot porches as we drive down our road, our book basket is full of Autumn tales, scarecrows and apples and pumpkins galore. Today there was chili simmering on the oven and pumpkin bars for dessert. What's not to love? I was thinking today about how life is often so uncertain...He gives and takes away...but these seasons and the traditions with them give such comfort. So, it's with a thankful heart that I looked through these moments captured on my phone and remembered that though life can swirl around, Autumn is here with its great hiking weather and comforting stews and soups, it's rich colors and smells and flavors, the rhythm of home learning, earlier bedtimes....and that's grounding. Here's to Fall, and the knowledge that God is faithful morning by morning and season by season. Jen

Our Jubilee Rose turns *4* !

I have to say, 3 was such a fun year with her that it was hard to say goodbye... but I have a feeling 4 might be even better:) 
Jubilee, you are such a helper in the kitchen. Still my little shadow that loves to help sweep, chop, spray and wipe, stir, crack eggs, etc. 
You still love to "go,go go!" with your daddy on errands with your little shopping cart. 
Your lisp is so cute, I can't stand the thought of it ever leaving. "Luthy" is what you call your sweet cousin, for example. 
You love to be part of our homeschool and the other day copied, "I am the light of the world" legibly! I wanted to encourage your big sister that if her newly 4 year old sister could do it without complaining, well....:) But you are all so very different, with different gifts and challenges for sure. 
You love pink and purple, love shopping for clothes and changing multiple times a day,  and are "a big fan of princesses", but you also enjoy holding worms and bugs and are outside barefoot everyday.
You love playing with your new friends here in Texas and love your cousins and family SO much, but you talk almost every day about Utah and your friends the Cox family. You are determined to move back and live next to them. 
You are emotional, stubborn, brave, cuddly, sweet, beautiful, capable and  know what you want. As your daddy says, "She's just real, real precious." And you are. 

You are loved and celebrated, little one! I hope you carry that unconditional love with you all of your life. Love, Mama

Everyday magic...

Goodness, I used to write about their play so often. The little worlds/scenerios the twins would come up with, their phases of trains and then Schleich animals and dinos, etc. As I watched them all play today, I wished I could record their every word. It. was. hysterical. Grandma riding up to "Rainbow farm" on a dump truck, and riding away on a unicorn...a dragon named Scarlet and a Grandpa named Albert Einstein....I just soak it all up, this everyday magic. Domestic life is so very daily with dishes and laundry and meals and more dishes, sometimes I just need to plop down in front of Rainbow farm and listen in wonder at their imaginations in action. 

                              Oh, and these pictures? Yeah, I'll treasure them always. 

It was so very good.

Our vacation to Colorado, it was so very good. I mean it had all the bumps and bruises of traveling and vacationing with 4 kiddos. Think of me picking cactus thorns out of Ollie's feet at a camp site while swarms of gnats threatened to land in our eyes. Whining. Non co-sleeping toddler trying to co-sleep in a tent with brutal non sleeping to follow. Yeah, that stuff happened:) But man, overall, it was just good. Good to be with Joel for days, good to build memories, good to be with dear friends in beautiful mountains. Generous friends let us stay in their beautiful family retreat home, adding luxury that we would never have experienced otherwise. We came home with full hearts, and much thankfulness. 
Our first stop was Palo Duro Canyon. We were thrilled to see this beautiful canyon in Texas! This was our first night camping as a family of 6. Joel has done a lot of camping with the twins but the rest of us, not so much. I was scared, and with good reason--haha! Ollie is a great sleeper in a crib, but nowhere else! Such a bummer part of not co-sleeping.Anyway, we struggled through, and I'm glad. It's a short season, as Jubilee was the same way, and she does just fine now. 

 Our next stop was Great White Sands National park. Amazing place! This is where the swarms of gnats greeted us, but thankfully they went away at night and didn't bother us while sleeping (half of us slept in the van, the other half in the tent)--whew!

See Jubilee itching? That would be the gnats!

Then it was on to Crested Butte, and the beauty of that place is beyond description!

The Hunts even got to come for a couple of days at the end of our stay--such a treat! On the way backed we camped in New Mexico by a lake--the twins were in mega explorer mode and had a blast finding fish skeletons, bunnies, turkey vultures, frogs, etc:) 

It was good to get home, even after the abundance of beauty in Colorado:) All for now, Jen