I love fall

Who doesn't love this time of year? The air is cool and crisp and the world is full of color. For some reason, I have felt this need to soak up every last bit of the autumn colors this year. I think I have dragged my family up the canyon almost every other day. You'd think it was my last season on earth or something. I don't know why I have been so obsessive about it, but I have. I try to capture it on camera but it is never really the same. Cameras just don't catch how vivid the colors are in real life.

Anyway, here is what I have to show for it.

Happy Fall !!

Family Update

Fall is finally here and it is about time I write another family update.

It has been a wild ride of a summer. We have had a lot of fun vacations, as all the other posts show. It has also been a difficult past few months because we have had to make a lot of big decisions - the biggest being where we wanted to buy a house. It has been quite the process. We couldn't decide if we should live nearby downtown (sugar house area) or in Heber. I have always wanted to live there - for the beauty and recreation, but I also felt strongly that it would be a good place to raise kids. I guess. I hope. We started looking both down in the valley and in Heber, but we ended out finding a house we really liked in Heber, going for a really good price. We spent lots and lots of nights up talking about it, trying to decide if moving to Heber was a good idea. Jevan would have a long commute, and we would have to do a lot more driving. And gas isn't cheap right now.

After agonizing over it for days, we put an offer in on the Heber house. It is a short sale, so it has been a roller coaster ride trying to get it. At first, it was a bit of a miracle how smoothly it went. Our realtor kept saying over and over "You must be living right" because usually short sales "so frequently end in sorrow and heartbreak." (yes, he did actually say that :) ) But then the appraisal came back even lower than we were offering for it so either us, the seller or the bank had to take an even bigger hit. Everyone was mad and it was looking like we weren't going to get the house. Then the bank came back and said we all had to give a little. So again, we agonized over the decision, but ended up agreeing to go ahead with the deal.

So that is where we sit now. We close in a week. I am excited and apprehensive at the same time. I have yet to feel that peaceful confirmation that we have made the right decision. I hope it comes at some point. I hope I fit into my new neighborhood. I hope we like living in Heber.

We also made the decision to send Jevan back to school for his MBA. Unfortunately we made the decision a little late, and now, if he goes to the U of U, he will have to wait until next fall to start the program. But we feel like it is the right step for him to make, especially because his current employer will help pay for it.

I guess this has to be a short post because there is trouble brewin' in the other room with the little ones. It will be strange not living with my parents in the basement. It has been so fun to have my parents around all the time to talk to. I can't believe how many nights my mom and I have stayed up WAY too late talking. I love you, Mom and Dad! Thanks for letting us live with you!!

What Do Monsters Look Like?

So the other day, my sister-in-law came over to my parent's house (where we STILL currently live...but not for long...) with a surprise for Jane and Allie. She sits her down on the couch, whips out a book and starts reading. The book is darling and when I ask her who wrote it, she casually says "Oh..I got my children's book published." What the? She then launches into a story about how the book came to be, the process stretching over years, all starting with her little boy's fears of monsters under the bed. I was in awe.

So, I have to tell everyone who either has a child with a fear of monsters, or just wants a wonderful children's book, to buy this book. The premise is that the monsters under the bed are just as scared of you as you are of them. It's so stinkin' cute. You can get it off Amazon, or I can secure you a copy easily, maybe even signed by the author.

I am always so impressed with people who have a dream and see it fulfilled. Good job Amber. I want to be like you.