Saturday Mornings..

The other day in the temple I told Nate that one of my favorite memories from growing up was Saturday mornings. We lived all over the place, but the location that comes to mind is Plesanton, California.
The sound, Cat Stevens or Beach boys playing in the background. Selections of my dad.
We just had some sort of breakfasty food... pancakes, or waffles...probably made by my dad, or at his request.
The next part includes the whole family at home, doing Saturday chores (my mom was big on Saturday chores, and if you spent the night you had to help us with them...not a good memory).
This particular (good) memory involves it being a cooler day in the fall.
We had an apple tree in the back yard and we had rencently picking a bunch of apples and were trying to do what we cold with them. My mom was slicing and seasoning them and putting buckets of them in the freezer so we could have pies with them later.
My dad was trying to make a cider press...unsuccessful...but fun to watch and help.

I'm sure that there were fights and contentions, but I don't remember them. (I also don't remember being "evil" as my little sister described me). I just remember the feeling, the cold air, the music and the family all together.

That is a fond memory. It did not involved elaborate expensive trips, or even leaving the house. It was just a normal Saturday at home with the family.

This weekend when Maes realized that Nate would be home she suggested that we go on a day trip...I guess I emphasize that too much when he is around. This would have to do with the fact that he has been a full time student for the past 7 years and in the bishopric for 3 of those. However, now that he has graduated, we are going to be seeing Nate a lot more on Saturdays (minus boy scout activities) and we need to make more meaningful at home memories.. I know there will be fights (but it happens at Disneyland and the Zoo and hiking as well). But I don't need to focus family time around going far out of town or to fancy pants places..

So this Saturday Morning the kids are at Tara's house, they had a sleepover. (also a good memory maker, I used to have sleep overs with my Aunt before she got married and had her little ones.) Nate and I woke up to an empty house (no fighting or whining) and got started on the Saturday chores... (bed sheets, and laundry,and then a list of husbandly projects for Nate). Also on my list...making Maesyn her a new chore chart, this time for an allowance, and with Saturday Chores!
Oh, and we have music playing. The Anniversary...but I would sure like some Cat Stevens!

Proposal

When Nate proposed it was a long event complete with a canoe ride to an island, a picnic dinner and roses. He did not have the ring back from the jeweler but he wanted to propose before he left for a trip with his buddies... so he proposed with a fake ring.
Then we returned back to my apartment. When I went to my room to put all of my stuff away (he had picked me up from my ceramic's final) there were several dozen roses on my bed fanned out in a circle and the ring in the middle.
What a trickster!!!
Well, I have had those roses for nearly 7 years now. And this is what they looked like when I took them off the plant shelf last week.
I have several other bunches of flowers that are decorating my home, but these and a few others are on their way to the dumpster, and the others might go when we move. I just had our air ducts cleaned and dusted years of dust off of our plant shelves. Our little Maesyn has a "dusty nose" quite often. Although Nate and I don't have allergies, we may have a little person with them... and besides, I am on my way to simplifying (don't know if it is possible). So dust collecting nic knacks and various unneeded collectibles are out of here.. or I will not buy anymore for that matter. Things with sentimental value I will keep. I am afraid that I might regret getting rid of these. After all, I saved the sticky notes that times my kids contractions!
But here are the photos for posterity.

Old School

I believe this picture is from the summer of 1997- the summer I moved from Germany to nowhere.
Well I went back to Rexburg, Idaho to finish up school and my parents moved to Oklahoma.
So this picture is over 10 years old.
Yikes.
It is funny because I am back to my old hair cut and Nick Read has a beard again- only a much LARGER beard-at least according to their latest blog post. Kari Sowell is still super cute with white teeth and is a world traveling philanthropist and big time Lawyer.
Nick's wife Laura is a new blogging friend that I have never met in person, but I'm glad she is my new friend because when I first saw their blog I though
"I should totally be friends with her"
-so I am now- because I said so.

Treasures

While going through and old wallet I found this little bundles of paper. It is my marathon training schedule for the 2002 marathon. This is the month of July (2002) and circled is our wedding day.

After finding it I had to take a picture. I remembered that I had some other little treasures on little pieces of paper. This is the sticky note with all of my contractions I had timed while in labor with Maesyn before waking up Nate and telling him that I might actually be in labor. Yes, it is 3:44 AM
I have sticky notes like this for Jake. Until just a few seconds ago i thought I'd lost them, but i just remembered to look in his file in the file cabinet. His are not as neat, as I kept them in my wallet for months after he was born.
They were on the table the whole evening as I had my "pre baby" dinner with my dear sister in law Summer. She wanted to take me out before Jake was born, and although I was sure I was in Labor, i was not going to miss out on Gecko Grill with just the two of us. I had to stand up periodically and hardly ate anything. Nate's sister, who was in nursing school was waiting on us and kept checking to see how far I was dilated (just kidding). She just thought I was crazy.

Fall, Pumpkin Farms and Chili

my very favorite season would have to be Autumn- which is sad because i don't think we even have autumn in mesa arizona. we only have 2 season and they are called super hotter than he**- and then deliciously pleasant. so a lot of what I love about the fall only exists in my memories or are created on my own.
one part of growing up that I always remember and long for is Bishops Pumpkin farm in wheatland california. my dad was stationed at beale AFB for 3 years and we made annual Family Home Evening visits as well as school field trips to the pumpkin farm to pick out pumpkins. i try to recreate that with my kids by taking them to Mother Nature Farms here in gilbert (convenient located on baseline not far from Wal-Mart) to pick out a pumpkin- but it is not quite the same when it is still in the triple digits in October and the pumpkins are just scatted in a strawed off area. i got to ride out to the actual pumpkin patch on a hay ride and pick my own special pumpkin right off the vine.
here is Maesyn and Nate a few years ago...notice the fall like foliage strategical set up to make it look like it is autumn.

another favorite thing about the fall is the food... Obviously... i love food and cannot wait for it to cool down so I can start baking pumpkin and banana bread and cinnamon rolls. I also love CHILI and crave it all trough the summer. even though it was still almost 100 degrees outside i decided that we would have ourselves some chili this week. it was sort of on a whim- so not 100% from scratch... but still a nice fall celebration! my favorite recipe for corn bread is on the side of the Albers cornmeal box... fatty- but yummy!
happy Autumn to me...not officially.