The Red Barn Pumpkin Festival

Since Jeff and Amber decided to leave us for a week of fun, we decided to have a little fun ourselves. Most of this week was filled with the mundane aspects of every day life - school, basketball for Dallin, orchestra for Daniel, errands for me, chores for everyone, etc. We did have a movie night and went out to eat during the week, but today we decided to do a little more. I absolutely LOVE this time of year! I love when summer turns to fall and the world takes on new color. I love the crisp, clean morning air. I especially love all the holidays! I love all the festivals. I love the tastes and smells this season brings. So today, we decided to have a little fall fun and went to the Red Barn in Santaquin for their Pumpkin Festival. This is the first year we've attended this event...and it won't be our last. It is small in comparison to other festivals in the valley, but the boys had a BLAST! We took a tractor hay ride out to the "back forty" where there were pedal tractor bikes, apple cannons, giant slides, a hay pyramid, a bin maze, a corn maze, and a pumpkin patch. Jonas loved the giant slides. The boys loved the tractor pedal bikes. I loved the fact that we didn't get lost in the corn maze! It was such a fun afternoon with my boys. I am so proud to be a "boymom". These boys have my whole heart. Before we left the festival, we went back to the Red Barn for apple cider slushes, cookies, and apple cider donuts. What a fun start to our holiday season!
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Amber's trip

This week Jeff took Amber and Jacob on a church history trip. They basically did the same trip that Jeff did last year with Laurin except this year they stopped in Kirtland, Ohio and bypassed Adam-ondi-ahman. Jeff had so much fun re-connecting with Amber. Several times he would mention how much he had forgotten this or that about Amber (mostly in reference to how funny she can be). I have really enjoyed how much Amber has still been present during this year she has been at school, but I admit that, at times, I have missed having her home more. I am grateful that I have been able to develop a relationship with Amber. I am grateful for her willingness to open her heart and her life to a strange woman who assumed a role that Amber never thought would be taken by any other woman other than the woman that bore her.  I am grateful for Amber's example to her younger brothers. They have noticed how she has painstakingly prepared for her mission. They have seen the changes (big and small) she has made as she has grown over the last year. We are so excited for her to experience life as a full-time missionary in Spain. Yet, I have to admit there have been several moments over the last week when I've been a little choked up thinking about saying good-bye on Monday. She is going to do amazing things. She is going to have her most transformative year and a half of her life. I love the woman she is and am looking forward to the amazing woman she is going to become. I'm glad Jeff and Amber (and Jacob) had such a fun trip. Here are just a few pictures they actually remembered to take.

Jacob saw a "pillar of light" in the Sacred Grove.

Amber

Jacob and Amber

"I love to see the temple..." Palmyra temple

Jacob and Amber at the Hill Cumorah.

Niagara Falls

Kirtland Temple

Liberty Jail

Like father, like...Jeff and Jacob watching the game while Amber secretly snaps this pic. Silly boys!

The Light of the World

For several years, I have anticipated the completion of a sub-garden in Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point called The Light of the World. The artist Angela Johnson created 35 life-sized, bronze statues depicting several moments in Christ's life and ministry. Until this year, most of these statues were still in their minitaure, model sizes. These models were displayed in the area of the garden that would eventually house all the life size models. Each year, Jeff and I would attend the Tulip Festival and admire these small models. Each year, I excitedly anticipated what the garden would look and feel like once completed. This year, I got to have that experience. Jeff was away with Amber this week so Jonas was my date. We woke up early to get to the gardens when they opened in hopes that there wouldn't be a lot of people. There weren't. In fact, it felt like we had the garden to ourselves. As we approached that specific garden, the sun was just crowning over the tall trees casting its warm rays over the entrance. I stood in awe as the rays gently fell over the large statue of Christ walking on water. I couldn't help but wipe a tear from my cheek as a feeling of peace and love washed over me. This is Christ. This is my Savior. This truly is the Light of the World. That peaceful feeling lingered with me as Jonas and I explored the beauty of the garden. The statues were incredibly detailed. Jonas gravitated toward Christ in each setting. Jonas held His hand in the depiction of Christ gathering the chickens. He looked up at Christ as He was walking in a crowd when the woman with "the issue of blood" touched his garments. Jonas grabbed His feet as Christ stood above the prophet Joseph Smith in a grove of trees. I marveled at Jonas's fascination with this man. Jonas knows His Savior. He knows that Christ came to earth to atone for him. He knows that Christ loves him more than I do. He knows that he can find peace in Christ. He knows to whom to look for guidance and direction. Do I? I had that thought several times as I quickly tried to capture pictures of the moments Jonas spent with his Savior. Do I know Christ? Do I know He died for me? Do I know He loves me? Do I know He will lead and guide me? I am ashamed to say I think I have forgotten. I think in the busy-ness of life I have overlooked Christ's importance in my life. I feel like I have distanced myself from his outstretched arms. I think I have fell into the trap of seeing my Savior as a person to whom I can turn only when I need Him instead of being a person I walk with on a daily basis. He is my Savior. He knows me perfectly and loves my imperfection. He is the Light of the World. I wish words could more adequately describe the feelings I felt that morning in the garden. However, what words cannot describe I pray to make up for in my actions. I need my Savior. I need His love. I need His light. It is time to return to His embrace. I am grateful that Jonas is innocent enough to remind me of the innocence I have lost. I hope everyone can remember Christ, especially as we enter this holiday season. I hope that we can all let His love and His light shine brighter in our hearts.

September

This month has flown by...and not much has happened. I guess I'm used to recording so much during the summer months that life has seemed pretty monotonous since school has started. However, we haven't been doing nothing. Between school, Dallin's basketball, Danny starting orchestra, getting Amber ready for her mission, and harvesting the fruit from our orchard, we have been keeping busy...just nothing I've really recorded in pictures. Yet, here are just a few random shots from the month so you know we haven't been sitting around doing nothing!

Beautiful fall flowers from Jeff...just to say he loves me!

I spent several days in the kitchen. This year I learned how to can peach and strawberry jam!

We had so many peaches...now we get to savor some year round!

Jonas LOVES to play the piano! It has become a daily ritual.

We had a ward softball party. Good fun! Good people! Good times!

Dallin opted to play basketball instead of softball.

Another daily ritual...Jonas playing in the sink while I get ready. He is a little water baby!

A couple pics from Dallin's pre-season basketball games.

Jonas LOVES to sit in the recliner and "read" books! Hopefully it's a habit he'll keep when he's older.