Indian Summer

We have had the most incredible fall this year in Utah.

It can certainly best be described as an Indian Summer.

In·di·an sum·mer

noun

1. a period of unusually dry, warm weather occurring in late autumn.

   
   

   
   

Labor Day Weekend found us in Parowan staying in an 1890's home with some dear friends from Vegas who had just purchased this home and were renovating it.  

Nope didn't take a picture of it.

Parowan is truly Mayberry at its finest, and Jeff remembers riding horses with his 

Grandfather Adria in the mountains above it.

Yes, my dream would be to own a small second home there also.

Everytime that we drive South from Salt Lake Jeff mentions these hot ponds near Meadow Utah 

that he used to swim in as a teenager.  

He always has wanted to bring swimming suits and stop. 

Of course we never did until our trip to Parowan.  

We met our friends, John and Renee, there on our way to their home.   

It was so much FUN!!

Now I feel bad we haven't stopped before.  

They are out in the middle of NOWHERE.  

There are three ponds.

This is the first one and the clearest and warmest one.

We all loved swimming in here.

The second one which is also wonderful

The third one, which I guess is the deepest and someone had actually built a platform to dive from, but those cute cows had broke down their fence and had been in it 

so we actually chose not to swim in it.

The next week in September I flew to California to spend some time with these darling grandkids!!

Mackayla and her favorite past time--The iPad.

Macey's soccer game.  These Southern California teams really get into it.  Each team have these amazing banners at each game with all the team members names printed on it.

Cody's game--Same color jersey not the same team.  

It was only 100 degrees that day so we had to run for refreshments in between the two games

 or let's be honest Grandma really needed a drink!!

Amy and Luke and their two girls met us on Sunday 

and we enjoyed a wonderful Sunday Dinner together that Carrie had made.  

They were coming to celebrate Blake's birthday at Disneyland which we all enjoyed together.

That needs to be its own post.

As soon as we got home it was time for Bo to start his puppy training at Don's Pet Care in Ogden.

Jeff was like a new dad, so nervous to show off his puppy at class.

Bo was the star of the class!!

It helps that we have taken 5 dogs there already and know what we are doing, 

but it is so good for the dogs to go and have to learn to socialize with all the other dogs.

Disneyland called to me again.  

This time was a friends trip with my two good friends--Sandy and Sandy.

We had so much fun laughing and enjoying every moment together.

You can't ever get too old for Minnie and Mickey

The fun never ends at our house.

Carly and girls came to Utah so Carly could run the St. George Marathon, Carrie ran it too.

I stayed home and tended Lucy and Clara so they didn't have to travel more hours in the car.

It was conference weekend so during the Priesthood Session 

the girls all went to eat and play at Farmington Station.

When Carly got back we went to Park City for the day.

These cousins love being together!! 

We also went pumpkin picking with the other Brock cousins at Pack's Pumpkin Patch.

I'm sure we've never picked pumpkins in shorts and no jackets before.

Blake and Callie are always so sad when cousins leave so we needed to do something fun.

The Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point was just the answer.

Logan's favorite was doing a little bone excavation while we were there.

Soon it was time for Halloween and Grandma's get to do the funnest things during the holidays.

Callie's (excuse me-- Elsa's) preschool program was adorable.  

Blake's, or otherwise known as Jessie's, school on Halloween morning at 7:15 (ugh) 

have a breakfast for Grandparents with their wonderful grandchildren.

It was so fun and then after breakfast the Halloween Parade is held.

Great way to start the day!!

While I was doing Halloween festivities Jeff and Pepper, his brother from another mother, 

were busy scouting the mountains by Strawberry Reservoir for large buck.

This is one that they found!!

Jeff had the time of his life.  

I'm so glad he got one and now we can have jerky for the rest of the year.

So fun to have great friends to enjoy the week with in the beautiful out of doors. 

Girl's Trip

I did something different this past weekend.  

I went out of my comfort zone and normal routine.

I went on a Girl's Trip, just for fun.

Many times I have gone away with friends to scrapbook, to a conference, to do something.  

There has always been a purpose, a goal and it is usually with one friend.

This time I went with five other women, three of whom I had never met. 

There were ladies from Utah, Colorado, and Arizona.

We went to Palm Springs to enjoy the weather, shop, swim, or whatever?

I was told we would have plenty of time to read, which is why I probably consented to go.

Not much reading occurred because when that many women get together there is lots of talking and not lots of reading.

It was fun.  I'm glad I went. I would go again, so it must of been a success.

The friends I met and relationships that were strengthened were priceless.

I love meeting new people, enjoying their ideas and thoughts about life.

It was uplifting, no husband or children bashing, which was refreshing.

Life is good, especially when you can learn from others.

Robyn, Jerilee, Cindy, Rachelle, Chris, and me after church

Horticulture Lessons

I Love New Experiences

If someone asks me to do something different, exciting or educational I'm in all in.

My dear friend called to see if I wanted to go to a nursery in Willard and make planters.  

We would go and choose the plants, plant them and then the nursery would lovingly care for them

until it is warm enough for them to go outside..

When we pick them up they are supposed to be beautiful baskets of flowers.

Of course, I wanted to do this.

I had never done it before and how fun would that be.

I'll have to admit it was a little overwhelming at first as I had to decide how many planters to do,

what size did I want them and then what flowers did I wish to plant in them.

So many questions and I was a total novice at this.

I always plant the same impatients, petunias, and lobelia every year.

There were hundreds of plants to choose from.

I'm sure they noticed the panicked look on my face and took pity on me.

I was taught how I wanted to combine tall plants, mounding plants, and trailing plants in my pots.

There are multiple colors of blooms to be chosen with each plant.

A purple flower should always go in a pot to make it "Pop".

I did realize there are shade plants and sun plants, but there are also
plants that can be in shade or sun if they have enough water.

Or plants that only need a few hours of sun and it can even be early morning sun.

 

So then I had to decide where I was going to put each pot that I did.

The decisions were overwhelming!!

Luckily they weren't life changing decisions for me, only for the plants.  

Here's some of my baskets when I finished planting.

There are tall plants, mounding plants and trailing plants all included.

My friend Rachelle hard at work. She had done this before, she was like an expert.

Empowerment

Jeff and I recently returned from spending four days at Front Sight in Neveda

doing handgun training.

Awesome is the only word that describes it.

It is intense and invigorating.

The facilities are impressive, the quality of instruction is top notch.

Safety is their main consideration along with respecting your weapon.

The days are long and exhausting.

One day we were hot and sweaty 

and the next day we were dressed in coats and braving serious wind gusts as we shot.

They never stop, never apologize for the weather, never cut it short.

It is by far the most empowering thing I have ever done.

I am a woman, an older woman I must admit,

but now I can handle a handgun.  

I can shoot a handgun accurately,

and I understand the ramifications of using it.  

I am Empowered!!

 We would shoot, check our shots, tape them and shoot again.

 The 1911 Boys

 Our partners in "Crime"?

 Not a bad shot for an old lady!! (It is a one inch square)

Jeff shot incredible the entire four days!!!

 The last two days you conceal your weapon with a jacket or vest before you draw to shoot.
They just want to add one more thing to think about to make it more complicated.

 Jeff rescuing me from the hostage takers.  I had no doubt he would save me.

Unfortunately when I was rescuing him I clipped his clavicle.  It was not life threatening.  

Our instructor, Rena.  The range master and line coaches were all male

so it was nice to have a female instruct us.  

We made good friends with her so we could get a little extra help.

I will be back!!