I LOVE Autumn...EVERYTHING about it!

Everthing about Fall makes me tingle...from the crisp air first thing in the morning...and I am up EARLY...to the Changing of the leaves...to the wonderful layered sweaters and boots you get to wear! Once it's October...I think I become a FALL Food cooking maniac...Anything Pumpkin, bread, cookies, pies...and anything I can make in the Slow Cooker so I can smell it all day long! And of course a "Mulled Cider" Yankee Candle on the stove....Perfect! I can small Autumn already!

Jim's gone and I got to name a Llama!

What a week it's been so far...Jim is gone on a hunting trip with his wonderful sons Hunter and Chase...so I am on the air in the Mornings all by myself...What do I do?

Well for starters...I get the COFFEE all to myself...no sharing..except I have to make it since Jim is gone...The highlight so far is when my new friend Niki of JNK Llamas snet me this picture of their new little one and she needed name suggestions...knowing that she LOVES Starbucks...like I do...I thought the new "Vivanno" drink at Starbucks would make a beautiful name for such a beautiful baby llama...Yippee! I feel like a new proud mom again...without the 3 am feedings! HA! Can the week get ANY better? I don't think so!

School Daze...already?

I still have 3 kids headed to school! They are actually excited about it! I am too...normal schedules, earlier bedtimes, conversation about "How was your day?" and what did you have for lunch? I really do look forward to it and love surprising them occasionally with homemade cookies when they get home from school...Now I don't "Martha Stewart" it everyday..but the days I do...It is appreciated! And the smiles from my girls and the big hugs from my 6'2 16 year old son make it all worth while!

Back from vacation!

Why is it that vacation is just not quite long enough? Ours this year was wonderful! Our family enjoyed a week on Cannon Beach, Oregon and it was sunny most days! We spent every day on the beach...laying in the sand, wakeboarding and building castles! I even learned something new...making beaded earrings!

Very relaxing AND rejuvenating! Now back to work!

My daughter goes "On the Air"

She's just way too fun...so when my 10 year old Madison asked if she could fill in on the air when Jim was on vacation! I said sure...but you'll have to help me make the coffee and do weather forecasts AND get up at 4:30am! "No problem". We're having fun this summer exploring our new community and enjoying the sunshine, picking LOTS of berries and just being together...although that is difficult at times since my two teenagers have been "hanging" with friends most of the summer! I'm ready for school to start....are you?

My new babies...

I am a new mom...actually grandma...wait< I like mom better! The sweet kitty that adopted our family when we moved had a litter of adorable kittens. She is such a good momma kitty...She had her litter under my daughter's bed and then moved them to the closet where I prepared a box with a soft blanket for her...The kids are loving it! Even my 16 year old son has already found a soft spot for one special kitty and I often find him sitting in my closet these days...precious!

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to enjoy a couple of days with some friends at the beach! We had so much fun...just talking...walking the beach looking for shells...and of course eating lost of chocolate and doing a bit of shopping in the little beach town. I feel so refreshed!

I even had a chance to snap a few photographs while I was there...I just had to share them! (at the bottom of my Blog!)

A "Berry" good 4th of July!

Had a BLAST on the Fourth of July in our new community! My family enjoyed Fireworks over the water! We had a great spot in the grass on the bank and watched two beautiful displays on either side of us!

Earlier in the day we picked over 20 pounds of strawberries...how fun! I admit I have never picked berries before...I even remembered to bring my camera and got some fun shots of my family in the fields. When we got home... my daughters and I had fun making some Strawberry Jam and shortcakes for Strawberry Shortcake...The downside however, is that I have been eating Strawberry Shortcake almost everyday...even for dinner! YUM! Oh well...Berry Season only happens once a year...

Now I can't wait till the Raspberries are ready!