At the new house there is a gigantical maple tree out front (well there are several out back too) and the girls were so excited about this because they knew come fall we would have a yard full of leaves.  They have been raking and raking the last few days…making these huge piles to jump in.  Oh how I remember doing that as a kid.  And burying myself in the piles.  My girls do the same thing.  I love the smell of the leaves.  And I love it when they come inside with their hair full of leaves.

It has been unseasonably warm this weekend.  It kinda feels like summer.  Shorts and t-shirts are the wardrobe of choice.  So naturally your first thought would be…

“Mom?  Could we PLEASE sleep on the trampoline tonight?” asked Laney in the most humble voice she could muster.

“Laney.  It’s November.  You will freeze to death out there at night.  No.  You cannot sleep on the trampoline.”

“But wwwwwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy??????”

“You can do it in the summer when it is warm…if you can ward off the mosquitoes.”

“We can cover ourselves with a big blanket!” exclaimed Ava.

They ran off to plan.

We didn’t have to worry about people stealing our pumpkins and smashing them…oh no.  Other “things” were afoot last night.

Corey and I are laughing and laughing.  The girls are not.   So now our jacks look really creepy for Halloween…or maybe just gross.  Laney begged me not to take a photo and both girls want us to throw them away before the trick or treaters arrive.  Muahahahahahah!

Safe and sound.  Tired and happy.  ;D

I don’t usually post while on vacation.  However.  This year we are staying in a hotel.  Just to shake things up.  And I find that staying in a hotel makes it a little more conducive to using a computer than staying at a campground does. ;D

…the traditions that we come up with as a family.  Some I try to plan.  Some just evolve.   Anderson Farms was definitely a “planned” tradition.  It took hold and we love it.  One tradition that has surprised me…Moab.  For the last…it will be 3 years now…every fall…we go to Moab for vacation.  I don’t know what it is about this place that we all love.  But we all do.  This year for Fall Break, Corey and I tried to suggest a different location to the girls.  No Way!!!!  It was MOAB the whole way, baby!

So we embark this week on another trip to Moab.  Arches National Park.  4 wheeling.  Hiking.  Wandering around the rock shop we love.  And looking at vistas like these…

I wonder how many years we are going to do this. ;D

We made our annual pilgrimage (here we are in 2008 & 2009) to Anderson Farms this weekend.  I came home sunburned…yes I keep forgetting I live in Colorado when that can happen at ANY time of year…and exhausted.  What did I find best of all?  I didn’t come home exhausted because my lungs were riddled with blood clots…as they were 1 year ago when we went.  And we didn’t even know that’s what was bothering me.  No.  I came home exhausted because I was able to go and do with my family.  Maybe not like I “used” to…but gettin’ there!

Last weekend we took a drive through the mountains to see the foliage.  Believe it or not…the whole 6 years we have been living here we haven’t done that.  Maybe its because the foliage here, while beautiful, just doesn’t really compare to where we grew up…New England. ;D  I will say that there isn’t anything that compares to the Rocky Mountains!  Except maybe the ocean.

We drove on the Peak to Peak highway.  It was really beautiful.  I love what Ava had to say about it.  “Mom, it was a lot of fun.  Except for the part when we were in the car driving.  That was really boring.”

“But Ava, that was most of the trip.  The driving.”

“I know.”

These are just some of the many photos I took…

Black Hawk, a gambling town.  I took photos of the “older” part of town cause I found it more interesting.  No we didn’t stop for gambling…just photos. ;D

Some foliage…with vistas…

Ava, taking photos with me.  Me taking photos of her. ;D

St. Malo Historic Church…

We ended up in Estes Park.  This time of year there are elk everywhere because it is mating season.  The males are in the rut and bugle constantly.  They even have what’s called an Elk Fest.  It just happened to be the weekend we went up there.

Do you remember when you were a kid (well maybe you still do it…he he) and there were certain words that you just couldn’t pronounce correctly?  Mine was basghetti. ;D

The girls’ school had their annual Fall Festival.  Laney was so excited.  Every five minutes she kept asking if we were going.  “Is it time yet?”  The cutest part was she was saying “festible” instead of “festival”.  It made me smile every time! ;D

It is quiet in the house.  Not that it isn’t usually.  I’m just a little surprised.  I was expecting there to be more going on after my hospital stay.  But everyone is gone!  And will be gone for a bit.  The girls both have sleepovers after school tonight and Corey is going mountain biking tonight after work.  I’m all alone!  I just thought that I would be more sick and there would be more people here.  However…

My “procedure” went really well.  Better than I expected, actually.  They got the IVC filter out!  I’ve been feeling pretty good.  My only issues have been from the anesthesia…and that is a little unusual, for me…and I’m just a little tired.  I was bracing for all the things that happened the last time they tried to remove the filter and it just hasn’t happened that way.  I’m glad.  It’s just surprising.  I got all ready for a month’s worth of recovery and I’m actually doing fine.  I would just like to thank God for this.  I would also like to thank everyone for the well wishes and prayers.  I’m a little dumbfounded so I don’t have much to say! ;D

It was raining last night and Laney went out to enjoy it.  Here she is! ;D