Autumn Break

Raising two teenage boys has been a challenge, but Mark and I are making it through.  Every now and then we need to take a break.  Most of the snow has melted away, so I thought it was a good opportunity for Mark and I to sneak in some couple time.  We went to Starbucks and right next door was a small park.  We sat on a wood bench and watched a muskrat swim across the small lake and then he took a turn and swam right in front of us.  As we gazed at the lake enjoying our alone time I snapped this picture below.  Just love the reflection on the water.

Next snow storm is due to hit on Wednesday (same day as last week).  With Brandon's help we were able to cut down the broken branch on the tree in the backyard.  It was a pretty daring task, but the guys got it done.  Then they got on the roof and cleaned out the gutters.  We also have our sprinkler system winterized, so we are ready for the snow.

Snow

It snowed this week on Wednesday.  Since the autumn leaves were still on the trees, many branches were weighed down.  We went in our backyard and shook the snow off the branches we could reach.  We are blessed that only one branch broke out of the 3 big trees in our backyard.

Wednesday night we went to a potluck in honor of one of our pastors.  October is pastor appreciation month at our church.  It was great to be able to show our love and support.

It has been two months that we have lived in our new house.  I am slowly adjusting to the sounds of the house and the neighborhood.  How the light comes through the windows at different seasons and times of day.  Where to shop and then how the store is arranged so I can find everything I need.  Where I get my gas, etc.  Right now, I miss Golden.  I miss the small town feel as opposed to living in Lakewood where it is more big city.  As Eric told me, "Mom, you have to give it more time."  He's right.

Speaking of Eric, he is going for his Eagle Scout award.  It has been a bit of a challenge as he has less than two months to get it all done.  We are down to the wire.  It has me frazzled, but I am mostly letting his Dad manage it.  He doesn't need panic stricken Mom on his case.  Eek!  I will just be waiting in the wings for when he needs me.

Otherwise, I have been busy visiting with friends, going to Bible study, meeting with another woman to pray for our children, etc.  Oh, hubby got a new cell phone supplied by the company he works for since he got a promotion.  So with the extra money toward our cell phone budget he bought me one of those new android phones.  It seems in my old age I hate change, but I am learning this new phone.  Maybe I can be a hip Grandma after all.  ;-)  (BTW the picture above was taken with my new phone.  I even emailed to myself so I could post it on my blog.)

Autumn

We have all been so busy.  Both boys are on the Ultimate Frisbee team, so 3 days a week I am driving the freeway.  Then throw in having been sick, company, Mark's 11-day business trip, etc.  Well, I lost my momentum.  I have been trying to catch up and keep up.  Even so, I have realized that I need some "me" time, to refresh.  One day after dropping the boys off at practice, I went to my favorite park to do my annual Autumn walk through the park.  The colors are not as spectacular this year, but still was able to get some pretty shots.  Enjoy!

 This is a shot of the autumn colors in Golden, where I drop the boys off for practice.

 Here is a shot of Crown Hill Park.

 Here is a little bird I spotted down by the lake.  Don't know what kind it is, but I love birds.

 Here is a pretty shot of the nature center in the park.

Always love this path through the thick grove of trees.

Trying to Adjust

Do you ever have those times where you feel that life is in fast forward?  Well, I've been in one of those times.  Finally, I feel like life is slowing down, but I have to switch gears.  Sometimes we can get addicted to going fast.  Have you noticed that?  Okay, so here I am trying to slow down.  I know I really need it.  Why?  Well, I feel I really need time to connect with my new home.  In being busy I haven't really allowed that.  Lately, I've been feeling disconnected.  I keep thinking about how I felt at my Little Blue Cottage.  It felt like home, a haven from the nasty world.  So far Big Yellow Cottage doesn't feel that way for me.

My in-laws came for a visit.  They loved Big Yellow Cottage and felt immediately at home here.  I was so glad that they came, their visit helped me feel more at home here.  Having friends over has helped make it feel more homey also.  One of my girlfriends came over and she helped me decorate the "red" room in preparation for the arrival of my in-laws.  Here below are some recent pictures of the Big Yellow Cottage.

 Autumn is beginning to show its color.

 Took this one while sitting on the sofa in our living room.

 An Autumn sunset from our backyard.

 This is our master bedroom.

 This is the front entryway.

 This is the kitchen and laundry.

 The master bathroom.

And here is the "red" room.