Saturday, October 30, 2010

Autumn



I have always liked calling fall "Autumn." I think it's because Autumn is a beautiful word that could be a name for a girl as well. It's also kind of confusing to spell which adds to its allure. I am known for pretty much hating every season that isn't end-of-spring-when-it's-practically-summer and summer. I am just a warm weather kind of gal. I thought that having a baby would bring new meaning to each season and perhaps it has on a few occasions, but for the most part, fall and winter are still the seasons where everything is getting ready to die or it's dead and covered under six feet of ice.

I may have exaggerated a little.

Joni Mitchell perfectly describes this time of year in her song "Urge for Going." She sings,

Now the warriors of winter they gave a cold triumphant shout
And all that stays is dying and all that lives is getting out
See the geese in chevron flight flapping and a-racing on before the snow

They've got the urge for going, they've got the wings so they can go

Sometimes I feel like going. I'd love to forget that Spokane isn't a green, sunny, warm city and live in a perpetually tan state of being. Perhaps this is one reason why I am so excited to go to Hawaii next week. Ha.

JJ, Owen, and I will be heading to the tropical island of Kauai for 11 days. He is performing his beautiful cousin's wedding (at the end of an 11 mile hike along the Na Pali coastline, of course) while I hang back and enjoy the beach for a couple of days with little Owen. I badly wish that I could take the hike with Owen and while I have ignored advice to not do dangerous things in the past (like go to Romania after two weeks of bed rest), I am going to trust my gut and sit this one out. I just got to thinking that the "pack it in, pack it out" rule with diapers might be a little much for me and mother nature to handle. Add the daily rain storms, wild goats, and undrinkable water, plus a crying, pooping, needing to eat every three to four hours baby and you've got yourselves a disaster, folks. So, I will work on my tan while Owen works on eating sand and by the time JJ gets back from his hike, Owen and I will be rested up and ready to take care of JJ's aching body. But he only gets ONE DAY to rest. Then we are off to enjoy the island before it disappears in time. Oh wait, that only happens on LOST. I only hope that if the island does skip through time, that we are still on it and it lands sometime in the 70s. I'm just saying.

Anyway, here are some highlights of the fall so far. Hopefully, it will appear that I am not such a spoil sport when it comes to this change of season. Owen and I have been feeding squirrels and going for some walks. Owen is also rolling over now which provides at least 5 minutes of fun for us before he freaks out.

JJ and our nephew, Chase at Greenbluff, looking for the perfect peaches
Chase LOVES Owen and is so good with him


Riding the truck out to get peaches


Owen napped the whole time and didn't get to eat a single peach!


Owen and dad having a good laugh

Owen and I have started feeding squirrels and we watch them from our big window
He was particularly excited about them this day


Grammy got a good picture of Owen laughing, but I think he was rehearsing for his lion Halloween costume


Uncle Matt had to work for a few days in Spokane, so he came for a visit


Owen, reading a book on a cold day


He loves looking outside and sometimes, if you take him away from the window he is inconsolable (as Grammy found out) until you bring him right back


A tired little lion, after a Halloween party






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