Junie's announcement

I've been waiting for Sam to post this on his blog but he hasn't yet, so I guess I get to be first.  Really, just because he drew the picture shouldn't mean he gets to take all the credit.  Who designed the rest of the announcement and made that bird silhouette and selected the fonts, for crying out loud?  Me, that's who.  (Of course, everything I know about Painter and Photoshop I learned from Sam, so . . . )

I didn't ever post pictures of our announcements for the other kids, but you can find the baby pictures Sam drew for them here.  It really is lovely having an artist in the family.

I also didn't mention when we sent these out so you can imagine that it was months and months ago.

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Toasted

This person apparently belongs to the same pagan sect that performed this strange rite

I've been slow admitting Fall this year.  I was totally convinced that since summer was late starting, it should be late ending, and the fact that nobody ever guaranteed any such thing is just dawning on me now.  We've had nice summery weather, but it's chilly up in the canyons and at morning and evening.  I do love Fall.  I'll be posting lots of pictures of changing leaves, probably. (This blog is "light-in-leaves," after all.)

Looks like the colors are a little behind where they were last year.  There are lots of yellows and oranges here and there, but not many big clumps of foliage where everything is colored.  I love how the tips of trees acquire a slightly toasted look just before their transformation, like a paper about to burst into flame.  You can almost see those flames spreading over the mountain ridges---more trees everyday.

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Textures and yellow light

Another lovely time of year at Red Butte Garden.  There are still a lot of flowers but everything is starting to look a bit exorbitant and overgrown.  France in the 1780s.  We better enjoy it while we can!

Eating her sandwich.  She did eventually finish it.

Junie loves to be outside

There were lots of butterflies out and I saw these two gorgeous ones!

Love these textures

Black-eyed susans

Glowing berries

I like this picture; it captures the warm and cool dichotomy that seems so characteristic of Fall

Luminous baby at sunset

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This is going to be a long wait

Here is what Sebby said the other day, in his Disneyland-ride-loudspeaker voice, as we were playing "roller coaster" together:

"Please, no eating or drinking on the ride.  Keep your hands and arms inside at all times.  If you have a baby, please exit the ride until the baby is grown up."

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Wild animals, and other zoological curiosities

There has been an infestation of animals in the yard lately.  I would call animal control but they don't seem to be hurting anyone.  Just building factories and things.

The birdie will lie down with the bear

A lovely little nest

Cheetah-print (very on-trend for the season)

A braid (back and front)

I made a bunch of hats for Daisy a long time ago and she wouldn't keep them on her head.  Now she will (but they are starting to get too small).  And now that she has hair I don't feel like she needs a hat so much.  Ah well.

She likes to dress herself up in anything she can find lying around (and by "lying around" I mean, even in laundry baskets, drawers, etc.)  Here she has Abe's sunglasses, Ky's shoes, Sebby's socks, and somebody's old backpack.  And Sebby's lawnmower.  When the older boys are at school she really lives it up with their toys. :)  (Don't worry Mom, this is before I fixed the sleeves on her dress)

Aren't they cute?

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The CSF (I call it the CSF)

Tootsie-roll-mouth

We don't actually live in Provo, but we make it a point to attend the Provo City Services fair whenever we can.  Last year it was rained out, so this was Daisy's first time.  She rode in the bucket truck with the others and loved it!  (5 people in one bucket--a new record!)  I was happy to stay on the ground and record the event for posterity.  Malachi thought he would be scared, but afterwards he said, "I was NOT scared a BIT!"

It was about 90 degrees in that hot parking lot.  We thought we would die of thirst.  These helicopter blades provided a nice breeze for a few minutes, though.

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I really like these tiny people

Frown and Smile

Happy runners

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If we do this stuff, we will run and not be weary

A long time ago I recorded one of Abraham's Primary talks and posted it here.  While I was listening to it again, I was thinking how I had totally forgotten that sweet little voice of his.  (He was good at saying his "r"s . . . unlike some others I could name :))

So here is Malachi giving his recent Primary talk about the Word of Wisdom.  I love the way he talks while breathing out AND while breathing in (very efficient).  I also love the little touches with which he makes this talk his own ("If we do this stuff," Leek Soup as part of the word of wisdom, etc.  One time while practicing he used "Fanta Orange" as an example of something we should drink).  It is strange to think that someday I will have forgotten how 3-year-old Ky sounds too.  Then I'll listen to this to remind myself.

word_of_wisdom_talk
Bonus Track: Ky reciting a poem ("What a conunder-drum!") Eggs

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A campfire

A seat for everyone (almost)

I think she's singing

Tongue

Seb, and someone's watermelon

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Watermelon Lemonade

I buy melon all summer and what we don't eat right away, I always freeze in baggies to make smoothies later.  (I got the best watermelon a few days ago which yielded me 10 bags full of fruit to freeze!)  Cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon smoothies are some of my favorites---but lately I can't get enough of this watermelon lemonade.  It's so easy to make that I almost hate to insult you with a recipe, but this will give you a starting point.  Feel free to adjust the ingredients to your taste.  I think it's particularly amazing with fresh mint in it, but I have made basil- and rosemary-flavored lemonades, and they're delicious too.

You can also make this with un-frozen watermelon, in which case you will get more of a traditionally thin lemonade.  I love it with the frozen melon because it makes a thicker, slushier drink.  It settles into a beautiful deep-ruby-to-pale-pink gradient as it sits in the glass---I think it looks so lovely.  The best kind of summer drink.  We sit out on the porch swing drinking it in the evenings, feeling like we are sucking up the marrow of life---er, or if we prefer not to use Thoreau's rather smug and unappetizing metaphor, we could say it's like we're hummingbirds enjoying the last of our summer nectar.  Try it!

Watermelon-Mint Lemonade

1 small baggie-full of frozen watermelon chunks (16-17 oz.), thawed slightly in microwave (I open the ziploc and microwave for about 40 seconds---enough to loosen the melon so you can get it out, but it's still mostly frozen)
1 c. water
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/4-1/2 c. honey or sugar
A handful of mint leaves

Add all ingredients to blender and blend.  Serve immediately, garnished with mint.

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September sunflowers

It is that sunny sunflower time of year again.  We were taking pictures by some sunflowers exactly a year ago too!  Was it really only one year ago that Daisy was a little bald baby?  I can hardly believe it.

'

She still gets this same look on her face, though.

Silly

All Daisy really wanted to do was sit by Malachi and watch a swarm (?) of ants.  She loves bugs.

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