12 on 12: February featuring mostly Keaton (like always)

1=> Frantically hurrying to finish this book so I could send it to my little sister Maddie for her 14th birthday!
2=> Lunch with Justin/Dad at the Picket Fence Cafe- YUM!
3=> Keaton enjoying his chicken strip and fries.
4=> A trip to the library to pick up our book club read for the month and a fun book for Keaton.
5=> Oh, we also borrowed Dumbo from the library.
6=> Keaton showing off how smart he is with his shapes. :)
7=> Keaton and his best friend- Todd the puppy.
8=> Finally got him to smile.
9=> Haircut time!
10=> Keaton loved watching himself in the mirror during his haircut.
11=> Some late night reading while cuddled up in our Valentine blanket.
12=> I want some... but even though I bought them weeks ago they still aren't open cause they go hard to fast once they are open and I love them soft!

Here's too Fall.

On Monday, Keaton and I spent our day cleaning the house and putting up all our Halloween decorations together. Keaton loved it. He now walks around the house pointing at and naming all the "pumpkins," "ghosts," and "spiders" while whispering, "Oh... scary..." under his breath. Amazing how something so little and silly can make my day so happy. :)

Without a doubt this is my absolute favorite time of the year. Fall is at its beginning and I can feel and see it all around me- in the falling/color changing leaves outside, the temperature changing to be just right for lots of afternoon walks and bike rides, the change of scenery/smell in our home as we enjoy not only the fun fall decorations, but also the amazing fall scents in my scentsys and wallflowers- not to mention the fun Halloween movies and shows that are just waiting to be watched, good books to re-read like Harry Potter (that I just was spoiled with by my wonderful husband and now have ALL the ebooks!), and my new read for this Fall season- Dracula. The changes that occur during the Fall season happen all of the sudden, and all too quickly, and I am bound and determined not only to enjoy every single moment of this Fall, but hopefully to also find some new, good (perhaps even wonderful) changes in myself.  

For isn't that what Fall is all about- change? This change in season seems the most drastic out of all the seasons, which is perhaps one of the many contributing factors as to why it is my favorite. And, perhaps this year more than any other year before, I not only love and have looked forward to this change, but I also feel I truly am in need of it. In this life that holds so many unknown and uncontrollable experiences, both good and bad, I look forward to the small, simple, most favorite pleasures in life [for me]- like the changing colors of the leaves- always consistent, always beautiful. This Fall my plan is to let all my fears, anxieties, and frustrations at life fall away. I feel optimistic, content, and most importantly happy, and I look forward to this Fall with open arms and will gladly let it lead me on to Halloween parties, Thanksgiving celebrations, and right into Christmas and the New Year- and every little, wonderfully amazing moment in between.

A last minute trip with our friends, the Spicer's.

We were supposed to go on a trip to Nauvoo (with our friends Ben and Kari Spicer) over the long Labor Day weekend, but hurricane Isaac was supposed to be visiting Nauvoo the same time as us so... sadly we decided it would be best to go another time. We cancelled our trip and didn't have any plans for the weekend anymore and we were a bit sad and at a loss for what to do that would be fun until... the Spicer's called around 5 pm on Friday afternoon and asked, "Crazy question, but would you guys want to come with us to Missouri instead?" So, about 2 hours later, we were on our way to Missouri. I packed so quickly I knew I was bound to forget something important, (turned out those important things were a jacket for myself and our camera battery charger, but I made it through the weekend without both fairly well...) but we were all happy to be heading somewhere that we had never been before to have a fun family adventure with our friends in tow!

Ben and Kari were nice enough to watch this crazy little boy (on Saturday afternoon, after they did a session themselves) while Justin and I did a session together in the Kansas City, Missouri Temple. It was an amazingly beautiful temple and it was so nice to be there together- it had been much too long in between our last visit and this one.

After the temple, we all went shopping together at a really fun outdoor mall and then ended our day with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory- so yummy!

On Sunday, after going to church together, we headed to the visitors center in Independence, Missouri where we watched a wonderful video about families, (I bawled through the whole entire thing, I loved it so much.) and learned a little about the pioneers, and other fun stuff like that. (We watched a bunch of "Mormonads" which I also really enjoyed and often got quite teary over.) :)

We also made another trip back to the temple on Sunday to take a picture with our whole family. Although Keaton wasn't all that cooperative... these two pictures were the best we got.

Our next stop was Liberty Jail. Where we were taken on a wonderful tour and learned a lot of Joseph's time in Liberty Jail and got to see the jail itself.

Our last stop of the day on Sunday afternoon was Adam-Ondi-Ahman. What a beautiful place!

Then on Monday morning we woke up early enough to do a little bit more shopping in the state of Kansas at the American Girl store! :) (The boys especially loved this place! Ha.)

Okay, so maybe they liked the Disney store and the Lego store a little bit better than what they called the "doll store."

Oh, yeah, and we got the chance to not only meet, but also get our picture taken with Justin Bieber!

And, then my wonderful husband let me get this super cute new cover for my Nook that I am just simply in love with and read with my Nook in it our whole drive home. :)

It was a awesome trip. We all had such a great time together and look forward to our next family adventure- hopefully in Nauvoo- sometime in October! It is just so fun visiting new places, exploring church history sites, and being together with family and great friends!