All dressed for fall....

I am not even sure how many months it has been since I have written anything.

I have missed my online journal and the truth is I kinda like this little space.  So I am going to give it a go again.  So much has happened since I last wrote.  

Big things.  

Little things and a million in between things.

All these memories adding up to be just so much.

I mean seriously my son was married.  I have a daughter in law.

I am a mother in law.

My second son graduated from high school and moved to Utah to work before he goes on a mission for our church to Panama City, Panama.

So I have 2 children not only out of our home but in 2 different states and I miss them so much. Most of the time my heart can't take it.

My daughter started high school and made the Varsity tennis team as a freshman.  To say that I was happy for her is a ridiculous understatement.  It's all Tom and I talked about for like a straight week.  Ok, we are still talking about it.

My little Charles started the fourth grade. If I told you how sweet this child is you simply would not believe the stories. 

He is simply pure joy. 

How do we process all this? The changes in life?

I haven't a clue so I will write about it slowly and over time.

It's fitting for me that I am starting to write again and it's fall.  Most things happen for me this time of year. Fall is my everything and all of it is my favorite.

It's raining outside and it hasn't rained in the East bay of San Fran since like last March or maybe May. My windows are open because it's not cold outside and the drizzling sound is heavenly.  My pumpkin candle is putting out it's perfect autumn scent.  I have a mug of tea sitting here in my birthday mug that my family gave me from Anthro. 

I just finished peeling about 40 apples from my tree and my Tamara's for applesauce. 

The house is so cozy that I can't believe I get to live here for at least one more day.

So here I have so many things to tell you but I am going to start with pictures of my home.

For me my little heaven on earth.  We got new windows and OMG but I am going to save that story as well. If you happen to see their fabulousness in the pictures then so be it.

This story is

 just my simple house dressed up for the season and showing off her perfect colors...

Thanks for looking and happy fall....

Looking forward...

Ever faithful time moved me right into my favorite season....yet again.

Usually I start collecting leaves, pumpkins and acorns as soon as they make their appearance anywhere.

I start puttering around my house putting up fall and Halloween touches. 

Not this year.

I have been nesting....and by nesting I mean throwing everything away.  

For you may remember my oldest son left for two years to teach people about Christ in Guatemala.

Two years!!!!!!!!

My heart has been near to bursting because he comes home October 30!

I get to hug him, hear his voice, hear his laugh.

I get my son back.

There are no words in the dictionary to express how much my heart has ached for him and how excited I am that he is coming home.

There are just no words or no way for my simple brain to convey the joy that I am feeling.

So in saying all this that is why I am nesting. I think it is the same feeling as when you are getting ready for your newborn baby.  

That excitement and feeling to prepare.

So when I opened up my fall and Halloween Tupperware with all my decorations in it instead of putting them up...  I did what any sane person would do and I threw them all away.

I just need everything to be simple, clean and ready.

I can't explain it.

So I used fresh pumpkins, apples off our tree and real leaves I gathered on my hike in the hills with my Tamara.

I used my tattered old books and dishes that remind me of what this time of year is all about...

Family get together's and cozying up on the couch, wrapped in a quilt, with a favorite book.

I am learning patience once again as each day seems to pass a little slower. 

I am counting down when I am at the Oakland airport and I look up and I see my boy, my son coming towards me with that smile.  

The smile that will light up his face with happiness in knowing that he has made a difference in so many lives.

A smile that says I am finally home.

I imagine my scream and the dead run towards him as I wrap him up in my arms and breathe him in.  I will study his face like I did when I held him in my arms 21 years ago from today.

I will cry.

In the end...

this is going to be my favorite fall ever and that is saying something because everything important to me has happened in the fall...and I mean everything.

http://lotsofcalls.blogspot.com/2008/10/pumpkin-patch.html

Fall in a nutshell (Some of my favorite fall memories)

I feel like I have to just briefly recap fall because so many wonderful things happen in the fall. If you know me at all then you know that fall is my favorite time of the year. It is that time of year when my children add another year in their ongoing book of adventures. That alone makes me nostalgic thinking of them growing, changing and starting a fresh year at school. It is more of a beginning to me then January 1st. So scroll down and you will have a vague idea of why when September comes around I find myself grateful to be apart of another magical autumn with my little family. These are my top favorite fall memories.

High up on the best list is Newport Beach. This beach trip is a dream come true for my family. I mean the schedule goes something like this. Wake up, get yourself and your family onto the beach, stand up and get your family off the beach and then you go to bed. In between there is solid laughing and screaming from our happy, sun-kissed children. The adults might go swimming. If you are Ang you will go swimming. But the majority of the time is spent laughing and talking completely oblivious of the ticking clock. Such a contrast to our busy lives at home when father time continually dictates our full days. So I happily add this to my list of fall favorite memories.

Thank you again Dad without you these magical moments would not exist.

This was Ella as she would try and adjust to beach life with a broken arm.

I don't know what to say about Emerson's face except to say it got a little too sun kissed.

The whole group minus a couple that had to fly home early.

Hooray for birthday season! Now these are definitely my best forever fall memories.

Ella kicks it off turning "9". She is sweet and wonderful and I thank my lucky stars that I got her. This is what I tell her everyday "We girls stick together." I would be the lone girl in the sea of boys without her. She is my little friend and an amazing helper. Thank you Ella for being sweet and wonderful. Remember always how special you are in every way just exactly the way you are.

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Next comes my sweetheart Benjamin. "Nothing but joy," is what I said everyday after his birth for three years. I guess I am still saying it. He is my gentle giant, my love, my one guy that says so freely, "I love you and thank you." He gives constant hugs and affection. I am not sure what I did in a previous life to get to be his mother but I will be eternally grateful. Happy birthday to my newest teenager. Please don't change....please, pretty please.

Here is to the one that made me a mother in the first place. A tender little spot in my heart reserved for him for that special purpose. He is the one that I first ached to hear him say those magical words...Mom. Nicholas is my comedian. The one that can gets me to laugh when I really don't feel like it. The one that gets the family belly rolling over some goofy accent or some hilarious observation. He takes his role as oldest seriously and knows that the other children are watching him. For this I am eternally grateful. How can you be "17" Nicholas? Please stop growing and if you won't stop, please remember how much I love you?

We spent a lot of time watching Nicholas play his first year of varsity football. All I can say is what a beast. This definitely is on the list

Benjamin had a fantastic year playing flag football and ended up taking 1rst place in the Walnut Creek football league. How can that not be on the favorite fall list?

This makes my memory list because when else are there going to be 3 million people on Market street in San Fran all in black and gold chanting, "Let's go Giants" at the top of their lungs. Or how about 3 million people on BART trying to get into the city. OK so that is not one of my favorite memories. In fact that one makes me want to cry. The air conditioning was out on the train and we couldn't move/breathe. It was quite horrific... but coming out of the train and up into that atmosphere of total elation for everyone is a highlight. We picked up Benjamin so he could come with us and experience the party. And what a party it was....

Thanksgiving is Tom's favorite holiday so I will add this for him. I will admit there is no where in the whole wide world that I would rather spend this day. Best food on the planet...no offense Mom but we really have perfected this meal.

I think this is why Thanksgiving is Tom's favorite holiday but I will have you know that this is not what I was doing and therefore perhaps why I don't have the same sediment.

OK I just love this day. It takes two things I love and quite simply combines them. Running and the Golden Gate Bridge. For all the people that follow my life so closely (ha ha) know that the day after Thanksgiving we run the Golden Gate Bridge and eat at Max's. It was postponed a day because our dear friends the Miller's were moving to Utah the day after so the day after that our tradition continued.

I am beyond happy in this shot and BTW I had my ipod on shuffle and the first song that just happened to blast in my ears was you guessed it... a little Journey, "When the lights go down on the city." Oh it made me smile and the day was so clear to boot.

Those goofy running buddies.

I know there are a lot of pictures of Ella. I just can't help myself.

What a picture to end on. This sums it up for me..I love where I live, I love fall and above all I love my family. Without them fall would be just another season instead of another magical autumn.