Capitol Adventures

^^ The gorgeous view from the stair of the Capitol. ^^

^^ I was watching close and stepped away to take a quick picture, but Brooks was a sweet worried brother of Ava on the stairsBaby Ava!! You be care-foo!" ^^

After running some errands in Salt Lake last week, we stopped at the Capitol building on our way home. Goodness that building and land around it is gorgeous! It makes me happy to see autumn linger in the city, especially in such a charming area. Loved walking around with Brooks and Ava (chasing after them too), catching them share kisses, getting cozy with Ava in our sling, standing with Brooks in awe as a helicopter flew over our heads, and then watching our Nation's flag whip in the wind...and as a mother myself, I couldn't help but think of the mothers (and fathers) who have said goodbye to their sons and daughters who leave to serve in the United States Armed Forces.  Makes my mama heart ache and feel inspired at the same time! It's incredible, the sacrifices the veterans of our country have made. I know Veteran's Day was last week, but and Thank You Veterans--you and your families.

Sunday in the Mountains

A few Sundays ago, Adam and I decided to go for a spontaneous day trip to his family's cabin, just the kids and us. It was gorgeous and we were so glad to be able to enjoy the last of the fall beauty up there! Upon arriving, we hoped in the jeep parked up there, and the bumpy ride up the mountain made for some good laughs. :) We soaked up the view of the valley, it was breath taking to say the least. Brooks could've stayed up there all day, just throwing rocks and saying, "Whoa! So far!!" :) Ava stayed cozy in my sling. And I stole some kisses from my sweetheart. All of that combined with the fresh mountain air, it was good for the soul. And on our drive back to the cabin, we spotted the bull moose (after which they named their cabin "Moose Mountain Lodge")! The kids loved it, and I'm wishing I had captured their farewells on video, "Bye Moose! Byyyye!" We ended our day on a sweet note by playing around in the newly built treehouse, and sipping on hot cocoa on the back porch. It was one of those days that wasn't planned, but turned out to be one I'll never forget. 

That's how I think it often happens--our best adventures are the ones we never planned on, but treasure the most.

The Kjars Take California

Last month we went with the Kjar family to California. It was a fantastic trip! After a glorious day at a beach in Malibu, our destination was the Danish town of Solvang. Mama and Papa Kjar wanted to take everyone to Solvang to experience a bit of the Kjar heritage from Denmark, and during Danish Days! It's such a charming town and we our time there, as well as some time spent at neat surroundings (Ostrich Land!) with the family.

From a few of the pictures, it's probably apparent that one of my favorite things were the pastries. Can you blame me? They were so-o-o good.

**Excuse the low quality of the photos in this video...

Pumpkining at Rasmussen Farms

^^ You can watch a little video and listen to their laughter here! ^^

^^ Brooks took this picture of Ava and me. :) Thanks sweet boy! ^^

Last year we missed going to Rasmussen Farms to pick out pumpkins with the Kjar cousins, and it was so fun to go back! It's hard to beat the nostalgia of picking the perfect pumpkin, watching the kids have a blast pulling around and riding in vintage Radio Flyer wagons, eating apples right off the tree, and soaking up fall weather. It started off a little rocky (two little people fell asleep on the way, and woke up and little unsure;) but it didn't take long for them to realize they were in Autumn heaven. We left with some great pumpkins and sweet memories. :)

You can see past years of pumpkin picking here:
2010
2011
2012

Picnic on the hardwood floor.

It was rather rainy out today, so to brighten it up we had a little picnic inside. Nutella sandwiches, raspberries, apple slices + almond butter...with my two favorite littles. It was a lovely afternoon indeed!