I may be getting on top of things at work....does that ever really happen? I may be kidding myself. Yesterday I taught my last class for the year and I have 2/3 of the computers on the central server - how did that happen? Now if I can just get it together at home. I'm working on that.

We had a great Halloween party this year. We actually had 10 (really!!) tricksters. The most we've ever had. Thanks neighbors for dropping by.

Summer in our backyard

Jeremy's show and tell

Cody, Weston and Braxton taking off in a Starfighter.

Kyler and Austyn flying High!

I love sitting on the deck watching the sun rise. It's a little bit of peace for my brain. Just before the sun peeks over the mountain the sunbeams stream across the top of Timp and Lone Peak. The world seems a little softer. The night animals have settled down. Even the crickets are quiet. I put my head back and enjoy the splash of light as the sun rises. It warms and motivates me.

This summer I hiked nearly every morning. I'm so fortunate to live where I can walk out my door and be in the mountains. It's like a mini-vacation every day! In the spring the wild daisies salt the fields. As the weather warms up, the red paint brush, blue bells and black eyed susan add their colors. There are some wild lilacs and roses that add color - and scent, too. It's indescribably beautiful. Summer brings coneflower, sunflower and strawflower along with the grasses and sage.

One afternoon I took Logan and his buddy on the Horsetail Falls trail. Most of this trail is shaded by the oak brush and pines. The boys had fun splashing in the small creek that the trail follows and sometimes crosses. We saw a bald eagle circling above us and of course, there were imaginary bears, cougars and other wild animals. A storm came in just as we returned to the car and we were able to watch the lightening from the foothills.

Life

I really thought that by the time I was 50 I'd have myself together. This life really is a journey, and I sometimes feel lost. I have the road map, gps, and destination, but I keep getting side tracked. It's like I see something shiny and forget what my goal is. Anyway....I just looked at my friend, Jenn's blog and she has inspired me to "keep on, keepin' on".

I hope I'm a joyful person, but I think I might be a whiner. I am so blessed but I want more - I want more time, more grandkids, more travel, more fabric, more, more, more! I had a real epiphany the other day when a friend reminded me that I'm lucky to have some time off during the summer. I was feeling sorry for myself because I didn't have the whole summer break off - I have to work six weeks of the break. She reminded me that I was lucky to have a job I love, great people to work with, and six weeks off.

So I'm trying to look at the glass half full again. I do love my life. And I'm so greatly blessed. Looking at the list of my favorite things is just the beginning of what I love and am blessed with. Could I have it any better? I don't think I need it to be better - life is rich beyond my wildest imagination if I just take the time to remember my blessings.

Ssprinnng!

Last week was spring break. It was so great to be off for a while. The first couple of days were all about me. I read, slept and mostly did nothing. My niece, Bonnie and her family came from Texas to visit for a few days. It was a great way to spend the rest of my time off. It snowed the first few days. The kids had a blast, they couldn't get enough of it. I went with them to the Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Museum - we were there for about five hours! I think my favorite part was watching the kids play in the sand and water. On Sunday we had some family come over to visit. It was great to see Chuck, Angie and their families. We had such a great time.

We've been watching the wildlife move back to their summer homes. On Friday a bull elk and his harem were walking up the road on the ridge behind our house. It was so funny to watch them marching single-file up the road. I guess that's easier than pushing through the brush. One night last week Jerry called me upstairs to see a Huge owl at the top of our deck eaves. He shined a light on him - he just sat there and looked at us with his big, round eyes. Then he went silently into the night and was gone. We woke up one Saturday to a tapping sound on the side of the house....a woodpecker was digging the bugs out of the space between our storm drain and the house. He was a busy, noisy bird. We had to clear a cute little song bird and his nest out of our deck heater. We watched about eight hawks flying around on Saturday. And we have too many deer on the hillside to count. I even saw a fox on my way home from work the other night. The WildLife is exciting around our house!