Fallin' Trees...

Fall Break fell at the perfect time on the old calendar this year.  The stars aligned and Grandma's Fall Break coincided with ours, and Daddy-o's work schedule was flexible, and everyone had a couple of days to relax together before we got up before the sunrise to hunt.

So of course, we filled our plate with other worthy fall activities...

We hit up the orchards in Notom and picked apples.  Our harvest is sweet & crisp and the fallen fruit of the orchards created that tangy, cidery scent of overripe apple juice fermenting in the fields.  The day was perfect.  The last taste of summer and the first hint of fall in the breeze.

We fell a tree and cut it into stumps, one of which will be used in our new little man's nursery.  Having a little piece of our favorite mountain in his living space makes me nothing short of giddy.

We practiced our wheeler skills in Grandpa's backyard x 17 rounds.  Dax may or may not be completely obsessed with "little red" and can start it on his own, shift on his own, park it like a champ, and drive like a wild man.

Oh Fall - you're all right in our book.  And we'll be hitting up a pumpkin patch near you very soon, so though I try to talk myself out of becoming a walking fall cliche - I'm not too successful just yet.

Deer Hunt...

I have no clever title to name this post, because the deer hunt is what it is.  Not in a bad way... in the best of ways.  I went through phases of my life with regard to this annual tradition; sometimes I was less fond of the outing in the mountains, and the early morning wake up calls, and the self-imposed pressure I felt to have a successful outcome.  Other times, I took the season as a chance to get out and see the fall colors, stuff my face full of pine nuts, and laugh at my Dad and crazy uncles and all their crude jokes and funny "isms".  

And now... I get it all.

It's literally like a seasonal jackpot around here.  My husband.  My boys.  My Dad & Mom.  My uncles.  My cousins.  My brother & sister.  My people, you know?  All together, all hiking through the trees and taking in the colors and scents of fall in the mountains as we uphold a tradition called,

"The Deer Hunt".

I've memorized many of the old bumpy roads.  I've carved my name in trees year after year as I have had successful kills.  I have heard story after story about my Grandpa, the logger, the miner, the builder of roads and things.  And you know what... I'll listen to them twenty-nine more times because these textures of the deer hunt make me who I am and will forever be a part of my fiber.

To share that with my crew is the ultimate.  It's like they're enrolled in "Who I Am - 101" and I'm one of their adjunct professors and every other family member that takes the time to load up and pack coolers and hike along with my little blaze orange wearin' crew are the tenured crowd, dedicated to showing them the veins of the leaves, and the way the fog rolls in off the rim, and how to roast and crack peanuts for the road.  

These early years of going on the hunt represent their first wobbly steps in what will hopefully turn out to be a lifelong stride of getting to know who they are through their family's traditions, ideas, stories and sparks of talent & passion.  I love that.  

Did we get a deer?  Yep.  Is it the biggest take away of our time in the mountains together?  Not even close.  But these little faces... they learned a whole lot.  Saw a whole lot.  Heard new stories and walked through patches of trees that filled with fog and dew.  

And that... that constitutes a trophy hunt, right there.

Little Weekend Things...

I have somehow fallen behind on the family blog.  Life, man... it's happening at a "speed of sound" kinda rate right now or something, but there are some magical little shots from the last few weekends that deserve a nod because some of my very favorite things are happening right now and they make me come alive...

The colors.  Though sparse this year, RyGar and the boys found some patches of goldenrod and flame orange this past weekend while hunting and they dutifully snapped them up in pixel form and sent them to me.  My only request when the boys go play in the mountains is that I get some photographic evidence of their time together.  Ryno came through like a champ.

 

Tiny man child getups.  Seeing them in their little camo pants and blaze orange jackets?  That's one of my favorite things.  The dirt around their nostrils and smudged on their cheeks is like the cherry on top.  The whole scene makes me come alive... and if I thought I loved RyGar when we got married, I never saw the train that was coming that was Ryan as a father.  Man oh man, I love that dude.

A good fall festival.  While the big boys were away, Ace and I got to play with my sista and Haven.  These little loves were just tickled pink to be together and to be the center of their Mamas' attention.  The corn kernels I'm still finding in the dryer?  Yep - they make me come alive as I relive that day in our little fall village made complete with the best carmel apple I've ever eaten.

A bump.  Like an official, "Oh you're pregnant" bump that isn't mistaken for anything else.  I love this little basketball...  I love getting to feel him roll and kick around in their and literally feel life inside me.  Now if only we could zero in on some names.

The Gardner Guys in their "Primary Program Sunday Best"... the vests had me all, "Oh HEY there dapper dudes", throw in some yellow, the color of happy, and I was smitten.  They rocked the mic that day like professional public orators.  Budding Junior Senators is what we have here.

 

 

The great flood of 2015.  We had a hail/rain storm unlike any other I've ever seen in our neck of the woods, and the aftermath made my front yard the lake front property I never imagined I would have.  It took all day to finally flow through the drainage system and our front yard became a play place to every kid in the hood.

Step-for-step.  RyGar was working in the yard and our little Ace Face pulled out his "mighty machine" and followed him around dutifully for an entire afternoon.  He didn't falter once, didn't even think of quitting and mimicked his Daddy-o's every move.  It was dreamy.

Rope swings by the lake.  We took a Sunday stroll and found ourselves a swing.  I still see their ultrasound profiles every now and again and it's kinda magical.  That's not just the hormones talking, right?  Naaaahhhh.

Silly faces at soccer Saturdays.  We may not have it all mastered quit yet, but dangit, we be workin' on it.  Though Kael has not professed soccer as his first great love, he has worked harder this year at practice and at his games than in year's past and we see some major improvements.  It's fun to watch him grow and excel, even if it's at something that may not always be the most "fun" for him.  And I love that they are all growing their muscles, their intensity and their knowledge that they can be a team player and do hard things.

Did you make it?  Whew.

I know all these little things that make me come alive are too big and too wonderful to hold inside.  So here I am, writing them down, saying them aloud and putting them into the world, because no matter how small our "little weekend things" seem now - they'll be the things that mattered most when we look back on our Saturdays & Sundays in suburbia during an Indian Summer.

Another Day Another Field Trip...

This week I got to accompany Dax and Ace on a field trip to Heber Valley Artisanal Cheese Factory.  I swear, they may not be learning a ton each and every day in Preschool, but their mama sure is - on each and every field trip!  

For example, I bet you didn't know that each Holstein cow on a dairy farm produces 6-12 gallons of milk a day.  This requires that they drink an entire bath tub full of water each day... every cow!  I mean... really?  Can you even?

Holsteins are the best milk producers, but they have fewer components in their milk so if you're actually a cheese maker or a butter maker, you may be more interested in Guernsey or Ayrshire cattle.  So much science to be considered like milk fat content and protein and breeding speed?  Gah.  These dairy farmers are freakin' geniuses.

Beyond my brain swelling with interesting facts, the boys LOVED the nursery.  The little cows over in this section of the dairy farm were a week to three-months old and they were ADORABLE!  Ace was the first to volunteer to let a wee one suck on his fingers like a little baby cow binkie.  And once he giggled his head off, most of the rest of the preschoolers followed suit.

Just one of my babies making friends with one of their babies...

  It was a gorgeous day in one of my favorite valleys in the state no matter the time of year.

I think I'm ready to make the move and become a milkmaid, Ryno.

Dax is still considering... :)

 Thanks all you milk cows of the world and hats off all you smart, hard-working dairy farmers.  Where would we be without our nightly cup o' "Chock Milk"? 

Orcharding...

Last week Ace's preschool class visited Burgess Orchards.  And you guys... if there is something better to do on October one than visit an apple orchard you will have to spell it out for me because it was EPIC!

The sweet lady that gave my little gents the tour grew up in the farm house on the orchard with her siblings and she let the boys prune, pick, and process apples like little worker bees.  If you are unfamiliar with my little hands-on work horses... they DIG gettin' down and dirty.

She read them a story in her "former Kindergarten teacher" reading voices.  She taught them apple picking songs and explained how they would paint the trunks of the trees to protect them from heat.  She even showed them the hydraulic apple press where they make apple cider.

And then... the little dudes got to taste some cider, some fruit leather, some applesauce, some dried apples and finally they chose two apples each, which they sent down the conveyor belt and hand bagged themselves.  Process complete.

Kael told me on the way out, "When that nice lady retires I'm gonna come work here and pick the apples for them."  Dax and Ace quickly agreed that they would like to grow up and work at the orchard together.

I'm thinking of just dropping them off there during harvest time... no payment necessary... just put the little farm hands to work, please!