It's officially fall! (Cause I said so)

My grandma forwarded this picture to me, it was taken by my cousin near her house in Fairview. How awesome is that? Can you look at that and say there is no God? And that He is not amazing? Not me. I love it when the leaves change! I watch to see the first dots of red on the mountains, it's just so beautiful.
I took these while we were at the park the other day. My friend Tiffany posted a blog that has inspired me to strive to be a little better mom every day. I have really tried hard this week--Monday we went to the park, and I pushed my kids every time they asked, and we read stories, and played Wii--and I did no house work until "quiet time" It was a really great day! I am trying to savor these moments I have with my little ones, because I know they won't be little for long. It is hard not to wish they were older, so things would be so much easier. Then I remind myself of what I was like as a preteen/teenager, and try even harder to hold on to these fights (about popsicles or markers rather than boys & piercings!) I love my kids so much, and want so much for them to remember the fun things we did together, not a grumpy mommy shooing them out so I could finish the dishes or fold the clothes. All those things need to get done, but I am just making a conscious effort to have them come after time with the kids does. It has been amazing to see the change in their behavior. The days that we have spent a lot of time just being together, they are so much sweeter, and even nicer to each other. I don't know how many of you read the NieNie dialogues, but her story has inspired me also. You just never know what is going to happen tomorrow, or next week, so we need to wrap our arms around TODAY! She looks like she did/will do so many fun things with her kids, but even she locked them out in the backyard one afternoon so she could have so peace! I love to see when even the moms that you think are "perfect" need some alone time. Anyway, so we had fun at the park! Fall also means not many more days at the park--so live them up!

This is my mountain--right outside my window! I love it!
Yup--those are peaches--and I canned them! With the help of my wonderful mother-in-law of course, but there they are. They may not taste good, but I actually canned! We did green beans last year, and the butter earlier this year, that makes 3 whole canning experiences for me. I am so proud, not as in a prideful way, but proud as in I accomplished something. The cannery here in Lindon was giving away peaches because they had no more time to can them (late season I guess) My kind neighbor grabbed me some, and boy do they go south in a hurry! We saved enough for 7 bottles--hooray. I do not fancy myself as a dooms-dayer by any means, but lately I have been having that scary, uneasy feeling about the way things are going in our country, and the world, and am anxious to get prepared. We are working really hard right now to get out of debt completely, which will feel SO nice when we are there. It is hard right now, budgeting, and being strong against sales & things, but I am getting a different kind of "high" from paying things off, and saving. Crazy--I know.