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Kash was a little jealous of Simeon's hair, so he did his best to match it.


Kash and Kyle


Happy Kash

Kyle's Home

It has been so great to have Kyle home for the last week and a half - we've tried to have a little bit of fun now and then....

Oh wait, they were being silly for a picture - go figure that one. These were taken the night that we went to hear Mark's band play at a dive tavern in West Salem. It was a lot of fun, although Scott was pretty much horrified by some of the clientele and their behavior. Watching Scott was almost as entertaining as watching the other people!

But we danced and danced and laughed a lot. Kyle decided to body slam me and Sara a few times so we grabbed him to settle him down and he thought we were going to make him do the splits!

Mark had to take a break, so Sara made me kiss him. We didn't mind too much. :)

Everyone seemed to have a really good time. We were there till almost 2 am!

October for the Brätts

It's been a busy month with Spencer working on our food storage (aka hunting). So far he's "harvested" 1 elk, 3 deer, a ton of birds, and there is 1 more elk in the waiting. Just so you know, only one of the deer is Spencer's, technically. He got one on the opening day but wanted one with more meat (aka bigger antlers). So his dad happily tagged it. A few days later Spencer got another one (the same size) and also helped out his cousin, David, who couldn't quite get it right and shot his deer in the rear.

Here's our provider, who dutifully spends all of his free time building the family food storage;)





I try to do fun things with Kash while Spencer is gone. This particular day we went on a picnic.





Kash received his baby blessing on October 11. He was told that he was blessed with a cheerful attitude and will be a great example to others. Spencer shaved off his [nasty] goatee for the event (praise the Lord).



I keep finding cottage cheese on my clothing and then I wonder how Kash keeps sneaking into the fridge... He's found his voice and loves to sing! Especially at 7 in the morning:) He's my little rooster. Kash is a happy baby. He smiles whenever he is awake (except when hungry or tired) and is just now starting to giggle instead of grunt when I tickle him. And he's definitely ticklish! He knows his mama and seems happiest at home. This video was taken as I blogged this...



Last of all, Halloween. It was really fun to dress up. We weren't invited to any parties, so we crashed the Brätt's ward party and invited Perry and Jana to dinner. It was a fun night with my little family. Thanks for Kash's costume, Mom and Mark:)

There is a song waiting to be sung....

I think there is a song of thanksgiving floating through the ether because I keep hearing it in my soul, but can't quite know the appropriate words or fully identify the notes. Do you ever feel music without being able to hear it? :)  This song would have to communicate a very full and grateful heart with a robust melody, and also share the peace of a quiet wonder with tinkly, fairy-like notes that would pirouette like the leaves that are falling....and blowing and dancing.  If we listen intently enough, the music is there....

So part of the lyrics would just be 'thank you' and the list of thankyou's would be very long: for Scott coming over for a Sunday evening and bringing beautiful flowers that I was able to share with Sara; for Mark taking us out to a wonderful dinner; for the visit to Idaho with Dustin, Samantha, Levi and Anna, and that Michelle and Kash came up to visit too, and my sweet children buying me sweet chocolates, handpicked; for Sara leaving a bag of goodies in my car, a typical Sara-assortment of carefully chosen and saved for months kind of gift; for Casey and Sharon's homecoming-to-be! and for Kyle's homecoming-to-be!!!! (I think I just heard a triumphant clash of cymbals!)

Thankyou for Levi calling me Gwammy and playing on the Big Toy and laughinglaughinglaughing; thankyou for Anna's adorable smile and for agreeing to be Grammy's Princess (she told me she is happy to fill that role....); thankyou for Kash's dimpled elbows and sleepy blue eyes and smiles that melted my heart; thankyou for Dustin, Samantha and Michelle's approval and encouragement of  Mark's and my relationship. Thankyou for a stunning floral arrangement and chocolates from a son who is so far away, but wanted my day to be full of beauty.

The lyrics are sprinkled with raindrops ....or tears...  How does anyone write music for birdsong, dirt in the garden, fresh carrots just pulled, piles of raked leaves and today's sunshine, tomorrow's rain? I can hear it, if I listen intently enough. Perhaps it is meant to be a connection for us - because this song is about us, the love we share and the gratitude we bear for life; the brilliance of the light of our family. Listen and you can hear it too. Listen and you will feel the rhythym. Listen.