I don't even know where to begin. The seasons have officially changed, school has started back, and we have failed to update our blog. Our summer seemed like a blur. Once we returned from...where did we go on vacation this year? Oh yeah, that's right,-FRANCE. That seems like forever ago. The rest of the summer was filled with a work shop here, a 2 week summer bridge commitment there, here a trip, there a something, with a spotty chance of resting.
Here are some of the high lights from summer:
I flew out to Idaho to visit my brother, Mark, for his birthday. We went to Arches National Park and Canyonlands in Moab, UT. While we spent a few days keeping the roads hot (it is an 8 hour drive from Idaho Falls to Moab, but that is not far out there), we also spent a few days kickin' it around town and had some good quality time. Below are Messa Arch and Delicate Arch. It was super hot.
Sam and I visited Graveyard Falls and then went down to Skinny Dip Falls for a little respite from the heat. The water was very refreshing(a.k.a. freeeeeeeeeezing)
We ate a watermelon FROM THE GARDEN!
We also made it to an Asheville Tourist game, and we ate a lot of ice cream, but unfortunately we had to eat that too fast to get a picture.
Then, it seems like it was time for school to start back. We have both been very busy at school with new initiatives, and I have taken on a few added responsibilities and projects. But, that is enough about work. We have been doing plenty of fun stuff, too. I have been taking an Indian cooking class which has been really fun. I have enjoyed learning about the spices specific to Indian cooking and broadening my repertoire of cuisines in general. We also went to a wine pairing at Creperie Bouchon that was super tasty.
For the first time, we traveled to Hot Springs to take in some fall color. We stayed in a cabin next to the river there and had a scheduled hot tub visit which was pretty nifty. We also went on two hikes: Max Patch and Lover's Loop. Both Sam and I agree that the wind on Max Patch was probably the strongest we had ever felt...hurricane strength even! Our cabin was just perfect; complete with indoor plumbing! We also had a fire pit in which we got to roast some marshmellows and make s'mores! Yum! It was a pretty neat trip. Because there really is not much to see in the town on Hot Springs itself, it really forced us to slow down... the hot tub visit helped with that too, of course!
Now for a brief interruption in the regularly scheduled programming from the man of the house:
So the wife said that she was having trouble with coming up with what to write about. Apparently, everything she could think about to write about was about herself and she couldn't really think of anything I'd been doing lately. Boy, was she....probably right. Ok, well here's a little advice. When your car starts to smell funny, kinda like spoiled cheese, and you can't find any cheese anywhere, it's probably that jug of round up weed spray that, unbeknownst to you, was slowly leaking out and actually starting to mold to carpet of the floorboard. Yes. It actually ate the paint off of an old license plate I had in the backseat.
Halloween happened. I was a man with a mustache. Sam, a cat. Delilah, a pumpkin. Weezy, a chicken. To see how they felt about it: 'Nough said. The picture speaks much louder than words:
Thanksgiving happened. It was splendid. Turkey, the works. What else is there to say? Oh yeah, family. My two brothers little and oldest (with his crew) came into town. It was really great to see everybody and get to spend some time with them. My oldest niece is now definitely taller than me now. No denying it!
Earlier in the month, we made a jaunt up to Pennsylvania on a four day weekend to seem my middle-ish brother, nieces, and sister-in-law. My little brother, who recently accepted a year long job in Arlington, V.A., also made it up. We are really excited to get to see him more frequently. Even though it is still 8 hours away, it is still DAYS closer than Idaho. Anyways, we went up there and spent some good time with everybody. Funny story. Well back story first: My brother, Tim, is one of those who hike=ascent up Mount Rainier. So, he said we were going to go on a bike ride in the park. Ok, leisurely enough, we thought. Turns out we take a 6 mile bike ride through three parks. Sam and Mark both had kids attached to the back of their bikes. When you are not used to riding bikes, a few extra pounds is a big deal, not to mention 40. They persevered, however, and I tell Sam that he is stronger for it. The girls are growing so fast and are such beautiful, pleasant young ladies.
We also took a side trip to the Brandywine Battlefield for Sam. I have allotted him so many war site lifetime visitation vouchers. He only used up a half of one there because they had some cool big trees. He still insists that the two place I have to go with him are The Alamo and Gettysburg which leads me to a story for next blog. Again, all apologies for the late life updates. It has just been crazy for us around here. My goal was to get this blog posted before the seasons actually changed again! I can't really give an adequate synopsis of the past 5 months or however long it has been, but we are continuously keeping ourselves busy to stay out of trouble and as always, having a good time doing so! But, next blog brings tidings of holiday season happenings which is all just around the corner. We wish the best to you and your families!
Here's a holiday teaser:
JOY TO THE WORLD!
