It's Strange How Life Happens

Today I attended church in Orderville because my cousin who recently returned from his mission was speaking. Our families were really close. We grew up right next door to each other. I often say we were like one big family that lived in two houses. I have always thought of him as my little brother. I have been thinking a lot lately about the fact that he is now a return missionary. This is really going to give away my age but he was a third grader when I was a senior! The reason I remember that is because I was an Elementary aid for his class that year. I now have been thinking of girls that I could set him up with. Well he is coming to town tomorrow (Monday) and I had the great idea of making him come to my singles ward family home evening. He seems excited. Well this is where I decided it gets strange. He was in third grade when I was a senior and now he is hanging out with me in a singles ward. What?

I LOVE FALL!!

I have been thinking a lot lately about how much I love fall! I love the smells, the temperature, and the colors. I love being able to wear my hooded sweatshirts, I have a lot of them.

I remember playing in the leaves at my grandma's house when I was little. I really don't remember them being so scratchy back then.

This isn't the greatest picture I realize but I love the colors up on the "C" mountain. I wish my camera would have taken it better.

My Dad loved pinenuts and every time I smell them roasting it reminds me of him and the fall. I love them too! He always just bought them. A couple years ago was the first time that I had gone out and gathered them myself. My step dad took my Mom and I. He took us again this last Thursday. I have to say that it is a lot of fun! I love being out in the crisp fall air. It is kind of a tedious little job picking the pinenuts off the ground, and not to mention how sore my legs are after crouching or kneeling for so long. But in the end it is worth it because the pinenuts are delicious and I didn't have to pay for them. We found a lot, as you can tell. What a wonderful time of year!

Mr. Perfect

I know you were all hoping I was announcing something but I am not. I just have yet another funny story from my nine year old nephew.
I was at my sister's house several weeks ago and I said something jokingly about how her and I never had guy issues with each other. Of course we didn't, we are eight years apart. My brother-in-law spoke up and said, "Yes you have, you are jealous because you are still looking for Mr. Perfect and she has already found him." Well I half teasingly said "If you are Mr. Perfect then I will stay single." That is when the nine year old said "I was going to say Dad, you are not really Aunt Lisa's type. You are pretty country and she is more, well city." I thought it was so funny! Number 1 I had no idea that the nine year old would even know about "type". I'm not sure I am exactly "city" but other than that he is right!

Playing with Ellie

In case you didn't know, I am a pretty proud Aunt. I saw a thing on the Today show the other day about a lady who poses and takes pictures of sleeping babies. She says it works best if the babies are under 2 months. Ellie fits that description so I decided to try it last Sunday while she was "peacefully" sleeping. Jeff and Erica were nice enough to just let me play. Jeff did say something about "What are you doing to my baby? Um, I think you should e-mail me some of those pictures." Anyway I decided to post of few because I thought they turned out cute.

INTRUDER!!!

Last Thursday night my roommates and I were all sitting in our living room just chatting. I just have to tell you that it is very odd that we were all there together. It is very rare for us all to be home and especially all be in the same room at the same time. Well our front door opens and in walks THIS.......










We were all nervously laughing. I can't speak for the others but I was thinking "It has to be someone we know, right?" But there was definitely that doubt that MAYBE IT WASN'T! It jumped around at us for a few minutes. I really didn't know who it would be. Laura kept saying "Jason, I know that it is you!" Sure enough it was our funny friend Jason. He is the one person that I would suspect but he just recently got married so I really wasn't thinking it would be him. His birthday was the day before and his wife had surprised him in it. So I guess he decided while they still had the costume they should make some use of it. He could not have planned it better though. I can't believe he caught us all home in the living room together like that. It was pretty funny, after we got over the shock!

Ellie Roselle

After 8 1/2 years my family was finally able to produce another girl! She is only the 3rd one out of 10 nieces and nephews! So as you can tell I am a pretty proud aunt! You don't have to think she is cute, she is a newborn but I think she will be cute eventually. Don't tell my brother I said that! Her middle name is after my sister-in-laws 97 year old great Grandma. They were planning on giving her that middle name the whole time and then by coincidence she was born on Roselle's birthday which I thought was very neat.

She was born last night (aug 26) at 8pm and this is her at 10pm. Pretty alert for a new one. She was only 5lbs 15 oz and 19 inches long. She is a tiny little thing.

My only other two nieces are 15 and 8 and live in Alaska so you can imagine how exciting it is for me to finally have another girl to spoil. I told her last night that I was her favorite aunt and already started working on her to say my name! :)

LAKE POWELL

I went to Lake Powell on Monday with my Uncle Jim and Aunt Jann's family. We had so much fun! I was trying to think of the last time I was there and I can't remember a time since I graduated from high school (Which was longer than I would like to admit).

Just being there and playing in the water like this was enough for me to realize how much I had missed this and wonder why I have gone so long without going there. I think I would have been content to play all day just off the shore and then lay out and get tan but we had two boats and that is when the fun began!

I love this picture just because that is a typical pose for my Uncle Jim to be in.

Carson is getting the boat ready for us to go out.

This is Owen, Cassidy (their cousin on their Mom's side) and Marv. They were making me laugh so hard when they were riding the tubes. They were being funny and crazy! They were taking turns jumping from one tube to the other.

This was hilarious! Owen's was about to flip out of his tube and so he hurried and jumped on to the other one. The rode all three together until they could catch the other one and then Owen jumped back on to it.

This video is pretty funny! I had a hard time holding it very still since we were on a boat.

I got burned! It was my own fault. I only put sunscreen on my face once. I wanted to come back from the lake with a good tan. It is already starting to darken up. It has been a little sensitive but I am excited about the color I now have. I know that is bad and you are supposed to always wear sunscreen but I haven't really even been tan yet this summer and I really wanted to be.