BOO!

Happy Halloween Everybody!

Witch Hunt

We have been having a lot of fun with our cousins over the last couple weeks, and I have a lot of pictures to share on the blog! One of our favorite traditions is going to Gardiner Village in October for a Witch Hunt. The kids love to run around and look for weird witches riding bikes on high wires and rowing boats. Kirsten,  Mom, and I like walking around in the fall weather and looking at the fun quilting and antique shops. Peter went last year, but he was so little and slept right through it! He really enjoyed being with his cousins at Gardiner Village this year! Peter LOVES spending time with his cousins. He also loves being a busy people-watcher, so the Witch Hunt was perfect! We were especially excited that Andrew had a week off school so we could have some fun adventures with him during the day! We miss that kid now that he's in school so much! He's getting way too old!

24...37...52... Hike!

After all that "Seeping Booty" business, Peter wanted me to reclaim his manhood. The quickest antidote to doll-playing? Football, of course! These pictures are a few weeks old, but I've been meaning to catch up on the blog for a while. Look how seriously Peter takes his football! He's sweating like a madman! 

There's also a possibility that all that "sweat" is actually slobber... someone got another tooth!

To add to the manliness, we have to have some food smeared across our face during our halftime snack. 

I love my boys!

"Seeping Booty"

One does not always know what to do when cousins leave "Seeping Booty" at your house for a week, especially when "Seeping Booty" happens to be the only girly toy around these parts. What does one do with such a toy?

First, we stare at her for a little while, trying to figure out whether she bounces, crashes, vrooms, or makes farm noises (which is pretty much what all our current toys do). Pretty soon, we realize that she is staring back at us, that she is wearing pink, that she is a princess, and that princesses always get the special treatment.

 So... we take her for a ride on her chariot throughout the house... like any good prince would do. Don't worry, SJ, we took very good care of "Seeping Booty." Glad she's back home where she belongs!

Top Five, Easy

I love Autumn. The highlight of my year is when the world starts dying. I know, that's a weird way to think of it. Last fall was a blur, so Scott and I have taken every chance we can this year to get up into the mountains to catch the leaves turning in their stages. We missed the fire reds and brights oranges at the cabin this year... probably by about a week... but we made it up over General Conference Weekend to see the gorgeous golden yellow of the Quaking Aspen. My favorite tree. And this view from the top of our cabin hill is one of my favorite views on this earth. 

Top five, easy.

Scott's parents came to Utah to spend the weekend. Peter loved spending time with his Hannay grandparents, and we loved snacking on all the delicious Trader Joe's goodies they brought! Thank you again, Lynne and Rick!

We drove up to the cabin on Saturday to show them where we spend so much of our time. Scott and his parents took an ATV ride throughout the hills, and later we went for a hike with the whole family. I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed and grateful as we walked through God's most amazing evidence of his love for us. Between His beautiful artwork and our wonderful family, I felt like I was just brimming with joy. It felt so refreshing to breathe the mountain air and put one foot in front of the other on a crooked dirt path, covered in golden leaves. I couldn't stop thinking about where we were this time last year, and recognizing the opportunity we have to always be grateful for this beautiful, simple life that we live. 

I love this picture of my parents with all of their grandkids (plus one on the way! I don't know if I've mentioned yet that Kirsten's expecting a baby girl in February! We are so excited for another baby in the family, and it will be so fun for Peter to have a cousin just one year below him in school!)

Andrew exploring everything and leading the group

Ben is wild! And I love it. 

Sweet Sarajane and her baby doll.

Peter loved playing in the back of uncle Johnny's truck!

SJ and Grandpa walking the pipe!

I can't get enough of this wiggly boy!

We love Johnny and Alyssa!

Little Man insisted on hiking himself... sort of.

I know this picture is blurry, but I just love it too much! SJ hurt her finger, and Ben was so sad and concerned!

They are such good buddies!

My handsome boys! 

The two best babysitters around! 

Scott with his dad. So glad the Hannay's could join us!

Jamin'

Peter is napping so he's well-rested and ready to go to the pirate birthday party of this big five-year-old. We're pretty excited about it. 

Yar.

Happy Birthday Jamin!

(From Peter, your Jamin Brother)

In Our Driveway

We are big fans of fall. The beautiful golden maple that canopies our driveway did not disappoint. The rest of our trees are taking their time catching up, but that's fine. We'll take it one tree at a time. It's nice that it's been so warm this week. Peter and I are taking advantage and have taken at least two or three walks each day. I'm not sure who enjoys it more.

It was so fun to watch Peter try to figure out what was going on. When we first sat him down in the crunchy leaves, he was a little confused. When we starting tossing leaves, into the air above us, he quickly caught on and loved the excuse to get messy. 

You can't beat the beauty of fall. Especially when paired with the cutest kid on earth (we may be biased).

Handfuls and handfuls of crunchy, yellow leaves and one happy little boy makes for a pretty good night. It was one of the first evenings Scott and I were able to spend a couple hours together in... months. It was so nice and badly needed to have that small bit of time as a family to recharge and enjoy the simplicity of the beautiful season that flew past us last year as we recovered.

My parents brought flowers and a couple gifts to celebrate my good cardio news, and we topped off the evening with a walk to the church for our neighborhood cook-off where we ate soup and pie and visited with friends.  

Life is so, so good. 

Vroom.

 Peter goes nuts when he hears a truck our anything that goes vroom. Long before he can locate where the truck actually is, he is pointing like a madman and doing his classic "oooooooh" circle mouth. Tuesday mornings are the best. He sits by the window at breakfast and watches as the garbage trucks make four rounds down our street. 

For Peter, that's basically Heaven.

Your Heart is Good. Very Good.

When you sleep, Peter, your dad and I stay up and look at pictures of you. 

We are so in love with these pictures that we start to miss you very much. We want to see your goofy faces and hear your animated reactions and sounds. We want to snuggle you and wrestle you and tickle you. Part of me wants to creep into your bedroom and wake you up just so I can hang out with you some more. 

We do this every night. Just thought you should know.

Amazing picture by Christine Olson

Today was a big day for our family. 

Today we put the heart failure behind us. For good. 

I'm so happy we had our family pictures done today, because it really will help us always remember the wonderful news we received. It's overwhelming to be so blessed, and we are grateful for all the Lord has given our family. A great life, a beautiful plan, a wonderful home, a happy family, and now a healthy heart. It's a blessing to know that we can keep moving forward and look back with gratitude, knowing in our own ways how far we've come. 

 My favorite little note from "Peter" (sneakily arranged by my dad): 

  Dear Mom, I've always known your heart is good. Very good. I love you, Peter

I remember thinking the silliest thoughts in the hospital. I remember being so worried that Peter wouldn't feel safe with me or recognize me because he wouldn't recognize my weak and arrhythmic heart beat when I tried to hold him. He knows that heart beat. He's the only one who knows it from inside me. I used to think things like that mattered. Walking into that hospital again today, I felt exhilarated. I stood in the elevator, remembering experiences I had on each floor as the elevator climbed them. I looked up at my reflection in the mirrors on the ceiling. 

I never understood why there were mirrors on the ceiling. I wonder if anybody else ever really notices them if they're not in a bed or a chair. I have seen myself in those mirrors as a pregnant Lindsey, about to deliver her new son on her way to the fourth floor. I have seen a eager and anxious Lindsey, perched in her hospital bed as she moved from the ICU to the third floor for her last stretch of her hospital stay. I have seen discharged Lindsey, sitting in her wheelchair, staring up at her own reflection, wondering what happens next and how she'll ever be enough for everything ahead. I didn't recognize myself then, pale and swollen. And I have seen recovering Lindsey, able to cross heart failure off the list and take one more step towards tossing that list behind her.  

I am so grateful for the love and support (both on earth and above) that continuously lifts me higher, happier, and healthier. 

I am blessed. I know it -and I feel it- nearly every instant.