Hiking

We love to go hiking in the Autumn time.  It is a last opportunity to play in the water, walk in the cool air, and remember all the reasons that we love living here.  

If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. 

Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk. ~Raymond Inmon

Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time. ~Steven Wright

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village, though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

.

My little horse must think it queer 

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.  

The only other sounds the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep, 

And miles to go before I sleep

A walk in the woods

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

"A tangerine and russet cascade of kaleidoscopic leaves, 

creates a tapestry of autumn magic upon the emerald carpet of fading summer."

Judith A. Lindberg

Still Feels Like Summer to Me

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.

~Celia Thaxter~

 

People don't notice whether it's winter or summer

when they're happy.  ~  Anton Chekhov ~

This was one of those perfect New England days in late summer where the spirit of autumn takes a first stealing flight, like a spy, through the ripening country-side, and, with feigned sympathy for those who droop with August heat, puts her cool cloak of bracing air about leaf and flower and human shoulders.

 ~Sarah Orne Jewett~

Last Days of Summer

There is nothing quite like spending the last warm days of summer in the pool.  I know that my girls loved it and are so sorry to see it go.  

A summer's sun is worth the having.

Yellow and Blue

Everyone must take time to sit 

and watch the leaves turn. ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, 

summer an oil painting 

and autumn a mosaic of them all. ~Stanley Horowitz

Autumn Time

  “Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.”  William Cullen Bryant

  "Every leaf speaks bliss to me, 

fluttering from the autumn tree."  

Emily Bronte

The Big Game!

This girl is quite an amazing young woman.  This year, she decided to go totally out of her comfort zone and try something new.  She is now a cheerleader for her high school.  Oh yeah, and the good news is that they are teaching her to fly!!  

"Flying is the second greatest thrill for cheerleaders.  Being caught is the first!"

If it's in your heart, it shows in your spirit!

In any other sport, if you miss the catch all you lose is the ball. 

Game Day

This is my little sweet grandson.  He is new to soccer, but giving it his all.  I totally love watching the boys play.  I think I have missed this.

Your children need your presence more than your presents. ~Jesse Jackson

The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention 

is to sit down and look comfortable.   ~Lane Olinghouse

Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. ~Roger Lewin

Kids spell love T-I-M-E. ~John Crudele

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

Fall Planting

Happiness held is the seed;
Happiness shared is the flower. 

Bling! Bling!

The only rule is to dress cute where ever you go.  Life is too short to blend in!

Some girls were just born with glitter in their veins!

Hands Down

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.  Audrey Hepburn

Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.  Anne Frank

Scary Faces

When witches go riding,

and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,

‘tis near Halloween.

~Author Unknown

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.

- - - Mark Twain

GO! KICK! MOVE!

I love it when kids start playing sports.  They are so fun to watch!  This is soccer season in Arizona, and as you can see, those boys love to play!

A boy's story is the best that is ever told.  Charles Dickens

Give a man a soccer ball, he plays for a moment. Teach a man to play soccer, he plays for a life time.

Play strong, play smart, play hard.

The rules of soccer are very simple, basically it is this:

if it moves, kick it. If it doesn’t move, kick it until it does.

It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.

Never go through life without goals

"A Boy is... Trust with dirt on his face, Beauty with a cut on his finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in his hair, and the hope of the future with a frog in his pocket."

Nothing quite like sisters

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there. ~Amy Li

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. ~Marion C. Garretty

Help one another, is part of the religion of sisterhood. ~Louisa May Alcott

Extreme Spirit Day

Things are not always as they seem; 

the first appearance deceives many.

Phaedrus

Happiness Is.......

No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change.

- Barbara de Angelis -

Moderation. Small helpings. Sample a little bit of everything. These are the secrets of happiness and good health.
- Julia Child -

As I go through all kinds of feelings and experiences in my journey through life -- delight, surprise, chagrin, dismay -- I hold this question as a guiding light: "What do I really need right now to be happy?" What I come to over and over again is that only qualities as vast and deep as love, connection and kindness will really make me happy in any sort of enduring way.      

- Sharon Salzberg -

Dancing Queens

Dancing is like dreaming with your feet! ~Constanze

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music. ~William Stafford

Here I come!

It's a happy talent, to know how to play.  

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Children learn as they play.  

Most importantly, in play, children learn how to learn."  

O. Fred Donaldson