Happy Halloween, 4th Anniversary

It has been four years of marital bliss, albeit a little strange living apart for much of it.  I picked up my handsome man at the airport on Friday morning and we headed off into the far reaches of Salt Lake City for a proper city walk, exploring the old city hall, the new modern library, and the Red Butte Gardens at the U of U.  He spoiled me with symphony tickets and the King's Singers.  Then he spoiled me with a night at the fabulous Grand America Hotel, and then he REALLY spoiled me with a new camera!  The one I have been lusting after for awhile... the Cannon 5D Mark ii with an L lens.  I am struggling to figure it out, turns out that a great camera does not make a great photographer.  I will have to practice. 

Above:  iPhone

Below:  new camera

Carving:  Gabe wood

Gabe just got home from a scary movie while I was posting this.  I had turned out the porch lights to indicate that the candy was gone, and locked the front door when he got dropped off by his friend.  The door banging was immediately intense and I hurried to open it.

Me:  How was the movie?

Gabe:  Really scary.  I think I will sleep in your bed tonight.  I am going to wash my face here (bathroom next to the study where I am).  I haven't washed my face for 3 days.

Me:  Why?

Gabe:  Too scary

Me:  Too scary to wash your face?

Gabe:  Yeah.  You have to close your eyes and put your head down.  I imagine that I will open my eyes and the scary (reaches out his hands wide and makes a face)... will be there behind me when I look in the mirror.

 Red Butte Gardens:  iphone

New Camera: Ruby at Daddy's birthday party on Sunday

 Happy Birthday Craig

 New camera:  Caleb and Dad

 Kara's iphone:  too cute to not include

Just Me and McCoy

It's just the two of us 2 days a week, with little guy always begging for a ride in the stroller.  One day I was pulling weeds in the front yard,  and McCoy pushes the stroller out of the garage and down the sidewalk near where I was working.  Next thing I know he is sitting the stroller, and in his cute baby talk, instructing me to go on a walk.

 A neighborhood puppy can't get enough of McCoy, but little man doesn't reciprocate the puppy love.

 We have a routine where we take apples or carrots to our friend's horses every day.  They come running when they see McCoy.

 Last week, we headed over to the Lyman's for an apple feeding for the horses

 McCoy found their garden on the side of the yard and beelined for the raspberry vines.

 The whole while saying, "Ummmm....ummm"

 He picks strawberries everyday out of our backyard, but here I had to report him to the homeowners, who it turns out gave him amnesty.

New England

We spent the first week of October in parts of New England where the towns are small, the roads are two lanes, the people welcoming, and the weather unpredictable.  The fall colors withheld their splendor in Vermont, played to their strength in New Hampshire and Maine, and the sun finally shone in Boston.  We were amazed at the destruction of Hurricane Irene in Vermont, but surprised at the roadwork that had been rebuilt for major roads in such a short period of time.  People had come from all parts of New England to pitch in and get roads open for "leaf peepers" and the coming ski season (there is still much to be done).  Sadly for the Vermonters, the tourist for the most part canceled their trips, but we enjoyed the sights without any traffic.

 David views a book that is 650 years old at Dartmouth College

 Sharon, VT:  Birthplace of Joseph Smith

 Each small town had a well kept cemetery that displayed headstones of those that had helped build the community.

 Mt Washington Hotel in New Hampshire sits at the base of the tallest mountain in the state.  It is clouded over 55% of the time and would not show it's face for us.

 The whole 50 mile Kangamangus Hwy was a visual feast of fall color.

 Maine was a land of big lakes and ocean towns.  Lobster is as good as it gets.

 Bar Harbor, ME

 Every town had several churches which are mainly used as community centers now.  Some have even been bought as private residences and restored.  Sad to see that our country no longer worships like our forefathers.

 Camden, ME had a delightful main street lined with HUGE pumpkins that were being painted and carved.

 Boston:  Old Iron Sides

 The steps of a library at Harvard

 Read the inscription:  Harvard as veered from the initial intent of the university.

 The first shot of the Revolutionary War was fired from this (replica) bridge in Concord, MA

 Waldon Pond - so much for the isolated and peaceful 2 years that Ralph Waldo Emerson spent here.

Reunion with the Hatch Family

At the end of Sept. my siblings all met at Grandma's for a 3 day visit.  We toured Pres. Reagan's Library which is extensive and very interesting.  The day after the reunion, Uncle Kent had a heart attack after a bike ride and luckily was in the emergency room when his heart stopped so that his could be "resurrected" by the paddles.  Scary.  Grandma's heart was also giving her problems, but she was a trooper and kept us with us.

Zion Family Reunion 2011

It is finally out of production, and hours of editing later... tadda!  OK, it is  bit long, but everyone took such great video, I couldn't decide what to cut, so pop some popcorn and enjoy!

Zion Family Reunion 2011 from Traci Barnes on Vimeo.

Sunday Drive

The trees on the hills were getting their fall color and a drive up the canyon after church seemed to be screaming at me and my men, so we hoppped in the car and headed off for our adventure.  Apparently we were not the only ones that had thought of this on a sunny Sunday afternoon because the cars were lined up down the canyon, but we found some great colors and nice slow drivers who let me stand in the middle of the street to take a picture ( I have become a little obsessed with aspens)