A Week that Put us Over the Moon.

On Monday we awoke in Highland, where we got the kids off to school. Then the nanny arrived to watch Mac for the day and  we headed home to take care of household chores.

The bed in my craftroom was stacked two feet deep, but because I had a red and white quilt on it that I wanted to include in a collection in the parlor, I had to do some tidying up, and find another quilt to take its place. 

The replaced quilt on the bottom is now part of a red and white feature in the parlor.

When I took out the garbage I'd collected cleaning the craft room, I noticed  a shimmer of hummingbirds dancing about my morning glory.  I was thrilled to get a  nice picture of one, that's not too entirely blurry.

The morning glory are charming.

I went back to check the growth of the vines in my garden house, and was rather pleased about them too.  Its been a wild growth year, but I've enjoyed it.

The harvest moon shown on us that night, my friend Kim posted a picture of it shining through her bedroom window. 

Back at Becca and Brady's for an uneventful over night. 

On Tuesday morning, Ann and I hiked a bit of the Dripping Rock trail in Spanish Fork canyon, but being there it was windy and freezing, so we  turned back after about a half a mile.  We then walked  around Ann's neighborhood where she pointed out the fun door into the area under an umbrella tree that one of her neighbors had made for his grand children. I thought it was charming.

Next I was off to my craft group get together, back in Highland, a half a mile from Becca's house. 

It was my first time to see Shirley's house, though she posts a lot on Instagram. 

She is well known for loving Halloween decor.  This wreath was done at craft group while we were gone.

I just loved this guy!!

I loved these spooky cubbies.

More fun decor, and Shirley on the right.

Her laundry room shows how much she and I have in common.

It was fun to find a chair I painted and sold years and years ago, on her front porch.

Its also fun to notice how many moons are part of Halloween decor ... right down to the Super Moon Pumpkins, so popular now.

Here we all are as we get down to crafting.

Shirley, Cindy, Jann, Ann, Kimi and Margo.

After our first craft and lunch only Kimi and I decided to stay and to modify dolls into witches.  Since we were baby sitting, and I had three days of work for the week, and four hikes, I did not get mine finished.  But here is Kimi's cutie. 

I, on the other hand, ran to work to take over for a friend who had come in to work a half day for me.

I later found out that Tuesday was was the Chinese Moon Festival.  A day to made moon cakes and light lanterns.  I so wish I had known.  I know Ben would have loved the holiday.  I should find out how to make moon cakes, so we can celebrate and think of Ben next year.

On the way  home from work I stopped at the Holy Cow Boutique in Lindon, and bought my friend Lyn's favorite Halloween creation.  I had seen it when she posted on her Facebook page,  announcing her participation.  

Meanwhile Becca was stenciling Toy Story clouds on a bedroom wall at her Florida Airbnb.  Looks like she needs a crescent moon, don't you think?

And Charlie was in the process of starting to learn piano at home in Idaho.

Meanwhile Emily was busy booking an Airbnb on her own so that we can take her and her children to see koalas at the Kansas city zoo when we  visit next month. We laughed about her choice.  Its the stone walled basement of a historic home in Liberty Missouri.  I asked her if she knew what happened to the last person I know of who stayed in the basement level of  a stone building in Liberty, Missouri? 

But the beautiful harvest moon brought in Wednesday, the 22nd, the first day of Autumn. 

On Wednesday I worked my regular shift.  Putting out some new merchandise, I liked how this apron and the 1950's aluminum juice glasses looked together.  The combo was evidently eye catching, because the glasses sold by the weekend. 

I also added a few things to my Autumn display.

Dad worked on Tuesday and Wednesday, finishing up the flooring in the large bedroom and living room at Darby's apartment.

On Thursday it was Dad who got to play.  He and Ashley got together to give platelets, which included a couple of hours of watching movies ...

Then they took in a late lunch or early dinner at a sushi place in Orem.

Others who were playing include these three.  Britt and Charlie drove down to attend a concert she bought tickets for 18 months ago.  Mike couldn't get away to use his ticket, so Darby got to go too.  Britt hooked up with friends from her early 20ths. When they all loved Alanis Morrisette!

On Friday I was off to have my own kind off fun.  I met with Ann to hike up Maple Canyon.  Dad checked it out later and found if we had kept going that we would have ended up in Dibble Canyon ... named for her great, great, great grandfather Philo.  That was fun. 

... and beautiful, with just a touch of Autumn color.

We hiked along this bubblie culvert. 

Then it was time to head home, and meet up with Dad so we could connect with Davin and his family.

who had chosen a hike around Cascade Springs, just off the far point of the Alpine Loop. 

Being higher in altitude the colors were further along, and really beautiful.  I just wish my phone camera could have caught the depth of it. 

Because of the drought the scrub maples were more pink that red, which matched the girls outfits. 

The drive into Alpine as we finishing the Alpine loop was stunning.  I have never driven the loop and found the back of Timp, specially the north end to be majestic.  I kept telling Dad I couldn't believe it was Utah.  Since I've started hiking, I have been more and more impressed with what a beautiful area I live in, I just never realized it.

We stopped at Macey's to buy a roll of sushi to share for lunch, before crashing Madi's birthday party in Highland.  Dad ran into Dave Karpowitz, who he used to work with ten years ago.  They had fun catching up, so much so that we barely made it to the party crashing on time.  Brittany had made arrangements to come to the party so Charlie could have fun with her cousins, a rare treat.  She encouraged us to come as well, and Davin and Bri were there with their children.  Trevor and Nell were out of town for a wedding.

Ashley had made the adorable panda cake.

of course we loved seeing Charlie again, though its just been weeks since we saw her at Bear Lake.

Cousin time is priceless.

As is sibling time.

Our darling Hannah had left work a bit early to join in the fun too.

Of course even at a party boys love screen time.

Most of the girls were more interested in opening gifts.

Titan and his Dad stand back.

Madi gets ready to blow out her five candles on a cup cake.  The panda was cut up too, and was delicious.  Good job Ashley.

Here are about half of the party in the masks that came in their favor bags.

Here we see Hanna in the mask from her goody bag.

Brittany, Charlie and we, headed north to Market Street Grill so Britt could see Ashley.

Lots of food for a little person.

Its always fun to connect.

The next morning we were on our way to Salt Lake and a hike with the Mitkos when Ashley texted about a good yard sale in her neighborhood.  Of course we stopped and had the super fun bonus of running into Kim too.

We met up with Britt's in-laws who suggested a nice walk along the Jordan river.  We found some Canadian geese walking about in the shallows.

We just love our time with them.  They are both very knowledgeable, and I always find our about things I didn't know I didn't know about.

The man who took our picture told us they were there for the running of a rubber ducky race fund raiser.  If you look closely you can see little yellow dots, that are actually duckies.  This is the most we ever saw at one time.

This is the ducky catcher, she retrieves ducks that get caught in the growth along the river.

Next we met up with Edi's friend Mika, a 6 foot 4 woman who owns a company called Honey Tea Hive, and she caters tea parties, as well as putting together tea boxes once a month.  We were lucky our walk day coincided.  

Though tea boxes as typical, this month Mika made an exception for the Chinese Moon festival, because of her Chinese heritage.  The bundles were stuffed with Pork and other yumminess, so we froze ours to share with friends later.  The stir fry and Asian glass noodles were delicious.

Tom had also bought moon drop grapes, that are only available for a bout a week.  What a treat for us.

Of course the tiny individual Moon cakes were the star of the show.

Edi's best and oldest friend, Carol, came to join us and she was fun too.  They met when they were 12,  In fact she was very interested to know that we were going to the BYU game that night, as Trevor was out of town and unable to attend.

When I got home I saw on Instagram that lots of friends were posting their lunch box collections for a hashtag being promoted by someone.  I thought, hey, I have some of those, and got to post with out premeditation.

Here we are at the game that evening.

Spencer and Brittney's family were there too, using her family's season tickets.  Unfortunately we were kitty corner across the stadium, so we didn't see them in person.

I got a kick out of the name of the cannon.

Go BYU, they did and they won, though the first half they ran up the score and the second half they tried to maintain their lead, which they did for the win.

Becca messaged us that night that it was to be the Primary Program in their ward the next day.  So we got to go and see Titan last Primary Program, and Mack's first.  Since Becca and Brady teach primary the whole family was on the stand.  That was fun to see.

Thanks for inviting us Becca.

We stopped and saw Cheryl on the way home, as she shows off her support for the University of Utah.

When we got home I saw that Dad had mounted the red and white kitchen sign I had found during the week.  Not even sure when, but I appreciated it.

We hope you all had a wonderful sabbath.