Etsy Shop

This is the official announcement of my sister's Etsy shop! If you don't know, Etsy is the greatest site where you can buy and sell things that are handmade. But I'm warning you, once you start looking it can be addicting! She has a couple of skirts, a dress, and a few bags up right now. There is a button on the side bar that will take you to the shop so you can browse. So cute and all handmade by my sister Larissa Kindred. Check it out!

National Talk Like a Pirate Day

This past Saturday was National Talk Like a Pirate Day! Aren't you sad you missed out?

Yes, I spent the day dressed and talking like a pirate! Scurvy dog!!! My family decided to go to the zoo and check out all of the new baby animals. There are several new arrivals. Baby snow leopard, tiger cubs, an elephant and giraffe calf, baby meerkats, and a baby crocodile. It was pretty crowded because this was the first weekend that the new baby elephant was out for the public to view.

The new baby was rolling around in the mud and still learning how to use it's trunk to get food from it's mother. He was a little unsteady on his feet still and unsure what do do when his trunk got in the way of his feet.

We hit the zoo in the late afternoon and it didn't take long for me to realize that wearing pirate boots was a bad idea when you have several hours of walking around to do...
My favorite animals by far are the spider monkeys. They were absolutely in love with Rosie's necklace and so spent the whole time we were there right up against the windows.

When we stopped for a snack break the Colobus monkeys started to yelp and scream for no apparent reason. It was really cool to hear and a bit freaky.

All of the animals were out and pretty active which is unusual for mid-summer. If you want to see the animals do crazy things go to the zoo in the dead of winter right around feeding time. The zoo is practically empty and so the animals drop any reservations.

After the zoo we went to eat at one of my favorite places, Village Inn. Pumpkin pie isn't only for Thanksgiving, folks!

So next year...don't forget to talk like a pirate!

Pooh Sticks and thoughtful spots...

I'm speaking of course of American Fork Canyon. My family always buys a year round pass so we can picnic in the warm seasons and sled in the cold and on Saturday we had a picnic.

I grew up in American Fork and spent every summer up at Mutual Dell with the girls from the ward or my family. It's the perfect place for ultimate frisbee, water fights, and campfire songs. I grew up on the songs of John Denver, the Muppets and the Beatles. Those were my campfire songs.

In the fall the canyon is perfectly cool and the leaves are just starting to turn. On Saturday we went up at about 5pm and ate dinner. After dinner we played a game called, "See who can stand to be in the water the longest without getting hypothermia". I think I won. :) We built a fire to thaw our feet and made smores. We even had a contest to see who could melt their marshmellow into the weirdest shape. I can't tell who won...

After the fire went out and before the sun was completely gone we packed up our stuff and stopped for one game of Pooh sticks. For those of you not familiar with Pooh sticks: everyone takes a stick and throws it on one side of a bridge and who's ever stick comes out the other side first is the winner. It's from the short film "A Day for Eeyor" and my brother has even gone as far as playing Pooh logs in which he was the only participant because everyone else lacked the strength to join in.

Before heading home we drove around the rest of the loop. No one talked. I had my iPod in hand and spent the half hour marveling at God's paint brush and feeling the cold canyon air. I love the fall and I especially love the fall in Utah. These days don't last though so be sure you get out and enjoy them before they slip away.

Yesterday was of course Labor Day and the national BBQ day. We congregated at my sister Amanda's house and enjoyed Aloha Burgers, potato salad, horse shoes, badminton, and smore cupcakes. We rounded out the night with a game of Mad Gab and I being it's been so long since I last played I was surprised at how well my team did. I've said it a million times and I'll say it again: I love my family! There is nothing more fun than being around my family. Even if we just sit around and chat, it still turns into a party. Unfortunately at this party I didn't take any pictures.

My favorite time of year, my favorite people on Earth, and delicious food. Does life get any better?