Fall and Halloween 2013

Snow is expected in the valleys on Thursday and I don't want the first snowfall to happen before I record our Fall.  Fall is such a lovely time of year.  The colors amaze me each year. 

 

 

The kids even liked to rake this year.  Judging from the picture I guess it is more correct to say Gage enjoyed raking leaves on top of his brother.  Luke doesn't look like he likes it all that much.  

 

In early October Gage took us to a cave up Big Cottonwood Canyon that he had explored with the cub scouts.  It was really cool and I had never been there before.  Tim realized he has a touch of claustrophobia when he had a really difficult time making himself go through this opening.  Once you are inside it opens up into two very large and one very long chamber.  There was already water in the bottom and it was cold in the canyon so I did not venture all the way but Tim and Gage made it. 

 

 

My boys really like to climb on rocks.  Normally I am unbothered by their climbing but this rock face seemed especially high and when some Japanese tourists stopped to point and take pictures of my family and spoke in very worried hushed Japanese I started to worry.  I finally had to turn my back hoping one of them wouldn't lose their footing.    

 

 

 

Claire decided in early September that she wanted to be a witch again for Halloween.  I thought she was so stinkin' cute.  Pam and I took her to Witches Night Out at Gardener's Village and we had a great time.  I think it will become a new tradition for us.  The boys were so excited to stay home with Tim and have pizza and play games. 

Next year I think I will have to don a Witches Costume myself. 

Pam loves Halloween!

 Finally the big day came and the boys were skeletons and Claire was a witch for this picture and then right before we left for trick-or-treating she changed to a princess dress-up.  She has a mind all her own.  This was the first year that Gage went trick or treating with a friend and I trailed behind like an unwanted appendage. 

A Few Thoughts On Sarcasm

I've had the subject of sarcasm on my mind for the last few months.  My sister had shown me an article in the Ensign about how hurtful sarcasm can be and it really stuck with me.   Growing up sarcasm was typical in our house and it has been prevalent in many of my friendships as well.  I think I am pretty good at dishing out a good jibe.  Through the years I have prided myself on being able to "take" sarcasm and ridiculed those who couldn't.  It's just a joke after all.  Lighten up people. 

Then life happened.  Over the last 4 - 5 years I've had more and more experiences that have left my emotions tender and self esteem bruised and it has left me less resilient to sarcasm that seems to be flung from every quarter.  Last night while trick or treating with my kids a friend said something sarcastic to me that for the first time in my life really struck at my heart.  I stood there stunned for a couple of reasons.  The first was that in the past, something like what she said would have slid right off my back and I would've fired back with something equally sarcastic and it would've ended in a laugh.  But in that moment I had nothing to say only hurt feelings.  I wondered why I had ever thought this type of communication was fun or desirable.  And last I had remorse for every sarcastic thing I had ever said. 

So today I send out into the blogosphere and open apology for the damage that my years of sarcasm have undoubtedly inflicted on people I love and admire.  I am branding last night on my mind and heart forever so that when I reach for something hurtful to say dressed up as sarcasm I will remember the person I am talking to may feel hurt by what I say and that is my problem not theirs.