Isn't it beautiful the way the leaves die?

So it's been a bit of a tough day today. Levi woke up from his nap after only 40 minutes today just sobbing and would not go back to sleep despite Eric's and my best efforts. And he had a fever again! It's the fourth time he's come down with a fever since he started daycare! It's ridiculous and makes me so sad because he's so miserable. Nothing seems to help him feel comfortable and he's grouchy and crying and I can't make it better. It really makes me wonder if we are doing the right thing by putting him in daycare. I hate seeing him suffer like this and we just can't seem to catch a break! I feel like such a bad mom.

Also, I locked my keys in my car today. And we don't have a spare key because of the whole dropping my keys down that pole in the park incident. So my car is still just chilling at the church. We'll have to call roadside assistance tomorrow morning before Eric goes to work.

I took pictures of the young women today for YW in excellence. Thankfully the girls were good sports about it and most of the pictures turned out pretty good but I have two that are a bit blurry. Not sure what happened with those, I must have been in too much of a hurry and moved or something. Which is super embarrassing and makes me feel like a pretty awful photographer.

With all of this going on, I'm really grateful I got to go to women's conference yesterday. I always feel the spirit there and I leave feeling inspired to do and be better. This time I especially appreciated President Uchtdorf's talk. He talked about how we choose our attitude regardless of our circumstances. He talked about how comparison makes us sad and how we can let go of worrying about how others feel or think and just be ourselves. I have to admit I have let myself feel sad a bit today but even though I feel sad about Levi being sick and my lost keys and the bad pictures, I still am so grateful for my life, my boys and the beautiful fall weather we are finally having! We are blessed beyond measure.

Realized last week that Levi is now big enough for his little track suit. So cute!

This is how we've been spending a lot of our Sundays this month what with Levi being sick! Love my sweet boy snuggles but sad for the circumstances. 

We've got a little fall fashion model on our hands

Seriously the cutest boy

Rain coat season is back!

In other news, I chopped all my hair off! Yay! I feel so liberated. 

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you

So Eric and I have been doing our companionship study by topic over the last several months and this past week we choose peace as our topic. It turned out to be an inspired choice as I feel like the world all around us has been in turmoil lately. What with Hurricane Harvey devastating Houston, wildfires raging all over the US including practically the whole western state of Montana and close to home as well with the Eagle Creek fire which burned so much of our beautiful gorge and blanketed the whole Portland metro with smoke and ash for several days, Hurricane Irma destroying the Carribean and now headed for Florida and just general rumors of wars and unsettlement in the world with Trump making bold statements about North Korea and dismantling DACA. And not just in the world around us but at home as well we've faced things which rocked our peace. My car broke down a week ago and we had to get it towed to a mechanic to get it fixed and while it was there, it got hit by another tow truck and so now we have to figure out that settlement. Levi had his first week of daycare (which he was a rockstar at) but now has come down with a horrible cold/flu from. And the school year started for Newberg which meant a lot of running around for me at work and trying to make sure that all my kiddos on my caseload were taken care of and had what they needed for their first few days of school. There's just been a lot going on which can make me feel not at all peaceful!! But even with all of those things going on, I do have peace and comfort in the Gospel. I find that even though I am worried about things going on around me, or they make me sad, I feel comforted in the knowledge the Heavenly Father oversees all and He is well aware of my needs and the needs of my family and those around me. I find peace in my home as the Spirit is here and I find happiness with my husband and son as we share sweet moments of just laughing and being together, having dance parties, going for walks and enjoying the beauty of nature, and hanging out at the park. I know that my family will be together forever as we honor our covenants and I know that no matter what happens, we can have peace through the Spirit. A quote I read this week as part of our companionship study by Howard W Hunter sums up how I have been feeling: "When we feel the floods are threatening to drown us and the deep is going to swallow up our tossed vessel of faith, I pray we may always hear amid the storm and the darkness that sweet utterance of the Savior of the world, "Be of good cheer, it is I; Be not afraid." While I have moments of trouble, worry, and fear, I am strengthened by prayer and my faith that God will watch out for and protect me and my family. And I have been extra conscious this past week of savoring the little peaceful moments I have with Levi and Eric. These moments mean the world to me.

Levi loves to beg blackberries from Grandpa (an anyone else who will give them to him!)

Berry face!!

Love these boys!!

My mischevious run-away

This sight makes my heart happy. Fresh, ripe golden peaches, mmmmm

We went through our original 10 pounds of fresh-picked peaches so fast that Levi and I got to go again, this time with our friend Shalece and her son Lincoln who is 4 days older than Levi :)

Levi loves the truck park

I love us

Levi and I tried out a fun new splash pad on Labor Day

It looks like the water is spraying out of his head haha

This is how my poor sick baby and I spent pretty much the whole day yesterday: Just snuggling because he felt so crummy and didn't want to be put down or be alone at all.