Highlights

I haven't felt like blogging for quite some time. Nothing exciting is going on, and my Julia-free-time is all soaked up by things like "eating" and "showering" and "cleaning the bathroom." Here, in a bulleted list, is a smattering of what we've been up to:

• Pining for Autumn. It turns out autumn is on its way, as it is only supposed to get to 90 today. Last night we opened our windows, and this morning it was cold. Cold, I tell you! I'm so ready.
• Killing bugs. Lots of them. Spiders, roaches. Yucky stuff. I think we need to spray.
• Visiting National Parks. Well, really, just Bryce a few weeks ago and Zion last Saturday. But we're planning a trip to Arches and Mesa Verde in a couple of weeks. We're quite fortunate to live so close to an abundance of national parks.
• Making good use of the local library. Julia loves to go and look at the books (and play with the toys). Occasionally we'll hit the Toddler Time at the St George library (the Washington library story time starts at 10:30, and Isaac comes over at about 10:45 every day, so that doesn't really work). Also we've been checking out a lot of movies. Currently we're watching the first season of House.
• Watching NewsRadio. On Hulu. Good stuff.
  
• Listening to lots of Girlyman. We're obsessed, I tell you. OBSESSED!
• Singing! Both Lieto and the Keynotes have started back up, and I am ever so happy about it. Lieto has a fall concert full of religious music (November 14, mark your calendars), but the Keynotes are preparing for the Christmas concert. CHRISTMAS! I am always in such a delightful mood on Wednesday afternoons, because I have been fed by the dulcet tones of that blessed season.
  
• Running the ward. OK, that is an exaggeration. Really, Clark was just marvelously busy for one Sunday, as he taught Elders Quorum, and then taught Sunday School for all the youth (ages 12-17), and then played the organ for Sacrament Meeting. A busy day, to be sure, but only one day. And for that day I had the joy of trying to tame Julia for 3 hours. She starts going to nursery in less than a month. Of course, there is General Conference, and we're going to be out of town the other two weekends, so next time we go to our ward? She'll be going to the nursery. We're all terribly excited.
• Speaking of Julia, she's learning all sorts of new things. She's talking more and more, and surprising us with the words she knows, like "stroller." She just said it one day, I didn't teach it to her. And "bow." She started saying it one day and I could not figure out what she wanted. "Bow! Bow!" she said, while patting her head. Clark had to tell me that she wanted a bow. In my defense it makes absolutely no sense that she would know about bows, because she rarely wears them. And it wasn't a Sunday. Apparently she likes to get all dressed up to play with her friend Craig.
  
• Not napping, let me tell you. We just hit the 1 hour mark, and I hear Julia stirring. All you parents of toddlers who take 2 or 3 hour naps? My envy overfloweth. I have no idea how to get her to sleep longer. And I have the added problem that if I leave her in her crib, she'll cry and wake up Isaac. And as much as I want both of them to only take a 1 hour nap, I don't think my nerves could take it.

Anyway, now I've got to go. If you have any suggestions on how to get a longer nap out of this kid, please, share.