...Skipping an Entry... Say WHHAAAT!?...

I have this really fun and cool entry saved in draft form waiting for me to get off my duff at home and download photos from my camera of the amazing Tiny Wonder and our little family of three trapsing around the beautiful area of Julian, CA. BUT, I am a full time (and then some) working kind of mom so in those quiet moments at home the LAST thing I want to do is get back in front of a computer. It's Fall-la-la-la-la season. One of my favies, though I am definitely cheating on Fall with his sister Winter... wait what? yeah moving on.

The weather in our desert mountain regional located humble abode is finally dipping below the high 90's and transitioning into a yummy bath water warm temperature. We're talking mid to high 70's baby! The morning's are chilly... like... "oops I forgot to put a jacket in the car for my daughter and we're already 30 miles from home" chilly...

It's the time of year where we sip maple flavored rye whiskey straight to warm our bellys and make merry our hearts. Where leaves "kind of" turn color (let's be honest this is Southern CA), rain sometimes patters gently on the rooftop, and our yard comes back to life after months of oppression under the summer heat. We take trips to pumpkin patches, Julian for fresh pressed cider, and feel more in tune with God's painted landscapes in the early morning sunrise to midday clear cloudless blue, to evening dusk into twilight... I find in the cooler months I fall in love with life all over again. The fibromyalgia flare ups seem to simmer, pain and fatigue are less and less present (though always constant, it's nice to get below a 9.5 on the daily pain richter scale). But it's also a time for tranquility as we light candles in the evenings just because, relax, and cuddle for the first time in months because again... cooler weather. Things feel more romanticised. The small child even seems calmer somehow... her whining a little easier to handle and redirect. All too soon we will slip from Fall to Winter and a new love affair will start but have you taken a moment to sit outside in the crisp coolness of weather perfection yet? Closed your eyes and taken a deep breath? I want to drink this Fall in, create memories, laugh more, and enjoy the life that has been gifted. Happy Fall my friends. <3

...Welcome to the World of the Winch!...

When I got married in July, my in-laws came in almost 2 weeks early to help with last minute details. (so blessed by them!) In the midst of all the chaos we also got some good time in to eat, sip wine (ok I was the frantic bride I was gulping for the sake of calming down), and watch a movie together. Naturally I picked the greatest dry humor comedy ever made... ever...: Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

My brother-in-law's g/f Kirsten and I bonded over the movie's epic witch burning montage and from that moment forward, any woman who marries into the Winchell Dynasty will forever be known as a "winch." "SHE'S A WINCH!" So here it is, this fresh start blog to trace the journey of a crazy mother of a 4 year old and brand spankin' new wife as we build a family together in the name of all things "winchy."

Enjoy! :-)