Birthday!

Susan turned 12! She gets to be a Beehive! She finished her Faith in God booklet and graduated from Primary! The Bishop had her recite the 13th article of faith to the whole congregation. She spoke slowly and clearly but she was VERY nervous. I think she is brave and set a great example for her siblings. I went into YW's later and read a paper that tells about her. She got her favorite candybar, a Twix bar. In Primary we sang her favorite song as a good-bye. I Belong To the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! I can't believe my oldest girl is so old! She was the only kid in her class in Primary for the last two months because her Birthday was so late in the year. She is now with all her friends again and best friend next door. And if you ask her where is her favorite place to vacation is if she could go anywhere in the world she would say her grandma's in CA.

Cinnamon Rolls for the Birthday Girls Breakfast surprise. They rose all night and were ready at 7am to put in the oven. Only no one was up at that time so they got a little bigger for a couple hours extra. Warm and delicious it all worked out.

Frosting and it's the cream cheese kind! Squirt it on thick!

Presents! You can't help but notice the little helper that really wanted it to be his Birthday too.

Her grandma in Utah gave her some shoes, she really needed shoes because her feet are all of sudden a women's size 7! She also got some clothes and a very pretty brown skirt remade to fit her in her skinny little waist. Her grandma in CA sent a DVD that is now memorized and quoted at the most random times! She was so excited to get this! I think we watched it 5 times before school started again and it was back to the old grind.

She asked for Pringles and she got them! But she only gets them in her lunch and only the green ones. They are lunch sized.

Happy Birthday! Oh and a funny thing. I took the pie out of the oven and it was cooling. Susan couldn't wait to eat it and have presents. She had been waiting all day and no one was very excited or in a hurry but she was. She got the candles out and put them all in just right then we all got distracted for a while. I walk into the kitchen and notice that the candles are all sideways. I pull one out only it is just a half of a candle. They had all melted into the pie. There was a little puddle of blue or green candle in every spot where she stuck on in the Hot pie. Ha Ha! We ate the pie anyway of course and she learned the first lesson at the age of 12, patience!

Extra stuff... Little Edmund is really into snowman. He sings the song, does a snowman dance and also makes snowmen at every chance he gets, it doesn't have to be much snow or even snow at all. Here is a glob of play-dough that he mixed with another blob and he happily plays with it every day and makes it usually into a... Snowman! AND A Very sad thing...My very favorite large 8 or 10 cup measuring/mixing bowl from pampered chef bit the dust. Literally it shattered to dust and chunks! It didn't fall very far but when it hit the counter is was gone. I am so sad. It took 4 people including Mike to help me vacuum and pick up, wipe up and throw out food to clean up all the pieces. The little ones wanted to help but it was too Dangerous. It was all the way across the kitchen in places you didn't think pieces would be. No one was hurt and the kitchen is cleaner then ever now.

The Holiday of Gratitude and Projects.

Thanksgiving morning was the perfect day to clean out the garage and haul off some junk. We also moved an animal cage/run into the barn so the rooster could have his own space. (and give the moulting hens a break!) It was hard to move it because it weighs a ton but with everyone working together we did it! Lots of snow makes lots of fun! Our backyard isn't very deep yet but it froze kind of hard on top. This makes for perfect crab sledding. If you wanted to get out of helping just disappear to the backyard!

They are the only two that like to play out there for longer then 10 minutes. It is really cold but fun to pull yourself around on the flat parts with your hands like swimming on a surf board.

They can go all over the yard and out around the barn. They do this for hours then come in for hot chocolate. Really it is so cold I am surprised they last so long.

The diehard trampoline jumpers. I think all that jumping keeps them warm.

Too many apples! Next year we will spray on schedule and it will be a priority. This year we didn't and I am done with the organic apples. I did the best I could with them but I will not make another pie or cake or anything if I have to cut out one more worm from the apple. I know it is a waste but the deer will thank me this winter as they come to snack on the compost pile.

Taking the wormy apples out to the compost pile is a lot more fun in the snow! Slide and ride!

Bunny bins! Finished the second one for the rabbit out in the barn. He was looking so cold I thought they could use a nice cozy place to sleep at night. I wanted to put a hinge on the top with a board over the slanted part but ended up just wiring a board there and saved money. Now it will be easy to clean out but still keep the warmth in. Didn't get a picture of the finished product.

Our feast of leftovers for the real Thanksgiving dinner on the day. It was so easy, maybe we will do this every year! Cook the turkey a week before and a few other dishes to just warm up then keep it simple for the big day!

This little guy slept through Thanksgiving dinner and woke up just in time to finish off the J-ello. His oldest sister thought it would be a happy way to enjoy himself if she gave him a straw.

Thanksgiving With Extented Family

We celebrated Thanksgiving in North Logan the weekend before the real Thanksgiving. It dumped snow for the occasion.

It was supposed to be planned so everyone would be there at the same time to eat with all the food being ready at exactly 2pm. Well, one turkey wasn't ready and the other one needed to be carved and one thing or the other led to us not eating until 4pm. Luckily Aunt Danna and a few others had before dinner snacks and veggie tray to tide us over. Some kids were just bored and wanted to eat so they could go play. It is always fun to have all the cousins together.

This is the Minced Meat Apple. Don't touch it, it is mine, the other piece is Grandpa's. I was too full to eat it right away so the next day I enjoyed it all to myself, warm with lots of whipped cream.

Aunt Kim was there! Geoff and Anita with toddler, Darron and Melissa with baby inside, pam and fam, Danna and JD with there lovely daughters and Grandma and Grandpa all the way from Lindon! Of course Kami and Craig and kids and we were there too!We really missed Brent and Lesli that didn't make it this year because they wanted to go move to Colorado so they could have their own personal holidays. :(

I got a lot of fun pictures of all of us pigging out but none of the pictures were very flattering of our mouths open or loaded with food so I will spare you.

These two posed for me in between bites. Thanks.

Oh, how I love Thanksgiving! So much great food and too many pies! I couldn't even eat the pie part until later. By then some of the desserts were gone. Danna had to leave early. She missed out on all the fun stuff, shhh, don't tell her.

This is my boy sporting his new haircut for the season. He sure looks handsome.

Three Weeks with my Brother by Nicholas Sparks & Michah Sparks

In the year 2006 two brothers go on a trip around the world. They just happen to be the author and his brother from all those girl flicks like the NOTEBOOK and A Walk to Remember. This is a memoir about their life, the struggles they lived through and how they come closer or farther from God through the journey. The boys had an interesting childhood. They had weird parents too. Their little sister was so different then they were. It was great that they both turned out so good and were both great dads and husbands. The trip around the world was fascinating. I have never been to any of the places they visited. I think I would like to visit Easter Island just to see the sunset. Healing Book

Letters by Marjorie Page Hinckley

This was a cute read and a glimpse into Sister Hinckley's life over a span of 50 years of letter writing. She wrote to her family probably every week, this was the main way of communication for her and them. There are a bunch of letters from her earlier days of being married with two kids and far from home. There is a bunch from her travels all over the world. I liked these the best. There are also a few to her children off to college and her grandchildren. It was fun to see this great women come to life for me as I peaked into her life through these letters. She was a very loving and patient person. She hardly complained, in fact didn't really at all. She endured hard times but didn't let it get her down. She is brave and also just human like you or me with mistakes and challenges each day. She loves to get letters too. I kind of wished as I was reading these that we didn't have computers and internet, texting and phones so we could communicate on a deeper level with those we love. There was a great depth to the letters that you just don't get when you post a few sentences on Facebook to sum up your week. She really loved her family and her husband. Whole Book

Happy Birthday - Wow, Five Years Old!

The Birthday Girl in her Party Dress!

We had a friends party the day before her actual Birthday and during our co-op Joy Preschool. The theme was built around the letter H! So all the presents, if you wanted to bring one, but were not required, started with H, or not. Headbands, Hello, Kitty, Happy Birthday things and Happy Birthday balloons, hats, Harmonica, Heart stickers, horses...Then we talked about Winnie-the-Pooh and how he loves HUNNY! I borrowed the original tales and read a few exerts from Poohs life and about the "wrong sorts of bees". Then we looked at a few Beekeeper suits I borrowed from my brother. The kids were so fascinated.

We played a fun game, My Honey Bee won't sting you...and then we played pin the honey Bee on the Hive. (notice all the H words.) We also sang If you are happy and you know clap your Hands, Hug a friend, Hop around and the favorite HOOT HOOT. (like owl) Everyone took home a tiny Honey Butter jar and a party bag with things like Bit O Honey, Hand clappers, and tiny harmonicas.

We traced the letter H, colored and played some more.

Blew out the candles and played some more.

In the end we blew up long balloons and had a crazy sword fight in the living room.

The funny part was when the little cousin came in took off her shoes and coat then ran into the living room yelling, "Lets all play dead!" She plopped on the floor and only the Birthday girl played dead with her but didn't last very long. The cousin waited a long while then jumped up and started playing with everyone. I guess that was the ice breaker.

More to add later after her actual B-day Tuesday.

Then on her actual Birthday I had the flu and was in bed all day and didn't get her a cake made and didn't get decorations up and didn't get to see her open any presents and I just stayed in bed all day so sick with the flu! Poor little girl. I felt so bad and kept thinking any minute now I would be better and I could get up and make her a cake. We did have pizza at lunch time and her dad came home for lunch to celebrate with her and they drank rootbeer. My visiting teacher is so sweet and she made a cake for this little girl so she would still have a special day. That was the best thing anyone could have done. They even sang to her, I heard it from my deathbed in the other room. I will be forever thankful for this small act of kindness. The next morning I was better! And she seemed to be just super happy to play with her barbies from her grandma and other fun things she got.

A Long Way From Chicago: A Novel In Series by Richard Peck

Joey and Mary Alice went to Illinois to visit their eccentric grandmother. That first summer was the beginning of nine more summers full of adventures. Their grandmother is so mysterious and you can never tell what she will do next. She helps people in a round about way in fact some might even question if she is helpful or not. She is not exactly truthful with everyone all the time.
My favorite part is the funeral in the living room. Grandma should not be allowed to have a shotgun when there are small children around. She might shoot your eye out or splinter the casket in a million pieces if she sees a ghost.
I also will always look in the milk carton before I pour it on my cereal. You never know what might be floating in it.

Whole Book

Halloween and the end of Fall!

It rained all night but still hasn't snowed! Saturday it will for sure!

I thought I was was really smart to buy candy online this year when there was a huge steal deal going on Amazon through pinchingyourpennies and free shipping. I quickly bought two bags then went back later and checked, the delivery date was Nov. 4th so I guess that wasn't such a great deal because I won't have it for Halloween. INSTEAD my mom found seconds from See's Candy, sticks, a whole box full. She sent them just in time with my sister Kim! Thanks mom! So we will be eating those probably on Easter too. They are a lovely color of black, orange and white. We only usually have 2 or trick-or-treaters that come to our home so I usually don't need much candy to give out.



On Halloween the local family owned grocery store always does a walk around the store and they give kids in costumes a treat at different stations. My big kids are in school this year and they were very disappointed to not get to go. Their favorite thing is the free string cheese! So the two little ones and I set out Tues. morning to grocery shop and get funny things...like a toothbrush, a whole bag of potato chips, black water sample, candy, a pumpkin cookie from the bakery, box of chocolate milk and a balloon. It is always surprising what they come up with to give to so many people that come through each year. I wonder if it is just a surplus of stuff they have on hand or what? They even had a spook alley in one store that wasn't scary just cute. We just happen to run into Mike during lunch too. He works just around the corner from Lee's Grocery store and heads over to the near by Panda Express sometimes.

We made Halloween cookies because it is traditional!


I wanted to put a little patch on Slinky's eye so she could be a Pirate Cat but she ran off when she heard me talking about it. We had to lock all the cats in the garage Halloween evening so they wouldn't follow kids walking past and wouldn't go in the road. They did this last year and the year before. Dumb cats!


After school the kids all wanted to go Trick or Treating. The weather looked like rain or snow but it was actually the warmest it has been in weeks. We got most of the homework done. Peter didn't have his finished because he went to Aikido with his dad so we said we would stall a while before getting in the car and going to a neighborhood in our ward down the street. We started first by walking to the older peoples homes in our ward/neighborhood. They love to have a visit! Sister Shp is always the best to visit. We like her dog, Ellie. The dog was very good at washing off Edmund's face a few times. She talked about the weather and asked each child how they are doing in school and then listened to Edmund tell her about his bat ring and point out all the colors he knows. It was funny. We went to the Relief Society presidents home and there was a HUGE spider in a web right on the corner of her tall garage. It was a real spider and very busy making a huge web. I am glad I didn't walk right into it. Then on her porch she had a super humongous tarantula that chased us down the steps. It was remote controlled. We laughed so hard and Jill did not want to walk past it to get her candy, but before we left she petted it. Edmund was just amazed and cautious but didn't go near it.

So it took about an hour to do those 8 homes right across from us. Peter was ready to go with us by then. We headed to the President Salisbury's home. We could see their upstairs light flashing from out house even though they were far away and across a field. They always get into Halloween. Pres. Salis was the Mad Hatter and looked just like Johnny Depp. He was in character and very silly.

Then we headed back to the house because I forgot my drivers license. Mike decided to go with us! Usually this is when I drop off the littlest one and he hangs out with his dad so we can go fast. BUT Edmund still wanted to go so we all went...I think it was much more fun this way. One house, Br. Allr always gives a soda can and microwave popcorn. Edmund kept saying, "movie" until we distracted him with a piece of candy. He associates popcorn with watching movies. We had fun going around to homes in our ward.

One girl was wearing a very very scary costume and when we were walking near her home she just came out of the dark and followed us. Peter almost punched her and ran but then he figured it was a girl and he would get in trouble. We thought it was one girl later when we were talking about how creepy she was, but this morning on facebook I found out it was her sister instead. She was very scary and never talked just followed us then walked across the street to find another victim to stalk. I knew it had to be someone in our ward so I didn't panic. YIKES, it gave me nightmares.


Halloween was fun! We didn't get to a lot of homes but at least it wasn't raining like last year or snowing like the year before. Edmund had a meltdown when we got home because we wouldn't let him drink his soda. His mouth was full of gum and a lollypop and as he sat on the floor screaming we knew it was just too much for him. He as so tired he couldn't think straight!

We got plenty of candy and will drop some off at the donate to the troops at the local dentist office. I can't wait to take down the decorations. Oh and just in case you are wondering...Edmund was a fireman, spiderman, cowboy, superman for Halloween. He wore parts of all of these costumes. He picked them all out himself.


Jill was Mulan for part of the day and a princess for the other part.


Lucy was a cowgirl, Susan was a scarecrow and Peter was a pedestrian. Hope you had a great Halloween too!


We all ate candy for breakfast. Does that make me a bad mom?