NOVEMBER (all in one post)

Happy birthday to Grandma:


Ally's field trip to the Rock Museum:


Kaitlyn's Fall leaves (artwork from school):


Thanksgiving with Jeremy's side/Kierstin, Wes, Westin and Jade visit:

Halloween

The Friday before Halloween, we were able to carve pumpkins at a friend's home. Stacy and Jeremy W. have a daughter named Ellie who is 4. She's on Ally's back in the picture of the carved pumpkins. We all had a good time eating goodies, carving and visiting. That same night Kaitlyn went to Addy's home....she's the little witch in the picture below.


Halloween + half day of school = more fun for us!!!
We made sure every minute was jammed full of fun. We stopped to see Elissa and Megan....Gary allowed us a sneak peak of the haunted house he was helping a young man in our ward put together.....the girls loved it and unfortunately the love of it leads to a story I'll have tell later...it's something I NEVER in a million years though I would have to address with my two sweet and innocent little girls.


After Elissa's, we stopped to see Grandma and Grandpa. We were so happy Kevin brought Mya and Brennen's costumes over, although I can't say pictures or little ones cooperated for pictures very well. Mya didn't even want to wear her costume. She was a little eskimo, but failed to wear the boots and hat that would make her look the part. She's still cute....we were happy to see the little monkey and eskimo dressed up for at least a minute :)


After grandma's we met the cousins in BG for the Main St trick or treating. Kaitlyn was estatic she got to see her Rodeo Queen from the fair.....wish we would have got the two of them in a picture. This nice police officer and Grandma and Grandpa stopped to say hello as well and trick or treat as well.


After trick or treating in BG, we picked up Jeremy and headed striaght for Aunt Katie's to do some neighborhood knocking and have a yummy dinner. It was another fun year of trick or treating with the cousins....glad that's a tradition, that so far, has never been broken.

Ally's 9 (family party)

Even though the post date on this is 10/25, I'm not getting to it until 12/21....playing catch up.
Here are the cousins playing Dough Girl....they had nothing but giggles, each HAD to have their own turn getting "stuffed"


It was another birthday full of love, laughter and fun. We can't believe our little girl is 9!

Mia's 1!

Our family was so excited to see Miss Mia on Saturday morning. We ALL loved singing to her and watch her (watch us)....being all excited about her birthday gift Mollie the Money....I think she was a little overwhelmed....we never could get her to crack a smile (in the moment).

Ally's "Friend Party"

Ally's friend birthday party (she's going to be 9 on Tuesday), was a BLAST! She has such sweet friends. Ally thinks the world of them and is so good at making sure no one is left out. It was great to watch them all have such a good time together and make such good memories.

The girls got off the bus and zoomed home. They had homemade pizza, carrots and soda awaiting them. On the table, each girl had a plate of "ironing beads" and a shaped tray to decorate between bites. Each girl was so creative in their designs (see bottom pics). After lunch and craft-time...it was game-time....

I LOVE kid birthday parties. It's fun to be creative and come up with new ideas for organized fun. I didn't think it would be possible to come up with a game that topped last years nail polish game, but after a little research on the internet this is what we came up with:

Dough Girl, balloon race!
The girls divided up in two teams (4 each), each team had 26-5" balloons in a bag, one girl on each team dressed in adult sized sweats. At "Go" the other girls have a race to stuff all the balloons in the sweats (without popping them), the first to finish wins. The best part about this game is the laughs. Since no one had played it before, all were histarically laughing and enjoying every moment (mom included). It's such a silly game, but definately one we'll play again and again....now let's hope the balloons stay inflated until Tuesday for the "family party"...I think the adults will get a kick out of it.
*****I give this one 5 stars :)

Blindfolded Makeover
I found some cheap make-up at the dollar store....each girl first washed her face. We then drew names to see who would be the first to apply (blind-folded) and the first to have the makeover. The girls loved playing both parts. None of them got bent out of shape if someone applied the make-up wrong. This game was a blast for the girls....but honestly was a little bit of a mess....some of the girls got carried away with the bright lipsticks all over the face, which isn't so easy to get off without make-up remover. This game was a hit from the girls point of view, they were full giggles throughout the entire game.
**I give this one 2 stars

Like I said before, Ally has sweet friends. They all write such kind thoughts and words in their cards. A couple even wrote little poems...so sweet! The gifts....very thoughtful too.

Pierced Ears

About 5-6 years ago Ally came to me and asked me if every girl who gets married has to have their ears pierced, cause if so, she's never getting married.

It's obvious today, her views have changed. Last night, we took her to the mall to get it done. She's been pretty determined, as long as they did both ears at once. Jeremy and I still had our doubts that she'd actually do it. You see, this is our third year taking her....usually she crys just before she gets to the stores entry, but not this time. She showed us the way through the store and sat on down, grabbing the bear on the chair. There were a couple looks of hestitation as we were signing the papers. When I finished, Ally knew there was no turning back and she had to be brave (her words to us after). This has definately been a decision of hers, a decision she's pretty fond of, at the moment....look at her smile :-) We've always thought, she looks pretty in pink....she went with daddy's choice.

Our Kaitlyn

Our lovable Miss Kaitlyn is a hoot to be around.

It's amazing to look at the differences between our two sweet daughters, each so unique. I've already discribed Ally and some of her recent changes. As I think about Kaitlyn and her own traits, I can't help but think about a comment Kaitlyn's 1st grade teacher (Ally kindergarden teacher) made, "it's amazing how different your girls are". I was taken back by the comment and do realize she didn't mean it in a negative way. Watching Kaitlyn in the classroom and at recess, I realize what a social butterfly she is. She's kept and made many friends and will have fun, she is not shy or reserved, in any way. She's vocal in her ways and could care less what others think of her, she knows what she likes and there's no changing her views. She loves her teacher and will make it known....the other day, she screamed "I love you" as she walked out of the school for parent pick-up....it was loud, I could hear it from the car. Organization is a must for little missy...she also sticks to task, getting every-bit of her work done without any dilly-dally. The picture above shows her putting her head down, showing she's finished eating, cleaning and ready for recess. She has not been the picky eater I anticipated....she's happy with having the same this everyday, if needed. She's also a big helper, she not only cleaned up after herself, but also cleaned up after the other kids at the table so they can all be the first to go to lunch recess....they were the first to go too. Our sweetie has a deep desire to do whatever is asked of her and do it well. At home, Kaitlyn is such a lovebug. She desires lots of attention and wants to held or touching a family member (almost) all the time....she's lucky she's our baby because we'll hold her as long as we can (even though it looks ridiculous holding a 6 year old in public). Kaitlyn is our early to bed, early to rise little girl; she will always be in our room, prior to 6:30am and make sure her little face (including her gorgeous hair) is in my face, giving kisses and asking for cartoons and food. As I try to get her to go back to sleep, her little legs will remain on mine, making it well known I better not go back to sleep....this may sound like a complaint, but I'm realizing how much I'll miss this in the future. Kaitlyn is taking after her sisters' study habits, she is determined to learn and be a good reader....she's on-to chapter books and I have to do my best, not discourage her...it definately takes time and patience. Kaitlyn is dedicated and patient. Aunt Lairen and a couple other people gave Kaitlyn some birthday money last March, she saved every penny of her earnings and was determined not to spend a dime until she saved enough for her nintendo DS, she did it last month! We are so proud of her... and amazed that our 6 year old daughter had the will-power to do it...amazing! Kaitlyn is incredible with small children. Mia and her cousins are so lucky when Kaitlyn is around, they know Kaitlyn loves them because of her kind actions. A couple other unique things about Kaitlyn:
She's willing and able to read a talk in the upcoming primary program AND she pulls a few funnies out of her hat with her own spunk at times. Recently she was in the back seat of the car and decided to change the beginning sound of all her words to "ZZ". One of the sentences: "Z'M ZOING ZRAAAZZY!" It's about how I was feeling at that moment and changed my reaction very quickly when I heard what she was saying....it was SO funny!!! Kaitlyn is a hoot, so much of the time ;-)

Like I said, Kaitlyn is lovable....you know you are loved by Kaitlyn when you look into her bright-blue eyes, see her adorable smile, feel her tight hug, hear her fun giggles and sense her admiration for you. She is such a sweet, sensitive girl, who really wants to please everyone, including herself, ALL the time. We love you CupKait!

Our Ally

Ally has taken on a whole new role of spunk and responsibility.

I say SPUNK because Ally is not nearly as quiet and reserved as she used to be. She's hilarious and throws out SO many funny remarks most of the time. One of the most recent is Ally's comment to Jeremy and his whiskers. Jeremy gave her a kiss and the kiss must not have felt the greatest, because Ally's comment was "Dad, if your whiskers get any longer, I'm going to have to start brushing my hair with your face!" many giggles followed.

Ally knows what she wants and will do what she can to get it in her own cute ways. Last weekend, My Mom, Grandma and I were discussing arrangements for the primary program next Sunday (the girls were with us). I mentioned to mom and Grandma that I would provide lunch afterwards. Grandma volunteered to bring dessert and wondered what to bring. With no hestitation, Ally said how much she LOVES grandma's pumpkin pie....there's no way anyone could resist, making anything but pumpkin pie, because of the way she said it. She said it with definate desire and passion for grandma's dessert. Us adults laughed and I think embarrased Ally. Once Grandma was home, I helped Ally realize what a wonderful thing she had done. She made Grandma feel so good with her comment, Grandma has a wonderful talent for baking...she loves to bake. If Ally wouldn't have spoke up, I probably would have prevented Grandma from baking, not wanting her to go to the trouble. Ally helped me to realize how important it is to show appreciation and love for the talents and things that other people do.

Another funny thing Ally said on the second day of school. Jeremy had just got home, the two of us went to get the girls at the bus-stop and here is what Ally had to say; "Guess what my teacher taught us today?" Jeremy and I were intrigued by her excitement. "If you feel like saying a bad word, replace the word with a name of a fruit!" We all were roaring laughing...nothing at all, what we expected!!! We could sense she felt those words of advice were very cleaver. Luckily, she doesn't have the need to replace any words....but she did realize the need for a few of her classmates to use the teachers wise counsel ;)


Ally has been a very responsible girl. Hitting the 3rd grade has been a big transition for the whole family. Being 2 months into the school year, Ally now calls her teacher strict, but she still thinks of her as a great teacher too. Ally recognizes that her teacher doesn't put up with much sensitivity...lucky she didn't have to learn a personal lesson on this one, she observed a scenario with a classmate crying in class and the teacher commenting on how they are in the "third grade, it's time to be responsible and accountable for actions" basically stating that its time to buck-up and stop being a little kid. Ally took a mental note and we haven't had to deal with many sensitive moments since.
Ally comes home from school and has piles of homework. We don't have much spare time on any weeknight. She has at least an hour to hour and a half of homework every night. Ally is great at getting it done and putting her best efforts into learning. An example of this: she writes spelling words and vocabulary definitions (separate lists) more than required AND reads independently (more than required) difficult books to challenge herself.

We are proud of Ally and her efforts. She is growing up to be a splended young lady. We love being around her, she can certainly brighten anyones day :)

Nature Play

Nature Play is a project thats been in the works for a while at a local park. Jeremy needed to participate and work on a Saturday for any volunteers who wanted to donate their time. Ally, Kaitlyn, Mia and I were available and happy to participate and watch Daddy work (if you call operating an excavator work). We planted many flowers and bushes and the girls got to build/decorate a few bird houses too. It was a good time, it was nice to contribute a little community service.

Harvest Days

Wheatfield: the field behind us started out as a raspberry field, 2 years later a strawberry field which lasted for 3 years, now we have a wheat field which was finally harvested on 9/7, I have to say the golden colors sure are pretty, but gee we miss the berries!

Zach and Tawny: so much fun to be around and provide lots of entertainment for the girls.

Harvest 2011 was pretty good! The busy summer ended and boy was I happy we had a late harvest! Most of the canning was done while the girls were at school most of the day. At first, I didn't plan on doing much canning, just salsa. Mother motivated me as she pressed on with her own efforts AND lack of invites for me to participate...I was getting pretty jealous of all the gals she invited over to teach...lucky I turned my attitude around and learned from her thoughtful and generous ways. I also realized that if I ask, mom's always willing and wanting to help in any way she can :-)

So back to the harvest:
- 45 ears of corn, very yummy and in the freezer. Used Grandma Mary's recipe ;-)
- Lots of peas, fresh pickin and eatin
- Loads of cucumber....it a shame, many were wasted...happy I just picked the last 3 today 10/18
- Tons of green beans....ate them all fresh. Note to self, do more next year and can them
- Piles of tomatoes, bell pepper, jalepinos and hot peppers = SALSA!!! This year, in additional tomatoes came from Elissa's garden. I have a total of 48 quarts of salsa...a record!!!! Half of it I did myself...a nice pat on the back
- Italian Prunes; 2 batches of jelly for Miss Kaityn
- Grapes; 10 quarts of grape juice (with help of Joyce and her amazing steam juicer!) and 2 batches of grape jelly

Other items purchased/canned/froze:
1 box apples; Applesauce
2 boxes pears
25 lbs. pickled cucumbers....garlic pickles are the best!
35 lbs blueberries
40 lbs strawberries; froze and made jam

All our jars were filled, added 3 dozen more to the collection and just got a few more for smaller jars for canning chicken, which I hope will happen in the next month or two.

What's funny about all this harvesting/preserving, are the reactions that come from my family. They see my excitment/finished product and seem to think that canning is my passion and my most favorite thing to do. I'm glad they see my joy in all of it, but realized the need to set them straight and explain the reasons why it makes me so happy.
It is hard work family; my hands, back and feet get tired, but all those aches and pains go away when I think of the ways our family can benefit from the efforts. I feel pleasure knowing that I utilized Heavenly Fathers creations, to prepare for the future needs of my family. I feel peace, knowing that we followed the prophets counsel to plant a garden and work towards our families food storage goals. Isn't it a comfort to know, we have food, in the event of an emergency? One of the most peaceful feelings for a mother/father is to know that their children's mouths will be fed because they did what they could to be prepared. We want that for you, Ally and Kaitlyn....we love you so much and will work hard and do whatever we can to care for you and provide what we can. You mean SO MUCH to us and are our greatest blessing!!!

I give thanks to mom, who motivates, teaches and helps me be effective with my small increments of time. Thanks to Jeremy for always encouraging us to plant a garden, he's the one who plants, tils, waters and tells me and the girls when it's time to weed :) He's also so supportive and loves that I strive to preserve the families most favorite foods.

What a wonderful gift to have the ability to work hard and utilize the talents and abilities Heavenly Father has given.

Now....
Hopefully, my dear husband will bring back a deer to freeze, he's got 3 days over East, to get that assignment filled....we shall see :)

First Day of School (2011)

Both girls LOVED (understatment) the first day of school and couldn't wait to attend the second day (they still lost sleep and woke up WAY too early). They (we) got the teachers they wanted and were very happy making new friends and starting the "school routine" all over again. These pictures look a little dark, because they were taken at 6:30 in the morning! Jeremy is usually able to go to the bus stop with us, but had a busy day and was unable. The girls desired to have the traditional picture taken so they woke up, got ready and was in our room by 6am (they are not allowed to come in before that, unless its an emergency). Can you tell how happy they are?? Their smiles were just as big when I picked them up from school. PHEW!

Bob & Sue's Visit

Jeremy met Bob and Sue on his mission. They are from PA and decided to stop here for several days before boarding a cruise ship in AK. We had a great time "catching up" and talking about "good times" from Jeremy's mission and the previous visit we made 10+ years ago. They are great people with good hearts. We had a great time and are so glad close ties have been kept through the years.

Here are some of the stops we made while they were here:

Mt Saint Helens (like how I captured the moon in the picture...love it)


Rose Gardens (just the girls and I took Sue...Jeremy and Bob went hunting)


Columbia Gorge, scenic highway viewpoints (Jeremy had to work this day)


Several waterfalls

Miscellaneous Summer Pics

Girls were nothing but smiles, going to the salon to get haircuts the day before school...the bangs are finally grown out!

Ally had a blast at Activty Day Camp and was thrilled her friend Kylie from school was there. They had their first 3-legged race...they stuck it out even though they were one of the last teams racing to the finish.

Cowboy Kaitlyn....at last years Rodeo. SO FUNNY! Great posture, don't ya think?

First lemonaid stand, lots of support from neighbors, a bikerider and of course Grandma and Grandpa who happended to see the advertisement on Facebook.

My little Divas were practicing their school fashion....scarves, hats and backpacks.

Ally LOVED checking dad's mole traps. There was always such a big smile when "they" caught one. Each time she would text daddy and tell him so.

Mia...we all loved the sad and happy faces!

Helpers....stacking wood. So happy to have children who like helping mom and dad (most the time).


Grandma/Granddaughter dates....a end of summer tradition they LOVE!

Mia's standing and found Ally. I love the look on Ally's face! She and Kaitlyn love Mia like a little sister. There's usually nothing but smiles when Mia around.

Ally surprised us one afternoon. I went outside to check on her; I found her kneeled down beside Tawney and Zack and doing something. When I went to check on her I had found that she picked ALOT of greenbeans and was snapping them for dinner, so that I wouldn't have to. She transported them in her shirt ;-) SO DANG CUTE!!!!

Went camping with the Berry's at Rod's place. The guys had a blast shooting things. The girls had fun relaxing and playing by the creek and on the slide. Note to self: bring inner-tubes next time and throw Jeremy in the water.

SWIM LESSONS...a big success! See those HAPPY faces???? Ally's a little tad pole and does nothing but wade in the deep end of the pool....this pool was 12 feet deep!


Kaitlyn 3 days before her session was over, finally had a light-bulb go off and realized that she COULD hold her breath and swim under water. She can now swim in the deep end without a floating device, not confidently though.

Rachael turned 7! The girls LOVED attending the party and going bowling with cousins to celebrate.

WEDDING RECEPTIONS! One of the girls favorite things is to see BRIDES! Amanda and Amy got married on the same day. They both are beautiful and such fine examples for our family. Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Wilson!

Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Leifson!


Ally hanging out with Hannah...neighbors granddaughter.

Mid-THIRTIES

I love these pics of my husband. I look at his eyes, his smile and am reminded of the things which captured my eye 15 years ago. Another reason I love these pictures is because he was ACTUALLY HAPPY on his birthday....he usually dislikes reaching another year of age....hitting 30 was like a bomb went off and I had better not throw any big party. My husband likes simplicity, so this year....a home cooked dinner at home with his parents and Chip (best friend of approx 23 years). After dinner and dessert (by the way...best german chocolate cake yet, made with 3 layers YUM), Jeremy's parents were very sweet and allowed us "kids" to get out and see a movie....they stayed with the grandkids. The girls and I had a busy day preparing with a sick baby, but every ounce of work was worth it for the man in our lives....that's officially in his mid-thirties ;-)

COUNTY FAIR TIME!

We LOVE this tradition, its been 14 years and counting ;-D


This year was so much different. The girls are older and know what they want to do, most of it consists of seeing the HORSES, of course. We missed having Grandpa with us, but he was definately remembered.


We were able to stay later and enjoy a couple rides AFTER the bull riding. We all agreed that we would wait until it got completely dark (notice the girls killing time, heading to another horse barn and finding ANY horses they can pet and admire.) We saw the biggest bull...2500 lbs, that was a record for me. We splurged and got some great treats and in the meantime was entertained by a couple clowns who kept Ally busy and Kaitlyn a little bit skidish. Kaitlyn was excited to find herself a rodeo princess contestant for 2012. Did you know Kaitlyn now considers herself a cowgirl, now that she has a horse of her own ;-)


The four of us had a wonderful time and are ready to celebrate Jeremy's big day tomorrow....he turns 35!

HORSE LESSONS and.......WE GOT A PONY!!!!

My visiting teacher had a great reference for us....an ametuer horse riding instructor, at a very reasonable price. We found out about a year ago and finally signed the girls up. They loved every minute of the lesson and can't wait for the weekly lessons to ride Tuffy again and again.

Shawney...changed the name to Tawney, is the new addition. She is a beautiful miniture horse, given to us by our friend Rod. He had some friends who needed to limit the amount of animals on their property....so he had our family in mind and gave Jeremy a call. I couldn't believe that the phone call came the day after the girls' 1st horse lesson. Jeremy could see the joy in the girls eyes and could tell that their love for horses is more than just a fasination. Rod had Jeremy completely convinced that this little pony is perfect for our girls and our property. We are hoping he is right. Tawney is 3 years old and is used to kids. She comes from a family with 7 children who gave her lots of attention. Tawney is super friendly and such a fun addition. We have the intent to keep her, but the girls also are prepped that they need to enjoy every moment with her. If her health and happiness are at stake and if we or they are unable to care for her, Rod takes her back and finds her a better home. We shall see how it goes.....wish us luck! This will be a new experience for all of us ;-)

Family Vacation 2011

Our family was thrilled to get-a-way, be together and spend time with Jeremy's family. This time was much needed...get our minds away from the regular routine and create some additional fun memories. Get ready for lots of pictures :) The above was taken right out our back door as soon as we got there, before the rest of the family arrived.


Steve and Becky arrived next with Reese and Tori. I was so happy that Reese came right to me, after awaking from a nap. She snuggled with me for quiet a while....was so nice! Tori eventually warmed up and was happy to sit on my lap after I told her I'd play "piggies" with her. Katie and Aaron showed up soon after, dinner the first night was at their place. The little boys immediately swarmed to a corner to play cars...so cute! The cousins attacked each other with hugs, thrilled to be together for the week!

Day 2: Beach and Crabbing


Best day to be at the beach! Pictures speak louder than words. Need I say more?




Two years ago Jeremy got crabbing nets and supplies for his birthday. This was the first time using them....so fun! We decided to head down to a new area (referred by a local fisherman). Turns out there was no railing, this made everyone a tad bit nervous (understatment). That didn't last long, so we headed to the pier.


I love being at the pier. Everyone we've ran into has been so pleasant and willing to let us take a peek at their catch. The community shows excitement for one another as we pull in nets, we also share in the disappointment (catching females or too small to take home). When star fish are brought up the kids show all kinds of amazment, crabbers allow them to hold the starfish and throw them back into the waters.


Day 3: Tidepools in Lincoln City, pool, seals and some girly fun

Jeremy, Wes, Steve and their boys (Westin and Steven) went crabbing this afternoon so Becky and the rest of us headed to the tidepools. We weren't at this location more than 20 minutes. The breeze and cool air was too much for the babies and Kaitlyn so we made it short. Instead, the babies went back for naps and Becky and I took the girls swimming.


Tom liked his walks and found many seals beyond the fencing, behind the condos. It was fun to walk down several times each day to see if they were there and stare at them for a while. The kids enjoyed watching the sunset and viewing the ocean's tide come-in with Grandma and Grandpa. Eventually the tide washed many of the seals back out to sea.

The nail polish game was a big hit with this side of the family as well....neices are so much fun! Although, I have to say Westin was pretty curious and wondered why a nail polish game would be fun. Wed had to try and convince Westin that nail polish is fun, so we painted one nail on each of their hands....don't you love Westin's reaction. I think he knows boys shouldn't have polish on their hands ;-)
Jeannie was thrilled to have Jeremy paint one of her hands so beautifully....she's such a trooper.


Sydney spent the night at our place and got to witness Ally's snoring...right in her ear. They slept in the same twin bed across from Kaitlyn. They enjoyed watching a movie in bed and hearing a few stories from Papa while Jeremy and I went to get a quick bite to eat with Wes.

Day 4: Depoe Bay, Swimming, Fogerty Beach and Steven's Birthday

No whales this trip, but the seals made up for it. Swimming was the girls highlight of the week....Ally became quiet the little tadpole. We got word that the girls got into the last session of the water awareness program for the summer....this will be SO good for them and hopefully help them with their skills that much more.

Fogerty Beach was a highlight for our family. It's such a different type of beach. It has very course sand....or should I say rocks with many tidepools and larger rocks to climb on.....see Aaron??? King of the mountain top? He must have had a great view. We enjoyed digging for rocks/agates and adding to the girls rock and seashell collections.


Jeremy took these pictures on his phone and found an option to create a sketch.

We finally got a taste of some of Becky's cupcake creations. The PB and Choc variety was our favorite....delicous! These were made to celebrate little Steven's 6th birthday celebration. The gift he's holding brought back so many memories. My brothers used to have the same toy guns...hopefully Steven's will last a while.

These bottom pics are obviously random. They show our awesome dog-sitter, Conner (Ally's friend Jillian's brother). Our dog Ruby adores him! Kaitlyn LOVES grandma's neck pillow, she borrow's it for every road trip. Jeremy is stylin in his new glasses...an early bday present from little miss Kaitlyn....she was so proud of her comical gift idea ;-)

Tom and Jeannie....thank you for the opportunities you provide for the family to be together. We enjoyed every minute....THANKS!!!!