Visit to Santa

It's almost like November never happened! I keep forgetting to take my camera with us places.  Here we are visiting Santa at the tree farm.  Each of the kids got to share what they wanted. 

LaurieAnn asked for dolls.

After Santa told Hyrum that a jet pack might be a little hard to fit into his sleigh, he settled for a remote control helicopter.  Santa has his work cut out for him this year.

Gabby wants some make up and a scooter!

Eloise wants this strange bearded man to give her back to her mom and dad!

Christmas Tree

Cutting down a Christmas tree has been a tradition for us now for a few years.  The kids love to feed the animals and see the reindeer getting all the rest they need for their long trip on Christmas Eve.

Halloween Party

Everyone headed over to Grandma's for a Halloween party.  We bobbed for apples and tried to eat doughnuts from a string.  The kids had a ball.  Thanks Mom and Dad for always doing fun parties like this.

 Eloise in her hand me down Lion costume.  Cute and cuddly.

 Hyrum was Batman

Gabby wanted to be a cheerleader!

Here is our little blond Snow White.  She had a black eye and bruised cheek, but still quite an adorable princess!

Halloween Town

 We always love our annual trip to Bi-Zi Farms!  The kids love seeing all the animals and wishing we lived on a farm. 

Picking out the best ones for carving

From this trip, we will remember that Doug sat in p**p and LaurieAnn refused to use the porta potty.  To this day, she will go to the bathroom and say "I didn't go potty at the pumpkin patch."

Family Photos

This is the 3rd time I have had Lindsi do my family photoshoot.  I am so, so, so happy with how they turned out.  Great photographer, great friend.

Here are a few of the favorites -

LaurieAnn is 3!

It has become tradition at our house to make breakfast for the birthday girl or boy and wake them up to a birthday song-that is if they haven't woken up too excited first.

LaurieAnn loved this special breakfast just for her. 

She wanted a barbie cake.  My mom got me some cake decorating supplies and I have used them for lots of birthdays and parties this year.  I loved making the flower in her hand and her bow in the back.  Although LaurieAnn was sad when we revealed that Barbie had no legs.

Barbie after the party

We have eggs!

The kids are loving collecting eggs everyday.  Doug thinks I'm crazy, but I love having chickens, and they are LaurieAnn's favorite.  She will sit them on her lap and pet them like a cat.  Here she is collecting our first eggs.

 

canning

So I have been obsessed with canning this summer and trying new recipes.  I used some of my grandmother's old canning jars and it was so fun to remove the old lid and see "peaches 1976" or "applesauce" in her handwriting.  I made a peach preserve that was my great grandmother's recipe.  Both loved making jams and canning and I have loved following in their footsteps. 

So I made this delicious apple pear freezer butter that I thought I would share.  I love that it just tastes like fall and the sugar content is minimal compared to other jams.  I've been eating it on everything, but I think my favorite is on a bagel with cream cheese and apple butter on the top. YUM!

4 cups peeled diced apples
4 cups peeled diced pears
¼ cup water
1 cup sugar
1 pkg pectin
¾ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground allspice
½ cup brown sugar

In a medium saucepan, bring fruit and water to boil. Turn heat down and simmer until apples are soft (about 20 minutes). Meanwhile, mix sugar, pectin and spices into a bowl. Add hot fruit and brown sugar. Mix for three minutes and pour into freezer safe jars or tubs. Stores up to a year in the freezer or 1 month in the fridge.

3 Alarm Party!

 We celebrated Hyrum's birthday at the local fire station this year.  The kids had a blast touring the station and using all the special fireman equipment.  They loved sitting in the fire engine and shooting the water hose.  He even got his picture in the paper after the event!

 



First Day of School!

School started again! 

Hyrum has been so excited to go to Miss Carolyn's preschool this year.  He loves her animals and can't wait until it is his turn to feed the fish.  He also impresses his dad each week with a new Spanish word!

Gabby was so excited for 1st Grade!  She is an avid reader and loves to create picture books of her own everyday.  I love the special time we get to have together walking to school.

Labor Day Weekend

Where it all began...

All I can say is thank you for making so many memories over the years.

Look how we've grown

(and this is only about half)

They're all smiling thanks to Doug's "ooga-booga" chants.

Happy Birthday Hyrum!  He couldn't ask for anything better-camping on his birthday was the best for our outdoorsman.  He LOVED his binoculars and didn't take them off for about a month.

My kids are so lucky to get to live near their grandparents.  They look forward to seeing them each week because they make an extra effort to show their love like coming on  campouts with their grandkids!

Campfires are the best!

Antique Airshow

On a quiet Saturday, we went down to the antique roadshow with the Baldwins.  We took a hayride over to the Pierson air museum and got to walk around and see all the old airplanes.  Hyrum loved it!  The kids got little planes they could put together and fly.  We saw planes coming and going all morning.  It was a fun family outing.

Next time we'll venture into the museum!

Fort Vancouver

So I have seen Fort Vancouver many times, but it was fun to take the kids on a tour this summer and see everything over there.  The kids loved observing the bakery, kitchen and blacksmith exhibits.  I love to see the garden out front and the archeology section. 

 
We joined Scott and Clarissa on this adventure.

Hyrum trying on a beaver skin hat

Gabby ringing the bell to notify the servants that the meal is finished.