A Nontradtional Thanksgiving.

My family can't get together til Saturday for our real Thanksgiving dinner so those of us who were here (my dad, mom, me and the boys) decided to keep it real simple and fun.

We started of the morning with orange rolls - yummy! Thank you Mr. Doughboy!
My Dad made Austin and Danny some real Indian headbands and then gave Austin some beads to color and string on a necklace.
For dinner we had pizza! So easy, so delicious. My favorite is Papa Murphys thin crust, white sauce with olives and mushrooms.
After dinner the boys played in the tepee.
Austin and his Thanksgiving place mat.

"Twilight"

Dera, Miriam and I went and saw "Twilight" this weekend.
I knew it was going to be nowhere as near
as good as the book but I was still excited!
My favorite part:
The first kiss! One of the best first kisses ever!
Most unexpected:
I was checking out Bella's dad!
Maybe it is because I have a thing for cops,
or maybe it is just an indicator of my age!
Not to sure about:
The very multi-ethnic cast.
It seemed a little unrealistic for a little town like Forks.
Didn't look like what I expected:
Jacob.
He just didn't fit for me and it made it even
harder for me to feel sorry for him.
Funniest part:
When Edward took Bella home to meet the family.
Favorite character (besides Edward and Bella):
Charlie
Unexpectedly funny:
The looks on Jasper's face throughout the movie!
All in all:
I liked it and the first kiss made it so very worthwhile!

Star Door (or wall) Hanging

I made a star hanging this weekend, using the Sizzix 5 point star die, SU Ski Slope designer paper and SU Little Felt Flurries (and a lot of glitter!). I strung it up with silver wire, curled the ends, added some cute ribbon, that I stole from my mom, and voila!

Apple Hill

My favorite place in the world at fall time! There is nothing better than apple donuts . . . yummy! Danny had fun throwing leaves in the pond. Whenever he
wandered to far all I had to do was ask him if he wanted a bite of donut and he was at my side in a flash! Austin loved the tractor and the fish in the pond. I loved the craft booths, and the donuts. I found a very cute Christmas door hanging (at the shop "The Wood Shed" at High Hill).

Say Hello to Pippa and Porter

A year ago last July we lost our cat Shanghai. This was very devastating for us. He had been my baby for 7 years.

Up until recently I had not been able to even fathom getting another kitty but the last month or so I have been jonesing for a new kitty. I think a pet would be great for the boys but we are not ready for a dog yet so . . .
Meet Pippa and Porter!
We are very excited to be able to have them join our family!

Mark and Tanya Family Photo Shoot

I did a photo shoot for Mark, Tanya and Maysie today. Here are some of my favorite shots:

Look at that hair!
I love Mark's face in this one!
A momma and her little angel
Daddy and his little girl

Fort Slumberlost

The boys have been having a blast on the new play fort at my parents house:
"Fort Slumberlost". My parents got it from a neighbor for free! All they had to do was put it together. Having a rocket scientist for a dad sure comes in handy!

Thanksgiving

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

About the Pilgrims

This is what Austin related to me about what he learned about the pilgrims this week at school:
They sailed from in England
The name of the ship was the Mayflower
They sailed to where the Indians were
They sailed there because there was a lot of food
The children did not speak unless they were spoken to (the thought of this baffles him and he will not let it go!)

Some Christmas tags and an a prototype of the primary party Christmas ornament


Some current scrapbook pages

Have You Ever . . .

Have You Ever....

You should do this! Just copy and paste the 200 statements then bold the ones you have done!! Hope you enjoy it!! (and make sure you use a lot of exclamation points, it makes everything more fun) The idea is to highlight the things you have done out of the 200 items on the list. 1. Touched an iceberg 2. Slept under the stars 3. Been a part of a hockey fight 4. Changed a baby's diaper 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Swam with wild dolphins 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a tarantula 10. Said "I love you" and meant it 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise 15. Seen the Northern Lights 16. Gone to a huge sports game 17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables 19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope 20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Bet on a winning horse 23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Taken an ice cold bath 28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Ridden a roller coaster 31. Hit a home run 32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking 33. Adopted an accent for fun 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment 36. Loved your job 90% of the time 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Watched wild whales 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach 41. Gone sky diving 42. Visited Ireland 43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited India 45. Bench-pressed your own weight 46. Milked a cow 47. Alphabetized your personal files 48. Ever worn a superhero costume 49. Sung karaoke 50. Lounged around in bed all day 51. Gone scuba diving 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Done something you should regret, but don't 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Been in a movie 60. Gone without food for 3 days 61. Made cookies from scratch 62. Won first prize in a costume contest 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Been in a combat zone 65. Spoken more than one language fluently 66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone - verbal not physical 67. Bounced a check 68. Read - and understood - your credit report 69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy 70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did 71. Called or written your Congress person 72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over 73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge 74. Helped an animal give birth 75. Been fired or laid off from a job 76. Won money 77. Broken a bone 78. Ridden a motorcycle 79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph 80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon 81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing 82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days 83. Eaten sushi 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read The Bible cover to cover 86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about 87. Gotten someone fired for their actions 88. Gone back to school 89. Changed your name 90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands 91. Eaten fried green tomatoes 92. Read The Iliad 93. Taught yourself an art from scratch 94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt 96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language 97. Been elected to public office 98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream 99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care 100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you 101. Had a booth at a street fair 102. Dyed your hair 103. Been a DJ 104. Rocked a baby to sleep 105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four (hee, hee) 106. Raked your carpet 107. Brought out the best in people 108. Brought out the worst in people 109. Worn a mood ring 110. Ridden a horse 111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap 112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe. 113. Buried a child 114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play 115. Been inside the pyramids 116. Shot a basketball into a basket 117. Danced at a disco 118. Played in a band 119. Shot a bird 120. Gone to an arboretum 121. Tutored someone 122. Ridden a train 123. Brought an old fad back into style 124. Eaten caviar 125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need 126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant 127. Published a book 128. Pieced a quilt 129. Lived in a historic place 130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage 131. Asked for a raise 132. Made a hole-in-one (miniature golf, woo hoo!) 133. Gone deep sea fishing 134. Gone roller skating 135. Ran a marathon 136. Learned to surf 137. Invented something 138. Flown first class 139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite 140. Flown in a helicopter 141. Visited Africa 142. Sang a solo 143. Gone spelunking 144. Learned how to take a compliment 145. Written a love-story 146. Seen Michelangelo’s David 147. Had your portrait painted 148. Written a fan letter 149. Spent the night in something haunted 150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane 151. Ran away 152. Learned to juggle 153. Been a boss 154. Sat on a jury 155. Lied about your weight 156. Gone on a diet 157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget 158. Written a poem 159. Carried your lunch in a lunch box 160. Gotten food poisoning 161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission 162. Hiked the Grand Canyon 163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks 164. Gone to the opera 165. Gotten a letter from someone famous 166. Worn knickers 167. Ridden in a limousine 168. Attended the Olympics 169. Can hula or waltz 170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books 171. Been stuck in an elevator 172. Had a revelatory dream 173. Thought you might crash in an airplane 174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert 175. Saved someone’s life 176. Eaten raw whale 177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint 178. Laughed till your side hurt 179. Straddled the equator 180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing 181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival 182. Sent a message in a bottle 183. Spent the night in a hostel 184. Been a cashier 185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 186. Joined a union 187. Donated blood or plasma 188. Built a camp fire 189. Kept a blog 190. Had hives 191. Worn custom made shoes or boots 192. Made a PowerPoint presentation 193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course 194. Served at a soup kitchen 195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube 196. Know CPR 197. Ridden in or owned a convertible 198. Found a long lost friend 199. Helped solve a crime 200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Scrapbook Pages

Here are my latest scrapbook pages (plus a cute fall frame). On the fall page I used one of the scraps from the Sizzix Top Note die as a frame. I love to be crafty as well as thrifty! I am a year behind and desper - ately trying to catch up!

Why I love Fall

So here is a book I made using the Sizzix machine with the Top Note die and a Zutter Bin-it-All machine. I think it turned out really cute. The next one I am going to make will be for my photo - graphy, filled with tips and reminders for my camera and flash.

Field Trip

Austin's first field trip was today and I was lucky enough to go along. We went to Johnson's Family Farm for a tractor hay ride and pumpkin patch. The farm was very reminiscent of Apple Hill for me. Farmer Rob was hilarious and wonderful with the kids, they loved him! It takes some serious talent to keep 40+ kindergartners enthralled and entertained!

Hmmm . . . very, very interesting . . .
Love those freckles!
Showing off his pumpkin.
Feeding the goats.
Austin's class.

Halloween Trip

We took a trip to Klamath Falls to visit my sis Bethany for Halloween and her son Steven's baptism.(That's Mt Shasta covered in a blanket of clouds on our way up) It was a crazy and fun weekend! With that many kids around it was pure chaos! We had everyone there except for Bryce and Nessa's husband Laith. It was really great to be able to spend time with my family. The baptism was wonderful. Bethany made an amazing CTR cake. The sprinkles were apple flavored,
yummy! On the way back from the baptism I took advantage of a break in the weather and the beauty of a neighbors yard to snap some fall pics of the boys. As much as I loved the past weekend, it is good to be home again!