halloween fun I haven't personally witnessed :)

two cute chicks!  (Reggie and Sierra)

 Tinkerbelle Tate!

 Emma is a newsie?  and Jenna is Mrs. Incredible~ both are cute!

Hannah got made into a mummy at Julia's party

tiger mother

Lu is number 6 and is my last chance to play tiger mother.  So we practice the piano a lot.  :)

Actually she insists, she loves it.  I am not much of a tiger although a little bit is a good thing.

R said this was the best dish I have ever made

This is a Pioneer Woman Recipe

Recipe: Carrot-Thyme Soup with Cream

Prep Time: 5 Minutes | Cook Time: 45 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Baby Carrots
• 2 quarts Vegetable Stock Or Chicken Stock
• 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• Dash Of Salt

Preparation Instructions

Combine carrots, stock, and thyme in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove from heat and transfer soup in two batches to a blender (or you may use an immersion blender.) Puree soup completely, then stir in honey and cream. Taste, then add salt as needed.
Use a little warm broth if the soup needs thinning.
Serve while warm with a sprig of thyme on top.

carving, creepying and rookie magic

 This afternoon was pumpkin carving fun.  It was messy and took a long time but I think we've raised the holiday bar to....

 yoda??    In my defense I carved it with a screwdriver, literally, and it was tougher than I thought it was going to be.  It's sort of a gremliny monster guy.  Next year I may be buying tools!

Tonight the big kids had Halloween parties to go to.  Hannah went to Julia's annual soiree.  They had a great time!  E got invited to Gerig's party and it was super creepy.  We drove to his house in the middle of no where down a mile long dirt road and right on the water.  The drive was wooded and it was beautiful with the trees turning colors and the drizzle of rain and mist all around.  When we got to his driveway we saw this guy standing in the middle of the drive (which was also long) holding an umbrella.  We got out and he was by the car holding his umbrella over our heads.  He didn't say anything while Bub and I walked up to the house.  I tried to make small talk, Bub tried to politely not look at him, finally we made the last dash to the house.  Creepy.  The house was also totally creeped out.  I almost had second thoughts about leaving him there but there were a dozen 9 year old boys ready to solve a murder and eat jello brains so I abandoned my boy and high tailed it to the car. 

Luckily creepy guy was busy creepily walking another guest up, sadly the other guest said to me "does he ever talk?"  and I said "no! creepy huh?" and he switched back to me and walked me back to the car.  Seriously I could not get there fast enough, it was very scary-made-for-TV-Halloween-horror-flick with the rain dripping from the trees, the mist coming off the water, the recorded cackles in the background and my silent escort.

Both children reported having a great time.  R and I took Lu to dinner at Red Robin. The End

TRUNK OR TREAT

 Lu as her favorite literary 6 year old, Franny K Stein mad scientist extraordinaire!

 Abby Scuito, NCIS forensic scientist.  Love her!

 I thought it would be fun to take pictures in a graveyard...no one agreed except Lu. 

 Me and Rachel handing out the goods after the chili cook off and games and children's parade.  It was a full night and it was lots of fun! 

Bowles Farm

 Today was Lu's turn for some field trip torture fun.  We went to a farm near our home that has a hay maze, a hay ride, petting zoo, corn pit, hay stacks to play in and of course pumpkins.  It was a lot of fun, but really cold. 
Here is Lu with her friends Alyssa and Ryley holding our flag in case we got lost.

 Lu and Julia playing in the corn kernels.

 Alyssa and Lu with their pumpkins.

 The whole class waiting for the bus to go home.

They had the cutest little cupcake shop there, look at the darling blue crabs on the blue velvet cupcakes.

It was a pretty fun trip and I was glad to be feeling well enough to go.  Yesterday I had a random fever.  It was 102 which is kind of highish and I felt hot and yuck.  This morning I woke up with a headache but no other symptoms so I headed out for some first grade farm fun!

conversations

Lucy:  how old is Heavenly Father?
me:  I don't know.
Lucy:  Let's google it
me: we can't
Lu:  why?
me:  google doesn't know, no one knows.
Lu:  WHAT!!! google doesn't know everything???

scene: yesterday I wasn't feeling well, had a fever (102), driving in the car from the bus stop

me: Bub, do I have a fever
him : reaching out to touch my forehead   No
me: okay
him:  well...do I still get to go to soccer if you do?
me: yes
him: yeah you are really hot

me: you are lucky to have pants. 
Said to my children this morning when they complained about itchy, baggy, too tight, not long enough, too short, ugly color, annoying pants. 
Who would have thought?

little bear

 Bub got his bear rank tonight, he also earned some arrow heads and a bunch of belt loops.  He has been quite motivated lately to earn stuff.

Here he is pinning me.  Rosie is helping me :)  Little cutie, her momma was busy running the meeting so I was her partner for the evening.

neighborhood excitement

Tonight while I was getting dinner ready, well actually I was upstairs folding some clothes and things were almost ready to go in the kitchen, I smelled something funny and noticed a lot of commotion going on outside.  We went outside to take a look and it smelled like gas. Most of the other neighbors were also out, then our neighbor, the police officer, came up in his car and told everyone to go up the road behind his car.  If we could smell it we were too close.  Turns out some one's propane tank was hit and leaking.  It smelled and you could actually see the vapor coming off it and could hear it hissing.  Some of the houses carbon monoxide alarms were going off.  Three fire trucks came and the firefighters got the tank shut off, and checked all the homes for pockets of gas.  It was a regular block party as everyone stood around talking and watching.

Later in the evening Lu and I went to the community rec center for her first Daisy scout meeting.  She's been wanting to join for awhile and when a group started so close to our home we decided to take advantage.  She had a great time and I think it will be  fun year.  They are going to do a service project next week and march in the veterans day parade. 

I made bread today.  It took forever for the bread to rise, it was a little chilly in the house.  How will I make bread in the winter?

Also today I did a lot of laundry. 

a beautiful autumn afternoon

Church was very nice today, as really it always is.  I am so grateful for the restored gospel and the blessing of taking the sacrament and learning about God's eternal plan for us.

When we got home we had lunch and then went for a family bike ride (well actually Hannah was at Katie's but the rest of us went).  We rode about 10 miles.  Lu did great, she was connected to Dad's bike.  E did great for 7 ish miles, then he got tired and started to "feel faint and nauseous".  I did pretty well going out, didn't have as much fun coming back.  I am a light weight.  Thankfully I can just put my head down and keep pedalling up and down the hills while DH takes up the rear and yells at encourages the children. 

When I wasn't busy hating it it was a most pleasant ride.  The trees are in their full fall splendor.  The air smelled wonderful.  It was the kind of day that reminded me of being on vacation in the mountains, except we live here.  Sweet!

This evening Sierra stopped by to have some dessert and visit with us.  She had a few days off  from classes and came home to see some friends and do some work.  Her classes are going really well and she is liking them and making friends.  super sweet!

Time Out For Women

Sarah, Michelle,me, Kitty

Hannah, Laura, Chelsea (missing Susanna and Katie)

  

Alexis, someone I didn't know but is friends with Tanya, Tanya, Teresa, Shelly

This weekend Hannah and I got to go Time Out for Women & Girls in Richmond VA. It was so awesome.  We loved it.  The speakers and the musical performers were terrific.  Friday night we were all together, then we went and spent the night in a hotel, Hannah and Chelsea enjoyed that a lot.  In the morning we went back and the girls went to one set of work shops and the adults another.  The whole things was uplifting and inspiring and we all left buoyed up and ready to face the world.

On the way home we stopped at Fridays.  I don't know what I enjoyed more, spending time with Han,  spending time with friends and getting to know them better, or hearing all the great messages.

R kept  E and G and took care of them, I was very grateful to him for giving us a fun break!

Busy week. 
I worked three days, which was good.  I taught 3,5 and 4 grade.  Wednesday was no work so I cleaned and did YW stuff. 
This afternoon was the STEM family engineering challenge.  It was great fun.  The kids had to build a candy holder out of 2 paper clips, a length of string, two popsicle sticks, two little yellow stickers, an index card and a straw.  It had to dangle 11 inches above the floor, and 11 inches below the table.

Ethan and John's team held the most starbursts.

Sunday afternoon

 Sunday afternoons are laid back around our house.  Sometimes R and I try to take a nap.  After his cycling feat on Saturday, and my two fun filled days with family and munchkins we were both tired and thought this was a perfect fall afternoon for a siesta.  We set the kids up with a movie and went upstairs. 

Everything was quiet, we had the windows open and the cool fall air was like a peaceful blanket gently lulling us to sleep when ...knock knock knock.   Lu was at the door.  She missed her daddy, and wanted her mom and was bored.  So we scooched over and let her hop in the middle.  She was happy, and our nap was over before it even started.  She flopped around, talked, did flips, watched TV and wondered when we were getting up.

Eventually I decided to be a good wife and let my hubby nap in peace, and be a good mom so I offered to bake with my little Sassy pants Lucy ballerina.  We went downstairs, my boy came down too so no one actually  slept.  We did however get some yummy pumpkin spice cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, which Lu made every bit of by herself.  She loves to bake.  Her favorite parts are cracking the eggs, putting the cupcake liners in the pans and spooning the batter into the cups.  She also liked piping the frosting onto the cupcakes after they cooled.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
submitted by Melanie~The Sisters Cafe

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
1-15oz can pumpkin puree
2 1/4 cup flour
2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp alllspice
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
In a large bowl, beat together sugars and oil.  Add eggs and vanilla beating until well mixed.  Add pumpkin and buttermilk until incorporated.  In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and whisk.  Add to pumpkin mixture and beat until creamy.  Grease or line 24 muffin cups (36-48 mini depending on size of pan) and fill 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 for 18-22 (10-15 for minis) minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool and frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and top off with a little sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
3 1/2 -4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
2-4 TB water
Beat together the cream cheese and butter.  Add half of the powdered sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla.  Beat until fully incorporated.  Add the remaining powdered sugar and water, until desired consistency is reached.  Beat on medium high until light and fluffy.  Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes and finish off with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar!  Enjoy:)

These fuzzy fur feet were a gift from Nana for our little Sarsaparilla.  So cute!  The shoes and the girl.

evening

 Dinner, some shopping, a lesson in knots, and some TV rounded out our evening.  It was a fun day. 

Historic St Mary's City

 After lunch we went to historic St Mary's City.  They were having some civil war reenacting done and we had a really fun time.

The kids made flags and quilt squares.

We got to talk to a lot of people who had some interesting information to share about life in colonial days. 

 The kids tried on armour and we watched a muster and heard cannons go off.

 One of their favorite parts were the colonial games.  Both E and Lu were good at the hoop and stick game.  They also played ten pins and trap ball.  H and E played trap ball with some of the "colonial children" and didn't want to leave.  They had a great time and E wondered where we could buy one of our own.

The kids really asked lots of questions and learned a lot lot lot.  It was really a lovely day and we had a fun time.

Intrepid Road Warriors

These two bravely set off to ride 100 miles in one day. 

They made it.

...barely.
just kidding, I heard it went great.

Saturday morning

 This morning we had a soccer game.  Surprise :)  We won 4-3.  It was an exciting match. They scored the first 2 goals so it was tense.  Then we scored 2.  Then we scored 2 more, then they scored 1 and then the whistle blew.  Whew!

 Hannah enjoyed watching :)  Nana and UB came to watch and it was fun to have them with us.

 Here's E as keeper, which always gives me a heart attack.  He did great.

Lu and H decided they'd rather learn to crochet than watch.  They both learned to make fabulous long chains.  I wonder who will make the second row first?

yawn

We stayed up late watching Transformers 3.

It was a pretty good day here at Casa de U Familila.  Abba, Nana and UB arrived last night and we went to Salsas then stayed up watching the kids be silly.

Today the children sadly marched off to school and the grown ups stayed home to play:)  R and Abba left for Salisbury for the seagull century ride that is tomorrow.  They've been training. 

We putzed around, went to Olive Garden for dinner and then watched a movie that lasted way too long. 

It's really fun having our family here and spending time with them. 

Facebook oh Facebook , I love you

The thing I love most about facebook is that I can see pictures of my sweet college girls.  Looks like they are having fun!

My job is done

"mom, why do you have an umbrella?"

"because it's raining"

embarrassing.

"mom why are you taking pictures of us?!"

"because you are so beautiful"

super embarrassing

and then I sat with her at lunch and talked with her friends.  the horror. 

embarrassing mom, yep, mission accomplished. 

Deja'vu

Same beach
Same chaperone
Different kid...and this time it is raining.
Should be interesting.

worlds best chaperone

Today was a field trip day.  Ethan's class went to Elm's Beach to learn about protecting the bay.  It was a lot of fun.  Actually it was a perfect day.  It was cool and a little bit over cast but for a whole day outside, that was not supposed to include swimming, it was ideal.  We arrived and the kids assembled on picnic tables by the water, under some pine trees so learn about our eco-system.  They learned how to use a compass and read different kinds of maps.

After lunch they learned how to test water salinity and fished for native creatures in a frog pond, the bay and a marsh.

Ethan "fell" in pretty quickly and spent the rest of his time wading up to his hips catching things and "trying to get out".  The rest of his group also "slipped in".

 They caught a lot of little froglets, tiny fish, shrimp, beetles, frogs and other fabulous things.  It was  cold, dirty day and couldn't have been more fun.