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.