Thanksgiving fun

For Thanksgiving this year we had a few new things to do.

A had a Thanksgiving dinner at school that parents and siblings were able to attend, the kids had made Indian head dresses and necklaces and were eating when we arrived. They had closed the gate to the school and we were able to eat on part of the road that goes around the school, picnic style. A ate most of her food and got up to play tag with her friends and classmates. G thought it looked like fun and ended up eating hardly anything. It was fun to go and see A interacting with kids in a way I don't get to see normally.

I have become a addict with a blog I discovered earlier in the year. Our Best Bites is the title just google it, if you like good food and good stories like me, you are more than likely to become an addict too :)

Well this blog had a recipe for making turkey that I thought I'd try out. I didn't brine the turkey like they said to do, nor did I have any fresh herbs on hand, but I did use the dried kind. That was one of the best turkeys I have ever had. I will most definitely be using the recipe again in the future (but be more prepared with the brine and fresh herbs).

We had our homemade potatoes, homemade stuffing (complete with the giblets), homemade cranberry sauce, fruit salad, broccoli salad, rolls (left over from pie night -thank you for leaving them C, they were awesome). Such yummy food!

We also had Grandma F come over for dinner. Its always fun to get with her and hear about projects she has going on. I want to be a Grandma like her when I get to that point in life. She keeps busy and is always happy!

Since we had pie night the night before there was pie left over but not nearly as much as there usually is, less to feel like we had to eat.

I think next year I will get A included in our cooking. I have many fond memories in the kitchen with my mom and dad getting our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals ready. I can't wait to start making those kind of memories with her!

pie pie pie!

This year we started a new tradition in our family. My Relief Society president was talking about it one day and I loved the idea so we decided to start it in our family too.

The night before Thanksgiving we get together with family and friends and have PIE NIGHT! We eat some yummy soup (I tried a new recipe called black bean fajita, super yummy!), and after we have eaten dinner we eat pie. I ended up making more than I originally had planned but it was worth it. I made 2 pumpkin, a buttermilk, a dutch apple, a lemon meringue, a pistachio cream, and a cherry. Friend M brought a black forest cheesecake, and C (R's sister) brought a banana cream pie. All the kids loved it our niece R ended up getting a slice of everything.

We put the little kids down for bed and the older kids got to watch movies, and the adults all played a few rounds of a fun game called Apples to Apples.

We, or at least I know I ended up eating way too much of yummy pie, soup, and vegetables. But it was a fun new tradition that we plan on doing every year now.

halloween

This Halloween party at the church we wore the same costumes from last year, Alice in Wonderland themed. We made C in to a card (the Ace of hearts!) to go with Mommy's costume since I was holding him most of the night. And we remembered the Cat this time too! Unfortunately we forgot to get pictures AGAIN so no pics of the whole family. We did get some of the kids together but since blogger is not uploading pictures your not going to see them :(

This year we all helped to make a jack-o-lantern (the kids just helped with the guts, and A didn't do much because it was "icky". For Halloween decorations I made some fun little lantern things out of jars, tissue paper, and mod podge. We had different sized pumpkins, ghosts, a Frankenstein, and R made a storm trooper! A good use for all those old pickle jars.

A was able to wear her costume to school on Halloween day (as long as she wore her tie up shoes still). She had a blast wearing it and showing her friends her costume. She got to do some fun math activities with different candy and was able to eat them when she got home.

Halloween dinner was fun, we had a themed meal of mummy dogs (hot dogs cut in 1/2 and wrapped in cut is crescent rolls), 6 layer bean dip with a spider web of sour cream piped on top, a potion (lemonade died black and dry ice), and some other yummy themed food that I cant for the life of me remember. Goes to show I really need to blog about this stuff as it happens so I don't forget!

We took the kids around trick-or-treating around our block and the round about north of us and called it good. The kids got a bunch of candy and they got to have fun. G had insisted he HAD to wear the Spiderman costume he had received from a friend of mine (when her son had out grown it), and A was in her Alice costume. While we were out it was quite funny to see how popular Spiderman is with little boys, there were 3 including G in a row to hit one house, the lady that lived there almost turned G away because she thought he had just been there. Rand I were talking that night about how this was G's first real experience trick-or-treating since he was too young 2 years ago and the last year was on a Sunday so the kids didn't go out. I've got to say I think G enjoyed it more than anyone else too!

After getting kids to bed we (R and I, and our Friends M and A) watched Hocus Pocus and we gave out candy. We were good and put a vegetable tray next to the candy so if we wanted to snack on anything we would be reminded to eat healthy instead of junk... although I think we all ended up taking a few pieces of candy for ourselves :)

All in all it was a fun Halloween season, we made memories and started some new traditions.

A's 5th Brithday

Its hard to believe that its been 5 years now since A was born. I remember so well the day she was born, it seems like it was just yesterday. A is becoming a child now, she's not a toddler or little girl anymore. I'm amazed at the things she does everyday to show just how big she is getting. From the way she is learning so much in school, to the ways she helps out here at home, helping C by playing with him when I'm busy in the kitchen, climbing up on the sink to get water for herself or G, making sure that G keeps himself out of trouble, and the ways that she is able to have a conversation with me now! There are times where I catch myself thinking when did she become this kid and not my little girl anymore? One of her favorite things to tell me about, besides her school day and about friends, is the things she dreams about at night. Its amazing to hear how she likes to play with her friends in her dream, especially dress up, and all the other things that she dreams of.

For A's Birthday this year she was very particular :) she wanted a Belle cake with a yellow dress, red roses, brown hair, red lips, brown eyes, etc... Belle seems to be her favorite Disney Princess. I made a cake that ended up being rather pretty considering I don't have much experience in decorating cakes. I stressed about it for a few months as she kept telling me what she wanted. I ended up just making a 2 layer cake with yellow frosting and piping a design on the sides that looked like Bells dress. I bought some red rose sugar flowers by Wilton company and a Belle doll to put on the top. Much easier than making the other ideas I had!

A got barbies, the quilt I've been working on, and a "new" bike from Aunt C, Uncle P, and cousin R. It was a fun birthday party. She loved the presents and the cake.

I cant wait to see how she continues to grow in the coming years, just don't let them pass too quickly!

--- I have pictures for this too, but it wont upload them :(

Begining the School Years

A was accepted in to the Charter school we had been hoping to get her in. She is going to the new school that was opened up which means that we have a bit farther to drive everyday, but still she is in the school that will help her to succeed instead of one of the schools for our town that I keep hearing horrible things about.

We counted down the days with a paper chain (I think I posted about this before). She was so excited to go to school she could barely wait for the year to start. Every morning she would wake up and ask me if she started school that day. When the day finally arrived she was up and ready to go, breakfast eaten and uniform on within 20 minutes. We have yet to duplicate that time frame since the first week of school :)

She is having fun with learning how to read, do math, sing songs and many other things. It is amazing to watch her grow in her reading ability as we read a book from school almost every school day. Having her help read the Book of Mormon at night is also helping alot too. She is making so many friends and will go on and on about them if you ask about them.

--- I have a picture to go with this post too, I'm not sure why but blogger really doesn't want to upload pictures today :(

R's surprise birthday party!

R's birthday is close to Christmas so his family celebrated it in July instead. I have decided to carry on this tradition so that he can have his birthday celebrated as well. Even if he says that he doesn't need it, I know he likes it!

With having a new baby I was slacking on the birthday celebration this year. While cooking dinner one night while some friends were over, M and I decided that we should throw him a surprise party. Since it was August already he wouldn't expect it at all :)

So after planing out how to get him out of the house, buying decorations, inviting family over, and getting the house set up. We celebrated R's 27 1/2 birthday! He was so surprised, and he never even suspected even with all the hush hush phone calls and a birthday card from Mom H (I'm not sure if she had heard about the party or not, but I thought for sure he would know after getting the card).

Our kids and Nieces and Nephew had so much fun with surprising him and playing with all the balloons. I was just glad that it was a surprise and he hadn't caught on.

---Note, I do have pictures of this, but for some strange reason Blogger just will not upload them, after waiting 15 min for it to upload one Pic. I say forget it! hopefully it will upload for other posts!

C's baby blessing

Sorry that I've been so bad at updating the last 6 months or so.... having a kid in school and also being a mom of 3 has taken alot of my time away. So here starts the updates for the last 6 months. I'm not sure how many there will be but it will be fun to look back on them all.

In August our Niece R was baptized so we had Mom and Dad H in town! Mom H had been here to help out after C was born so she had seen him already but Dad H had yet to see C in person. Needless to say there was alot of cuddle time between the two and lots of pictures taken :) Unfortunately I didn't realize I hadn't saved them to the computer when I erased them from the camera :( Hats off to Mom H for e-mailing some to me so we have a few at least!

C was giving a wonderful Baby Blessing by his Father, with Dad H, Uncle P, and some bishopric members (I just cant remember who now that its been so long) in the circle. Baby blessings are important in our church as they give the baby a name that they will be known by here on earth as well as on church records. They are also told things that they will do while here on the earth as long as they are following the right path. The blessing is given by someone with the Melchizedek priesthood. C was told in his blessing that he would be a leader. Something that A and G were both blessed with as well. 3 leader children will be a handful but I'm grateful for it regardless.

We didn't get many pictures of that day but once again Mom H to the rescue with a picture she took!

We have been so blessed to have this little guy in our family, He is just a bundle of joy and always smiling. We love him very much.