"Watch This"

If you ever have to travel a long distance to see family, I recommend getting a super entertaining travel buddy like my husband. While gassing the car in Filmore, he noticed a tree near by that was sounded like it was full of birds. He motions for me to roll down the window and says, "Hey, guys. That tree over there is full of birds. I am going to go kick it and see if they will all fly out."

He totally called it. HUNDREDS of birds came flying out each time he kicked the tree. I tell ya, this is live entertainment at its finest.

Giving Thanks in Southern Utah

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and visit in Santa Clara. No, we did not go para-planing. But someone did, and I thought it looked way fun so I snapped the pic. Anway, I am very grateful for the charmed life I live. I have it so good.

sent to bed with no dinner

He is a pretty picky eater lately. He told me he didn't like the chicken noodles we were having. I told him to eat it anyway. He said he was tired. Eat it anyway, I said. And then this.



Love how he is still gripping his spoon.

BOOK IT!

She was not excited about the "Pizza Tickets" she could earn from school for reading 10 books; she doesn't even like pizza. Then one night Dax took her with him to pick up a pizza for dinner and redeem her ticket for a personal pan pizza. The clerk gave her a sticker and a special key chain that she could fill up with stickers each time she earned a pizza. "I'll carry the little pizza, ok Dad?" she says. We get home and she was so proud of it, she actually tried it. Now when asked if she likes pizza she replies, "Well, I only like Pizza Hut pizza."

yum stick

Anyone know a 5 year old who can polish off a whole turkey drum stick?

more rockin' pumpkin recipes

Pumpkin Roll


Pumpkin Cake


Pumpkin Roll---------------------

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin (canned)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
dash of ground cloves
powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)

Beat eggs together in large bowl. Slowly add sugar, pumpkin & lemon juice. Sift flour and baking powder together and add while mixing. Add salt and spices. Grease large cookie sheet with shortening. Pour mixture into cookie sheet and spread out evenly. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and run knife around edges then immediately turn onto a kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar. Roll cake in the towel and let it cool. Unroll and spread with filling. Roll again tightly; wrap the pumpkin roll in wax paper and ten aluminum foil. store in freezer until ready to serve.

Filling---------------------
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg 8 oz. cream cheese
4 Tbsp. butter

All ingredients must be at room temperature. Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy.


Pumpkin Cake------------------
1 box of yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 cube + 3 Tbsp margarine or butter
1/2 c white sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1 can pumpkin (30 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350. Save 1 cup of the cake mix for topping later. Mix the rest of cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 cube of softened butter. Press into a 9x13 cake pan. Mix 3 eggs and the 1 cup of milk with the pumpkin, then add the spices. Spread that into the cake pan over the cake mixture. Mix the remaining cup of cake mix with the 1/2 cup sugar and 1 more tsp of cinnamon. Cut in the 2 Tbsp of soft butter and sprinkle over top of the pumpkin filling. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes or until cake bottom is done (do knife check).

7 year celebration!

Our anniversary was Saturday, the 17th, so The Man got us a hotel in Park City for Friday night and we took the whole family. The kids were so excited to stay in a hotel- they think it is so cool. We got to the Marriott in P.C. and it was super nice...comfy beds, tons of fluffy pillows...and then my kids start yelling, "Look, there's a TV, theres a TV!!!" We turned our cable off last December so TV is quite a novelty to all of us. The big kids loved jumping across from one bed to the other. The baby loved eating and being held. The adults loved RELAXING! It was so nice not to have to DO anything! Just chill. We ate great food...Don Pedro's in Heber City was delish. The next morning, after a nutritious McD's breakfast, we hit the stores. I was so excited to SHOP. But so were the hundreds of other people taking advantage of the wonderful, warm November Saturday. It was quite a thing trying to shop in such crowds with a stroller and two other kids. But we managed, thanks to a patient husband and the playground equipment! The kids pooped out early on in the day so they went back to the hotel with dad and had a nap. After that, the baby and I did some major power shopping and we accomplished my one mission which was to find one pair of jeans and one shirt that fit me. I did that, and also got a few necessities for the children, as any mother would. It was a fun and refreshing vacation and a great way to celebrate being married for SEVEN great years! Wow!

Wa-HOO! So excited to be at the hotel!

Bed Jumping!



my babes relaxin'
"Mom, can we please ride the truck?" then 5 seconds into the ride..."When is this going to stop?"

We made it back at home, worn out, but so happy together!