The Big Day!

Can you guess who we're voting for?

VOTE!

I am excited to get to the polls! I just looked over the sample ballot and realized that I have been so fired up about the presidential election that I failed to really study out our local issues. All of our local candidates are republicans with no opponent so that part is a breeze. Although I'm considering "writing-in" myself or my husband somewhere on the ballot, I wonder what the coroner's salary would be? Now I just need to form an opinion on storm water control and home health care. I really wish I could get into to action in California and vote down same-sex marriage again! Knowing my sis can vote on the issue is comforting. I campaigned against that same issue when I lived there in 2000. Now is the time to pray and wait. Family First, Country first. I'ts going to be a long night!

Baby Pumpkins, Baaaaby!

Decorating mini-pumpkins on family night was fun. The kids used sheets of foam that they cut for their pumpkins faces, glued on googly eyes, and put a straw hat on top. The baby enjoyed wearing and eating her hat.

Road Trippin'

Above: We're on the road! Notice the baby can be seen sleeping in the mirror. Below: Creeping through the road construction zone while the baby(now awake) SCREAMS in the backseat. I thought we could go 1 more exit(I hate to stop), then we hit construction so she wailed! Sorry, baby.

6bxdI/AAAAAAAAA2E/OwdKJpYcqVU/s320/Nate+School+Pic+Oct08036_edited.JPG" border=0> Chillin' with dad in the comfy chair. The baby ate a huge lunch, especially enjoying the homemade potato salad and great-grandma's homemade chocolate cake. A football game was on TV, hence the full-belly, football game coma!

Visiting with the family. From L to R: Cousin T, Uncle E, Great-Grandma, Aunt C, Daisy, Lily, Me, my Dad

9X98zj-To/SQUU1yzyfDI/AAAAAAAAA1s/R-E78-Vv_oQ/s320/Nate+School+Pic+Oct08035_edited.JPG" border=0> Above: Missy, the dog, with glowing green eyes. She's a cockapoo, the sweetest dog I've ever met. The kids loved her!

It's not a party until someone knocks their lights out.

The family, again.

My husband and I went here. We took turns attending a session while the kids swam in the pool at he hotel. The trees were so pretty with their bright fall color, I love this picture with the temple glowing in the background. Two of my photos are not showing above, blogger is retarded right now, but I think you can see the photos if you click on the link below the blue box.

The Photos Are Ready!

9 Months Old 9 Years Old
7 Years Old
10 Years Old

4 Years Old (Will be 5 in Nov.)

These will be our "school" pictures this year. I want to take a photography class so I can learn some good techniques to make my photos look more professional. It has been fun taking these, even though I don't know what I'm doing. I think the kids enjoyed it too. I like taking outdoor photos, the kids seen more comfortable and I love the background choices and natural lighting.

Fool's Tail, Rat Tail, Baby Tail.......

This is a photo of the back of our baby girl's head. She has one long lock of hair that she has had since birth. I think it's adorable, but I sometimes joke that she is,"so 1985!" I will eventually cut the lock of hair and keep it in her baby book, but for now it's a fun conversation starter. She can start start a new trend, everyone wears 80's style clothes these days anyway.

Check out my buns!

Success..........finally! I have been trying to find the perfect cinnamon roll recipe forever! EUREKA ---I've found it! I have tried 3 different recipes and even had private lessons on the process. Thank you to my patient friends for trying to teach me. Lessons learned in the process were: 1) roll out on a heavily floured surface 2) purchase a real rolling pin, the side of a jar wont work 3) measure, don't guess (except on the filling~use extra butter & sugar) 4) have A LOT of people to share with~it is possible to polish off a pan "solo." Soooooooo Yummy!!!

One of my earlier attempts produced dry, tough cinnamon blobs lacking in sweetness. I have never been a model "homemaker," I have yet to make a loaf of bread from scratch. I don't knead without the proper machinery, so as you can see this is a MAJOR accomplishment for me.

I did a little dance in the kitchen when I pulled this glorious batch from the oven. Now my mouth is watering, maybe I'll make more..... we ate all the ones pictured above yesterday.

Palin Rap

This is a hilarious SNL skit with the REAL Sarah Palin

Fall Fun & Firewood!

Above, stacked wood, covered w/ a tarp. Below, split wood. Our oldest boy enjoys taking out his aggression on the wood.

I love these beautiful, mild fall days when it's the perfect temperature to play in the yard all day. The kids did a lot of playing on Saturday while dad did a lot of splitting & stacking firewood. I wish I had snapped a photo of the truckload of firewood in a huge heap in our yard. Now it is split & neatly(?) stacked beside the shed. Thanks to dad and a few helpers - my kids & my friend's kids.

Renegade Scouts and Hillbilly Aggies

Below are some parade photos that I am a couple of weeks late on posting. In the parade this year, themed the "Wild West," there were some very creative floats. The FFA kids came up with the float below featuring salon girls and a dog that lifts it's leg to "pee" on the crowd. Our daughter got "peed" on. Can you see the water droplets in the photo? Below the "dog" is lifting it's leg. I have to give them credit, the dog was very realistic. This was the first, and hopefully the last time I will be "wet upon" by a fake dog in a parade. The weird thing is that the "pee" actually felt good raining down upon us on that hot 85 degree day! Our 9 year old daughter riding on the gymnastics float.

MORE creativity!!!! The cub scouts had this renegade float. They tied up their leaders and held them hostage at water-gun point. Their float won 3rd place!
This is a stick-up! Our cowboy cub scout squirts the fam.
Below is another angle of the float. The leaders, looking pathetic, and the cub scout outlaws look tough!

Sillly Baby Girl ~ Random Photos......

The reluctant ballerina! This tutu really cramps her style and poses a real challenge to crawling.
Bless this mess!

Cleaning up & throwing dishes!

A tasty treat..... "dog leash a la mode." A gourmet teething ring.

Festival Fun!

Displaying her 3rd place ribbon for her artwork "Bomb a Good Book to You," a poster about reading.

Holding her 6th place pet parade entry, Brownie the Turtle, dressed up like a horse with a cowboy & cowgirl on it's back.

Our girls, with their cousin in the middle!

Our 7 yr. old walking Max in the pet parade.

8 months old!

Above, Baby Contest 3rd place t-shirt. Below, Getting dressed up to go.

EXTRA, EXTRA...read all about it!

Our baby, above far right, won 3rd place in the town festival baby contest!
Our 9 year old daughter tied for 6th place in the Pet Parade with her turtle "Brownie" dressed up like a horse. She is on the back row, 2nd from the left in the purple cowgirl hat.

More "School" Photos!

I 've made another attempt at photography. I am still on strike from purchasing school photos and working on getting all the kids school photos done. I took this photo by a willow tree in the park. The morning lighting was perfect with the sun shinning through the leaves. Now I need to get some prints ordered. Whattcha think?

Feats of Strength

The kids enjoyed participating in the pedal tractor-pull in our town festival last week. They tried hard, but none of our kids were winners in the event, but you can see in the photos the straining as they tried their hardest. The bricks on the back of the small tractor move forward as they pedal and it makes them heavier and harder to pull. We'll have to try again next year!