Our October Fun 2010

This Halloween was very odd. We only had three groups of trick or treaters (7 kids total) plus the grandkids. Maybe the ward trunk or treat the night before made a difference and maybe it was the rain, who knows-anyway we had plenty of candy left! Strider was a frog (I think)
Kayla was the cutest butterfly ever!
Titan was a pirate-he had to be something with a sword! I guess I shouldn't have taken his picture in front of the fridge-not such a great background.
Tori was a blood-sucking vampiress or something like that!
This year the deer hunt was a memorable one for sure. It was only a three day hunt so we stayed through Monday. Sunday evening it started to rain a bit and the wind blew hard-all night long. It was a bit scary-I wasn't sure if the trailer could blow over or not. About five o'clock it began to get cold so Kevin braved the elements and went to check out the batteries. Yes, they had died and the generator had ice on it and had frozen up. We just stayed in the sleeping bags until about six thirty then the guys put the generator by a truck exhaust until it thawed and started. It had snowed a few inches during the night and the wind was still blowing. It made for a miserable morning but we managed to have a few laughs at the absurdity of it all. The weather cleared up a lot and Kevin managed to get a nice buck.

October continued. . . .

This is the fearless hunters. Someone had just shot a gun close by so they all stood up to see if there was anything to see. That Herm is always telling me "hi" in his own unique way!
This picture shows the elk hunt "gang". With a group like this it is no wonder we have a great time during the hunts!
Kayla celebrated her third birthday this month. She got a lot of fun presents and had a great party. We love and adore her!

I love it when a child's name becomes so important to him that he is always writing it. Titan and I were playing Jenga when he decided he could write his name with the pieces.

Pics and happenings

Strider was blessed by his dad over the Labor Day weekend. Jason did a nice job and Strider was very good. Alicia got him dressed about a half hour before church and then he decided it was time to spit up all down the front of his outfit. His mom was able to get him cleaned up in plenty of time. He looked very cute. He is growing and doing very well. He is certainly the cutest baby on the block!!

Happenings

Tori started fifth grade and Titan is now in kindergarten. They both have great teachers and are enjoying school. Titan goes to the afternoon session so Tori is able to pick him up and walk him home-(to my house). This is the only year they will be in the same school together. Kayla has missed having Titan to play with this past month-I think he has missed her too. Kayla has started gymnastic classes and she loves it. It sure is nice to have a baby around again because these three are sure growing up fast!! Kevin, Jason and I were all brave and went together to get our whooping cough shots. Having the shot will help protect us as well as Strider and Kayla. Kayla can't have the shot because of her egg allergy and whooping cough in an infant can be fatal, so it is important for us to be immunized. Besides, it didn't hurt a bit!!

HE IS HERE!!

Jason and Alicia welcomed their beautiful new son on August 17th. He weighs a "whopping" 6 lbs 10 ounces and is 18 inches long. He is healthy and we all feel very blessed to have him join our family. Alicia is feeling fine and Tori and Titan are smothering him with affection-like the rest of us! His name is STRIDER RIDGE N. and we are very glad he is finally here!


Interesting coincidence:
Jason works with Ryan D. He and his wife were expecting a son August 24th- the same day as Jason and Alicia. She went into labor the same morning as Alicia. Their sons were born within twenty five minutes of each other and delivered by the same doctor. The newborns weighed almost the same-Ryan's was two ounces bigger. At one point they were the only newborns in the nursery. It was fun having both families in the waiting room together.

June 2010

We had a fun-filled June. We had quite a few family activities. We went to Hogle Zoo. The weather was great and we all enjoyed the day. Next year we will have one more with us. The countdown has begun! Alicia and Jason's new little son will join this group in about three weeks!!
Everybody loves a merry-go-round!! Even Tori-I just didn't catch her smile!


Kayla trying on a hat at the gift shop-nice fit don't you think?
Titan turned five years old in June. He had a fun party and as you can see he loved his gifts. His hand is bandaged because he burned the top of it while we were cooking pancakes. Gauze helped keep the bandaid on better.
I love Kayla's grin!
Our town has a celebration that included a parade. Kevin and I ended up being on the parade committee so Kevin thought we should have a float in it. The rest of the family were good sports. We decorated the back of a wrecker to look like a campfire scene and threw out candy as we rode along. The sign said the name of our town then: Where families work and play together.
Tori and Jason celebrate being daughter and daddy the first part of June every year. They spend a few hours together doing whatever Tori chooses. This year they went to eat, shopped at a bookstore,a pet shop and the mall. Jason surprised her by asking if she wanted to have her ears pierced! She was excited and a little nervous but came home with a big grin and holes in her ears!

My favorite place revisited

We went to my favorite place--Yellowstone, over the Memorial Day weekend. Even though the weather was not perfect, we had a great time. We love going this time of year because we always see a lot of newborn animals. We saw bears 12 times for a total of 15 Grizzlies and 11 Black Bears.
Even the young buffalos are cute--it must be nap time!
This Grizzly and her two cubs were at Norris Campground. The cubs have the cutest faces! They play with each other just like kids do. They were very fun to watch.
Park officials say in the history of the park this Grizzly is only the fourth sow to have 4 cubs on record. They usually give birth to just one or two. The runt is only half the sizeof the other three but it appears to be healthy.
This Black Bear had two older cubs with her. These pictures were taken about 25 feet from our van.

This cinnamon colored Black Bear had a bad left front foot. He couldn't walk on it. Poor thing.

Great kids!

Tori and Titan were very good as we road through the park. They spent most of the time watching movies or playing games. I know it can be a bit boring because we spend so much time in the van, but they were both great. At the end of each day they get to go swimming at the motel-which they love. I think we all had a nice mini vacation-can't wait to go back!

A Busy May

Titan graduated from preschool the end of May. He loved going. He learned a lot and made many new friends. He sure is growing up fast. We love you Titan!
Tori had her spring TaVaci concert in mid-May. She always shines when she performs. Great job Tori. I love watching you enjoy your talents!

Let's get real!!

Today in church we all heard the flowery compliments given to mothers-you know the ones that make us feel a bit inferior! So I thought I would share the following reality because it made me laugh--probably because I have either heard or said quite a few of them. How about you--be honest now!!

MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME.....
Credit Unknown

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
" If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the
store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
11. My mother taught taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks like a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have
wonderful parents like you do."
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION
"Just wait until we get home."
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."
19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
20. My mother taught me about HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
22. My mother taught me about GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

Mothers

Frederick E. Kruse wrote:

Somewhere between the youthful energy of a teenager and the golden years of a woman's life, there lives a marvelous and loving person known as "Mother."

A mother is a curious mixture of patience, kindness, understanding, discipline, industriousness, purity, and love. A mother can be--at the same time--both "lovelorn counselor" to a heartsick daughter and head football coach to an athletic son.

A mother can sew the tiniest stitch in the material for that dainty prom dress, and she is equally experienced in threading through the heaviest traffic with a station wagon.

A mother is the only creature on earth who can cry when she's happy, laugh when she's heartbroken, and work when she's feeling ill. A mother is as gentle as a lamb and as strong as a giant. Only a mother can appear so weak and helpless, yet be the one to put the fruit jar lid on so tightly that even Dad can't get it off.

A mother is a picture of helplessness when Dad is near, and a marvel of resourcefulness when she is all alone.

A mother has the angelic voice of a member of the celestial choir as she sings a lullaby to a baby cradled in her arms, yet she can dwarf the sound of an amplifier when she calls her boys in for dinner.

A mother has the fascinating ability to be almost everywhere at once, and she alone can somehow squeeze an enormous amout of living into an average day.

A mother is "old-fashioned" to her teenager; just "Mom" to her third grader; and simply "Momma" to the little two-year old. But there is no greater thrill in life than to point to that wonderful woman and be able to say to all the world, "That's my mother!"
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This will be the first Mother's Day I will not be able to give my mom a hug. I never realized how much I would miss that simple act. I feel blessed to be able to watch all of you in your role as a mother. You are all wonderful, loving moms and I hope you have a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Conversations

Sometimes a conversation with a little one makes me chuckle, other times it brings tears to my eyes.
2 1/2 year old Kayla:
"Are you the boss?"
"Yes, I am," I lied.
"Well, good for you, Grandma!"

4 3/4 year old Titan:
"We're going to have a baby!"
"I know, it will be so fun!"
"I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to that Grandma" as he points to the picture on the fridge of my mom. "We're going to have a baby! I love you. I miss you. Why did Grandma die?"
"Because Jesus wanted her to live with him. She is happy there." I said.
"But I love her and miss her."
---me too, buddy, me too.

Our new little bundle of joy is a.......

BOY!!! Alicia and Jason went to their doctor today for an ultrasound. The baby is definitely a boy. Everything appears to be fine. Tori is a bit disappointed but that will soon pass. We are so blessed and looking forward to meeting him!

Dad's 80th birthday party

DAD: "I want to just sit in this chair and be left alone all day."
DAD: "Why do you and Bonnie like to torment me?"
DAD: "I don't want my picture in the paper. But if you need a picture use that one on the wall, it's a pretty good one."
DAD: "I'm NOT going."
DAD: "I've made up my mind that I'm not going to enjoy it-and I'm NOT!"
On the way home after the open house;
DAD: "Well, it was a pretty nice afternoon."
KEVIN: "Are you glad you changed your mind and went?"
DAD: "Yea, I guess so."
I just sat in the backseat and smiled as I looked to the heavens and said "thank-you"

This week's happenings

Our beautiful Tori celebrated her tenth birthday this week. Honestly, I don't know where the time goes! She had a great day. I forgot to take the camera to her party so I have no pictures. She loves life and is such a joy to all of us. WE LOVE YOU, TORI GIRL--YOU ARE THE BEST!!!

There is a little girl named Brynli at Titan's preschool. She thinks he is great. One day her dad and I walked down the driveway to meet them. She took Titan's hand and said to her dad, "This is Titan. Titan, this is my dad, Grant." It was all I could do not to die laughing, but I just smiled as Titan said "hi." Another day we were almost to the car when Brynli came out the door. She yelled as loud as she could, "Bye Titan!" He turned, waved and yelled, "bye" then he looked at me and said, "I like her." Brynli kept asking her mom if they could have a play date so her mom called Wednesday to set one up. He went home with her after preschool on Thursday. Titan said they had fun--they must have because she taught him how to shoot spit wads from a straw! I think they make a great couple!

Exciting news!!!!

This is a great place to let all of you know that Jason and Alicia are EXPECTING child number three!!! This special little bundle of joy will arrive around the 24th of August. We are all thrilled but I must say that Tori is probably the most excited. She is hoping for a sister of course. Alicia hasn't been feeling all that great-(she sure hid it well!) but hopefully that will all change soon. If you would like to leave a comment for her I'll make sure she reads it. What a great way to start a new year!

A Cookie Recipe

Yeah!! January is finally over and spring may be just around the corner (hopefully!) I'm tired of white-I yearn for some color when I look out the window! I tried a new cookie recipe that I decided to share. It is very simple and only makes about 3 1/2 dozen so I wasn't baking all afternoon. They are made with Jell-O. You can decide what color and flavor you want by the kind of Jell-o you use. I think I'll try cherry for Valentine's day, lime for Saint Patrick's day, orange for Halloween . . . . . FRUIT JELLO COOKIES

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1-3oz. Jell-O; strong flavors and colors work best
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Mix sugar, shortening, Jell-O, eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Roll into 1" balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Stamp with cookie press or bottom of a glass. Bake 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes approx. 3 1/2 dozen.


About the only thing I love about winter is when the nights are so clear and cold that frost forms on all the trees. It looks like a winter wonderland (I could do without 10 degree mornings however). This tree has no snow on it-it is all frost-- so beautiful!