The Weather Outside is Frightful...

It has been snowing like crazy here the last couple of days! And it's the wet, heavy stuff too! Perfect for building snowmen and making snow angels. Which is exactly what we went outside yesterday to do. I had some shoveling to do and the boys had some playing to do.

Christmas (Part 2)

The boys were up bright and early (or maybe I should say dark and early) on Christmas morning... Ty couldn't wait to get into the living room with everyone. But it was so worth the wait! He was hilarious! Santa had laid everything out for the boys on opposite ends of the couch- their big presents were unwrapped and ready to play with... So when the boys ran in... Their eyes just lit up!

Santa had brought Ty a Leapster hand-held video game player with a few games (Star Wars Reading included!), and Ryan was super excited to see a new tractor waiting just for him. Ty had a hard time re-surfacing for a while. He LOVED his new game- Santa did really well this year!

We spent the rest of the day with Shaun's family- Jacki made a yummy lunch for us with all the trimmings... I think we all rolled out of the dining room when we were finished! It was such a wonderful week and I am so grateful that we have such a wonderful family to share the holidays with. Thanks everyone!

Christmas Eve

As promised- I DID find my camera cord and can finally upload some pictures of Christmas! We were lucky enough this year to be able to spend Christmas with Shaun's parents up in Declo.

Every Christmas Eve, Shaun's family has a Christmas Eve party- which we got to go to this year. It's so much fun to see everyone and see how much kids have changed. Shaun's Aunt Julie made a fantastic spread- and we all ate too much! After the party we went back to Grandma and Papa's house, where the boys got to spend a few minutes tracking Santa on Norad's Santa Tracker. When Ty saw how close he was- he quickly decided it was time for him to go to bed- just to be sure that Santa didn't pass us by.

So, we set out our cookies for Santa- luckily we found his FAVORITE kind at the grocery store. Santa always visited our house when we set out Oreos- so Ty made sure that we had a couple set aside for Santa this year.

The boys didn't last much longer after that- it had been a long day and they were both so excited for the next day...

Let it Snow...

Okay, I know I am the last person in the world you would expect to hear those words from- but I have to admit- the snow is okay... especially when both of your kids just LOVE to go outside and play in it. Ryan will go and get his coat and then pound on the door yelling "Go" or "Out". And Ty will just bring me his snow stuff and say it's time to go outside. And I remember reading once (in a Parent's magazine I think) that your kids should spend at least fifteen minutes outside everyday- rain or shine. Something about fresh air I suppose. And while I don't think it's smart to take little ones outside when it's ten below zero outside- playing in the snow is something I do understand and is also a fond memory of mine when I was little. My little brother and I would go outside for hours- you would have been so impressed with our snow forts! They were awesome! Ty likes to throw snowballs and build snowmen- and if you haven't done it in a while- I totally recommend it! I was huffing and puffing within minutes! Here's Ty's latest creation... which after we finished it- he promptly knocked it over. I don't understand boys.

And while I know I look stunningly gorgeous here in this picture- I like having evidence that I DO spend time with my boys.

And here's Ryan looking deceivingly sweet...

And Ty... who seems to have the same problem in front of a camera as his dad does... Do any of you remember how awful it was trying to find a decent picture for our wedding announcements!? Maybe if we're prop their eyes open with toothpicks next time...

Monday

Did you know that before ten o'clock this morning Ryan had dumped out ALL the toys across the living room, flooded the bathroom and managed to drag several egg shells and empty yogurt containers across my kitchen floor.

I'm so grateful it's naptime.

First Day of Primary

Sunday was a big day in our house. Ryan is finally old enough to go to Nursery! YAY!!! And while he slept through the first half of it- he did pretty well during the rest of the day. It was kind of a crazy thought- for just a little bit- we won't have a baby in our arms during Sunday School!

Christmas

I have misplaced my cord to my camera, so I am unable to upload most of our Christmas pictures. Irritating in the least. As it stands, I do have a few pictures from our new camera that I was able to upload, and those I can share at the moment.

We had a wonderful Christmas this year which we were able to spend in Declo with Shaun's parents. It was so nice to go and spend a few days relaxing and just enjoying the company of each other. Cheezy I know- but it was nice!! It was also nice being in Jacki and Orllo's home because they allowed Shaun and I to keep up a couple of family traditions that we have come to love over the last few years in regards to Christmas and Christmas Eve. Ty had a lot of fun setting out cookies for Santa and tracking him on the internet (Thank-you to Norad). And Christmas morning was fantastic. The boys were so excited about EVERYTHING!

Santa left Ty a new Leapster video game player and a few new games, and Ryan was excited to find a new tractor under the tree with his name on it. And I have to say- Santa did VERY good this year! The boys loved their new toys and are still totally infatuated with them.

Ty also received a bedding set from my parents. Bedding for a four year old you ask? Yes. But only because they are covered in the U of U's logo. He is actually excited about going to bed in his new sheets and making the bed is kind of fun... How long this lasts is up in the air.

Anyway- we had a wonderful holiday and hopefully I'll be able to find my camera cord soon and upload the pictures of our Christmas.

Deja Chayse

This holiday season, we were also blessed to be able to welcome a new member to the Kidd family. Shaun's younger brother, Chase and his wife Dani had their baby girl during the beginning of December. Since they live in Colorado, we were only able to see pictures of Deja. But- this obviously had to change!! We went out with Shaun's parents after Christmas to go and visit all of them in their home (which again- THANK-YOU guys for letting us stay with you!!), where we actually got to meet baby. It was nuts- Deja only weighed six pounds- I have NEVER had a six pound baby (except maybe in utero), so to actually hold a new baby that was that small was absolutely nuts! She was adorable and I'm so glad we got a chance to go and visit!

Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree

One of my most favorite things about the holidays is (of course) the food. There is something about certain smells and tastes that just are "home" to me. Every Christmas morning, we would have a sausage casserole and German pancakes- so every time I smell these things- I think of being home and I think of my family. One of my favorite holiday "tastes" is my Grandma Newren's popcorn balls. I'm not sure that they are technically caramel... maybe candied is a better word for the coating on the popcorn. Anyway- it's yummy. Since we didn't make it home for Christmas this year, when we did make it down to my mom's- she surprised me with a big bag of popcorn and all the makings for Grandma's popcorn.

I've made it before with my Grandma, and it's not that it's hard- but it definitely takes two people to make it. So- my mom and I got to work. The finished product was just the taste that I had been missing so far this season! Thanks mom! And thanks to Ty for helping us smash the pecans!

The Jedi Shepherd

We had our ward Christmas party last night and while we were there, all the Primary kids were supposed to dress up in shepherd's robes and wander around in them (to give us the feel of being in Bethlehem I suppose). Ty flat refused to put anything on. I begged. I reasoned. I threatened. Nothing was going to get him in costume. Until I pointed out that they kind of looked like the robes that the Jedi's wear in Star Wars. Enough said. The kid quietly put the robe on and allowed me to tie it. He spent the rest of the evening running around with his pretend "light saber" and told anyone who would listen that he was a REAL jedi knight. That has something to do with the Christmas spirit... right!?

I wish I had a picture of him- he made a pretty cute Jedi/Shepherd.

What have you done?

The object is to copy & paste the list of "99 things" to your blog & bold the things you've done!! I put mine in RED. I apparently need to get out more, but this was fun :) I saw it on a friends blog and thought I would give it a try.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Visited a Castle
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square

74. Spent New Years Eve in Trafalga Square
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Have been published
81. Visited the Redwoods
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Testified in court
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out

Let me set the scene:

Ty is on the bus on his way to school this morning. It has been bitter cold here, and when he left for school, it was -19. There are a lot of kids out this week because of some cold that has been going around, so Ty has his own seat on the bus this morning. It's early and Ty is kind of in a mellow mood. So he sits back and looks out the window. He notices the black metal bar that runs across the window- it's right at his eye level. Ty eyes it for a minute and has a 'great' idea.

At this point, I want to remind you all of the movie, "A Christmas Story." Ralphie has a friend (who's name I can't remember) that is "double-dog dared" to stick his tongue out on a frozen pole on the playground. When said friend does this stupid thing, he finds his tongue is stuck to the pole and he can't get it off.

Ty- having never seen this movie- thinks he is onto something "fun." He proceeds in sticking out his tongue and placing it on the frozen metal bar next to him. Apparently he screamed and started to cry when he found that his tongue was in fact, stuck to the window. Rather than waiting for a teacher or bus driver to help him out- he wigs out and pulls back. This rips off a large chunk of tongue and a good number of tastebuds with it.

Apparently he was pretty subdued the rest of the day.

It's one of those things that I want to laugh at, because I can't help thinking "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!", but at the same time- he is my son and is in pain. Anyway- bring on the Tylenol.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Christmas preparation has begun at the Kidd household. I tried to keep it low key since I am kind of tired- but it's just so much more fun to have EVERYTHING out and a few projects. Once we started pulling things out- it was too hard to stop.

Ty and I put together an advent calendar that my mom bought for us. It took us most of the morning, but we did it! And Ryan helped us out by staying asleep the whole time. Anyway, it's a big box with a bunch of little boxes in it. We put a chocolate kiss in each one along with a little note. We had to glue and cut everything and I think it turned out great!!

The next thing was probably what Ty was the most excited about... THE TREE! We could only decorate the top half of it since Ryan keeps trying to touch it all. It was probably my fault. When we were pulling out the ornaments and things- we have a couple strands of what Ty calls "Jingly Bells," and Ryan had so much fun dragging them around the living room all the while jingling. Once they got put on the tree though- Ryan kept trying to jingle the Christmas Tree. I'm thinking that it's inevitably going to end up on top of him this year- but for now- I just put some extra bells on the front door handle so any time he gets up the urge to jingle something, I just send him to the door.

We think it turned out beautifully and the boys love it when we turn the lights on each night.

Girls Night Out

Don't you just love those words? They make my month. This time, we decided to go over to Logan for dinner, a movie and some shopping.

We left at about 5 (it takes a little over an hour to get over to Logan from here) and went to WalMart for some Christmas shopping. It was packed! I couldn't believe it. Okay- actually I can- WalMart is always busy. It drives me nuts.

Anyway- then we went to Texas Roadhouse (they just opened a few months ago) and it was soo good!

Then we went and caught a late movie- what did we see you ask? New Moon- what else!? For the record- I want you to know that I think Stephanie Meyers is a terrible writer- but I do think that she has an entertaining story. Anyway- this movie was supposed to be ten times better than the first. Which it was! It was crazy though- we got to the theater about thirty minutes before it started (probably about 9), and the line was out the door and it wrapped around the building!! We did get some pretty good seats and it was fun.

Thanks for the night out ladies! I look forward to the next one!

An Announcement

Shaun and I are officially ushering in an age of chaos. We found out a couple months ago that we are pregnant with our third baby!! Nothing could be scarier at this point, but Shaun has been very calm about the whole thing- pointing out that no matter how much we freak out about this- it's not like we can put a "return to sender" sticker on the baby once he/she gets here just because we weren't ready. It helps having someone like him around someone like me.

Anyway- once the initial shock wore off- we discovered that we really were excited about this- nervous- I mean- we're going to have three little ones running around here, and I can barely keep up with the laundry now!!

I have felt really wonderful with this pregnancy. The only way that I even know that I'm pregnant is how exhausted I am at the end of the day. And for that... I thank this baby in advance. Anyway- we'll keep you updated as we go along.

Another Dinner Post

Candied Chicken

1 pound chicken, cut in cube chunks

1 cup cornstarch

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 eggs; beaten

Combine cornstarch and garlic powder.

Dip chicken chunks in beaten eggs and then in cornstarch mixture. Brown chicken over medium heat until lightly brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Put in baking dish.

Slice up onions and peppers, or you can throw in the frozen veggies from the bag- it has broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. Really- whatever kind of veggie you want. Throw them in with the chicken.

Sauce

¾ cup sugar

1/3 cup vinegar

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup water

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken and vegetables.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with rice.

What's for Dinner?

I don't know how many of you out there are like me- when 4:30 hits you totally panic because you haven't got a clue as to what to make for dinner. So in an effort to help my three readers, I am going to start posting some of my easiest and yummiest dinners! Now- today's dinner won't help you at 4:30 because it's a crockpot dinner- sorry. But if you have two seconds tomorrow morning- it's a really good, warm meal that we love here at our house. They are called crockpot fajitas!

You will need:

4 frozen chicken breasts

1 medium onion; sliced

1 package Fajita seasoning

3 peppers; sliced (it can be bell peppers or jalepenos... whatever you want)

Tortillas

Sour Cream

Cheese

Guacamole

Step 1. Put chicken and onion in crockpot.

Step 2. Pour seasoning mix and add water (I usually add enough water to cover my chicken completely- otherwise it dries out in the crockpot).

Step 3. Cook on high for 6 hours.

Step 4. Shred chicken and add peppers to crockpot. Cook one more hour.

Viola! Dinner is ready! It really is yummy- and I'll try and remember to take pictures of it tonight so that I can post it. Anyway- now it's your turn!! Post your favorites on your blog so that I can get some new ideas too!!

Tyler-isms

Scene 1: Ty spent the weekend with my parents. On Saturday afternoon, my mom placed a bowl of Spaghettios in front of Ty. Ty being Ty- shook his head and said "I don't want Spaghettios." My sister who was in the kitchen whips around and tells Ty that there are starving kids in Africa that would love to have that bowl of Spaghettios. Ty sat there for a minute, then turned to Melissa and said, "I don't live in Africa."

Scene 2: Preschool rug time. They are learning about pioneers tonight. They have a guest speaker telling them stories about the little boys and girls that crossed the plains. She turned to them and asked them, "Does anyone know how that pioneers got here?" Ty throws his hand up in the air and yells out "Heavenly Father and Jesus sent them here!" Which was true... to a point. Though probably not the answer they were looking for at Preschool.

Scene 3: Ty has been asked four times to put his seatbelt on. I start to count (usually the only thing that gets his butt in gear). I get to "2" and Ty puts his hands on his hips and says "You quit talking back to me Mama!" I might have popped him if I hadn't been trying to cover up the fact that I was laughing.

Scene 4: I asked Ty what he thought we should get his dad for his birthday (it's in a couple of weeks). Ty sat thoughtfully for a minute before turning to me and saying, "something boring." I asked why we should get dad something boring and Ty told me that it was because he liked boring things. I kind of sniggered, but asked him if we shouldn't get dad something fun instead- and Ty said no. It needed to be boring- "Maybe something for his work." So if you end up with a paper-clip for your birthday Shaun... I'm sorry....

Halloween

Well, Halloween has come and gone, and with it, big smiles, fun and tummy aches. We spent this Halloween down in Salt Lake this year, just for something different. Montpelier has a lot of houses that just don't open their doors to trick or treaters and for whatever reason- don't believe in trunk or treats... So- in an effort to give my kids the kind of holiday that I remember- we headed back to my old stomping grounds.

In reviewing my pictures as I get ready to post them- I found that I don't have a decent picture of both Ryan and Ty together- so you get to see them separately. Anyway- here is our Cowboy Ryan playing outside before we head for the Trunk or Treat down at my parent's ward. It was such a gorgeous day! I couldn't believe it! I can remember having to trick or treat through snow drifts!

And here we have Ty, the NOT scary Vampire Bat. I made the effort this year to make him look creepy with the make-up and he took one look at himself and said that he didn't want to be scary. So... there you have it. This is also a picture of Ty's cousin Daniel (the Fearless Firefighter) who stopped by for a few mintues.

And here- you can have a glimpse of what we grew up with as kids in the Henriksen household. My mom dressed up this year- nose and all! We had some fun with fake eyelashes this year, and when Ty saw my mom's (they were covered in fake crystals) and asked her why she had sprinkles all over her eyes. And, in case you were wondering, I am the stunning pirate on the right. I wouldn't have needed to raid ships- my victims would have just handed over their jewels and treasures based on my looks alone- thinking themselves lucky to have been robbed by such a ravishing beauty.

And last but not least- just the Kidds. Shaun hates dressing up, but I appreciate the effort he puts into things for the kids (and when I want a picture).

Hanging Out With Grandma and Grandpa

We have spent the last couple of weekends with Shaun's parents down in Declo- and unfortunately, for the majority of both weekends- my camera battery was dead. So I did NOT get any pictures of Dani's baby shower or Kent's birthday party. Which is too bad- because both were a lot of fun. Fortunately- I did get a couple of cute ones from around Jacki and Orllo's house while we were just playing around- which is good since those are my favorite anyway.

Papa Orllo and Ryan

Shaun with his boys on the tractor (and yes it was COLD!)

Ryan and Grandma Jacki (I think they were out chasing cows...)

Books

I loved story-time when I was a kid. My favorite book was "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Suess. My dad got so sick of reading it over and over, that he finally recorded him reading the book on tape for me so that I could listen to it whenever I wanted (and I think he thought he was getting out of having to read it so often... which I don't remember working that well...).

Granted we haven't gotten to that point (yet) with our boys- they too love story-time. And it's one of those things that neither Shaun nor I mind doing in the evenings with Ty and Ryan. At first- it was just Ty that wanted the stories, but recently, whenever you sit down with a book- here comes Ryan just as fast as he can toddle. I snuck a picture the other day of my boys with a Thomas the Train story and as I'm sure you can see... all three of them are totally enthralled!!

Carving Pumpkins

It's that time of year again!! I happen to love this time of year because it kicks off the whole holiday season. I love Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Despite the cold and the snow- I love what comes with it. And I think the reason I love Halloween so much- is because of all the good childhood memories that I associate with it. My mom is and was kind of a Halloween nut- she went all out every year. She had a witch costume that was known for blocks. We still have pictures- you wouldn't recognize her unless you knew it was her. She would also go crazy with decorations and treats and parties... It was so much fun. Now that I'm the mom- I know how tired and how crazy life is without the addition of holiday extras- but I remember how much effort my mom put into these things and how big a payoff it was for me as a kid. So- even though I AM tired, and it just feels like one more thing... I keep telling myself that the memories I am helping my kids build- is totally worth it.

So today- we carved pumpkins. We only did two for now and hopefully we'll be able to get the others finished before Halloween- but if not... I guess we can just leave them out for Thanksgiving decor!

Now I want you to take a look at the pumpkins we have on our front porch... There are some serious pumpkins sitting there. Both my parents and Shaun's parents brought pumpkins to us this year. My parents brought the normal sized ones and Shaun's parents grew Giant Pumpkins this year in their garden... They weren't kidding!! These things are freaking huge! Ty wanted to carve one of them- but I put my foot down... I'm not near dedicated enough to the pumpkin carving process to carve one of those babies. Besides- I think you'd have to have a chain saw to get through all the flesh!!!

Anyway- once I finally talked Ty into carving a normal sized pumpkin- we got to work. We carved a little "happy" pumpkin and a big "scary" pumpkin. At least that's how Ty described them. He actually did most of the little pumpkin himself- and he even managed to keep all his fingers- a feat I was pretty impressed with. I mean think about this... Even though they are just little knives- they have to be pretty sharp in order to make all those little designs and cut through the pumpkin itself... Why do we, as parents (you know- the supposed responsible ones) give these knives over to 4 year olds? It seems somewhat silly to me. But I did it anyway- and it turned out pretty well! The other pumpkin we carved was supposed to be a scary vampire pumpkin (Ty's idea)... We tried hard to make it scary- and if you don't think it is- don't tell us- we don't want to know. We'll have to light them tomorrow and see how they turn out in the dark!

A Tuesday...

Since Ty has been in school, it has allowed Ryan and I to have some one on one time in the mornings. And I have to tell you- it has been soo much fun! Ryan has such a spunky little personality. He's almost as bad as his brother as far as the fact that he is into EVERYTHING! We've baby-proofed the house, but Ryan can still find things to get into. His favorite lately is the bathroom and the cupboard in my kitchen that holds the bread pans. I find bread pans everywhere. I went to go put Ty's PJ's away yesterday, and when I opened his dresser drawer- I found a bread pan.

Besides being a smidge on the mischievous side- Ryan is also pretty smart! I know. I know- I'm totally biased- but since this is my blog- I get to brag all I want! Ryan can say: Mama, Dad, Ty, Hi, No, Go, Big Truck, How Are You and What's That. He can also tell you what the cow, horse, duck, lamb and puppy say. He understands everything. If I tell him to go get in the tub- he'll walk down the hall, into the bathroom and wait next to the tub for me. If I say it's time to go- he'll walk to the back door and pound on the glass until I come with the car keys (granted sometimes he'll do this and yell "go" at me when we are just hanging out in the house). But he really is a smart little fart... Smart enough I have a feeling that between he and his brother- they just have Shaun and I outsmarted by the time they are in Elementary School...

The Tooth

We had a casualty this weekend. We went up to Declo this weekend to spend some time with Shaun's family, and so that I would be able to go to my sister-in-law's baby shower on Saturday.

Saturday morning, we were spending some time outside in the sunshine and Ryan got into a fight with the brick patio... and consequently... lost. He fell down face first and when I picked him up- there was blood EVERYWHERE! And he was just screaming. I kept trying to calm him down to see what was wrong- and Shaun points to his mouth and asked me, "Is that a piece of his tooth sitting there on his tongue?" Sure enough- Ryan had knocked out half of his front tooth.

He's fine now- I took a picture of him in the tub this morning- and even though it's a dopey picture of him- you can kind of see what happened to the two front teeth. The one was pushed back up into his gums, and the other is half gone. I took him to the dentist and there isn't a whole lot they can do until the teeth kind of come back down- then they will be able to re-build the broken tooth. Poor baby.

Fall

Fall seems to be a busy time. There is just always soo much that finds itself needing to be done. When Jacki was here over Conference- I made a comment that I was embarrassed by how much stuff was on my kitchen counters. Jacki just laughed and told me- it's fall... that's what happens when there are things to can and stuff that needs put away. I felt a little better.

And it has been a busy fall. My grandma, grandpa and mom taught me how to can this fall, and I have kind of been so amazed by what you can put away in your pantry via canning. So, while I had done a lot of peaches already- I also did tomatoes and apple pie filling. The apple pie filling was an idea that I got from a girlfriend up here- who does it every year. The idea is- you make your pie filling in the fall and then later in the year, you can have apple pie by just dumping your jar of stuff into a pie crust and VIOLA! Pie. So- I canned apple pie filling- and we actually tried it tonight- it was really good! I'm impressed and my pantry is just that much fuller.

Conference Weekend

These post may be disturbing to those potential visitors out there. Visitors beware... we WILL put you to work. And both sets of grandparents can vouch for that.

We were lucky enough to be joined this conference weekend by both my parents and Shaun's parents. Unfortunately for them... we had unfinished projects leftover from this summer that HAD to be done before the snow falls. (Which here in Montpelier could be anytime now...)

First and foremost. We ripped out the back steps because they were rotting and starting to fall apart. So not safe. But- because Shaun was gone so much this summer working for his dad- they just never really got put back together again. We had all the pieces. Just never enough time. So- my dad and Shaun got working on this and after a few hours- it was done! We had stairs and a railing! So talented.

Next! We had a ton of leftover sand from when we put in the stone patio earlier this year. So rather than let it just sit in the garage and take up someone's valuable parking space (*cough* MINE!). I attempted to put together a sand box made from leftover brick. It was okay. It kind of served its purpose. You could at least tell that's what it was supposed to be. But the bricks wouldn't stay standing up. And the boys kept moving them. So... Enter Papa Orllo. Orllo brought some big wooden posts with them when they came, and he spent the afternoon cutting and putting together a sand box. Kudos Orllo and Jacki (his faithful helper).

And finally... The men put their heads together to figure out how to put up a safety gate above the stairs. We have an unfinished basement- so that the bottom of the stairs is a whole lot o

f concrete. Not much of a plush landing if Ryan were to take off down the stairs. I kept envisioning a lot of blood and a smashed head. So- sparing the rest of the graphic details that keep playing in my brain... the men got to work and got it set up for me (and my peace of mind).

Finally- the work was done and it was time for dinner. We went over to Nora's Diner (home of the world's best onion rings), and had a yummy meal (of course- doesn't it always taste better if you don't have to make it?).

We are so grateful to Grandma Janet (she kept things going this weekend), Grandpa JB (for his expertise in building steps), Grandma Jacki (for helping me clear out the garden), Papa Orllo (for his unparalleled sandbox building skills), Shaun (because I KNOW you didn't want to do any of it), Ty (for all the help on ALL the projects... and some that weren't on the list) and to Ryan (for being SUCH a good boy through all of this). I love you all!!

Truckin'

We are on the road a lot. A lot. A lot. I think we have it about down to a science though- and that's probably more than most people can say about traveling with toddlers. We have found the secret. And I'm about to reveal it to all of you. Are you ready?

The secret is...: Chocolate Milk.

I know. It sounds simple. But it's the secret to great and easy car travel. We fill a cup for both of them and then throw them in the car and take off. They both guzzle and guzzle until it's gone. And then they fall asleep. It's wonderful. And Shaun and I are geniuses.

My People.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said: "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face... You must do the thing you think you can't do." Moving to Montpelier three years ago was terrifying to me. I've never been one to make friends easily or quickly. I am reserved and quiet when surrounded by people I don't know. I had to change when I moved to Montpelier. I knew no one.

I was so lucky to find the friends that I have found here. My people. They have stood by me when I cried with fear when we were worried about Shaun's job. They laughed with me when I laughed about life as a mom. They have always been there when I need a friend. I've never been surrounded by so many good people at one time. (in the picture below: Liz, Clover, Aleisha, Jenny and Jamie)

These girls have helped me re-learn the art of exercise. Every morning there is a group that walks. If it's warm, we walk at the park. When it's cold, we walk at the church. Sometimes we run. Sometimes we weight train. We've done Yoga videos. We play volleyball every Thursday night. There is even a clogging group.

I also think that one of the best parts of being here- is that I have re-learned the art of being a friend. I took my high school/ college friends for granted. We had been friends for so long that everything was easy. We already knew each others histories and quirks. When you make so many new friends at once- you have to re-learn how to ask questions. And it was different this time too... all of these women were also young moms. We are all in the same boat. We have similar routines. We yell at our kids for the same things.

We also get together for girls night/ movie night and we have lunch once a week (sometimes with kids sometimes without). Once in a while it's a phone call to see if you want to take the kids to the park. Or Biggest Loser parties. Around here- it seems that there is always an excuse to get together.

So thanks girls. For making it so easy for me to get over my fear. Thanks.