Mission Confussion

Today I found out that Jaron won't be coming home till December 30th. Somehow his mission tacked on an extra week. I calculated it over and over and somehow there is an extra week in there. Some of my friends sons who left around when Jaron did are coming home when there suppose to but somehow it didn't work that way for us. I know I need to get over this cuz there are worse things in life but I guess I just feel sad. So today I will feel sad and then tomorrow I will move on and make plans for having Christmas a week late.



And yeah....we did talk to the mission pres.

Poor, poor Emily

This morning Emily went to the orthodontist and had 2 appliances put in her mouth. They put in a thingy ( I don't know the correct name) that widens the roof of her mouth and then a bottom retainer that widens the bottom. I have to do 2 cranks a day to widen it. I get a headache just thinking about it. She was such a good sport but wasn't too happy about it. In a couple of years she will be glad she got it done but for now........she is drooling all over the place.

She is relating to Maddox and his drooling :) Emily and Maddox sucking on socks to catch the drool and yes.....they are clean socks.

What do you do when you get free tomatoes?

Steve came home from the deer hunt without a deer but he did bring home a box of tomatoes from Klint and Mary-jo. These weren't little tomatoes.....they were HUGE!!! I would never, never let those go to waste so today I canned them. I got a total of 6 quarts and 1 pint. It's going to make some yummy homemade chili this winter!!! I want to say a BIG thank you to Klint and Mary-jo!!!!

This is it..........I think I'm done canning for the year. I am pretty burned out but I can still be tempted into canning more if I got more free stuff but for now all I can say is.......I'M DONE.

Fall Scents

This morning I went into work to help do a floor set at Bath and Body Works. OMG.....so many yummy smells and all their fall fragrances are out. I think I could lay on the floor there and just smell all day long.







This cool white gadget replaces the oil burner. It runs on 2AA batteries and it has a fan in it that spreads the scent of your oil. Now I sound like a commercial but I do have to get one. Steve says that I never get a paycheck there cuz I'm always spending it and more at the store. He's right :)

Sorry the pics are so dark. It's the camera...not me. There are candles inside the pine cones.....real cute!

Last but not least, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. This always reminds me of Maureen. And it smells great!! I highly recommend it!!!

I honestly don't think you can get too much of any of this :)

Deer Hunt.....minus the deer

Here are some pics from the deer hunt. Steve and Nathan got home around 4pm today smelling like camp fire but said they had a blast. They did 4 wheeling, ATV driving, shooting, eating and a little bit of sleeping. No deer though but that's fine with me....
I'll live :)



















The boys (Luke and Nathan) shooting. There was a lot of that going on!


















And from what I hear....Russ is a great cook!!

Klint was the only one who got a deer but they all had fun. Well I'm off to do tons and tons of laundry........another successful camping trip for the guys!!

Rest and Relax

Isn't this just the cutest picture? I can't remember how many times I have seen Steve with each one of the kids in this exact same position. It brings back so many memories.

I hope everyone this weekend will be doing what Timothy and Kingston are doing in this picture......catching up on sleep!!! Good Night!

Is that a tree?

This is Steve in his "gear". I bet you didn't see him cuz he was so well camouflaged. Don't you love the tag still hanging on his hat? Well....Steve and Nathan are off on the dear hunt. They left early this morning. Both were really excited. I'm not sure for the hunting part but having fun with family is great. I know they won't starve either cuz I really loaded them up with food.



Kinda a funny but not funny story. We had to buy Steve some new camo pants cuz we couldn't find the ones we had several years ago. Today while I was downstairs I was going through Jaron's closet and what did I find hanging up down there? Yep...not one but two pairs and just Steve size....or course.

All for a deer hunt????

Look at all this stuff on my counter. It doesn't look like very much but today Steve and I spent $250 for a two night stay in the woods for him and Nathan to deer hunt.....mainly food, socks and long underwear. That doesn't include licence, tags, etc.

I'm still trying to comprehend this deer hunt thing. I was thinking ....what if we put all that money towards meat and loaded the freezer? Maybe I'm too much of a practical thinker. I'm still not sure what to think of this....I guess I will hear Saturday night if it was well worth it all. I'm sure there will be lots of great memories made with family on this trip.

ps. Sorry if I sound pessimistic....I really don't mean too.

A little buddy of mine came over today. Maddox is fighting a cold but he still seemed very happy.

A Work of Art

Look at what Steve made Saturday.....you guessed right, a compost holder. Any of you who know Steve know that making and building things just isn't his thing. He's really good at thinking and making a plan of how it will work but the actual building........he leaves that to me most of the time.

There are so many apple thrown into it and a fruit fly frenzy is going on in there. Steve loves it but the smell?..... Quite intoxicating with all the fermentation going on in there. Steve is pretty proud of his creation and I am too. He did a great job!!! Next year our garden is going to rock!!!

Emily is sick.....so we cook.

First, I want to say is Emily has been fighting a fever and sore throat all day. I may take her to the drs. tomorrow if she's not feeling better by the morning. The school said strep is going around.


Today I mainly stayed home with Em to take care of her. Didn't want to clean so I cooked. This is our basil plant that I picked to death to try and get a cups worth to make some pesto. I haven't tried it yet but we ate it a lot in Vienna. They eat lots of sandwiches there and there is always pesto on them. We are going to make Viennese sandwiches tomorrow.


This is the pesto. Looks kinda grose huh?

Then I had tons of zucchini. Maybe because I planted 6 plants but I made 5 loaves of zucchini bread too.

Nathan wanted to make us dinner tonight. I NEVER refuse someone who wants to make me dinner.

yep.....that's shrimp and OMG....it was so good. Nathan is a great cook!!!

And this is my kitchen now. It was a very well used kitchen today.

Happy 21st Birthday Jare-Bear!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Jare-bear!! This is one of my favorite pictures of Steve and Jaron. I think Jaron was only a couple of weeks old. So, so cute!!!
















This is Jaron at 3 months.

This picture of all four of the boys is a classic. Look at Jaron's hand. It cracks me up.......it looks like he's flipping off the world.....or whoever is there. We are always laughing at this picture!!

And of course....the missionary. He will be home in a few months and I absolutely cannot wait!!! I love you so much Jaron.

Yep....and we made a cake for you :)

Look and see who we saw at the mall!

Steve and I were at the mall and look who we stumbled into. Yep...James and Victoria from Twilight. They were at the Halloween Store with Bella, of course, but Edward was no where to be found. We looked though.

Victoria was happy to pose with Steve without taking a bite out of him......she's so sweet.

And James' eyes were a fiery red. He was in need of some blood. No autographs from these stiff guys though.

Friday.....

Do you ever have one of those days......or weeks? I've been having day after day of frustration. Not with the people in my life but more with myself and how I perceive things. Sometimes I drive myself nuts!!! I think I need something that I can have a passion for in life......maybe I'm having empty nest syndrome...I don't know. I decided to go back to school in January starting with a foreign language class (because I want to travel Europe more) and moving on from there. I know this sounds kinda crazy but I'm also looking into repelling classes. I'm scared to death of heights but I really think I can overcome it.
I have to put this recent picture of Kingston up because when I was feeling frustrated I would look at his huge smile and I couldn't help but to smile too. I do miss him a lot!!

Thanks Jess for putting this cute, cute picture of Kingston up!!

A big difference

Yesterday Emily brought home her school pics. Yep....my baby girl is growing up...12 now and 7th grade. I call her "sassy" even though she's not sassy (she's a sweetie and very concerned for others feelings....all the time) it's just how she carries herself sometimes. ..it's cute. It's funny how different boys and girls are. Raising 4 boys and all they want in clothes are jeans, t-shirts, jeans, more t-shirts and an occasional hoodie. With Em....the jeans (skinny, of course) the shirt, scarf, shoes, matching jacket........oh and the right perfume for the season. Did I mention sunglasses too? I think it's so funny cuz it's not something I am use to at all but I am enjoying it.

But I do tons of SALE shopping. You know...it's junior high now.

Funny faces.

Maddox cracks me up. I love the one pic. and his funny facial expression. He wants to crawl so bad and gets fustrated sometimes when he can't. I forgot how many expressions babies have. I can't help but to laugh at some of them. And when they smile at you and recognize you....nothing melts your heart more. I got to babysit him today while Lesa went to the doctors. There's nothing like watching your own grand kids.

Oh...and BTW......I ran 6.25 miles!!! Yep, that's a 10k. I am paying for it dearly right now but I'm still glad I did it!

Been shot

Today was our yearly ritual of getting flu shots.
I am a firm believer of getting one every year. We didn't get them the year we moved here from Hawaii and oh my gosh........all of us were so sick. I think Timothy missed at least a week of school or more....in fact, I think all the boys did and I remember being up lots of nights with Emily being sick with it. High fever and chills. We were all miserable. So whoever reads this blog.....you had better get out there and get one soon!! Don't I sound so much like a mom?

1978

Last week my mom put this family picture of us up on facebook. I actually remember this picture being taken. It was the beginning of my senior year in high school and probably around 6 months or so after we were baptized. Greg was almost 16, Melanie was 14 or almost was and I was 17. It was taken at our house in Bothell, Washington.

It seems almost a life time ago but my mind doesn't really feel that much older that it was then......crazy.

I do love these older pictures though and it brings back tons of memories. And this does prove to my kids.....I was once young.

Confession of an Addiction

Every morning I go through the house picking up empty diet coke cans. They are everywhere. As you can see they are gathered by Steve's chair, left on the counter, table, entertainment center, basement and I have even found some in the bathroom......from showering, of course. I can't say it's just Steve and I that are drinking them. It's the whole family (except Emily who did admit that diet coke really doesn't taste all that bad) and their friends.

Christopher and Nathan drink a few during their games too.

I do admit that I am so hooked on the stuff. Feeling the bubbles as it soothes your throat going down and how energized you feel as the caffeine jump starts your day. If the world ever ran out I would be totally depressed with a major headache.....pretty bad huh?

BTW....we do recycle all the cans :)

Grandad's cider press

This is my grandma and grandad Awbrey. When I was a kid (and older) they lived on a farm near Eugene, Oregon. Every year my grandad would make apple cider with all the apples they grew. When my grandad died I inherited the apple press. For the last 3 years we have been making apple cider with the apples from our trees (5 total). We love inviting friends and family to come and make some with us. And this year I think is the best cider yet!!!

Darrell and Dyann came down from Salt Lake and Christopher, Lesa and Maddox came too.

We ended up with 5 gallons of very delicious cider. We could have made more but everyone was getting tired of cranking and pressing the juice out of the apples. Maybe next year we'll make more.

ps. We did miss Timothy, Jessica, Kingston and Jaron this year. Maybe next year will work out.