Spooky Ghosts

I wanted to do a few fun activities with my 2 boys before adding another one into the mix, so I thought we would start getting ready for Halloween. I have seen these ghosts before but I

had never made them so I thought, why not.

First, make the molds. I took several different containers and we bent the arms so they
would look like they were flying in the air.

Next I cut out strips of the cheese cloth and then we dipped them in liquid starch and layered them over the molds. Next time I would make my strips of fabric wider. Then they had to dry which took about 24 hours to be completely dry.

Our Finished Product........Spooky Ghosts! We added felt mouths and google eyes for the
finishing touches. Now to attach fishing line and hang them around the house.
This was a lot of fun to do with the boys!

Lego's, Lego's, & More Lego's

Tyson's new FAVORITE activity................Lego's

Tyson has always liked playing with his big Lego's but now that he gets to use his Dad's big boy Lego's he plays for hours at a time. I have loved watching him use his imagination to build flying cars, spaceships, cars with sunroofs like Dad's car, and many other things.

He also loves it when Dad is able to build with him!

2010 Canning Season

I have been so blessed this year to be able to get so much canning accomplished. Normally I am canning with my Aunt Michelle but this year due to scheduling and just life I did all of my canning alone. I must say that even though I enjoy canning, it is much more enjoyable and fun when doing it with others that love it as much as I do.

As for being blessed, this year I was very pregnant when the canning season began. I was able to start canning tomatoes at the end of August and that in itself was a blessing. In my past pregnancies by this point I was given strict limitations and even bed rest. From what I am hearing from so many people is their tomatoes have come on really late and some still do not have ripe tomatoes. My Mom & Dad are amazing and a huge part of my successful canning this year. I believe my parents planted 106 tomato plants this year along with peppers, zucchini, pumpkins, beans, peas, and a few other things.

I am hoping that I will feel well enough after the first frost to can some more applesauce to but if not we still have some left from last year.

Items canned this year:
Tomatoes, Salsa, Pears, 3 types of Jam, & 57 2-cup bags of Zucchini frozen. which equals 179 quartz and 73 pints of super yummy food for the coming year!!!

Yummy Cake Mix Rolls

Cake Mix Rolls
3 Cups warm water
2 Tbsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. oil
1 cake mix (white, spice, lemon, orange, or chocolate)
5 1/2 - 6 1/2 cups flour (enough to form a soft dough)

Dissolve yeast in water and sugar and let proof (get foamy). Beat eggs and add to yeast foam; add oil. Mix in cake mix and flour to form soft dough.
Let rise until doubled and put out on floured board. Roll out to make cinnamon rolls, twists or orange rolls. Spread butter over rolled out dough. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture over all the dough. Roll up and cut into pieces. Raise for 20 - 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes then frost.

Cinnamon Roll filling
soft butter to spread on dough
mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon

Frosting
2 sticks butter (softened)
8oz cream cheese (softened)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 bag powdered sugar

Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat for several minutes until smooth and fluffy. If you like a thinner frosting add a little milk until you get the consistency you want.

This recipe comes from a Holden Utah Relief Society Cookbook

Tyson had a great time taking these yummy cinnamon rolls around to all of our neighbors. I loved watching him walk really carefully with the plate to their homes and then run back with a huge smile on his face for the next plate.

Last Appointment

Today was my last appointment before mystery baby arrives. I am happy to report that all of my vitals were great which compared to the Tyson & Parker's pregnancies is Fantastic!! Other than being super conscious about hand washing and sanitizing with Pink Eye roaming around our house I am feeling really great. We are still looking at the 22nd for the date but now rather than having the c-section at 11:00 it has been moved to 7:00 which means being at the hospital at 5 am, Steve not so excited about that but what do you do. I am so grateful for having such a wonderful pregnancy this go around and I am super excited to see just who it is coming to join our family!

10 Days To Go & Pink Eye Hits

I have decided that the hardest part of being a mom is seeing your kids sick. My poor boys have had a rough go at it this past year it seems like. We have had so many colds, fevers, and other sicknesses in our house I just don't get it. The current situation is Pink Eye, which of course is super contagious. Tyson currently has it and I am guessing Parker is not far behind. I am really hoping that it does not hit Steve or myself since, in 10 days we have our little mystery baby arriving.

After getting the medicine for Tyson we started home and we were talking about how he needed to be good and let me put the drops in his eyes so that he could get better. A few minutes later Tyson says to me, "Mom, when we get home I need to bless Jesus to help me to be brave and have my medicine." It makes me so happy to know that my little Tyson understands that he can ask for help from Heavenly Father when he needs it. I love listening to his prayers because he does what we all should be doing and that is just talking with Heavenly Father about everything he has done during the day, as well as thanking him, what a great example he is to me.

Tyson's First Overnight Trip Without Mom & Dad

So our little boy seems to be growing up so quickly. Tyson has been getting more excited every day for the past few weeks to go and visit his cousin Colton. Last night we were a little worried that he would not be able to go because he spiked a fever of 103.5 and I was so sad thinking that he would not be able to go. This morning came and his temperature was down!! Tyson was so excited because he still got to go on his trip to Battle Mountain with Pops, Yamma, & his Uncles to see his cousins. Tyson packed his own suitcase and just waited until they arrived to pick him up. I think including last night he called 3 or 4 times to find out when they would be coming.

On the last call Tyson made to Pops they were just passing the airport and so we took all of his stuff outside and he sat down in his car seat and waited for about 20 min until they pulled into the driveway.

He gave us all hugs and climbed in the car. Parker was so cute, he came up to the door and said really loud, "i luv ou Tyson an I miss ou." I just love my boys so much. It is great to know they love each other even though it does not seem like it all the time.

Have a Great time Tyson we love you!!

Home Depot Project Day

Today's project was to build a football holder. I have to admit I was really confused as to what a football holder was. At first I thought it was a stool shaped like a football and then I was thinking they meant a tee to kick from and that just did not make any sense because you would not be able to kick off of it.
Finally the lights turned on in my head(only because it was explained to me with a football being placed on it by my 2 year old), it is holder to display a football on.

Delicious Zucchini Bread

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oil (or 1 cup plain applesauce)
3 eggs
2 c grates zucchini (press out all the water)
3 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
3 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon

Grease and flour two loaf pans. Preheat oven to 325
Beat sugars, oil and eggs till well blended. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well.

Bake for 50-60 min
24 muffins 18 min

Yummy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Muffins(This is a recipie I got from Jamie Jacobsen)

Enjoy!!!!!

(my substitutes, that make it healthier but taste just as great as Jamie's original recipe)
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 c flour (I do half wheat and half white)
4 T cocoa (heaping)
3/4 c oil (I substitute plain applesauce)
1/2 c buttermilk ("make" buttermilk by adding 1 TBS lemon juice to one cup milk and then letting it sit for five minutes to sour. Then use 1/2 cup for the recipe).
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
2 c grated zucchini (packed, push all the water out of it)

Mix sugar, eggs, oil, zucchini and cocoa. Add salt and soda. Then add flour alternating with buttermilk.

Pour in a greased and floured 9 x13 cake pan.
(24 muffins bake for 18 minutes)

Then sprinkle chocolate chips over the top - cover it completely!

Bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes. (Mine was done in 35 min and I used a lighter non-stick pan). Insert a toothpick in the center to see if done. Make sure it is not in a place where there is a choc chip because it will come out gooey.