OnTheRoad AGAIN

Well now that two weeks have officially passed, I can address the situation with our address without being maniacal or catty-- maybe...  Our landlord, for reasons I just don't understand has determined that we are done living in this great place.  She already had new renters lined up when she sent the fateful email in October wondering what our plans were.  She didn't seem to read Jeff's response as to our plans because her next email was asking if we would be out by the 13th or 19th of December.  That is all I will say because the rest of the details still get me slanderously cranky.  ANYWAY...  As we have scrambled to find a place to live in a season of giving thanks, there have turned out to be a few bright spots along the way-- those I am grateful for and those I try to focus on to avoid bitter feelings.  

 

1. Our Little Family. In trying to keep our kids from freaking out in all the instability, we have really stepped up the parenting.  We are really taking time to listen to them, to play, to laugh and answer the litany of questions from their budding minds.  The whole situation has required us to work together as a team and with a little effort we're good at it.  

2. Our Neighbors.  Thanks for the babysitting and great ideas.  Thanks for the service opportunities and the opportunity to get some real perspective from the trials of others.  It has been such a blessing to see others stand strong in the face of real adversity-- it gives me the stamina to call on one more apartment when I've had enough.  

Thanks to Peter.  He sacrificed his time for us and gave us wise perspective in our decision making.  

Everyone else for feeling indignant on our behalf and cheering for us too-- and even offering us a warm place to sleep for the holidays :)

3. A New House.  Finally finding the integral point in time and space when the price, the floorplan, the lot and the builder coincided to bring us something to look forward to.  The circumstances have turned out to be in our favor and we are going to be able to have our very own mortgage and a great place to plant our roots.

4. The Spirit.  That brings peace and a knowledge that the Lord knows everything flooding into my days and sleepless nights.

5. The Purge.  Toys, clothes and on and on-- hopefully the toys the kids have chosen to give away to "some other kid" will brighten the holidays as much as the reduced clutter has brightened mine.  Taking the time to really assess what we need has opened my eyes to the bounty we enjoy.  It makes it easier to focus on what matters when you don't have time to think about what you don't have now.  Like a place to live for example...

Stay tuned for the next installment.....

HalloweenAtLast

Class parties, Halloween parades and trick-or-treating-- what better day to be a kid.  We went through the neighborhood trick-or-treating in the balmy 70 degree weather.  (unheard of for this time of year).  It was so awesome.  All the neighbors were out with their kids and everyone was taking time to chat.  It was better than all Halloweens our kids have ever participated in.  We knew that our street would not be a popular spot, so we took our candy on the road and passed it out to all the kids that we knew.  Whew... that's less leftovers to eat.  Our kids were really excited and Cait was especially excited that the Denney's were finally going to see her giraffe costume.  I thought for sure that she would change her mind in the princess direction, but for two months she held fast to the idea of a giraffe.  She claims that next year she will be a bush baby.  I hope her plans change because on top of the fact that the general populas has NO idea what a bush baby is, I can't imagine myself dreaming up a good way to portray one.  (Hint:  A bush baby is a rainforest monkey (a little lemur-ish) with giant eyes for seeing in the dark.)

Here are the kiddies all outfitted, the giraffe is even trying to eat a few leaves.  The best part of the giraffe was the funny padded buns.  We laughed and laughed that saggy rear view.

PowerPumpkinCarving

This is the final product of our labors.  We went to the pumpkin patch for FHE and everyone picked small pumpkins this year.  Jeff's was hard as a rock and threatened to bend our little pumpkin knife into a unrecognizable blob.  So where could we turn?  Makita to the rescue,  no insult to Mr. DeWalt.  Jeff finally has another use for the hole saw set that he got last Christmas.  Way back when he assured me that this tool is totally necessary for every well-stocked tool box, I had no idea how great they would really be.

Jeff and I used only the power drill, while Noah preferred to muscle it out.  In fact, his pumpkin had faces all the way around.  

HalloweenParty

In keeping with tradition Grandma invited all the kids for a great Halloween Party the week before Halloween.  The kids love it and us moms love it too-- it requires us to have our kids' costumes in order one week early... so maybe I am the mom that appreciates that the most.    This year we had a mad scientist, two ninjas, an adventurous anthropologist, a princess, a cave boy and a giraffe and Miss Avery as a newborn.  Grandma pulled out all the stops.  Here are all the cousins posing in the leaves-- we do this before the party because they don't enjoy it.  Yes there was a little bribery involved.

There was dinner and games galore.  My kids loved doing the monster mash cake walk and continue to sing about the "graveyard smash" to this late November day.  All the kids also enjoyed smacking the skull pinata upside the head.  My favorite game was mummy building using only a simple dad and 2 rolls of toilet paper.  Lucky for us our kids know a little about the potential plain old TP!  They wrapped and mummified their dad until we got this result.  Add some moaning and stiff arms and Jeff was good to go.

theWitches

We spent the day at Gardner Village with Grandma and the cousins peeking at the all the funny witches.  We got there early and went to my favorite store Down to Earth and loved every minute.  I scooped up a great Pear tray for my kitchen of course and found the greatest chair tucked in the back corner of by the elevator.  $29.  That's it.  A smudge of yellow paint (which came right off) had relegated it to obscurity.  When the cousins arrived it was to the sight of me and all three kids hauling this chair to our trunk.  

Shar printed out a witch hunt list and we hunted and posed and laughed and chased down each witch- and Mason too. The kids loved all the funny witches-- the boys especially loved the "bad driver" who had careened right into the Mill's round silo.  Our success earned us 25cent cookies at the bakery.  Grandma gave everyone their own quarter to buy their own.  

We ran into more than witches, our old neighbors the Higginsons were there with their grandma too.  We had a minute or two to talk and catch up.  Their kids are so BIG, really I can't believe it.

Don't worry, grandma wouldn't be satisfied with just a cookie.  She offered to let the kids ride a pony too.  Funny because Cait is alwasys talking about taking her family to ride horseys.  She yelled to the attendant that she wanted the little guywith the green bucket-- Charlie, a gray shetland pony.  She loved every second and screamed when she had to get off.  She and Benj were the only kids who would dare ride at first.  They were a great example for the next round where everyone but Noah happily saddled up.    There will be no photographic evidence of this part of the trip, but I'm sure that Cait will remember everytime we try to go back.

 

SHOUTINGtoTexas

I found these pictures of the Baileys from back in August.  Our kids cried at the idea of their moving-- Benjamin was especially convinced that he would never have another friend like Hendrix... maybe not, but we hope they will always stay friends -- until they can be roommates at BYU!  We loved having one last sleepover before they headed south.  Here are all the kids lined up on the porch, awww cute. (Faryn should really be in between Noah and Cait, as they fought over who could be her friend the whole weekend).  We wish the whole flock of Baileys all the best in TEXAS!

FONDANTmemories

This is a dedication to my selfless Jeana, who agreed to make her sister's wedding cake.  When your friends visit from cajun country, you don't mind having to reunite over fondant.  Since I usually prescribe to the myth of the natural, I am sure that making a rolled fondant cake would be something I would try with the usual level of huberous.  Not now.  Call a professional or run away. Don't listen to Duff because anyone can't do it, unless they have all night.  Well it wasn't all bad, I learned a few tricks and tips courtesy of Jeana's New Orlean's friend.  All in all, I loved laughing with and at Jeans, getting covered in cornstarch and massaging with Crisco.  Jinxy, if you read this, thanks for a great time and a fairly painless reality check in the land of cakes.  

Fine Print: This is not the actual cake, but an example of an easier cake without stamping, eyelet lace patterns and overlays and of course all the frosted details that I didn't have the stamina for.  The real deal was beautiful and tasty I'm sure.