Welcome Christmas!

It snowed big time while we were Thanksgiving-ing in utah!

Making Christmas stockings with the girls! I am so proud of them, the stockings turned out sooo cute!

We got to see the Rockettes!

Well the outside is done, but the decorations on the insides still need alot of work! My expensive tree from Ralph Jones blew out about 80% of its lites, and we had to run to the store, twice!, to get a total of 7 new lite strands up on the tree, so maybe we can decorate it tomarrow! The joys of a pre lit tree, fun for the first year, and more lites to out each year after! Thanks giving in Utah was fun, fun but way set me back in Christmasy preparations! But we were so glad to all be together, it doesn't matter where, but the best times are when I am with all my family! That is truly home to me!

Happy Hauntings

Heidi had fiends, I mean friends, over for a festive punkin dinner! Then they were off to a haungted house. This is my recipe for punkin dinner:

One punkin per person, we made 8

Large bag of mixed vegies, adjust as necessary

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can chicken broth

4-6 frozen chicken breasts, halves

4-5 potatoes

Seasonings

Boil chicken and shred or cube. Peel and dice potatoes small, boil and drain.

Hollow out punkins, not the big ones, next size down, salt and pepper insides, place top back on, and wrap in tin foil. Place on baking sheet, and bake for 30 ish minutes, at 350 degrees.

Mix vegies, chicken, potatoe pieces (cooled) and soup. Mix in some seasonings as desired, be careful not to over season, could put in pinch of garlic, dehydrated onions(do not use fresh, way too over powering!) and salt and pepper. Spoon into punkins leaving some breathing room at the top for mix to expand. Place top back on. Leave tinfoil lightly wrapped around the bottom, makes lifting back to cookie sheet easier. Cook again at 350 for 30ish minutes. Lift onto plate by tinfoil. The punkin insides give it a nice flavor! Serve with salad and rolls. Enjoy!

Spooky Sightings

I love to decorate for fall, and Halloween!

These witches were in Gardners Village in Utah.

Heidi gets a car!

Doug gets Heidi a car-a 2004 mustang! It is an anniversary special, and has lots of mustangs everywhere, including the seats! It is in perfect condition-not a ding on it anywhere, can we keep it that way???! Heidi was thrilled, and looks so cute in it. Her senior year, and she has a hot ride, go Heidi! I hope this year lasts a looong time, tomarrow nite is my last open house!

Drawing to an End

Visiting the grandbabies on the way home from Idaho!

The manly men at lunch on the way up to Idaho.

Forget about the movie parties Heidi now has math parties, where friends come over and do calculus!

Heidi and Alyssa, still great friends after all these years.

Notice the keys, yes Heidi finally got her license this summer, and is driving to school!

This is Heidi's senior year, and my personal happy days of having my kids live with me in my house are drawing to a close. This is very sad. How did the time go so fast? I miss all of their little faces and voices. But I still have one more year, and I am going to enjoy it to the fullest! I am going to live happily in every minute of it! And with every ending, there is a beginning, and I am excited to see new happiness come, like when I visit my grandkids and they smile at me! I love to visit with my kids. We just took Adam up to college and it was fun to visit with him. No wonder grandparents get motor homes, so you can drive to all your children and grandchildren, and have your home come with you! I guess I will have to start checking those out!

Wimpy

At the start of summer, Heidi started in on her super summer conditioning schedule for dance, and those dance girlies sure do work hard! They exercised for 4 hours aday this summer! She told me she could do 48 GUY push-ups and half of them she did clapping! Whoa. And yes, she does have great arms. I have never been known for my upper body strength, or any strength really, but thought hmmm and gave it a go. After 4 measly push-ups I was on the floor, totally done. So I set a goal to do 10 at the end of summer. I now can do 12!! Yes, the last 4 are really wimpy and I squeak them out, but still! Go me! Summer is over, I am sad, had some great vacations, didn't loose any weight, but I am excited that I can do a few "guy" push-ups!

More Roos Zoos

Look at that open mouth, eww but great shot!

This capuchinn monkey loved this otter, so holding one brought the other! I couldn't get enough of holding the otters!

Doug got to hold the otter too!

Heidi and the otter. One got loose and started running all around, and the zoo people had to catch it and put it back in the otter pond, behind Heidi.

The otters have a happy home. They were sooo adorable. Can't wait to go and see them again!
Luckily I still have more things on my bucket list, but this was one of my favs!

Bucket list Moment

This was not the bucket list moment, altho it certainly was one for the books! I am holding an apple and the camel is taking it from me. It has special lips that can pick up food from the sand with out getting any sand! We went to a petting zoo in Moapa, and had so much fun with the animals.

Heidi gave the camel her apple. It was still a baby, and already huge!

Marie Ireland went with us. Heidi and Marie are holding baby chicks.

Heidi and a baby kangaroo.

Ok this is the moment, me holding a baby otter! It was soft and furry and squirmy and liked to snuggle up close to you. It made cute little chirpy sounds. I love otters, and getting to hold one was soooo much fun!

Everyone went swimming when we got home from the beach. The unsalty water felt very nice!

We missed our Adam on the beach. He is installing alarms in Texas, and couldn't come.

Our final nite on the beach at sunset, we were hungry and it was breezy and chilly so we didn't stay out as long as usual!

We went to the Orange County Fair and Heidi wanted a picture with the snake. This boa eats large rabbits, I think if Brighton knew that, he wouldn't have been so comfortable so close!

Heidi and Jordan on a swinging ride at the fair.

Waves

The babies were too small to go boogie boarding but loved to dance on the boards!

Heidi tried surfing, and got up on her knees!

The boys loved playing in the waves. Woody got the award for turning upside down the most.

Amy and Woody played in the waves, I used to fit in that wetsuit Amy has on in the good old days!

Doug and I caught some fun waves! We had limited sun this year, but still had lots of fun. The week is never long enough.

Beach days are the best days!

Amy and Woody build their first sand castle. Woody kept going and going, adding and improving even after thniks picture, he fortified his moat, and sculpted his castle more.

Heidi had her book and her cell phone on the beach. Her phone was in a plastic baggie that she texted over!~

Doug brings his hammock every year. The funny thing this year, was when he got on, and tipped over backwards, everyone on the beach cracked up!

The babies loved the beach! Brighton really got into it, getting buried in the sand by his dad and woody, and constantly run into the water. His lips would be blue with cold and still he would run into the waves! It took Kakes a couple of days to really enjoy the sand, then she would walk all over, but not in the water!

We all love the beach! We go mostly every summer, and enjoy our time together. It is so relaxing to get away from the pressure. Beach days are the best, even when it is cloudy!

Happy Birthday Amy Baby!

The kids used to play dress up and put on plays. This is Amy in Adam's shorts, playing the role of a boy!

Amy and her and Heather's dollies!

I wonder how old Amy will be when she stops being my Amy-baby? Or will she always be amy baby? Shani had her first recital the night I had Amy. I remember going to recital and watching from backstage so that when Shani was done-she did great of course!-I could leave with her right away as I was having contractions. Amy came very early the next morning. I went to the hospital and they said you are not ready yet, so I walked around the hospital for an hour or two, came back and asked for my shot, they checked me and said: no time for a shot! Barely time for a doctor! Silly nurses, I always was more ready than they thought. Amy was born on the same date her great grandmother, Ella Calista passed away, which is where Amy's middle name came from. Amy has always been a sweet and loving and hungry! child. I remember when she was about 4 she shut herself in the pantry, and when I told her to come out, she said, but I'm sooo hongry!! And it's no wonder she has loved dancing so much, as she was ready to be born during a dance recital!! She also did soccer for a long time, and earned the name Crazy legs, cuz even when she was down on the ground, her legs would continue to kick the ball! We will always love our Amy baby! Happies of birthdays to her, her first one married!