Suckers!

Hahahahahaha....suckers!  Yes, I'm talkin' to YOU!

Just kiddin':)  This is a tradition I grew up with.  Every year at Christmas time, my mom would make home made suckers.  The flavors would vary with the exception of winter green & cinnamon.  Always had to have those two flavors!

My mom would allow me to help & by doing so, I learned how to do the entire process.  Even after I married, I made suckers every year.  However, by the time I had a 2 year old & 2 month old twins, I decided my sanity was a priority & the suckers just didn't make the list.  After a couple more years, I picked up the tradition again.

We moved to the Northwest over 8 years ago & I have never made suckers in our home.  The molds were with my mom & frankly, I just didn't have it in me to carry on the tradition with a huge move and a newborn baby all at the same time.  Luckily, Kara has been interested in making suckers for a while.  She talked Mema (grandma) into mailing her molds to our home.  We ordered flavored oil from a company in Utah & got to work yesterday making 6 different flavors of suckers.

Kara & Emma did a lot of the cooking part & pouring the sucker mixture into the molds.  Here at the stove, we mixed 3 cups of sugar, 1 cup of light corn syrup and 1 1/2 cups of water.  It would heat to 315 degrees & then we'd add food coloring & 1 1/2 tsp. of flavoring.  Notice how long their hair is?  It's about to change within a few hours after this pic was taken.

Brynn liked pouring the mixture into the molds more than tending it at the stove.  Once poured, someone would then put the sticks into the suckers (usually Olivia) & I'd place them in the freezer to cool.  (11 minutes, to be exact)

 Kara (top) & Emma (bottom) left the house to go get their hair cut.  We were almost half way through our Sucker making.  They had a few inches cut off the bottom, had it thinned & then had some layers cut into their hair.  I love it!  They look fresh & happy:)  Olivia had just left with a neighbor to go swimming for a bit.  That left Brynn & I with all the duties.  I feel bad that I forgot to get the camera out before Livvy went swimming.  But she helped by measuring out each batches sugar & corn syrup.  I missed her while she was away.

Here's Brynn, putting the suckers into bags & tying them shut.  We both REALLY missed Olivia, Emma & Kara while they were gone.  We got behind with the bagging & tying.  But we persevered!  We finished the last sucker @ 11 p.m.  Whew, 384 suckers!!

This is our Sucker Tree.  For the last 7 years, I've just bought the "dum dum" suckers to put in it.  Not this year!  I just love this tradition!  On the right is a poster that Brynn made so that the children can see the color & flavors of the suckers:  Green=wintergreen,  Pink=bubble gum,  Red=cinnamon,  Yellow=pina colada,  Orange=orange cream,  Light Brown=Vanilla Butternut

We have one pint size freezer bag for each flavor just full of the "chips" from each batch.  I like these because I don't have to eat an entire sucker for a little sweetness.  The kids enjoy them, too:)

Thanks for the molds, mom!  Let us know when you want them back;)

HAPPY SUCKER DAY!

Volleyball!

The first day of school, the Jr. High held Volleyball Tryouts.  Brynn's been looking forward to trying out ALL summer.  She worked hard and even though she's never played the sport before, she made the J.V. team!

Warming up for the game, she works on her serving skills.

Look at that concentration!

THIS is one of my favorite shots of her!  

She's an awesome blocker & can get up there without coming down on the net.

Yah, they like to hold hands on the court:)  Apparently, they all have to begin each play in their original position.  Once the ball is served, they can then move to different places on the court.  So Brynn has to start on the right-front with the serve, then she & her team mate pull each other in the opposite direction to stay for the remainder of the play.  Weird.  Whatever floats the coach's boat, I guess:)

That's my girl!  Doesn't she just LOOK inspirational?!

At the close of the season, they had a Banquet in which they were given awards for their various talents on the team.  Brynn was given the Most Inspirational Award.  It's gotta be the tongue, right?  Nah, she is not only an awesome blocker, she's a WICKED spiker!  As her coach taught her & continued to watch throughout the season, she felt like getting back out onto the court herself.  Thus she awarded Brynn the Most Inspirational Award.  Well deserved, Brynn!!

Livvy's Baptism Day

As I was looking back at previous posts, I realized what a horrible mom I have been.  It's November and I have yet to post about Olivia's Baptism!!  Shame on me!  So I am in the repentance process and striving to come clean again.  Uh-hem....

What better way to celebrate your 8th Birthday than to fly to Utah & spend it with your entire family?  School got out for the year on June 18th.  We drove to the airport & arrived in Utah that evening.  The following day was Olivia's 8th Birthday.  She wanted to be baptized in Utah.  Obviously, we took Ellie with us.  We all love her to death!  One of Livvy's first "baptism" pictures is with her on her lap:)

Aren't they cute!

 Tradition dictates one's own quad, a CTR ring, and a baptism dress.

 Why the blind fold?  Tradition!!!  When getting baptized, mom buys the dress.  Olivia had to try it on blind folded.  She can't see it until her baptism day!  On the special day, she is again blind folded while being dressed.  Once she's all ready, the blind fold came off & she could see and feel the "magic"!

She also had a beautiful headband to top "her highness" off:)  

She was baptized & confirmed by her dad on June 26, 2010.

Crochet Fun

I've kept busy crocheting consistently throughout the summer & fall.  I crocheted during our trip down to Utah in June.   It started with a Rainbow Bear for Sarah.  She was so excited for the finished product I never was able to take a picture of it.  It's just like the twins, except the ears & paws are yellow and the muzzle is orange (I think).  So here's another shot of Emma's & Kara's Rainbow Bear:

Then Emmy asked for a Lady Bug to match the colors of her room.  Colorful, huh?!

 

Nick, Nathan, & Michael asked for a Penguin, Doggie, and a Lion.  Obviously Michael's is still in the works, but I have Nick's & Nathan's finished!  

I made a few new decorations for the Halloween spirit.  Two Tombstones and a fun ghost.  The pumpkin is not crocheted, it's the real thing:)  I also started a Skeleton, but have not yet finished that.  *Sigh*  Michael's Lion & my Skeleton are in need of attention!

Brynn played on her Jr. High Volleyball team.  She took her clothes/shoes with her everyday to school in a Walmart sack.  I asked her if she'd like a crocheted bag for her stuff.  She quickly said yes and asked for it in her school colors.  She also chose the style of bag.  I used a pattern from a book I have.  Of course I made alterations!  I should have taken a picture of the inside of the bag.  I created my own inner seam to sew a lining to and it isn't visible on the outside of the bag.  Brynn also wanted her last name on it.  I had nothing but graph paper for a pattern.  I had to make it up as I went.  

There were a few people at her school that wanted a bag, too.  When Brynn told them the price ($50 + $2 per letter) they all declined.  I guess they all think it's great to spend almost $30 for a Volleyball sweatshirt, but NO WAY for a handmade bag with hours of work put into it for another $20.  Crazy.

Isn't she HOT!

That's All Folks!

There you have it.  That's the end of my blog dumping.  Now I can get on with all my girls' September birthdays and whatever else I'm bound to find still on the camera:)   Till next time!

Tif's Surprise

Every month Terry gives me a bouquet of flowers.  Yep, he loves me!  He hadn't given me March's bouquet before I left town.  So what does he do?  He has them delivered to me at my mom's house!  Aren't they beautiful?!  They looked so refreshing compared to the drab, winter infested weather we were experiencing.  They lasted the entire 2 weeks we were in Utah.  Thanks, hon!

Anytime I leave town & Terry stays behind, he tries to do some remodeling work on the house.  I hate the mess that comes with remodeling, so I'm quite happy living with the 70's decor:)  That is except for the CAVE we live in on the main floor!  In the family room & front room there are no ceiling light fixtures.  We've made do with like 3 dozen lamps between those 2 rooms for lighting.  So Terry scraped the lovely popcorn ceiling in the family room & had a neighbor install the light fixtures.  He even had the ceiling textured, primed, and painted by the time we returned to WA!  

He left the actually light fixtures for me to go choose & purchase.  I like the marbled/swirled look of this one.  So we got 2 for the family room and one for our dining room to replace our lovely 70's chandelier.  

SO MUCH BRIGHTER!!!!  The switch is actually a dimming switch so that we can adjust it.

Terry is SOOOOO "MY MAN"!!

Scarecrow

While on Vacation, I wanted to make Sally's birthday present.  I loved this pattern when I saw it!  

I loved the patches on the scarecrow.  I even put one on his butt:)

The crow was simple and I also loved the straw hair on his head, arms & legs.  There's just so much detail in this pattern I can't name them all.  I had a TON of fun making this for my mom-in-law!

Now I just need to make ME one:)

Clark's Planetarium

We went to Clark's Planetarium in down town Salt Lake City.  The first thing we did was hit the souvenir store.  Get the worst over with first, I say:)

Then we went to the 3D Sea Life movie.  We're so cool in our special glasses;)  

Obviously Brynn thinks so, too.

After the movie we went to see the exhibits.  You could pretend you were the weather man.  

Although, they lie a lot.  So we're not particularly fans of "weather men".

Or you can be on a planet...

Or the moon...

Or touching Earth.

And this is just a cool globe that had awesome images on it and the guard rails that Livvy's slinky got tangled up in.  

General Conference

SUNDAY MORNING GENERAL CONFERENCE 2010

Another great thing about taking my girls to UT for Easter Weekend was that it was also General Conference Weekend.  They've never been before.  We watch it on our Mac at home and have our own traditions as we do so.  But this just worked out perfectly!  

This is my mom, "Mema" and Brynn.  Aren't they cute?

Silly girls:)

This was our view.  We were up in the balcony, but we could see everything!

I'm not particularly fond of organs.  But this is just awesome!

The girls had to come up with their own form of entertainment while we waited for it to begin.  

Emma & Kara worked hard to draw a picture of every speaker throughout the whole weekend.  

They watched it on TV with us for all the other sessions.

You often hear people say that they can feel the power of God in the prophet as soon as he walks into a room.  It's true.  Although, there is no way to adequately explain the feeling.  It is an awesome experience everyone should have.  Even the kids stopped wiggling and ALL was completely silent.

These were pictures taken from clear up on the balcony.  They're not terribly clear, but not bad either.

I tried to capture all of the 12 Apostles in one picture, but we were too far away.  

But I'll cherish them anyway:)

My favorite quote of the session:  "It has been good for us to be here."  by Pres. Monson