Josie's School Birthday

It's Josie's Birthday Week....yes we seem to celebrate whole weeks.

Josie's birthday is on Wednesday, but her school teacher asked her to celebrate Monday.

She wore her special Birthday Girl shirt,

got a crown & a balloon 

& was the special helper!

Great Day!

Family Pics

So, on the Thursday of Fall break, we told the kids we were taking pictures.  They weren't thrilled, but we were going to a cool location, so it was ok...

I had these grand ideas of going to the salt flats....

yes, Bonneville Salt Flats...

Hans said they were 1 1/2 hours away.

They weren't.

2 1/2 hours...just to get there.  What?

Then...when we got there and were pulling to the end of the road where you drive off into the salt...

for as far as we could see.....

6 inches of water.

NO!

We aren't sure if it was pumped there, or a result of rain the week before, but none the less....

No beautiful white for as the eye could see....just water!

Serious UUUUUGGGG!

So we drove back a few miles and found an area that would work with some major photo shop.

I don't have any of the finished products, but here is a taste of what happened out there.

The kids were great sports.

Next year this crazy Mom is doing family pics at home!

Tough Girl Weekend

I was so lucky to be invited to a friend's cabin for a relaxing, tough girl weekend!  We road 4 wheelers, hiked, cooked, ate, slept and chatted!  It was delightful and was exactly what this chick needed!  Besides all of that fun...it was beautiful...just beautiful! The colors, the land, the wild life and the friends!

Homemade Candy Bars

Homemade Reese's

Homemade Twix

Homemade Almond Joy

Homemade Snickers

Oh my word, one of the funnest days I've had in a long time....it is Breanna's birthday this week and I wanted to do something fun for her....my soul food sister!  So I texted her real sister and said, "Steph, if you lived here, what would you make for Breanna?"  She thought Breanna might love a homemade candy bar, she wouldn't buy a snickers, but she would love a homemade one....sounded fun to me!  So I researched and found the easiest recipes....no egg whites, no melting sugar and definitely no tempering chocolate.  I was giddy all morning knowing Breanna would appreciate the work and the flavors, adding a little extra salt to a couple recipes, because that girl loves her salt!  I also framed a fun Julia Child quote that Breanna pinned on Pinterest...

I couldn't agree more!

Happy Birthday Breanna!
Love your guts!

Crazy Hair Day

It has been Red Ribbon Week (Say No to Drugs) at our school and each day has had a fun theme....

Wear Clothes Backwards Day

Crazy Socks Day

Favorite Team or School Spirit Day

Wear Red Day

Crazy Hair Day

I was lucky enough to get to pass out candy on Crazy Hair Day, so I got in on the action!

Cindy Loo Who!

Fall Harvest

We had a watermelon this year....and two more out there still growing!  I have no idea of knowing when a watermelon is done, but this one was huge, so we dove in!

Delish!

With the biggest seeds you've ever seen!

 Every October conference Saturday, I cook....and I mean cook....all day long. 

I usually make marinara, but this year I made marinara and ranchero sauce.

 

 Marinara

 Ranchero

 All in my freezer waiting to top a corn tortilla, refried beans and a fried egg in huevos rancheros....and many other yummy dishes!

Hooray Fall!

And Hooray Hans for planting the garden this year, look what I made for you babe!

Little Mermaid

All summer long I have been hearing about The Little Mermaid playing in St. George at the Tuacahn theater.  Not only did I want to see it, but I wanted Josie to see it.  So we made it happen.  Rock came along too and we convinced some friends to join us. 

Here is our little mermaid!

Can't you just hear her....

Aw -aw -aw.... aw -aw -aw!

 We got there in the afternoon with some time to swim and play!

  Then we had  dinner and headed over to the theater.  Josie was excited to pretend to be Ariel!

 The show was phenomenal! Truly!  A river (a big gushing river) starts up with the opening music and flows down the redrock onto the stage.  There was also a curtain of rain and they projected moving fish and sharks onto it. It made it all seem very real.  The fish and mermaids were on heeleys, which was a very fun way for them to cruise around the stage!  All in all it was about a 30 hour trip, but very delightful!  Laurie was my travel buddy and made the 8 hours in the car fly by with great conversation!