So, today was the beginning of our annual "Cousin Camp". The activity this year is a series of challenges to complete with your "team". One of the challenges involved riding a bull so our team (Grandma Lila, Jason, Carter, Rachel, Kay Lynn & Kathy) went over to the bull on Aggie Blvd where Carter "rode" the bull.

Oh, David

Marissa is an avid reader. She especially loves children's literature, and she faithfully reads to her children every day. One of their favorite stories is a book entitled "Oh, David" by David Shannon. They've heard this story so many times that even little Lila has it memorized. While they were here for Thanksgiving Ann recorded Finn and Lila "reading" the story. If you listen carefully, at the very end of the story you'll hear Lila say the last line, "I love you".  TOO CUTE!!!

Halloween and Beyond

While Marissa and Levi were here for Thanksgiving we went out for Chinese. Lila didn't want anyone to carry her or even hold her hand, but she would let Isaac hold her hand. It's was pretty sweet to watch.

Once again Carter and his cousin Jared played together for the Federation Duet Festival. Their performance wasn't as polished as in the past, but the still received a Superior rating.

A recent trip to IFA was an opportunity for Isaac to pet a rabbit. Terry and I were price shopping food storage items and one of the workers offered to let Isaac pet the rabbit. 

As usual, Isaac got a bucket full of candy. I have say though, as much as he LOVES candy; he's very generous with it.

A Visit From Marissa, Finn & Lila

 Levi had an out-of-town business trip shortly before Halloween so he brought Marissa and the kiddos to visit us. While they were here we took advantage of some fun Halloween traditions. We decorated Halloween Honey Cookies. The only rule I give the kids is "no building towers" on the cookies. I did, however, spy a few candy corn towers in spite of the rule.

We also attended the Jensen Pumpkin Festival.

What I've Been Up To

I love summer. We can stay up late, sometimes sleep in, work in the yard and do all those projects that are better done in the warm weather.

We've had a busy, yet laid back summer. Carter and Isaac played baseball and they're taking swimming lessons. Carter is also learning to play the clarinet this summer so that he can play the sax in band in the fall (he played the trumpet last school year). Since Kaitlynn's wedding I've had a number of projects. When each of my children have gotten married I've made them a queen size flannel quilt. When I made one for Marissa and Levi I pieced it because I had lots of scraps left over from other projects. When I made one for Jenna and Ryan she wanted a pieced one too. So, of course, Kaitlynn wanted a pieced one as well. Each time I've done something a little different. Kaitlynn and Garrett's quilt is king size and it  was the most aggressive pattern yet (it's a disappearing nine patch). Here's the finished project.

Since we had new family pics I wanted to use some of them in my bedroom. I bought some old frames from DI and spray painted them orange and green and made this arrangement in my bedroom.

When Kaitlynn moved out, Carter took over her old bedroom so we painted it blue (at his request). We used red as an accent color so I painted the headboard and the frame around a mirror in red. We haven't finished hanging everything but the room now looks like Carter.

Carter's room

Now that Carter's room has been painted, Isaac wants his painted too. Blue is also his favorite color. I let Isaac choose his own quilt and then we matched our paint to the blue in the quilt. The two rooms are very close to the same shade of blue but still different.

Isaac's room

We have a old church bench that my dad bought at an auction when our church was remodeled years ago. We used to use it in the kitchen at the back of our table so that 3 of the kids could sit on one side. Later we used it like a couch. When we moved to the house we live in now there just didn't seem to be a place for it so we put it on the porch. After some recent redecorating in the living room I've once again found a place for it so Terry sanded it down... again then I put 5 coats of poly on it and Terry reupholstered it again (the original was just a hard bench). I think it looks really great.

When we moved into our current home which was my grandparents we inherited some pieces of furniture. There were 2 kitchen chairs that were painted to look like wood. I'm not sure why they were ever painted because from the underneath side you can tell they are wood. Anyway, those chairs were my next project. I painted the chair and made a cushion that matches the bench.

Before

After

So now if this hasn't been enough, today I helped Terry lay a yard of cement. It was a lot more work than I thought it would be but the end result was beautiful! Terry is so amazing. He is good at so many things.

Now I can finish the table topper from the quilting class I recently attended.........

Family PIctures

The day before the wedding we had new family pictures taken. As always, Melinda Smith does a great job. I really like outdoor pictures and different setting each time. These family pictures will actually be current until January when Jenna and Ryan will add a new member to the family.

Kaitlynn & Garrett's wedding

Kaitlynn & Garrett's wedding came and went.

The weather was beautiful and so was she. I'm always so grateful for family who helps so much each time we have a wedding. Heidi did the engagement pictures and the bridals, and she designed the wedding invitation. My nephew, Devin did the wedding pictures. My sister-in-law, Connie did all of the flowers including the cake topper. They were beautiful. She even took charge of the kitchen the night of the reception.

For years I've tried to convince Kait that a wedding cake wouldn't be necessary but she still wanted one. So.... I decided I would make it myself. Ann thought I was nuts. Not nuts about my ability to make a wedding cake, but about doing it when I had so many other things to do. I did most of the decorating for the reception and Jenna and I did all of the refreshments. I decided to do the wedding cake because I thought it would be fun and because I refused to pay the price of a wedding cake. I took a cake decorating class many years ago while attending BYU but I haven't made a real decorated cake in many years and I've never worked with fondant. Thanks to youtube and the advice of others and 2 practice runs everything worked out great. I thought the cake was a real success if I do say so myself.

Levi had a business trip the week before the wedding so he brought Marissa, Finn and Lila home for a visit. I had so much fun with them here. Marissa cooked dinner some nights and helped with housework throughout her visit and even if she didn't do any of that I would love having her home for a visit. 

Blogging

I'm getting real neglectful about blogging. I notice most of my blogging friends are too. However, I continue on.....

Christmas has come and gone; so has New Years and Valentines. Carter and I had our birthday. Carter is 12 and I am, well.... not 12. Twelve of course is a real milestone. One that Carter has really looked forward to.













Our other BIG news is Kaitlynn and Garrett are engaged and plan to be married in the Vernal Temple on May 11!

Fall Fun

I would love fall so much more if it just wasn't so cold! It seems that there's lots of fun things to do this time of year. We took Kaitlynn, Carter and Isaac to see the Ringling Bros Circus. We haven't been since Kait was a baby. Marissa and Levi were home one weekend in October and we wanted to go to the Corn Maze but the weather was awful. Later in the month it was warmer and Ann took Carter, Brooklynn and Isaac. It was Ann's first time (she usually works on Saturdays). The corn was really tall this year and as always the courtyard is a lot of fun too.

Once again Carter and Jared played together at the Federation Duet Festival. And... once again they received a superior rating. This was Carter's 5th year. One of the duets was "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus", and they played it as part of the Children's Sacrament Meeting Presentation as well.

 The kids all had fun decorating honey cookies. My children remember us doing that most years when they were small and it's a tradition they want to continue.

We had a party at home on Halloween. Carter and I made carmel apples and we all tried to watch a movie (something Halloween-like, but not really scary). The movie we rented was scratched and iTunes froze up on the computer, but we had fun anyway. Cameron and Heidi stopped by with their girls. Cameron took 2nd place with the costume he wore to work (he should have won first). Not only was his costume great, but I think he stayed in character most of the day. Some of the people at the hospital where he works didn't even know it was him!

Bones

I love Bones. Can't wait for the season premier tonight. Love this video. Anyone else a fan?

Little Lila in the Bowl

photo by Devin Caldwell

My Mom's parents owned Collier Furniture. In the store there was a crystal punch bowl. I'm not sure why, but my grandparents had the local photographer (Mr. Thorne) take Mom's picture in the punch bowl when she was six months old. When I was six months old, Mom borrowed the bowl from the family who had purchased it, and Mr. Thorne took my picture in it. By the time my oldest daughter, Ann was six months old there was a crack in the bowl and it was a family heirloom so her picture was taken by Mr. Thorne in a different bowl. Now my daughter Marissa's little one, Lila (named after my mother) is six months old and her picture was taken Saturday in a punch bowl. If you look carefully, you can see that all the babies are wearing the same bracelet.

Lila
March 1931

Kathy
August 1955

Ann Marie
June 1980

Lila Rose
September 2011