Halloween

 Morgen and Walker carved pumpkins with their youth groups the first week of October.  That sad little shriveled pumpkin below is Morgen's.  It froze, so it wasn't in danger of dissolving on our front porch, and it lent itself quite well to the spooky-icky side of Halloween!  Above it is the spider and owl pumpkin she carved with our family on Monday.

Walker carved the geometric window pumpkin.  It didn't hold together well, but he carved holes in the bottom, and that may have compromised its structural integrity.  Hyrum wanted "a scared guy who is leaking brains," so I free-handed the face, and he carved it out.  Not quite as disgusting as Walker's puking pumpkin from last year, but still icky!

Walker said he might dress up if I bought him a strait-jacket.  At $150+ per jacket, I decided to skip that lovely opportunity :).  Morgen changed her mind a few times, but finally settled on "goth" as her Halloween costume.

We dyed her hair (demi-permanent, so it'll wash out in another week or so), and bought some black trim at JoAnn's with which to make her some black jewelry:

Here's a close-up of her face:

We spent about 30 minutes on her makeup.  And she practiced her "goth face," which was basically her looking bored and a bit sullen.  I am SO glad this is a costume for her!
Hyrum wanted to be Legolas.  I made him a vest, pants, and a cape.  Jared made him a quiver, arrows, and a bow.  I also had some ears, but they didn't stay on, so Jared improvised with masking tape!

We had a good time- I took Hyrum, Morgen, and her friend to the church for our annual trunk-or-treat, then  back to our neighborhood.  M & friend took off to gather candy, and Hyrum went with a few of his friends.  I really wanted to have them go with an adult, BUT they are all 9, and old enough to trick-or-treat without me following behind them and spoiling their fun.  All in all, it was a pretty calm and fun evening.  I had 6 pieces of candy left over after we turned out our lights and went to bed.

Oh, and we've had a week of weirdly warm weather (at least for October). So, no more snow on the ground :( but good weather to trick-or-treat in.

Gratitude List:
* a mother-in-law who was willing to lend me her sewing machine (mine broke) so I could finish Hyrum's costume.
* creative kids
* beautiful fall weather
* good neighbors
* fun Halloween music (marie leveau, witch doctor, man with the hex, monster mash)
* candy :)
* a dishwasher that is NOT working. well, I am grateful for my dh who is repairing it, and for the lesson (to me) about how helpful an electric dishwasher IS.
* I can register my car online this year. wheee!
* a son who decided to wash the dishes for me today.  very thoughtful :)
* my family- all healthy and reasonably happy, and together.
* good friends
* I know who I am and what my purpose is/
* God is good.

lovely snowy weather

I expect that this winter will be snowier than the last one was.  Not hard, since our annual precipitation was less than half what we normally get!  And winter is off to a lovely cold start:

But I did enjoy all the lovely fall colors this year:

Last month we went to a civil war re-enactment that took place just down the street from our house- it was pretty informative and entertaining.  Walker's favorite part was listening to the doctor, who shared a bunch of  stories as well as discussing common ailments and the correct treatment of them.  My favorite part was the music- there was a lady there who played the hammered dulcimer, and it was lovely to listen to her!

That same day we visited an alpaca farm for their open barn day.  The animals were quite friendly, for alpacas (no spitting or running away or biting occurred), but they weren't really interested in eating the hay that Morgen and Hyrum offered them.  Nor were they interested in being petted...

We usually celebrate Myles' birthday by taking a donation of new clothing to our church's humanitarian aid center.  We went shopping and each picked out a few items, then dropped them off and went out to dinner on our way back.  (thanks to those who sent things to add to our donation- we never expect it, but greatly appreciate it.)

Fall/Winter is one of my favorite seasons, and part of the reason is all of the sprinkler art I discover!  I go walking with a friend most mornings, and the evenings have been below freezing since the beginning of October, which means I see this:

Our most recent weekend adventure was a sort of scavenger hunt for Hyrum.  This year he's studying our state's history, and his teachers have a sort-of scrapbook which contains different Utah-related activities or assignments.  They turn in one section each quarter.  This quarter is history, which entailed him visiting Kennecott Copper Mine, as well as getting pictures of the state fossil (Allosaurus fragilis) and the state bird (California Gull.  He also had to procure a sample of the state tree (Blue Spruce).  Luckily, our neighbor has a Blue Spruce in her yard!  And he needed to visit a state park and write a few sentences about it.  We're lucky- we have two state parks within walking distance of our house :).

In other news, football season (high school) is over, so Walker's tuba playing in the stands is also over for the season.  He's moved on to archery club and science club.  Morgen is participating in science club and glee club, and volleyball through our church youth group.  Hyrum played fall soccer, and his last game is this Saturday (depending on the weather).  His team hasn't won any games.  However, they have gone from losing by 10+ points and not scoring, to losing by 1 or 2 points and scoring several.  I have really appreciated his coaches, and all the hard work they put in training the boys.  I've also appreciated the fact that they focus on the positive and don't yell or belittle the kids when they do poorly.

Jared got an elk two weeks ago, and stocked our freezer with roasts, stew meat, and some scraps we'll grind up with beef fat to make elkburger and sausage.  He's still trying for a deer, but we'll see what happens there.  And I've been knitting and working on embroidery patterns:

I can't take credit for the embroidery pattern; I found it on Sarah Jane Studios.

Gratitude List:
* cooler weather
* cookies
* a very happy and helpful daughter today, who did the dishes by hand because the dishwasher was broken.
* friends
* family
* a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat, and a healthy and (mostly) happy family.  I am very blessed.
* snow :)
* a working furnace
* good music
* the internet
* God is good.

Summertime Fun

I wanted to post a few pictures of what we've been up to this summer. (and you can click on the pictures to make them bigger)
picnics at the North Fields:

Football in the yard:

Silly faces (still cannot believe they let me take this picture!):

Family Reunions:

Deer Creek Reservoir:

Strawberry Reservoir:

some much-needed rain:

a reunion with two of my best friends from high school:

a new haircut for Morgen:

beautiful roses in my garden:

some of my knitting projects:

it's been a lovely summer :) and I am looking forward to next Thursday, when school begins for my children!

Gratitude List:
* our garden is producing lots of squash and cherry tomatoes, beans, onions, zucchini, peas, carrots... and a few raspberries and blackberries. mmmmmmm!
* 2 days of nonstop laughing with my friends
* we are blessed to live in a place with lots of hiking and camping and lake-ing (i know it isn't a word but it does describe what we did...)
* my knitting website has a wealth of free patterns, and lots of helpful and more experienced knitters when i run into problems
* air conditioning in August
* a working dishwasher
* music!
* reading "Outcasts United" by Warren St John for Walker's AP Human Geography class. very interesting non-fiction book about a soccer team made up of refugee boys.
* yarn!
* my kids are healthy, Jared is home, and God is good.

lazy summer days

This week Jared and Walker are both at scout camp.  This one is more focused on specific merit badges, and Jared has his group of scouts signed up for absolutely everything he could get away with :).   Their absence leaves me with an oddly quiet house.  We do chores in the mornings, then in the afternoon M and H scatter to their friends' houses, and I hear the echo of their voices outside my windows as they play and run through the neighborhood. 

We started music lessons again today, after a few weeks' break for the end of the school year.  I got up and chivvied my kids along- have a shower, get your breakfast, grab the music, and out the door you go! And I was freezing.  You know, it should be warm outside.  It's almost half-way through June, for heaven's sake!  But Saturday night and Sunday night we were warned to cover our plants because it was supposed to get below freezing.  It did, and we haven't lost anything, but Jared covered all the plants with straw.  I left all the windows open (it's what I do in the summer, because it keeps the house cooler and I don't have to turn on the A/C), and this morning it was 59 degrees F in the house!!!  I had on 2 long-sleeved shirts and some wool socks.  And yes, I could have turned on the heat, but it's JUNE!  I just can't bear to have my heater on in JUNE.  Anyway.  I have the worst cold- sore throat last week, and this week I am using up all the kleenexes in my house.  All by myself!

Tomorrow we go to the library, and also to the doctor's office to get Morgen's stitches removed.  I'm going to count them as they're cut, but I do believe she has at least 15 stitches.  I guess she wanted to be sure she beat her brothers.

Tonight we walked up the street to Scrappy's Timp Freeze for our first summertime meal.  They're a little hamburger joint, open under different managers for over 50 years now, and they have pretty good food.  :) plus you always see somebody you know- benefit of a small town!

Gratitude List:
* blankets. and wool socks.  and fingerless mittens.
* and hot cocoa.
* onion rings
* www.ravelry.com for all the free knitting patterns.  It's an amazing place.
* Morgen's arm is healing well.
* tissues. I am a leaky mess.
* knitting
* God is good.

Morning

Today I dropped Walker off at our church building.  His scout troop is driving out to Moab for a week of outdoor fun (the kind of fun that your mother doesn't want to know about, because she'll spend every day while you're gone waiting for a call from the ER).

Then Morgen & Hyrum went on a walk with me.  We ate breakfast when we got back, and now they're upstairs cleaning their bedrooms.  I'm watering the irises I got from my Dad last month, and updating my blog :). 

Last night the kids played catch with a football in the yard.  I sat outside with them and knit, and dodged the football.  It was a beautiful moment. 

***
So, Morgen's fine.  But she tripped and fell on the empty aquarium in her bedroom, and sliced open her arm.  One panicked trip to the ER and a lot of stitches later, we're back home, and she is upstairs resting and watching a movie.  I told her she should remind me about this the next time I ask her to clean her room.  Apparently it is more dangerous than I knew!
***
I put a picture of her stitches after the gratitude list.  I won't share the before picture- it is truly disgusting. :)

Gratitude List:
*  Modern Medicine. Stitches. Anesthetic.
* God kept me calm long enought to drive safely to the ER.
* A working vehicle.
* No cut tendons.
* Angry Birds :) because that game kept Hyrum occupied while the doctor stitched up his sister's arm.
* Good insurance.
* Everything will be fine.
* God is good.

***

***

missing in action

Oh, wow.  I had not realized how long it has been since my last post- over 3 months!!!

Walker continues to grow taller than me.  He passed up his dad last month.  Morgen is almost as tall as I am now. And yes, she is only 11; won't be 12 for another month and a half.  Hyrum is growing, too.  The pants I bought him this winter are 2 inches too short for him now. 

Kids will be out of school tomorrow. !!! how that happened so quickly I cannot imagine! 

We started a bunch of seeds in February, and most of them sprouted.  We planted them in our garden at the beginning of May. We also tidied up the front yard- put down weed fabric, then a load of bark, then planted irises taken from my dad's yard. 

We planned out our summer camping trips, and set a goal to travel to Disneyland next year.  Probably February, since we can get away for a week, and it won't be too crowded then.

And I have been busy knitting:
finished this lace shawl:

and a pair of mittens for Hyrum:

another pair of mittens (that coin is a quarter, for size reference):

 slippers for me:











fingerless mittens:

a heart-shaped washcloth and a little owl that was almost finished in March, but it took me 3 months to decide what I wanted to do for his eyes & beak:

and my current project (well, one of them!) which is a shawl that I'm test knitting (trying out a new pattern) for a friend:

Gratitude List:
* beautiful spring weather :) and yes, it is almost June here.
* we are all healthy and reasonably happy.
* we have plenty of food.
* chocolate pudding mixed with whipped cream.
* our garden looks green and healthy.
* I have a loving and supportive extended family.
* my husband is amazing.
* summer activity list is on the fridge, and it includes swimming and hiking.
* we went for a family bike ride on Memorial Day.
* God is good.

2 car family

got the car fixed.
cost was less than i expected: replaced the tie rods, radiator, fan, and the A/C. 
glad to have 2 vehicles again.
jared's out with his dad today.
kids are at school.
and it's snowing again!  wheeeee ;)

Gratitude List:
* knit night
* hot cocoa
* groceries in my pantry
* 2 working cars, again
* a husband who laughed (after he made sure i was okay) when he saw the car in the ditch. "what, the parking lot was too full?" he teased me.
* God is good
* homemade brownies with chopped walnuts and chocolate chips on top
* nook books (dr seuss, anyone?)
* family is good, dogs are good, gerbils are good.
* heater is working
* liking the TV show Merlin (on instant view at netflix)

Safe

Jared's back from St George and another week of training.  And this morning we woke up to fluffy white flakes- perfect timing!  We already have over a foot of snow on the ground, and while the snow has slowed, it hasn't stopped.  Jared broke out the snowblower :) which is always fun, and the kids are having a snowball fight outside (thank goodness) as I type this.  The snow knocked down the wire fence keeping our dogs out of the garden; although it isn't a problem to have them in the garden during the winter, they can get out of the yard from the garden area.  Walker fixed that for me, though.  He's getting to be a pretty fair handyman, like his dad.
Now, we're all okay, and nobody got hurt, but I slid our Durango into the ditch on the way to church this morning.  The roads were slick- wet, packed snow has almost no traction- and we slid right off the road.  We hit a fence about 2 feet before we landed in the irrigation ditch, and bent or broke a few fenceposts, and I am pretty sure we damaged the car, but we are all intact.  Morgen was disappointed that the airbags didn't engage.  I am so thankful that God protected us- there were other cars on the road, and we managed to miss them all. 

Last week was Meet the Masters at Morgen's school.  I teach the Monday class to 3 groups of 5th and 6th graders.  I do this once a month, with a different artist each time.  Vincent van Gogh was our subject last Monday.  He's one of my favorite artists.  I love the colors and the incredible texture he used in his paintings.  And it amazes me that he took all the pain and suffering and loneliness he felt, and transformed it into something beautiful through his painting.

Gratitude List:
* good car insurance
* we are all safe and unhurt
* snow!
* Jared's home
* my nook & all the books I can read on it
* good music
* good neighbors and friends
* our furnace works, and so does our hot water heater
* brownies :)
* God is good

Right Now

Right now, Jared is hunting birds with his dogs and a friend.
Right now, Walker is reading in his room.
Right now, there are 4 cub scouts upstairs, waiting for their ride to the Cub Klondike.
Right now, Morgen is practicing her trumpet.
Right now, I am typing.

Soon, the cub scouts will run down the stairs and out to their Klondike. 
Soon, Morgen will leave for her music lessons.
Soon, my house will be quiet.
Soon.
Soon, Walker will be off to college. 
Soon, Morgen will be dating. 
Soon, Hyrum will ask to drive himself to school.
Soon, my house will be quiet and clean and empty.
Soon.

I miss them and they haven't even left yet.

This has been a project in the making since before Christmas:

6 pair of almost-completed snowshoes.  All he needs now are the toe and heel guards, and we're ready!  Well, and we need some more snow...

And this is what I finished:

The pattern is for a wider and shorter shawl, but I altered some things, and ended up with a longer, skinnier scarf.  Pattern is free, and on Ravelry here: Saroyan
I used a merino wool (70%) and bamboo (30%) blend yarn, dyed in greens and blues.

Gratitude List:
* our furnace works well.
* we have heat!
* automatic dishwasher
* a working washer and dryer
* family around me
* hot cocoa on cold mornings
* music
* the internet
* food
* funny tv shows (just discovered Merlin and Castle) that we can watch as a family
* knitting, which gives me an excuse to fiddle with things while I'm supposed to sit still.
* audiobooks
* God

Valentine's Day decor

So, I have this really cool deer skull above my mantel, courtesy of my great hunter of a husband.  It's an awesome Halloween decoration, but it needs a little help to fit into the other holidays.  Here's my Valentine's Day idea:

It's fun and it makes me happy :)

Let's see, as far as family stuff, we each got a nice bike- off-road- for Christmas.  There were about 3 weeks' worth of sunny (and cold) weather with no snow, so we took a few family rides.  Great bikes, and great rides, but they are now in the basement until the snow melts. 

Jared is making snowshoes now:

they're a lot of work, but he's enjoying the process.

Walker's got straight A's in school.  He really enjoys his science and math classes, and has challenged himself to memorize all of the elements in the periodic table. 

Morgen is also well above grade level with her reading and math scores.  She loves to draw, and spends more time than she should with a pencil and drawing paper in her hands.

Hyrum is enjoying math and reading.  He's also making a snow fort during his recess time, and has all sorts of good structural ideas.

Gratitude List:
* lots of knitting time for me :)
* great free patterns on ravelry.com
* audiobooks to keep my children occupied during long trips
* plenty of food
* running water inside my house
* a working washer and dryer
* a dishwasher
* good music
* i can afford to keep my house warm in the wintertime
* healthy strong kids
* a husband who loves and supports me in my activities and goals
* God is good