Pictures catch-up

I just noticed that there were a few pictures missing from this blog- and although I am great at procrastinating things, I'm also great at feeling guilty about it until I finish up the procrastinated things.  So, because today I have the time, AND the energy, AND I remembered I was supposed to do this, and I managed to do ALL THREE of these things at the same time, here we go:

This is from a short hike up the canyon from our rental house, which I bothered the family into taking so I could scout out the picnic area.  I had no idea what was up there, and we had planned a youth activity there for the following Saturday.  I wanted to check it out before the actual event.  In case there were bears or something, which there were NOT.  Just many gorgeous maple trees and birches, and a nice and easy hike.  There was also a difficult and slightly dangerous hike across the rock slide.  Which one do you think my family opted for?  (I'll give you a hint: it involved the rock slide.)

Next is the deer Jared bagged.  He was inordinately proud of this buck, and I'll let him tell you the story about the long and difficult hunt, and how he found it after he'd finally given up and was headed back to the car.  (okay, so I told it.  His version has more details, and the excitement of the chase mixed in with the facts.)  Also, he's paid to get it mounted, and I already picked out an appropriate spot for it above the fireplace.

 These next two are Morgen and Hyrum, posing before their latest karate testing.  They were both awarded orange belts, and are getting much better at hitting their forms correctly, as well as paying attention in class.  I'm proud of their efforts!  The poses were their idea :).

 If you did not eat Thanksgiving dinner with my parents this year, you missed out on so much great food!  And you also missed a very exciting puzzle challenge, and some pretty good company.  This is the delicious pie I brought:

 (there were other pies, but this one was the prettiest of the ones that were made by me.)
And lastly, here is what I did today:

This is another reason why I enjoy winter so much.  I can bake to my heart's content, and all it does is make the kitchen feel more cozy.  Those loaves were made using my Grandmother Giles' bread recipe.  It makes pretty darn good bread, BTW.  You know, just in case you were wondering.  (and if you know where I live, and want to drive over, you're welcome to a taste.)

Gratitude List:
* We had to speak in church last week.  As a family, it was easier than doing it alone, so I'm glad that we got to do it together, and that we won't need to do it again for a long, long, time.
* I got to sleep in on Saturday.  I also got to have a nice, long, relaxing bath on Saturday.  Then we all watched Avatar: The Last Airbender all day long (there was a sick child to pamper) and had pizza and soda for dinner.  (except for the sick child, who had tiny amounts of ginger ale and no pizza at all.)
* Most of my Christmas decorations are up, and I've broken out the Christmas music.
* We have enough room in our house to have a Christmas tree up without having to move any furniture.  This is a true luxury for me.
* Overhearing Morgen talk about an "intervention," then an "interlusion" (sic).  She meant an intermission, as they were putting on their version of "The Nutcracker Ballet," complete with music and creative costumes.
* I have a lovely yarn stash.
* I also have a lovely craft room (or the beginnings of one) thanks to my husband.  I have lights and power.  Oh, and shelves!  Now I just need to unpack everything...
* Freshly baked bread.  With real butter and local honey, it  is  was delicious!
* New boots- not snow boots, just boot boots.
* My kids are not yelling, screaming, fighting, or angry right now.
* I unpacked another box.
* Daily scripture study, to keep me centered and focused on what is truly important in my life.
* 3 reasonably healthy kids (who are all suffering from colds, but who are also not throwing up anymore).
* A handsome, handy man who built some walls, hung some sheetrock, strung some electrical wire, and mounted shelves to the wall, so my craft room would be ready by this week.  And he did this instead of working on his truck, which could really use some work.  He is awesome.
* My faith in God.

Why I love winter

Snow.

Actually, lots of snow.  And hot cocoa, and marshmallows (sometimes), and being forced to stay home because
the blizzard that ate my house
is coming and nobody is allowed to drive anywhere.  One of my favorite things about winter is the snow days.  I have my knitting (and laundry to fold, but that's boring), and movies to watch on Netflix, and lots of hot cocoa.  I don't have to go anywhere, our heat is working, and there's plenty of food in the house.  I could probably last a week!

Anyway, it is no longer snowing here, and I am not as excited about shoveling as I should be, I guess.  But I love this weather. 

Gratitude List:
* Snow.
* and Winter.
* Books to read.
* My kids are not fighting right now.
* hot cocoa.
* hot showers.
* Jared is on the ground safely.  (not home, because yesterday's snowstorm hit shortly after his plane landed, but he's safe.)
* Good visits with family.
* A nice big house with plenty of room for visitors.
* No school today, so no driving kids around.
* Audiobooks- right now we're listening to "The Books of Umber: Dragon Games" but we also got "The Candy Shop Wars." 
* Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming soon.
* My kids are mostly well-adjusted (notice I do not claim they're normal), and I love them very much.  (Except when they decide that a JUSTICE LEAGUE marathon is a wonderful idea.)
* Holding my newest little nephew, and talking to his brothers.  I love the things I learn from them!
* God is good. and I am so blessed.

Snow!

Jared spent last week hunting elk.  Well, and moving stuff, and putting up shelves in the garage so we could store things on the walls instead of the floor of the garage, thus leaving room for a CAR in the garage.  But other than that, he's been taking it easy (or not).  He finished the shelves Saturday, just in time for two days of rain, followed by snow last night.  As usual, his timing is impeccable!

I've been unpacking slowly, while also keeping this new house semi-clean, organizing things, doing laundry and cooking, and meeting our new neighbors.  I'm just down the road a bit from my mom's Aunt Nadine, and I stopped by today to visit with her.  She had some wonderful stories about her mom (my great-grandmother) and brother (my grandpa), and also about my own mom.  She remembers that whenever Kaye (my grandmother) would find a new recipe she wanted to try out, she'd cut out the recipe, give it to my mother, and also give her enough money to buy the ingredients.  My mom would go to the store, buy the food, and return home.  Then she would make the recipe for her mother.  I know that my mom likes to cook, and that her mother taught her to love cooking.  Having this story about my mom when she was younger is a sweet reminder about the power that parents have in the lives of their children.  Anyway, I had a nice visit with Nadine after I dropped kids off to school. Now I'm avoiding the laundry that needs to be folded :)

Today I have:
* made a list of errands I need to take care of tomorrow.  Mostly they involve getting supplies for Morgen's class Halloween party (which I am in charge of coordinating).
* cleaned my bathroom and the guest bathroom.
* moved a bunch of empty boxes to the basement.
* eaten a lovely bowl of homemade chicken soup, left over from the other night's dinner.
* talked with my neighbor Bob about getting old and staying active (he was outside doing laps up and down our street).
* eaten some oreo cookies dunked in milk.
* researched some cleaning supply recipes on the internet- I absolutely LOVE having all that information at my fingertips!
* found my stash of birthday cards and mailed (late) a card to one of my nephews who is 4 years old today.
* checked my email, done some laundry, read scriptures, cleaned the kitchen,  showered, and backed my SUV into my garage without any help at all.
* found that one of the kids put something red into my counter-top fountain. Grrrr.

And, here's the Gratitude List:
* The snow on my driveway melted without any shoveling help from me.  Hooray for beautiful snow, and above-freezing temperatures!
* The hat and fingerless gloves I made last fall are still just as toasty warm as I remembered them being.
* My washer and dryer are working quite well.
* My dishwasher, while not as cleverly designed space-wise as the one in our rental house, is extremely good at cleaning dirty dishes.
* Jared and I went for a walk last night (getting to be a regular nightly thing with us), in the snow, and it was gorgeous and quiet and peaceful and fun!
* My church has free podcasts of General Conference.  It's a wonderful way to listen to the counsel given by my religious leaders again, and keeps me distracted while I'm cleaning house.
* iTunes and iPods- well, really, the whole Apple technology thing.  That company has the best ideas!
* I know where my postage stamps are now.
* Another box has been emptied!
* Friends and family who love and support me and mine.
* Watching Annie (the puppy) experience snow for the first time.
* God is good.  I am so blessed.

Moving In

So we're moved in, but not unpacked yet.  I do have internet access again :) but am pretty busy finding things.  Church on Sunday was interesting.  M got dressed fine, as did I.  H was missing his belt (I found it in my room), Jared's dress shoes went missing (found those in a duffel bag).  We couldn't find W's shirt or trousers, and we ended up being 20 minutes late to the meeting (they were both in the pile of clothes in his room).  Church was bittersweet- we'll still see most people, as we just moved across the valley to a different town, but it is hard to leave friends.

Gratitude List:
* New House!!! 
* I know where all my yarn is, and most of my scrapbooking stuff as well.
* We've met some of our neighbors, and they're very nice. So far we've gotten cookies and pumpkin bread.  I could get used to this!
* I have internet again.
* My bathroom is mostly unpacked.
* The kids all have curtains and beds, and they're working on unpacking their belongings.
* We have a gas hook-up for our dryer now, which means I can dry my wet clothes.
* I have a stack of empty boxes in my living room (this means I am actually making some progress moving our stuff into this house).
* The kitchen is unpacked- hooray!
* Lots of family help when we moved.  I have a wonderful family!
* A new nephew- Jared's brother and his wife just had their 3rd boy :)
* my faith in God.
* I am truly blessed.

WE GOT IT!!!

We are signing papers on Friday, and moving next week!  *sigh*  Our new Home Sweet Home :)

**if you want my new address, send me an email.

House Pics

Here's the front of the house we are trying to purchase:

Here's the family room:

Here's the kitchen:

And here's the dining room:

We're still waiting to hear back from the appraiser, and inspector, so we haven't signed any loan papers yet.  But this house is beginning to feel like our new home :)

In other news, both of our vehicles are currently in the shop, waiting for repairs.  Murphy found out we were buying a house, and is trying to move into our spare bedroom!  Thank goodness for our emergency fund, and for rental cars (even when they stink of smoke). 

Gratitude List:
* Cool fall weather- my favorite!
* Our almost-new house (although packing is NOT on my list of things I enjoy).
* Car repair shops.
* Emergency funds.
* A sense of humor.
* This weekend is my church's 180th Semi-annual General Conference and I'm enjoying the spiritual messages I've heard so far.
* Jared's parents are in town, and we get to host them today and tomorrow.
* God has blessed us so much.

House!

Just a quick update- we're under contract for a house!  Now we just need to wait for the loan papers to be approved...

Oh the cute!

These are our puppies:

Morgen loves them very much.  They love running very much.  The two are not always compatible...

Here's another pic- one of my favorites:

Don't you want to take her home, and love her and pet her and call her George? 

I do. 

(Except I call her "Wings" instead of "George."  Oh, and she's already at my house.)

And, just because last night we had to turn on our furnace (gasp!), and it is therefore Officially Autumn, I made cookies today:

Gratitude List:
* Fall weather!!!
* Leaves are changing colors
* School is in session
* Puppies are growing, and are even more cute than last month.
* Cool weather, so I can bake without melting myself in the residual heat from the oven.
* homemade chocolate chip cookies
* fresh (from the grocery store) salsa
* a new knitting project that I am excited about! (and afraid I'll jinx it if I share, so I'll wait a bit)
* we are looking for a house to buy, and put in offers on 2 properties yesterday.  (crossing my fingers and praying for one of them to be accepted)
* My house is (mostly) clean and tidy.
* I have freshly washed laundry to smell.  (and to fold, but the smelling part is better)
* homemade chocolate chip cookies (because they're so awesome they need to be mentioned more than once)
* good music.
* good books.
* family and friends who love and support me and my family.
* We are blessed.
* God is good.
oh, and homemade chocolate chip cookies.   With cold milk

Randomness

I introduced my kids to the Blackadder a few days ago.  This has led to much singing of the theme song, with one minor change, around my house: "Black bla-a-a-der, Black bla-a-a-der, mumble mumble mumble la da da-a-a!"

While talking about King Solomon requesting wisdom from God, we asked the primary kids what *they* would ask for, if they could have anything at all.  Some of the answers were expected- more wishes, to be rich, to have a self-cleaning house (I really liked that last wish myself).  One of the kids blurted out, "I want a pretty pony!" which made me laugh so hard I couldn't write it on the chalkboard!

I used the yarn of doom and started knitting socks today.  I left everything in a neat pile by the couch, and took a nap.  While I was napping, Jared took the kids to the park, leaving me alone in the house, asleep.  Somebody (we don't know who) apparently snuck into the house and made a spider-web with the sock yarn.  If we had cats, there would be no mystery.  But we have dogs, and they are unable to open doors as of yet.  The yarn was wound all around the piano legs, kitchen chairs, and table, which forced me to frog *another* pair of socks.  This creeped Jared out a bit, but it made me laugh.  He thinks it was a person.  I know that it's the yarn.  Cursed yarn!

Gratitude List:
* Funny random things to make me laugh.
* I had to speak in church today, and I survived!
* My family.
* Yarn.  Even if it *is* cursed yarn
* A violin duet played by 2 14-year-olds that was beautiful enough to bring tears to my eyes.
* God.
* home-made chocolate chip cookies.

Looking

We are now looking, officially and with money in our hands, for a house.  We spent most of today driving around with our realtor, and discussing the pros and cons of each house/property we viewed.  I completely fell in love with an older (1930's era) home on 2 acres, but the floor plan was absolutely not workable for our family.  *sniffs sadly*  It would be the perfect home for a grandma, though.  The upstairs bedroom has closets built under the attic eaves, and they are perfect playing places for kids!  Anyway, after spending about 5 hours walking through multiple houses and properties, we think we've narrowed it down to 3 very different houses.  2 are move-in ready, with about 1/4 acre lots.  1 is a huge fixer-upper with 2 acres of property.  And we really want the larger property, but we'll have to see. 

Oh, and the dishwasher needs another vacation.  It's given up removing anything from our dishes.  *sigh* So it's back to hand-washing dishes again. 

Gratitude List:
* all puppies are healthy and reasonably well-behaved.
* all kids are also healthy and reasonably well-behaved. ;)
* There is a nice, cool breeze blowing through my house, and I'm pretty sure I'm done with the A/C until next summer.
* Gorgeous mountain views outside my windows.
* We are financially able to look at purchasing a house.
* My house is reasonably clean.
* My kitchen sinks are shiny clean.
* I'm caught up on laundry again (this is a direct result of having kids in school all day).
* I had a delicious dinner last night, cooked by my oldest son, with a little supervision from me.
* God is good, and I am blessed to have a life that I enjoy.