Family Picture Out takes

Happy Thanksgiving!

Before we get to Thanksgiving... first let me share Ashlin's "Super Veterans Day" attire she came downstairs in... hope your Veterans day was as festive as Ashlins!
A "Happy Thanksgiving" from Logan:

Here starts THREE nights in a row of baking:

Monday night- Lily stayed up with me after bedtime making pumpkin bread for Dallins class feast the next day! (This picture was "censored" for Lily's modesty)
Tuesday Night- After putting all the kids in bed I remembered that I promised Logan he could help me with the cookies we had to make for his class feast the next day. Soooo, he was pretty excited when I snuck him out of bed to come downstairs and help me...


His 2 favorite jobs: rolling the gingersnaps in sugar and licking the beater!

Wednsday Night- Making pies for the REAL thanksgiving feast tomorrow at our house. Our tradition is the kids make their own mini pies while I make the big ones. For this occassion we bring out the Christmas music for the first time of the season!

And last is Emma's cute Thanksgiving letter to our family on her feelings about having a "big" family:

I challenged my family last week that for all the days up until Thanksgiving in our personal prayers each night we would say 10 things we are thankful for. Here are my 10 tonight:

1. I am thankful that even though I didn't feel like it, I made pies with my kids, because once we got started, it was precious to see them so excited!

2. I am thankful that today when I went in to Logan's class for his feast, even though he normally acts all tough like he doesn't miss me and need me, he hugged me and told me to stay with him all day!

3. I am thankful for my new walking buddy/neighbor because it forces me to get my big rear out of bed each morning... 5:40am... ugh!

4. And I am thankful that she is Jehovah's Witness and I have had the chance to get to know someone different. I really admire her dedication, have felt the spirit much in our talks and know she does what she does in the name of serving our Lord.

5. I am thankful Bruce's mother and husband came to our house for Thanksgiving.

6. I am thankful they did a fireside here sunday night about their mission in Malaysia and my kids were fascinated and sat still through all of it.

7. I am thankful that I am not sick.

8. I am thankful that Emma loves having a big family, because I hope hope that in having a big family each of our kids always feels special and made time for.

9. I am thankful for the walk Ashlin, Lily and I went on tonight, and that Ashlin and I have so much fun together and the beautiful weather to do it in.

10. EVEN though Bruce was suppose to have the day off today, he had to work because his other doctor got sick :( and has to now work friday and saturday... but I am so thankful he IS so hard working and has a good job, and plays with the kids when I am grumpy.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What are YOU thankful for?
(turkey by Emma)

"Old Macdonald had a Farm" VIDEO

This summer Bruce and I FLEW with all of our kids to

Salt Lake City, Utah.

For a couple of the days there Bruce took the older 3 kids to his moms for Grandkids Camp... and I took the younger 2 kids (Logan and Lily) to visit one of my best friends since we were 9...

Tanya (Oxborrow) Macdonald

Sixth Grade

Highschool

So Tanya married Eric Macdonald and it was so neat to go see what their life is like now. I have many friends with fancy beautiful things and I have never felt jealous of others lives UNTIL I went to Tanya's house! They left the city and moved to the country and as far as I'm concerned they're living the real life... trying to do as much on their own as possible, so down to earth, so so neat!

So, here is the video I made from our visit to

Tanya and Eric MACDONALD'S Farm:

Is it not the coolest thing that they have a farm AND their last name is Macdonald??

The CABIN - Are you KIDDING me???

So, for ALL of fall break, my family had a fantabulous time at our families cabin in Pinetop...

UNTIL....

(My sister Carrie drives a silver Honda Odyssey)...

Check this out...
Wow, how do you lift THIS off the car??
We don't even think buff Kenny could,

but he wasn't with us to try...

Are you Kidding me????
YES, I am kidding. BUT this was like the funniest thing, because driving through the White Mountain Country Club, where our cabin is, we saw this van EXACTLY like my sisters van! AND since our husbands weren't with us, my sister took pictures with her cell and texted them to her husband saying look what happend to their van. We laughed our heads off in the background while she talked to Geoff (husband) on the phone about what they were going to do now, and him not needing to drive up, but she would rent a car, and them needing to buy a new van now. Oh, it was the BEST joke! We laughed that Carrie was literally on the phone with AT&T for an hour trying to figure out how to text a picture, she had never done it before... but it was all worth it!! Good times!!

The rest of the trip was good too,
Grandpa broke us in to a fish hatchery, it was closed,
but not for us!

Grandpa also hiked us all over trying to find an eagles nest,
and we did!!

"Grandma Ashlin" is what we call Ashlin recently, as she has gotten really in to knitting!!! Who woulda thought?? She learned in a clothing counts class, and I keep having to buy her more yarn, here is a scarf she is knitting. Bruce took her to a Diamond Backs game, and she brought her knitting, she knits in the car, on trips, in movies.... It's cute. And what a surprise to get to the cabin and see her little cousin Lexi loves knitting too!?

Good Times at the Cabin!!!

Pumpkin Seeds

As a family we just fulfilled our annual quota of carved pumpkins. The next step for us is always to then cook the pumpkin seeds for yummy munching.

Here for you is the perfect kid job, as they cannot REALLY help in the carving department with little sharp knives, yet they are persistent in getting their hands involved in some way...
While Bruce carves, my kids seperate the seeds from the orange gush, to then wash for... PUMPKIN SEEDS!

Surprisingly, everybody doesn't keep the seeds from the pumpkins they carve, but disgard them... WHAT?! How incredibly wasteful!

Pumpkin Seeds:

1. Wash and Dry the seeds.
2. Combine approx 2 cups seeds, 1/4 cup salt and 1 quart water in a pot.
3. Bring to boil and boil for 15 minutes.
4. Drain and spread on towell to dry.
5. Place seeds in a shallow baking pan and bake at 325 for 30 minutes.
6. Cool and store in dry place.

Please Vote!

If you are on my blog, please vote- I am not speaking about the election our country is prepping for, I am speaking about our own family poll to the right!

There is much anxious excitement in my family as to who is going to win most favorite Vernon, 4 days left to vote!
If you can't decide who to vote for, just vote for me! ha ha

(Please vote in the upcoming national Election too, go Republican and yes on 102)

"City Bus Trip" Video

So, my friend M.B. told me this summer that she took her kids on the city bus. I was like, what a GREAT idea! When I was a kid and visited my grandmother in phoenix, she had never learned how to drive, so we took the city bus anywhere we went. My kids were all so excited when I informed them we were taking a city bus trip to the mall. And our neighbors, Rachelle, Vannessa and DJ came too. As Usual.

So, since you learned in an earlier blog post that I like to make videos, enjoy another couple minute long
Vernon Studios Production...




What a great advertisement for the Valley Metro Bus system!