Thursday, September 30, 2010

Floridian Halloween Party!

My mom has a closet stuffed (literally, stuffed) full of Halloween costumes. It's awesome come Halloween time!

"But, it's not Halloween!" you exclaim.

Well, my brother and his wife are here for a week and we wanted them to have part in our Annual Family Halloween Party before they had to leave.

Here's some of the fun:

We had a hotdog roast, sloppy joes, dutch oven and all kinds of other great food. And, hey, look, see the girl on the bottom right wearing teal with a black shirt underneath? Ya, that's 18. She actually came to a family thing for my side of the family. 13 came too. I was so excited. They didn't move out until after Daniel and Tynelle left so for Daniel and Tynelle it was just like "old times."

Here is 13 showing us how he rides his unicycle! Aaron was there for support! (smile)

Here are Jessie and Aaron getting the candy ready for the bags... I can't tell if Jessie is repulsed by all the candy or just doesn't know if she is supposed to be in the photo... Tee hee!


The kids had a ball and even dressed up for the candy hunt in my Uncle Jeff's corn field. Even some of the adults got in on  the action.



 Brother was embarrassed to have his picture taken in his "super hero" costume so I had to try to chase him down and sneak some pictures.

Because I kept trying to take pictures he finally turned his costume over to Chelsea... now that was funny (sorry Chels, it's just too cute not to post...) Oh, and in case I haven't mentioned it yet—she's pregnant!

Man, my family is so funny!

To make up for her goofy picture here is a sweet snap of her and my Bro
Isn't that corn field beautiful?!
Here we are listening to grandma give the candy hunt rules...
Oh, ya, more embarrassing pictures...
My aunt and new uncle????
Ya, it's them...
And here is Marc and Baby... everyone together... aaaww!


Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Wee Wee Piggies


Ya, I know, only me..

I just can't help it. I love to do my girls' hair... these are her very first piggy tails!

We decided that she looks like a Shrek Baby! Tee hee!

The funny part was when I took them out that night. Bwa ha ha!

And here she is laughing, even though it is not nearly as much as it was before I turned on the camera—it's still cute! She was laughing histerically when Marc coughed so he kept on going... then I tried... hmmm...

Campy Horseride

These pictures are priceless to me.

Why?

Marc was able to take his son on a one on one campout and horse ride.

Brother had a ball (don't let the shyness around the camera fool you—he had the time of his life).

Brother and Marc get to go again this weekend, and because Brother had so much fun he is just counting down the days!

The picture above is actually of Brother with Marc's friend, Layne, whom they went up with. And the guy in the background is actually the camp host from our previous family campout—he's Layne's friend, who got them the great spot at the campground... go figure. Brother thought that the hamburgers they cooked up there were a much better choice than the hotdogs I sent him and Marc with...

This picture is fuzzy, but I still love it—they are overlooking the valley at sunrise
Typical eye aversion, but, boy, isn't the scenery beautiful?



I love Brother!


His horse's name was Ace—one of Layne's horses—Marc rode Blue.

My handsome boys! Beautiful country!
Here's a short clip (and he really is having a great time!)...


Brother and Marc go camping and on a horse ride

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Dog Days of Fall

so my neighbor's dog pulls into my driveway...

Monday, September 20, 2010

Family Campout

Ah, my mom's family, traditionally late for everything. If they say it starts at 3pm they mean 7:30pm...

I thought we were late for the family campout when we showed up at 5:30 for the 3:00 start... nope. We were early. We met up with my cousin, Rochelle and her fam, and my aunt Rozanne (who typically was the one I've always know for being late—but now she is always the one on time or early!)

Anyway, we met the really nice camp host who continued to make us worry that the campsite that my uncle Slade said was reserved was actually reserved by the Carlsons. Who the heck were the Carlsons? It wasn't us, I can tell you that. Funniest camphost I ever met. He insisted that we did not have this campsite and so we were all not sure what to do. Well, I got awfully hungry come 7pm and I just said well, let's at least get dinner going and we can leave if no one shows up. Well, after my dutch oven enchilada casserole was almost done the rest of the family starts showing up at 7:30 and 8:00. My uncle Brad didn't even show up till about 9pm!

Late or not, it was a blast. My kids had a ball with Rochelle's kids. Rochelle and her family were only there for the night and left about 11pm. In the morning when Sister woke up she ran outside to go play with "the kids." She came back to me moments later and asked, "Where's my friend, Dalan?" Oh, she loved her cousins and wished the kids were still there to play with her. But, she decided that my aunt Rozanne was fun to hang out with and followed her like a shadow for the morning. (smile)

Brother and I shared the experience of bailing of a jumpy horse together. That made for an interesting time... Brother was fine (only because I made sure to have him fall on me so he wouldn't get hurt). I have a bruise on my rear the size of an apple and my neck and hand don't feel right, but, hey I'm a cowgirl and I got over it. (Did I mention that I am sitting one-cheeked on my chair right now while I type...)

Anyway, here are some pictures of the day. My favorites are of my hot, cowboy husband working one of the hyper horses they call Flicka. Oh, yes, Brother thought that was the best part. The "real Flicka" was uncle Brad's horse and he was in the movies... (let Brother have fun with that idea—it made his day!)

Snapped this one out the window on the way up the canyon—the colors were amazing!


campsite


That's my leg with a freaky but on it. I was totally cool while taking the picture but when I was done with the freaky bug's photo op, I wanted it gone and it wouldn't leave... then I freaked out...

Uncle Slade doing dishes after Uncle Brad made us pancakes, sausage, bacon and eggs...

Aunt Rozanne is the family historian... sweet.

Brother and Marc on a pony ride.

After Flicka was a little jumpy while Brother was on her Marc decided to give her a little work-over...


And finally Brighton got to ride with one of my cousins whom he absolutely loves. They were riding on the horse that I liked to call the "babysitter."

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Melons, Peaches and a Clip

My Uncle Jeff can grow a mean garden. He can grow things that none of the rest of us have any success at. For instance check out these melons!

This cantaloupe is the size of my head! I can honestly say I have never eaten a cantaloupe that big before and it was delish!


And this one, I think, is half honey dew, half cantaloupe.


It looks like rainbow sherbet! It was too ripe though so we didn't eat it—but, what I tasted of it was really quite good other than over-ripe texture.

I was up until 1am canning peaches because that is when everyone was asleep and I could actually get it done. This is not a picture of the 18 quarts I did that night it is a picture of the one that got away.... so now I only have 17... ya, sometimes, when canning, the bottles can break. I am told that this doesn't happen very often at all. In the 12 years I have been canning this is the fourth time I have had one break—hmmm, am I doing something wrong?  Luckily, this time, it broke while processing in the boiler... thank goodness I still have 25 left from last year. (smile)


And this is Brother's new found talent...


The is a chip clip on his forehead... tee hee! We both thought it was quite funny. I really don't know why he did this but, hey, when I was a kid I clipped a little plastic barette to my lip... we laughed until I started crying because we couldn't get it unclipped... good times! Tee hee!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Pictures I haven't posted yet

in random order and random occurences...

My mom really loves to get Brother new horses—even though he has too many.


Sister was having fun at my aunt's house playing with the cat toys.


Our little neighbor boy was having a little PEZ stand and Brother and Sister wanted to participate.


Sister loves Blue (the color and the horse)


Gymnastics for Sister and Brother was one of the best things we ever did.


Marc and my uncle Jeff chatting on my parents porch


Love the relationship my dad with my kids...



Have you heard any of the dumb Chuck Norris jokes—I saw this in the high school parking lot and just had to take a picture.




Speaking of Chuck Norris... 
my husband is hot even when mixing home-made ice cream.



Sister really was excited about the new Wiggles video that my mom got for her.