F.H.E. Autumn Picnic

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Mom's Apples

Thanks Mom for the yummy apples. This was one of the pies I made. The kids have loved eating the apples right from the box as a snack. They asked if I ate these apples when I was little. I had to tell them, "No, when I was little the tree was still just growing." It certainly was a great apple year this year, though. A is for apple.

Alyssa at Gymnastics

I had mentioned that I would post some pictures of Alyssa at her gymnastics class when I posted pics of Josh awhile back. Here are some shots of her on the balance beam, jumping through a hula-hoop (like a jump rope) on the balance beam, balancing and flipping over a bar. Way to go, Alyssa!

First Snow of the Season

This is posted mostly for our Texas families that really don't get to see this white stuff much. This was our backyard last Sunday morning. It warmed up and was melted by late afternoon, but it sure did have the kids drooling for more so they would have enough to make snow forts, etc. Patience. The snow will come, children, it definitely will come.

Feeding her horses

Josie loves playing with little plastic animals, dinosaurs, and in this case horses. She took all of the small plastic horses and set them up on our endtable. She does this and similar things with toys often. What was really cute this time though was what I saw after closer inspection. She had taken the fruit snacks that I had given her and given them to her horses to "eat" instead. "Feeding the horses, Mommy," she explained.

72 Hour Kits

It was General Conference time and that also means time to rotate the food in our 72 hour kits. I have been doing this for several years now. After a few trial and errors I learned what ready-to-eat foods will last for a full six months and still taste great. I always check expiration dates and make sure they are good until October when I redo them in the spring, and April when I redo them in the fall. (There will be items each time that last even longer and can stay in the kit until the next Conference.) I buy the food at Costco or Kohlers. It was only the initial investment a few years back. Now when I spend money to put the new food in, I am also getting the same amount of food out of the packs to eat. I buy things the kids eat anyway, that way there will not be any additional stress of "disliked foods" added to an already stressful situation in case we had to use them in an emergency. The foods are all ready to eat-no cooking required (and the cans are all "pop-tops" for easier opening.) Also I do not have to add water to anything. We will already be carrying a couple water bottles each just to drink or for hygiene. It is a lot to try to also carry water for meal preparation---especially if you are in a situation where you can't have fire to cook with. I am able to fit most of the food into gallon size ziploc bags (a few items go into the backpack pockets.) Anyway, the kids look forward to being able to eat the snacks out of their kits each Conference. Here's a list of foods we currently pack (though we have had success with a few other items not listed):

-Kirkland individual-size trail mixes (2)
-Oberto individual-size jerky packs (2)
-Clif Kid Z-bars (4)
-Stretch Island Fruit Leather (8)
-Brothers-All-Natural fruit crisp pouches (2)
-Starkist Tuna pouches (1)
-Swanson small canned chicken (2)
-Handi-Snacks chocolate fudge pudding (1-2)
-Van de Camps individual can pork n' beans (1)
-Western Family small can of apricot halves or diced pears (1)
- Jif creamy peanut butter To-Go containers (2)
- General Mills travel size cereal boxes (1-2)
- TreeTop applesauce cups (1)
- Western Family individual size orange and apple juice cans (2-3)
- Welches individual size grape juice (1)

We also include gum, hard candy, hygiene supplies (including a wash cloth, wipes, bandaids, hand sanitizer, toothbrush and toothpaste, toilet paper, combs, soap, sunblock, chapstick, etc. in another gallon ziploc bag), a small amount of cash, card games, coloring books/crayons, pens, travel-size scriptures, three matching t-shirts (this will identify you as a family group to prevent getting lost/separated), a change of underwear (diapers for Josie) and socks, water, utensils, flashlights, emergency blankets, rain ponchos, whistles, emergency information, (and pocket knives and small cooking burners/fuel in the adult bags.) When Josie was younger I used the individual size formula pouches, bottles, bowls, spoons, disposable bibs, and packaged baby/toddler foods.

Fessing Up---I Was Tagged

I break all the rules when I am tagged. For you who tagged me I enjoyed reading about you. Thus, I will tell you six quirky things about me, with hopes that some of you out there will also "fess up." So here goes:
1-I love to try new things at restaurants. Not too bad, except that it is very hard for me to order something I have had before and loved. It's as if I feel like it is an opportunity wasted or something. Occasionally I have re-ordered a dish (like BBQ crab legs at Joe's), but it is a rare occurrence. The saving grace is that I have a wide taste range and usually can deal with whatever I order. Someday maybe I will just order my favorites and move on.
2-I am a night person, sometimes a late night person. I think the issue deals more with the fact that it is hard for me to finally "shut down" at night. I just want to keep going. I very rarely have trouble sleeping once I am in bed. The reality is that I would probably get more done if I just got up extra early in the morning to do things.
3-I hate grasshoppers. Most people who know me, know this little tidbit. I rank grasshoppers right up there with snakes, mice and tarantulas---all the same to me!
4-I dress up every Halloween. I love it. I think it is fun.
5-I like to dance. If the music is on (again I like a wide range of music genres) than I like to move. I dance in the kitchen, in the living room with the kids, and in the car (some shoulder shakes and little hand jives here and there.) It makes me happy.
6-If the music is not on in the car, then there is a high probability that I am listening to talk radio on KSL. Yep, it happened I got OLDER (at least I thought it was only old people that listened to talk radio when I was younger.) I really like tuning in to the "latest news, traffic, weather and sports."
7-Bonus* I'll favor you with one more quirk, I have always considered myself a fairly good organizer. I like organizing. Okay, then why, oh why, do I have paper piles in my kitchen and bedroom? Why do I have a "to do" pile in my laundry/craft area? Why do I have piles in the first place? I don't know. I am coming to the conclusion that I really don't know how to organize---except maybe into PILES!

Josh's First Hawk Walk

Here is my speedy Josh-boy. I love the Hawk Walk. It is the only fundraiser all year and 100% of the donations go directly to each classroom. Thanks to all the family who donated funds this year!!!!

The grass does get flattened a bit as you can see, but it bounces back. Josh did 17 laps, which is 2 and 5/6 miles. Almost 3 miles in an hour---awesome job! He probably could've done more but he stopped to walk with his friend, Emma. (Emma got a bloody nose and he sat with her and made sure she was okay. I caught them holding hands.)

Josh is all smiles---Hawk Walk is "totally fun"!

Hawk Walk 08 Video

Here is a clip of Maddie running. She ran 28 laps, which equals 4 and 2/3 miles! Way to go! They have music going each year for the kids. The kids have water at tables they can take freely. The principal always takes some kind of dare which he follows through with at the awards assembly. This year he will try to capture a greased pig before the PTA president does. Whoever gets it first needs to give it a kiss. (Other stunts have been kissing a snake, being covered with water-soaked fruity pebble cereal in the tunnel of doom, becoming an ice cream sundae, sitting all day on the roof, having a jello fight with the vice principal, and being slimed with green goop.)

Hawk Walk 2008

Josanna enjoyed the otter pops that were given to each child after they ran. It was a very warm morning. She and I were up on the field during the last part of Josh's run, the first part of the girls' run and then we came back to help clean up after the event. Josie helped me pick up trash and put it in a garbage bag.

Josie walked/ran a few laps. She also was carried by me or Alyssa. There are two tracks going simultaneously during each of the three run times. The students are divided into three run times (8:15-9:15, 9:30-10:30 and 10:45-11:45). Lots of parents come to help and also run with the kids.

Alyssa ran 24 laps. Each lap is a 6th of a mile---so she ran 4 miles in the hour given. Great job!