For the Grandmas....

Thought you might enjoy this.

Pumpkin Carving

We carved pumpkins last night and had a wonderful time. C decided that he wanted Frankenstein on his and K decided she wanted a kitty cat on hers. Drew decided to go with a more 'spirited' design.

More Fall Fun

On Monday, for Family Home Evening, we thought it would be fun to make caramel apples. The kids have never made or had caramel apples, and they are still talking about how yummy they were.

Fulton Farms

We went to Fulton Farms on Saturday to go to their Pumpkin Patch and hay ride. It is something that the kids love to do every fall. Drew carried E in a backpack and he couldn't have been happier. It was a chilly day, compared to what it has been, but a lot nicer weather than it was when we went last year. We picked 4 really great carving pumpkins, played in the straw maze, rode down the slides, talked to the llamas and turkeys, went on the hay ride, and went through the corn maze. We even brought home a pumpkin for pie and some locally made apple cider. Yum!

The kids sitting on the pumpkins they picked.

Progress...

I still have a few things I want to post about our trip to New york, but for those that are anxiously awaiting...you will have to wait until another day. Last week, we made significant progress toward finishing the basement. It is almost done. Just a few little things left, like the toilet in the bathroom and touching up the paint on the doors and trim. Drew worked so hard to finish it, and although it took a lot longer than he wanted it to, I couldn't be more proud of his efforts. He put a lot of time into learning how to do things before he did them, and learned a lot. Its now actually a livable space that doesn't require shoes to walk through. It looks awesome and I can't wait to move stuff in!

New York Part 3: Hill Cumorah

We were able to go the Hill Cumorah and see where they put on the pageant every year. I drove to the top with the little ones while Jody walked to the top with the older ones. As I was driving I realized that this hill, when Joseph was told to go, was covered in trees and brush and leaves, etc. just like the back side of it still is. There really is no way he would have known where to go to find the plates without some help. In addition, something that I didn't realize, the Hill Cumorah is actually about 5 miles from where his house was, so it wasn't like he was just out one day and stumbled upon the plates. He was led to a specific spot where he would find the plates to translate.

There is a monument to the Angel Moroni at the top of the Hill.

C standing on the hill, in the front where they hold the pageant every year.

New York Part 2: Pennsylvania

One of the reasons I wanted to go to New York was to see all of the church historical sights. Jody is moving from there, and I thought it was a good opportunity to have a place to say and my own personal tour guide. Drew couldn't go with us because of work, and we missed him, but we had a good time. One morning, while Reese was in school we went down to Pennsylvania and the Susquehana river to see where the Aaronic Priesthood was restored. It was about 20 or 30 minutes drive from where Jody lives. In that spot there is a monument. Also, you can see the cornerstones to the house that Joseph and Emma lived in when Joseph and Oliver Cowdry did a lot of the translation of the Book of Mormon. Within walking distance of the house is a cemetery where Emmas parents and Joseph and Emmas first child were buried. What a neat experience to stand in ths same place as a Prophet and to understand the sincerity and everlasting impact he has had on our world today, and me personally.

New York Part 1: Apple Picking

It has been about 3, maybe 4 weeks since we were able to drive up to New York to visit my sister. The 3 kids and I piled into the van and drove all day to visit our cousins. We had a wonderful time. We were able to eat ice cream and play with cousins, and Jody and I stayed up way too late most nights talking or watching movies and eating brownies. One evening, we went to an apple orchard. New York is famous for their apples, and I can see why. The kids had a wonderful time. They got to ride on the tractor and pick as many apples as they wanted. C and K both ate about 2 apples, whole, core and all, in the hour and a half that we were there. They had toys for the kids to play with and we came home with yummy apples (I think I have a new favorite - HoneyCrisp) some apple cider, and even some apple butter to bring home to Drew. While there, and eating apples, Reese ended up with a loose tooth. She was so proud, and even lost it a few days later.



Here are the kids pausing for a moment from eating apples to take a picture. They were so sticky and dirty by the end. Thank goodness for wipes. And whats up with that smile on C?
Reese and C standing in the middle of one of the apple rows. The trees were short enough for the kids to pick their own and we didn't have to help at all.

What a fun afternoon.

Soccer

C played outdoor soccer this fall at the YMCA. I don't know if he liked the actual soccer or the talking to friends more, but I think he had a good time. I finally took some pictures of his last game. I think there was more big finding, rock collecting, grass picking and hugging going on most games than actual soccer being played. But, I guess you can't expect much from 3 and 4 year olds who have never played before.

Yes, that is my son with his shirt over his head standing in the middle of the field while the other kids, watch and then run after the ball. Gotta love it!

Drew wanted to help coach, so now we have 2 fabulous purple shirts with their names on the backs of them!

Here he is in all his Purple glory! Actually running after the ball and playing the game. YAY!


On picture day, K wore her purple shirt that morning thinking that she was having her picture taken. She was so disappointed that she didn't get her picture taken too. So, luckily I had my camera, and our little cheerleader was able to have her picture taken just like the bigger kids.

Pictures

Because I haven't posted and pictures of E lately, here are a few for those who want to see them.

Sorry, just face shots, but thats what I like. The top one is from K's birthday and the bottom was from this past weekend. I can't believe how much he looks like C!

Marinara Sauce

As requested, here is the recipe for Marinara Sauce. It is originally from Michael Chiarello on Food Network (one of my favorite places to look for new recipes). I picked this one because it was super easy, and I have all of the ingredients on hand, and don't have to go to the store. I did tweek it a little to suit my needs, though, so here is my version.

2T oil
3/4 C minced onion (just one medium onion)
1T chopped Parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 C fresh tomato puree
1-2T basil
1t salt

heat the oil in a large pot over moderate heat. Add onions. Cook until translucent. Add parsley and garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, basil and salt. Simmer until a sauce like consistency. This usually takes awhile, but you can walk away from it and let it simmer. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick. Try it. If it needs to be sweeter add some sugar.

I have just pureed the tomatoes in the blender. It takes about 20 Romas to make 8 Cups of puree. I don't blanche or peel them, just throw them in the blender. I tried another recipe that called for celery. It was yummy too. My suggestion, start with the basics, and add what you like to make it your own. If you like onion, add more onion. (We like onion) If you like garlic, add more. If you like it sweeter, add sugar. You get the idea... Also, I would recommend the Romas. They are meatier and not so juicy, so the sauce doesn't turn out real runny. Good luck to everyone!

Garden

I was not able to plant a garden this summer because we were in Virginia during the time we should have planted. My wonderful neighbor Dawn planted 8 tomato plants in our garden while we were gone and said that she had them extra and we could have them. So, I didn't really do anything with them and just let them grow. This is what I ended up with.




Eight Roma tomato plants that produced a ton of fruit!



So, I made this:




I have had enough tomatoes to make 2 double batches of marinara sauce. I pulled some more tomatoes yesterday and have enough to make one more double batch. If the weather stays warm enough for another week or so, I will have enough to make yet another batch. Needless to say, I think we have enough sauce to last awhile. C even calls it 'Mommys Famous Yummy Sauce' Not, famous or yummy, but both. I guess he really likes it homemade. And so do I, its so much better tasting than the store bought stuff.

Once again...

For the third time since we moved to OH, C has cut his head open and needed a trip to the ER. This time he was running at school during their outside time. He tripped and fell onto the blacktop. It apparently didn't phase him because he didn't know anything was wrong until another kid told him he 'had blood' So, the teacher cleaned him up, called me, and we made a trip to the ER. Luckily this time, they said he wouldn't need stitches, just some glue. He was really grateful for that. So am I. I don't think I could have handled his bloody murder screaming like the last time they put stitches in his forehead. He walked away with a purple spot on his forehead, a few stickers, and a new love for Transformers (thanks to the med tech helping out). Maybe we need to move from this place before he becomes one big walking scar...

Birthday Pictures

I know I am a little late getting these posted. These pictures were from K's birthday.

She had a new shirt from Grandma to wear that said 'Birthday Girl' on it.



Checking out the new Ariel movie - Thanks Tracie!
A new chair to go with new bed sheets for a big girl bed!

She wanted pink cake with pink frosting and pink ice cream. And, she loved every bite of it!