Up On The House Top...

I've been kind of sad to not have a bunch of little kids underfoot anymore. Yes, there is a lot of stress with mothering the little one's. (There is a lot of stress with the older one's too!) :) But I love young children in general and really miss having a few at home. Daniel is only 5 and has a late birthday, so at least he's still at home.

Over the last few days I've started realizing how wonderful it is to have older kids and teenagers too! Our boys have been pretty good at raking and bagging leaves, and Laura volunteered to put the Christmas lights up! Yay! ( I like our older kids for other reasons too!) This has always been such an ordeal in our home. Scott will do it because he knows I like it, but hates it. And if I wait for him to be ready to do it they will be put up on Christmas eve. (I'm only exaggerating a little) Usually I will put lights up around our porch before Thanksgiving and hope that Scott will do the rest soon after. Now I won't need to wait again! Laura had a blast and she even had a couple of visitors come and help as she worked on the house.

Laura starting out.

Not wanting her picture taken again.

Our cat, Ninja, climbed a tree and hung out with her.

Laura was too afraid to use a ladder. I was concerned 

about her breaking the branches so she had to overcome that fear pretty quickly:)

Our neighbor Katherine came over another day to

help finish up.

Laura and Katherine completing the job. Ryan wanted to help
but they wouldn't let the boys come up and help at all.
Why can't they be this excited about indoor chores? I guess
I'll take what I can get!

Laura even wrote a song about her experiences. It's to the tune 'Up On The House Top' Here it is:

(It's dumb I know, just humor us) :)

Up on the house top Laura almost dies,

Down below her mother cries.

Branches swinging in her face,       (it was windy part of the time)

But all the lights are in their place.

chorus

Ho Ho Ho Laura saved the day!

Ho Ho Ho she wouldn't play!

Up On The House Top the lights are up,

Down she came without a thump!

Caught in the act!

My girls NEVER let me take pictures of them playing their instruments. I snuck up on them the other day and took this. Cool! It's so neat to have music in our home again:)

I love this picture of this little gerbil. The kids named her Kitty and she is one of three we are keeping. So cute.

I just had to share this! A while back Sugar Doodle posted a craft/treat idea on facebook.  I don't remember what the blog was it originally came from, but I thought it was so cute. I decided to give one to the ladies I Visit Teach. Muffins in a jar! I made pumpkin bread muffins and layered them with frosting and sprinkles in an 8 oz canning jar. I put a cupcake liner in the lid (like people do with fabric). I couldn't find any Fall cupcake liners ( I mean it was already late October! Heaven forbid there be any left at the store!) so I just used the white one's I found at the dollar store and glued fall pics from the digital scrapbook kit I used for the card on the top. The card is made from a digital scrapbook kit and the bags I got from Macey's. They're just their apple bags. I got them for 5 cents a piece. (But I think they normally charge 10 or 12 cents) I made the potpourri too. So easy. Dry apple and orange slices in an oven on 200* for 5-6 hours or so. Add cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Put in a pot or metal bowl, cover with water, and simmer. You can even use fresh fruit and add vanilla. Smells soooo good!

Belated Halloween Post

This is late! Sorry Grandparents:) Halloween was fun. On Halloween day Scott carved pumpkins with the kids and took them to the pumpkin patch and corn maze at "Vineyard" garden center in Orem. Heather and I stayed home. Laura, Ryan, Jake, and Daniel went trick or treating. It hailed and rained at first and after a while Daniel wanted to go home. Then the others came back and all four of them went out again with Scott. Then Scott, Jake, and Daniel came home and Laura and Ryan stayed out a little longer. (Musical trick or treating!) In the mean time a "billion" kids came to our door throughout the night. It was a lively, festive, and fun night!

 Scott, Jake , and Ryan carving pumpkins. I think the

pumpkin on the hay bale looks like Bishop Tucket:)

Jake and Daniel in the corn maze

Laura loving getting her picture taken.

Teenage thing??

Ryan out of the maze.

Jake, Daniel, and Ryan. Ryan is being a

good sport:)

Jake feeding the goats.

Daniel-tiger, Jake-Ninja, Ryan-Mad Hatter

Laura-Not sure?? She sewed her own tunic

with a black and gold patterned fabric, wore a black

cape that I made years ago, black pants and shirt, and

black boots. Something Lord of the Ringsish. Like

an elf. Ryan is The Mad Hatter in the school play.