More Fall Beauty

It's so nice that I don't have to leave my yard to see the beautiful fall colors. The trees are especially vibrant this year, I think because we've had so many nice days this October. Of course, as I say that, it's just started raining. Right in time for trick-or-treating tomorrow!

Don't you expect to see little gnomes sitting on these mushrooms?!

The leaves on my favorite tree keep getting more and more beautiful.

And here's another of my favorite trees. I know, I have lots of favorites. It's kind of like when my kids ask which one I like best. I like them all the best!

More Halloween Fun!

Is it just me, or does it seem like Halloween is celebrated even more than Christmas? We've had a solid week of Halloween activities and celebrations and it's not even the big day yet! As Ben said, it's only "Halloween New Year's" ( I think he meant Halloween Eve). I'm not really complaining, just making an observation.

Our week started off Monday with our annual pumpkin carving family night with the Kollodge family and the missionaries.

Carving chaos!

Chantal and Andre

Ben designing his pumpkin's face. It's so great that they're old enough to design their own pumpkins! We did cut Ben's for him, but little Andre here, loved to use the little saw and cut part of his own!

The finished products!

Top row: Adrian, Jillian, Aubrey, Kylie'

Middle row: Angelina, Aubrey, Andre, Nathan

Bottom Row: Ben

Then last night was the ward Halloween party, which the youth put on for the primary kids. Each class has a "booth" and the kids love it! Kylie said she thinks she had more fun than the little kids did. Brad and I had a good time judging the costume contest. I didn't get any pictures, but there were some very creative costumes, especially from the adults! One friend dressed up as Spiderman in the whole bodysuit get-up. Some of my favorites were two very authentic hippies, a 70s fashion plate wearing real "Vera" lemon yellow polyester pants with a flowered green & yellow blouse, and an amazing pirate family.

My little Jengo Fett, Scarecrow and Witch. Nate decided he was too old to dress up this year.

Bobba Fett and Jengo Fett reunited at last!

Nathan's class both, Donut-on-a-String

Kylie's class booth,"Hall of Squeams."
They had bowls of "guts", "eyeballs", "brains", etc.

for the kids to put their hands in.

Tomorrow are the school Halloween parties and costume parade, then we'll head down to Winslow for trick-or-treating, and on to Aunt Tif's neighborhood for more candy! Like I said, a whole week's worth of celebration!

Now I Remember Why I Had Four Kids...

To help get the work done around here! We were busy little grasshoppers Saturday morning, getting ready for winter by splitting wood. Everyone worked together and we were able to split 2 1/2 chords of wood in two hours! It's a great feeling when all the kids pitch in, don't complain, and have fun together. They were very impressed that we were able to get so much done.

The pile of rounds on the right was about twice this big when we started and the wood shed was empty.

Nate, Jillian and I stacked the wood.

Jillian also helped run the splitter.

Almost done!

Ben and Brad running the splitter.

Kylie giving Ben some guidance.

My New Favorite Tree

I still love my yellow maple, but this beauty showed its colors a few days ago and has taken over as my favorite tree in the yard. I think it's amazing that each leaf can have so many different colors. It actually glows, even when the sun isn't shining (like right now!)


Sorry, I don't remember what kind of tree this is, I'll have to ask Brad.

Pickin' Punkins

Tuesday, we took our annual trip to the Suyematsu Farm on Day Road (five minutes from our house) to pick our pumpkins. It was another gorgeous fall day. I love the contrast of clear blue sky, bright orange pumpkins, and vibrant green that surrounds us in the fall.

Father/Daughter Outing

Every fall, the fathers and daughters at church have a camp-out. This year it was at Dosewallips State park. Fortunately the weather cooperated and they only got a little bit of rain in the middle of the night. Brad turned over the camera to Jillian; I think it's so interesting to see what kids take pictures of. Here's a few:

I love that nature catches her eye.


Brad and Jillian together.

It was a great bonding time for them, especially since they slept in a tiny little tent!

The Grocery Game

I think I'm hooked. I'm pretty sure. Just give me a few more weeks and I'll let you know if it will last. About a week ago, a new friend told me about a way to save money on groceries called "The Grocery Game". Then Sunday night, another friend confirmed it's wonderfulness. It's basically a way to maximize savings by shopping the sales in conjunction with coupons. A list is complied on the site every week of items you should buy, with an emphasis on stockpiling items that are heavily discounted. Here's the website for more detailed information, if you're interested. You might be when I tell you how much money I saved this week!

http://thegrocerygame.com/

(If you decide to check it out, and you want to say I referred you, my email is jvanaken04@msn.com.)

First stop on Saturday, Rite Aid. I spent $55.93. $41.50 of that will come back to me via Rite Aid's one-click-rebate. So my out of pocket expense is $14.43, a savings of 74%.

Next stop on Monday, Safeway. I accidently threw away that receipt, but I know I spent $110.00 and saved 39%, so I saved about $43.00. I didn't save as much at Safeway because I had a lot of things I needed that weren't on sale. Apparently after you shop with "The List" for a few months, you end up with a nice stockpile and don't have to buy things that aren't on sale.

Last stop today, Albertson's. I spent $84.13 and saved $93.93, or 53%.

Total spent for the week: $250.06
Total savings for the week: $178.43
That's a 71% savings!

I admit, $250 is a lot more than I usually spend in one week. So that's why I have to wait and see how this plays out. I'm expecting that next week I won't have to spend so much because I now have a freezer full of meat, and a pantry full of cereal and canned goods and a refrigerator bursting with perishables. Most of the savings weren't using coupons, either. They were from great sales at Albertson's and the one-click rebate at Rite Aid. So we'll see if those great sales continue and if my coupon file grows big enough to use correctly. I was made aware of them through "The List" on The Grocery Game, though, so I definitely give it credit for my savings.

It's Fall

Yesterday at this time I was standing in the middle of a pumpkin patch with Ben's kindergarten class, the freezing wind cutting through my jacket. Today, I just got back from a walk and the air was actually balmy. I didn't even need to wear a jacket. I love fall days like this! I remember fall days in Palatine, IL--one day would be 75 degrees, the next 35. The swings aren't quite so drastic here, but we still have them. It's like Mother Nature is putting up a fight, trying to extend the warmth a little longer until she'll let winter take over. Brad and Jillian are going on a father/daughter campout tonight, so I hope it stays warm for them!

Ben's class listening to the "farmer" talk about different types of pumpkins and squash. They were so funny, every time she told them one of the names, they all laughed like a comedy laugh track. They thought "banana squash" and "spaghetti squash" were especially hilarious for some reason! Ben and his buddies with the pumpkins they chose. Yes, Ben is wearing shorts even though it was freezing outside. For some reason, he insists on wearing shorts every day. When I ask him if he ever gets cold, he says "I was made for cold!" He didn't get that from me!
This is the pumpkin Ben chose. He likes little things.

My favorite tree in our yard right now. I love the bright yellow leaves, especially when it's a grey day.

My big yellow dahlia finally decided to bloom! This is only about 1/3 of the size it will be when if is fully open. I love the way the hydrangeas change color in the fall from their brilliant blues to more subdued purples and pinkish browns. They age very gracefully.

Here's a vase of hydrangeas I picked to dry. I hope they keep their gorgeous colors. The green ones used to be white. I love the way fall colors things.

Voting Outside the Box

Mom to Nate: If you could vote, who would you vote for?

Nate: Hmmm...probably the Socialist Party.

Mom: Yeah, I'm thinking of voting for the Prohibition Party.

Ben: I'd vote for the Green Tea Party!

The Best Insight on the Bailout I've Heard So Far...

Is This:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95567782&sc=emaf

from NPR's "All Things Considered" this afternoon. After you click on the link, make sure you click on the "Listen Now" button at the top of the story.

Frustration

I volunteered to put together a photo display for my Grandpa's funeral this Saturday. I've been gathering photographs and trying to put together a nice representation of his life. We have some pictures of him when he was a baby and toddler that are very tiny, about 1 inch square. So, I thought with the advanced technology we have today, it shouldn't be a problem to take them to Walmart, scan, enlarge and print them. Wrong! I spent a good hour getting 8 pictures to look the way I wanted them to, with the help of a very nice lady who was waiting to use the machine after me. I was satisfied they looked good, so I printed them and took them to the counter to pay for them.

That's when the clerk told me "These are studio photographs. They're protected by copyright for 100 years. You need a waiver from the studio to reproduce them." WHAT?! These are 75 year old pictures, taken who knows where by who know who, the photographer is most likely dead. How am I supposed to get a waiver signed? I pleaded, explaining the pictures are for a display for my grandfather's funeral. No luck. He wouldn't let me have them and threw them in the trash.

I guess we'll display the tiny photos and have a magnifying glass available for people to be able to see them.

Then to top it off, I was so mad that I forgot to buy the display boards. I was almost home before I remembered and had to go back, in the pouring rain, up-hill both ways, with no shoes on. Do you feel really sorry for me now? Thanks for letting me vent!

Everything I Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten...

I just love Kindergarten! I got to bring birthday treats to Ben's class on Monday and then spend recess with him. So much enthusiasm, so much cooperation, so much exploration! I felt like a giant standing next to all the kids; their teacher is very petite and so is the principal. I can seriously look down at the tops of their heads. I tried sitting in one of the little blue chairs, I could have used two! I can't wait until next week when I get to go help in the classroom.


Here's the teacher leading the kids in singing "Happy Birthday" to Ben.

The birthday king!

Good Buddies!

When's the last time you walked in a line, following a nice lady who kept saying "OK everybody, stay together, pay attention, don't cut!" Kindergarten, right?

Quote of the Day

"Did you know if you wear really tight jeans in the bathtub, it could kill you?" --Ben

(after watching Mythbusters. Apparently, he doesn't understand what "busted" means!)

My Baby is Six!

Happy Birthday, Ben! I can't believe he's six years old all ready!


I have a book of "cut-up" cakes that I used to make for my kids all the time, but haven't for a few years because they haven't wanted one. But this year, Ben looked through it and chose this cake (is it really that close to Halloween?):

He and Jillian did all the decorating, other than the frosting. I thought they did a great job!

Ben is obsessed with Star Wars Legos. He's been asking for the "Spider Droid" set for a long time. He had a feeling that was one of the things he was going to get (although I tired to throw him off by telling him I got him socks and underwear!) All day long he kept asking "When's it time to open presents?" We made him wait until after dinner when all the grandparents could come.
I wish I could still get this excited!

When Ben was born, I had a strange "out of body" experience. He was my 4th c-section and I'd also had 2 surgeries in that area as a result of complications from when Nathan was born, so I had quite a bit of scar tissue built up. As the doctor was making the incision somewhere inside me, I started to be able to feel it. Very uncomfortable feeling! I don't remember exactly what all happened because they gave me a drug that made me forget. I remember feeling the pain, and then blacking out, but not totally. I could see myself lying on the table and hear Brad and the doctors talking. I remember wondering why I could see myself and thinking maybe I was dying and trying really hard to get back to my body. It was a scary feeling! And then I woke up and the doctor was holding up Ben. No one seemed concerned that something had happened to me, so I don't really know what I was feeling, but it was very strange and scary to feel separated from my body. The things we go through to give life to our beautiful children! I'm so glad Ben is part of our family.

You Know You're a Parent When...

Sorry in advance if this is way too much information, at least I'm not including any pictures...

Ben's had an ithcy bottom for the past week or so and we were teasing him that he should rub it along the ground like dogs do when they have worms. Then it dawned on me, maybe he does have worms! So I emailed our good doctor and he told me the way to find out is to do a flashlight test. You basically have to wake up in the middle of the night, since this is when pinworms come out (don't ask me how they know it's night!) and with a flash light, check the anal area. Fun! You know you're a parent when you're awake at 2 am, climbing up into the top bunk of your 6 year old's bunkbed with a flashlight to check his bottom for pinworms! Yes, they were there. Now it seems the whole family needs to take a little pill to get rid of them. The worst part was that I couldn't get back to sleep!

As I was searching on the internet for more information about pinworms, I found this funny post on webmd.com

http://blogs.webmd.com/all-ears/2006/02/how-old-is-your-son.html