Fall Memories

I found this picture today as Rick and I were cleaning and organizing and, most importantly, getting rid of all the cardboard boxes we have accumulated over the past few years! My new motto, "Own no carboard", not sure if that is possible but my promise is that I will recycle as much cardboard as is humanly possible!

Back to the "Fall memory"....one of my favorite times of the year is the fall and the chance to take my children to the local pumpkin patch. A few of our favorite things to eat were my MOm's sugar cookie recipe with orange frosting and a candycorn or two placed on top, later on it was the pumpkin cookies we would make. I will have to look for more pictures of the kids and pumpkins but this one is truly one of my favorites and it is of "the girl's", as we once called Kelsey and Cara. (Actually, we still do call them "the girls", but Kylie and Reese are getting to be known as "the girl's" now!) It is so "weird" to look back at this picture and to realize how quickly those last 14 to 15 years have gone by! These two little one's were always at my side and so totally opposite! Kelsey, the girly-girl and Cara was pretty much not one! Cara would take off the bows that Kelsey would love to have in her hair. They are two, pretty much amazing young women now and I'm proud to say they are both just as beautiful now as they were then!

Love your kids and enjoy every minute....they grow up quicker than you will ever imagine. Now, I'll have to write something soon about our two fabulous older two! Did I mention that Charlie Brown is one of my favorite memories of my childhood? Love the Charlie Brown holiday shows...

College friend dinner and game night!

We had our cousins Lindsey & Kelsey and some of our favorite "Elders" from Michigan...Mark Lierman and Dane Anderson over for Sunday dinner! Then we played one of our favorite games...Ticket to Ride. Rick and Dane won!

The Michigan gang!!! Mark, Dane, Rick and Cathy! Loved having them over so we could hug them!

Cousins! Although, I love it when they call me Aunt Cathy! Cathy, Kelsey and Lindsey Killian. Love these girls and so glad they are at BYU!!!

Football Season!

Number 6 is a special young man! He is my nephew, Colson Kleinman. He loves to play football and this is his first year playing!

Colson at the far end of the field!

Coming back onto the sidelines! Way to go Colson. He had an amazing play at the end of the game and made a tackle that saved his team from a touchdown from the opponents!

Colson being such great team mate! The Wildcats won their first game for the season today at Cottonwood High.

Colson and Aunt Cathy having some lunch after the game!

The math was the hardest part!!

Here was our powder room! The picture is too small for the wall but that is what I had. You know the economy thing..... So glad to hear last week that we are out of this recession...mmmm...wonder who came out with that info? Ok, before this comes out as a political statement I will continue with this little remodel.

Like the title states the part that was the most time consuming was the math of figuring out the diamonds on the wall. I have never professed to be a math wizard but I did get my graph paper out (leftovers from four children in the public school system) and figured out how to get these diamonds to look decent!

Three diamonds done and I'm loving this quick makeover! Where is Ty Pennington when one needs his help?

And here is the final product! I love it and am so happy that it worked! I told Cara after doing her window seat area in her room in the Zoo that I would never do small diamonds again! This took an hour to do, minus the math portion of the project, and it cost less than twenty dollars and I got to keep my small picture that looks so much better! Maybe I am a mathematician!!!

The Piano Room Performances

Last Sunday we had my brother's family and Kurt and Jen over for dinner. After we ate Craig asked his oldest, Connor to play a number for us on the piano. He played a very impressive number and we all applauded after he was done. Next was Colson and he did a great job on his piece and both boys had their numbers memorized! Ella did not want to be shown up by her brothers and did a fun little piece that Colson showed her how to play....more applause! Not to be out done came along, fourteen month old, Cannon! He pounded on some treble notes and then turned to all of us in the dining room and started clapping! We all applauded extra loud for the youngest pianist! He went back and did it a couple of more times.....it was so adorable!

Here are the entertainers! They did a fabulous job!

Hiking around Cascade Springs

I'm making fun of the hiking boots I wore. Here is the story.... The Saturday before Rick and I took a hike up to Silver Lake which is up American Fork Canyon. Silly me... I wore my nice new tennis shoes and they came back completely dirty! So this last Saturday I went hiking with my friend Klara up to Cascade Springs and thought I better bring my hiking boots to make sure I was prepared for whatever Cascade Springs had to offer! Several people had told me what a beautiful place it was to see the fall colors and what a great hike it was. When we got there I realized this was not the hike that I had done the week before! I was totally over dressed with my shoe equipment! It was paved the whole way around the springs! Silver Lake was a hike and took several hours~ up and down! Cascade Springs was a stroll and took about ten minutes!

This is pretty!..??

I was trying to show the little acorns on the branch! Can you see them? You get a prize if you do! Will a hug do???

The water rushing down from the springs... I liked the colored leaf on the rock!

We have had the nicest fall! But, actually it is a little too toasty! High eighties!!! I love having the canyon so close! We even bought a pass so we can go up as often as our little hearts desire!!! I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills....

Rick and I off to a Gala!

Rick and I went off to a Gala at the Salt Lake City Marriott. Our dear friend Mike Bumstead invited us to go and he also asked Rick to be an advisor on his board. So we got all dressed up.... me in my dress that I bought in NYC! It was fun to wear the dress because I feel it is almost to fancy for church! And Rick's tie even, kind of matched! Please don't judge me with my arms.....they are getting older! The Gala was a fundraiser for different non-profits that help countries all around the world become more efficient in their homelands. Like growing gardens, getting clean water, the use of sewing machines, etc. It is pretty neat stuff!

Trip to the Petting Zoo at Thanksgiving Point

Jen called me the other day to see if Mom and I wanted to go with she and Cannon to the petting zoo at Thanksgiving Point. So here we are!!!

Jen, Cannon and Mom at the petting ZOo at Thanksgiving Point. There were lots of fun animals to pet and look at!

Cannon and Nana looking at the goats!

Nana and Cannon after the horse pulled wagon ride. He did such a good job and loved the animals...

Cannon getting up close and personal with a cow! Cannon knows his animals sounds, too!

Pumpkin Bread

Here is the PumPkin Bread recipe that I have been using this fall. I have made two loaves already this week and they do not last long!
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup shortening
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup pumpkin
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream sugar and shortening until fluffy. Add eggs and pumpkin. Add dry ingredients to moist mixture. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until the bread tests done. Makes one large loaf. Enjoy!

Red Pepper Jelly

Chop red peppers in food processor to get two cups worth, including the juice. I used two large peppers for the two cups worth. Put in large pot.

Add one cup white vinegar and 1/2 tsp of salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for ten minutes.

Stir in 5 cups of sugar, return to rolling boil and boil, uncovered and stir for one minute. Remove from heat and immediately stir in one package of liquid Certo. Stir for five more minutes to blend.

Pour into jelly jars that are sterilized and seal. Serve over crackers with a dab of cream cheese. You are going to love this!!!