Halloween fun!

 We have had a fun Halloween season.

Dean had a field trip to a pumpkin farm and picked out a strange looking pumpkin.

The boys and I made hand and footprint ghosts.

We went to a pumpkin patch in Springville (same as last year) we saw the biggest pig we ever saw and had fun in the corn and in the hey maze.

We skipped buying a pumpkin there, they were pretty picked through and what was left was rotten. We went down the street and bought some healthy large ones at Walmart for only $1.88 each!

 We had fun carving pumpkins this year!

Dean wanted his to look surprised!

We made Brig's look like him when he does his evil laugh.

Dean dressed up like a ghost this year (the only costume I made this year). He is holding his mouth open in all his pictures to look like a ghost mouth.

Brig and Rob went as pirates that we wore 3 years ago when Dean was that age.

I went as Fiona from Shrek a costume I made our first year married (7 years ago) 

I made trick-or-treat bags for the boys this year. (a ghost and a bat)

Andrea

Warning: this is not a happy post.

Life is so hard and for some of us it is too hard. We don't know why things happen the way they do. Only God knows that!

Andi and her son

 Within minutes of posting my post yesterday my sister called and gave me the horrible news that my dear, sweet cousin, Andrea, took her life. She is 28 years old, a mother of two (5 and 4), a wife of an amazing man, who just buried his father on Saturday. My heart goes out to them during this tragic time.

Andi and I

Andi and I

My earliest memory of Andi was on the front porch of our grandmother's house. I was trying to get in to use the bathroom, I think, and she was guarding the door, ready to bite me if I came any closer. Though most of my earliest memories were similar to that one, we apparently had fun together as well, sometimes getting into trouble.

In the photo we are jumping off the bed onto the mattress thing on the floor, doing it again and again, I think we were suppose to be sleeping. I've also been told of a time we were caught in my grandparents bathroom with the entire floor covered in toilet-paper.

Salt, Pepper, and Brown Sugar

My favorite memories were the Steiner reunions, when Salt (me), Pepper (Cherese) and Brown Sugar (Andi) would share a tent (later the younger girl cousin joined us) and stay up late talking about anything and everything. Of course this would normally lead to the subject of boys at some point. I remember how freaked out she was about the thought of sex. She thought it was gross. It was gross that her parents did that and she would say she was never going to do "that" with her husband.

Cherese, Bryan, Andi, and I

A few other random memories are that she didn't like mayo or mustard. Everyone who knows her knows she loved bears. They decorated her room growing up and her house when she was older.

She seemed to have it all put together, such an easy going person. So caring, She always wanted a job where she would be able to help people. I am sure there are many people who are better due to her help. I've always admired her drive and desire to do this.

I miss you and Love you Andi! This world is not as sweet as it use to be, without our Brown Sugar!

#31, #67, #87, and #94

I've got four more things past off my list. This is actually happening easier then I thought. I re-read through the list today and realized I was passing things off and didn't even realize it. 

#31 Organize Garage -(no picture for this) we did this a few weeks ago on Sept 3. we finished up building our shelves and got everything organized. The painting of the garage will have to come later. It is sort of towards the bottom of the priority list right now.

#67 and #94 are combined (do some vinyl crafts with my silhouette machine and have canisters for all the food in my pantry.) I know they are nothing fancy, but they will be behind closet doors in the Pantry. They make me happy and I love having my food out of bags and boxes. It was fun playing with vinyl for the first time. I don't think I will be doing this small of letters again it was pretty tricky. I am looking forward to more vinyl crafts in the near future.

# 87. buy canning equipment. I didn't actually buy, but I got it as a gift from my parents. Well, I have most of it, the steamer is still on it's way, I will have it by my birthday. I still want a pressure cooker, but do to price I will just be borrowing my moms for awhile. We put Peaches up the other day.

 

First Day of School

I know this is late, but I had to post about Dean's first day of pre-school. He started school on his birthday which was a very exciting for him.

He got to bring cookies to share with the class. He also got to pick out a book as a birthday gift. He chose The Old Woman Who Swallowed Some Leaves. It a great Fall book, you should check it out. He is going on his first field trip today. They are going to a dentist office.

Things I love about Fall

photo source

I was talking to my neighbor the other day and we got on the subject of football. I told her that we are not into football at our house (we are not anti-football). She seemed surprised and asked "if your not into football then what are you into?" later in the conversation the subject of the Fall season came up. I said something about it being my favorite time of year. she again was surprised and asked why I would like fall if I don't like football? I really didn't have much to say due to my surprise that someone's life could rotate so much around a sport that they could not see what other things there are to enjoy. Here are my reasons I love Autumn:

1. cooler days
2. leaves changing
3. gardens being harvested
4. my birthday
5. making costumes
6. dressing up for Halloween
7. apple cider
8. caramel popcorn
9. everything pumpkin
10. warm soup
11. decorating my house
12. family togetherness
13. The Thanksgiving turkey run (5K)
14. Thanksgiving dinner
15. wrapping up in warm blankets
16. getting ready for Christmas
17. The giving spirit in the air
18. making gifts for others
19. canning (even if I don't do it, yet. It still reminds me of Fall)
20. wearing big sweatshirts

What are some of the things you love about fall?

Happy Fall Equinox! started today at 5:05 EDT