Banking Fun

Wednesday was a special lunch day at the bank. They were having a barbecue for employees and family. It was my day to watch EmmaLee - so I took her and Carson with me. I forgot how much work it is to take 2 kids somewhere - diaper bags, etc. Maybe I am just getting too old for it! Anyway - we made it there. Carson and Emma had so much fun and were so well behaved - especially for Carson. It was a day of good food and fun, and meeting more employees of the bank. Both kids were worn out when we got back home and took 2 -3 hour naps. I must admit - I was worn out too and took a nap, only not as long!

Here is Mikel with Carson at her desk. (for those of you who didn't know - she works at the bank)

Grandpa with EmmaLee - watching and laughing at Carson.
Emma - still enjoying Carson's antics.
Carson and EmmaLee loved playing with the balloons.

Peace

Last weekend Doug and I went camping - just the two of us. What a quiet, peaceful time it was up in the mountains (and cool!). We may live in the desert, but 2 hours away are the beautiful mountains and lakes. It was a time for Doug and I to wind down, relax, and just be together. We went riding on the ATV/dirt bikes, fishing, driving around the boys elk hunting unit, spot-lighting, calling in elk and played games. It was so nice to just take it easy!

The first two pictures are of Willow Springs Lake that we went fishing at. Since we towed up the trailer, and took one vehicle, we weren't able to take our boat up - so we just fished from the shore. How beautiful it was - and quiet.

As the sun was starting to go down - this blue loon was just right close to Doug. It didn't seem to bother him that we were there. (I didn't use my flash because I didn't want to scare him away).
Monday - we went fishing again, this time at Woods Canyon Lake and rented a boat. On the little drive up to the lake they have a few lookout spots. Just had to take a few shots to show you what a beautiful view it is - all the mountains and trees. Yes - this is Arizona!

And no - this IS NOT our 25th anniversary trip - as someone later asked us. We still are planning that. It may not be in November, but it will happen!

Carson 1st haircut

Well, we finally decided to get Carson his first haircut. He didn't need it really bad - it was just a little long in the back. On the top/front - well, not much there still, especially for being just over 18 months old!

Doug took Carson with him to Penny's house to both get their haircuts! What a fun father/son outing!

It's really hard to tell much difference in the pictures. Just evened everything out. He was so good to sit and let Penny cut his hair. He's such a good kid (most of the time!)

Party Time!

What a party! We celebrated EmmaLee's 1st, Kendall's 18th, and Jeremy and Jo's birthdays all on the same night. We usually try and have seperate parties - but with 4 in just over 2 weeks - too much work, so just the one party.

Here are ALL their presents before we began. (Jeremy and Jo had already gotten an early present from Doug and I - a new tent, so most of these presents are just for the Emma & Kendall) What a haul!

Jo helping EmmaLee open her presents.
Emma sitting and surrounded by her presents, wrapping, etc.
She loved these new play shoes Mikel got her.
Carson wearing Kendall's new hat. Whenever Carson sees a hat, he has to put it on. He loves them!
Watch out - he has a knife!
Some of the mess afterwards.
Here are the birthday kids - with the cake and cupcakes.
Do you think he was able to blow out all those candles with one try? Not even.
EmmaLee enjoying her cupcake!
We love birthdays around this house. Every birthday means homemade ice cream - a family favorite (imagine that!).

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Are you ready? I am! I love football season. I am so excited that Jason is playing football again this year. Jeremy and Kendall both played as freshman, but that was it. Jason is on the JV this year and is really enjoying it. He is playing both offense and defense and special teams - kick-off. He scored the first touchdown of the year for the JV team. It is so much fun to watch him play. He is very - very competitive. He loves hitting the other team players down.
Here are some pictures from his first two games. I wish I could say I took them, but I am not that good - nor can I get that close to the field. These were pulled off his team website.
By the way - Jason is #33 in all the pictures - the blue/orange uniforms. (Kendall said he didn't even have to know what number Jason was, he could tell by looking at the white legs!)

GO WESTWOOD WARRIORS!!

This last picture is by me and my little ol' camera up in the stands. Isn't quite as good as the other ones - is it!
I am really getting my quota of football this year. Doug and I bought season tickets to watch ASU play. It's been fun. I love it. Only problem - we have to miss a couple of the games. Our kids aren't complaining though - they get them! I'll have to make sure we buy them again for next year - BYU is coming to play ASU. Can you tell I am a football fan? I just wish the NFL games weren't on Sunday! Probably a good thing. I would be a big couch potato one day a week during football season.

Chili Sauce Anyone?

I grew up in Utah in a home that meant every summer we canned food - peaches, pears, cherries, green beans, made jam, pickles - well, you get the idea. When I moved to Arizona I hardly ever canned. Why? One - the fresh food was not readily available (it had to be shipped down from Utah) Two - I didn't have all the equipment Three - it is cheaper to buy it already canned in the store. All good reasons, and excuses. Consequently, my kids haven't been exposed to the fun experience of canning. Oh, over the years I have done a little bit here and there - apples and peaches - but not for quite a few years. I decided to change all that. I didn't start with the nice smelling (but messy) peaches. I started with something which I had never actually helped with, just had some and had my mom/sister's recipe. Chili Sauce. Why chili sauce you ask - because I had bought a box of tomotaoes that came from - you guessed it - Utah. I was going to see if some of my neighbors wanted some of the fresh tomotoes - but then got this great idea of canning them, but into what? Chili Sauce. With a lot of calls to my mom with questions and encouragement, I began.

I started out with grinding the green bell peppers, red bell peppers, and the hot peppers. It then came to the grinding of the onions. My family didn't like this one bit. Oh - man did they ever complain of burning eyes. What could they complain about - they were all in other rooms, I was the one actually standing there cutting up and grinding the 8 onions. And yea, they did burn the eyes some (actually a lot) and really gave me a good reason to cry!

Finally, grinding up all those tomotoes. I wasn't sure if my pan was going to hold it all.
It did - barely, then on went the salt.
Stirred it all up and put it in a clean pillowcase in my sink to let it drain the liquid out all night.
What a great smell that was to have - all night long!
Into the pan it went this morning. Now, my kids will really have something to complain about - the smell because in another pan I boiled vinegar, sugar and mustard seed - then added to this pan. (picture doesn't have the liquid added yet)
Boiled them together, put them in my jars and Ta-da - Chili Sauce.
What will I do with this chili sauce you ask. Well, mostly I will use it when I make a favorite of my family - Thousand Island Dressing. It tastes nothing like store bought thousand island! Other than that - I will have to ask my mom what to do with it. It is her recipe! Besides, don't we all go to our mom's when we need some advice and help. Thanks mom!

Kendall is 18!

I have a BIG appology to make to Kendall - I didn't get his birthday wishes up on the blog! It isn't because I didn't care, I just hadn't done much on the blog lately, and we actually celebrated his birthday on the Sunday before. So here it is Kendall -

HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY!

Kendall was born on 9-9-90 at 8:09. In delivery the doctor and nurses asked if I wanted to wait another hour to deliver so it would be 9-9-90 at 9:09. No way - I was ready to have him NOW!

Nine years ago Kendall turned 9 on 9-9-99. Even though turning 18 on 9-9-08 doesn't have quite the same flow to it, it is still a pretty big day!

Growing up, Kendall was a very happy, go lucky child, I don't think any of my other kids had quite the twinkle in their eye like he did. He just loved life and everything to do with it!

He is so good with Carson - absolutely adores him, and Carson adores him. Dani does to.

I love you Kendall. There is a place in my heart that only you can fill.

Now - since you are offically 18 - don't forget to vote!

I Wanna Be Just Like Dad!

Yesterday when Doug was ready to leave for work - he came over to give me my good-bye kiss. Next thing I know, Carson is standing right next to me all puckered up for a kiss too. I gave him his kiss - and off he went to the door, waiting for Daddy. He was ready to leave for work too. He had major disappointment when Daddy told him it wasn't "take your baby to work day" and left without him. Isn't it so cute when your little boys imitate their dads - and amazing just how much they notice? It melted my heart when he came over for his kiss all puckered up - and made me so sad when he cried so hard when Daddy left!

Happy Birthday to my Firstborn!

Today is Jeremy's 24th birthday. Unbelievable! He can't be that old - can he? Well, he is.

Jeremy has grown up to be such a wonderful man - father, husband and son. It's hard to believe he was a little terror and always into mischief and trouble. (Hmm - should I tell you about the time he was mad at me so took scissors and cut my only maternity dress I had to wear - when I was pregnant with Kendall? Or about the time he and a friend took eggs and threw them all over their kitchen - which they had just cleaned as they were moving?) Despite all this (and more) he has become an upstanding man- Eagle Scout, returned missionary, etc....

I love you Jeremy. I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful son - especially for being my first. You have been - and are - a wonderful example to your younger siblings.

I hope you have the best of birthdays.

This is a picture Jeremy sent to us while serving in Venezuela.
Here he is with Grandma Pickett and EmmaLee a couple of weeks ago
The proud papa and husband. He sure is one lucky fella!

Food for the future?

I don't know about all of you - but trying to plan, buy, and use my food storage (3 month supply and longer storage) is a major project. I do have a quite a bit of storage. I also do really good for a while using it, rotating it, then slack off. Then Doug asks me how I am doing with it - I feel guilty - and start the process again. I have a few books about it, go to classes about it, and have quite a bit of knowledge about it - but still am not the greatest in the implementing part. Then - we get to 72 hour kids, emergency plans - and my head just wants to spin. I so admire all those people who can live their life buying, using and rotating their storage. They are usually the ones who also have their 72 hour kits and are ready for any emergency! (I did do the food part of the 72 hour kit in RS a few years back - and just had to throw it all out - it was all outdated!) I am not the supermom nor do I see it in my future!

For all of you like me - who need help with this - I found a pretty good blog with lots of ideas - and it even has a plan! This lady takes you step by step in getting your 72 hour kits ready (like getting it over a period of time) and is also working on the longer storage. She also has printables of things such as 3 month supply shopping dinner menu and what to have in your emergency car kit. Anyway - check out this blog: www.safelygatheredin.blogspot.com
Let me know what you think. I think I want to be like her when I get my act together - which going by what it is now, may be in 20 years or so!