Winter Strikes Southern Utah

We awoke one morning to a dusting of snow...and frigid temps!
Brad found the coats, gloves, and boots for the kids and they got geared up for the trip to school.
This all seems waaay to sooooon..brrrrr.

A-Corny Family

I've always loved acorns! I love the way the little hats fit on the heads and look like little people falling from the tree. It reminds me of collecting chestnuts with my Mom this time of year. I don't remember what we did with those things but I do remember going to Utah State and wandering around Old Main looking for chestnuts. The ones with some of their shell still attached were always my favorites.
The other day Jack and I were out on a walk with Max Pinto..the dog. Near our house we came upon a bunch of acorns that had fallen from a tree. I couldn't help but start collecting them and trying to find the "hat" that should fit on the nut. Jack got into it quickly and before we knew it we had hands full and pockets full to take home. When we got home we used a small stick I had also picked up on our walk and started creating our family to sit on that stick. Cairo and Charlie got involved and we soon had extended family included. Sitting on a twig of a family tree. Spontaneous crafts and fun always seem to work out to be the best at building memories and creating the cutest outcome.

Butternut Squash Soup

I adapted this recipe from one Lori Hansen, a friend from Provo who came to visit us in Abu Dhabi, made for a luncheon a long time ago.
It is so yummy and warming for this time of year. I encourage you to try it.

My changes included the following:
1 can of pear slices rather than a fresh pear
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 leek instead of onion..simply because that's what I had on hand.
Garnished with pomegranite seeds for a little tart crunch

Thankful Every Day

Every day we each use a slip of paper to write something we are THANKFUL for. When people come to visit we try to remember to ask them to write a "THANK YOU NOTE" and slip it into our little box in the kitchen.
This box is just the magnetic pencil box that came from IKEA and goes on our magnet board. I made the turkey picture from clip art and put magnets on the back of it to decorate the box for Thanksgiving. It's a great way to encourage all of us to think of at least 1 thing every day we are thankful for.

Harvest Holiday

The weekend before Halloween was a break from school for the kids. Luckily, we took the name of Harvest Holiday seriously on the first day and chose that day to harvest our pumpkins from the garden because it rained everyday after that.

Halloween Run for Cancer Fund Raiser

On the morning of Halloween Eve Brad, Cairo and I went south to warmer weather for a good cause. One of Brad's colleagues has a sister suffering from cancer and there was a 5K run to raise money for her. It was so nice to drive only 40 minutes and feel 10 degrees warmer..It warmed our hearts too.

Halloween Fun

World's ROCKSTAR Dad!

After 5 days off school under low dark clouds and freezing rain blowing sideways, Cairo awoke this morning letting me know we needed to run to WalMart before school so she could pull together her idea of the perfect Rockstar costume!
OK. At least the sun is shining today.
After I explained to her that the Red Ribbon Week committee at her school certainly didn't plan this day to have parents and kids run out and buy rockstar costumes a week before Halloween and that she would have to do her best with all the costumes and other things we have around the house, she started giving me the silent treatment. I could see something shaping up in the way of a costume but I just watched and waited to let her work it out..Then, I could see her talking to her personal ROCKSTAR...DAD.

Brad had just returned from the gym and he was sitting at the breakfast table sending her running this way and that around the house to collect different items.
Before I knew it, he was putting make-up on her face and helping her into shimmer leggings. She was going to be a KIZZ CHICK.
Only Brad could have pulled off this parenting success. He makes it fun. Makes it perfect. Let's be honest, if I would have even had the creative music mind to suggest such a thing I wouldn't have gotten past the words "KIZZ CHICK" before she rolled her eyes that were welling up with tears!

What would any of us, especially me, do without this Rockstar of a man, Dad, professor, Dr. Hotpants...He made her into the Rockstar she didn't even know she had in her dreams! She ran off to the bus with a giant smile on her face. I'm crazy about that guy!


Jack and Charlie decided (WHEW) to be the ROCKSTARS that they are in everyday life..making good choices and being kind to everyone. Those were easy costumes for me to pull together...

Brad Coaches Charlie and Jack

The boys played flag football again this year and what a difference a year makes! Brad was the coach and had a great assistant in Keith Gilbert another father. The team really seemed to catch on to the concepts of the game. Defense was great. Offense usually scored if the ball made it from the center to the QB. Both Jack and Charlie were fantastic players and I was so thrilled to watch them celebrate each other in success. Jack is super fast and was a great receiver and running back. Charlie was also great on offense but really found his place as a "Defensive Monster". Even when they had the ball, Charlie got a real thrill out of protecting the ball through great blocking. It was a great season and the team only lost twice to the same team...It's so much fun to watch the twins and Brad out there on the field together. Brad was such a patient and good coach. Often, when someone was out of place on the line he would just pick them up and move them over a few feet. There isn't much a man can do that is sexier than be a great father!

Cairo's Volcano Project

The 5th graders always do a volcano project for science. Cairo did hers today. We put it together last night and today she did the presentation for her classmates. It's built around a 2 liter bottle of Coke and to make it erupt she opened the Coke bottle and added several Mentos. As the photos show, it was a huge success.