Christmas in Oregon

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Hi Everyone-I'm so excited that this slideshow worked-It took me an hour! Anyway, I just wanted to share some of our pictures. We had such a fun time with Mom and Dad-except it went way too fast! The beach was fantastic-great weather, good food, a perfect beach house (except for Mom's sleeping accomodations...sorry, Mom!). Lots of good memories.

family pictures

Do I look old, or what-and that's AFTER photoshoping!
Well, it was a beautiful Fall afternoon, and I guess we can't keep those great pictures from five years ago when there were less wrinkles around, since the kids were 8, 5, 2 and not in existance. Oh well, with age comes wisdome, right?

Cabin time!

Ed with Grandma and Grandpa Thurman carrying their little trees. Eddy was a trooper. The hike wasn't too long, but it was a little steep and slippery-he did great, though he did roll down a small embankment and almost into a creek!

I just made this for Johanna today! Isn't it cute? She and Logan are performing in Monster Concert tomorrow, so I may make her a black one to wear to that-it was so easy!

Johanna in front of the old barns at the cabin-it was snowing "powdered sugar" the whole time we were there and there-it was so beautiful!

On our way to hike up and get our Christmas tree. Johanna brought her friend Hannah with us

Blake and Logan with our tree selection. Blake brought his tape measure so that we didn't get one too big for our livingroom. I think it's going to be fabulous!!


We had a wonderful time at the cabin last weekend. I can't say much for the drive-it's so long!!! However, once we arrived, that's all forgotten. We were only there one day, but we enjoyed sleeping in, a lovely hike, good food, games and movies. After church Sunday, it was time to clean up and head out already! We had to stop on the way home because after a well placed smack in the nose (I won't name the guilty brother), Eddy had a major bloody nose that just wouldn't stop! I have to admit-kind of scary-thank goodness for baby wipes-I still keep them in my car-so handy!

Halloween

Halloween on Sunday could have been a bummer, but it turned out to be pretty fun...only with less candy (probably a good thing, however, I miss all the Reeses PB cups that I usually get to snag from the kid's pumpkins-I call it...the mom tax).

Our ward had a trunk or treat and chili feed on Saturday night. We all had a great time at that, and the kids got a good amount of treats. Johanna's friends all arrived early at our house so that they could come with us. Johanna was one of the three musketeers with two other friends and another friend was Luna Lovegood.

Sunday we had a "party" at our house after dinner. We played lots of Halloween themed games and had grape juice/lime sherbet/7-up floats. We gave out the rest of our candy to the neighbors-most of it (about 350 pieces~!) went to the trunk or treaters on Saturday.

The kids all looked cute in their costumes. I had bought viking hats for Logan and Camden, but they were plastic, uncomfortable and kept falling off, so I just made some out of fleece-perfect! They stayed on and were fuzzy to boot!

Katy's recipe requests

Steak and Mushroom Stew

6 oz. diced bacon
3-4 lb. chuck roast-cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and pepper
2 small onions, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbl. tomato paste
3/4 lb brown mushrooms
3 Tb. dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Season roast chunks with salt and pepper. Brown roast, bacon and onion together for a few minutes and then add diced veggies, mushrooms and garlic and saute a few minutes more. Stir in tomato paste, broth and mustard. Transfer to a slow cooker and cook on high 3-4 hours-you can add more broth or water if you want it more soupy. Stir in parsley. Serve over sour cream mashed potatoes (or plain).

Soft Pretzles

1 1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp. dry yeast
2 Tb. brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups flour-part wheat if desired

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in bowl of mixer. Let stand until dissolved or foamy. Add shortening and sugar and salt. Mix in flour for about 5 minutes, until smooth and streachy. Let rise in bowl of mixer (covered) for 1/2 to 1 hour. Form into pretzle shapes. Dip into baking soda bath and place on greased pans. Cover and let rise again for 1/2 to 1 hour, until puffy.
Bake in 450 oven for 6-10 minutes (watch it). Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with kosher or other coarse salt

Baking soda bath-2 cups warm water and 2 Tb. baking soda-mix well

Another recipe we liked:

Chicken Not Pie (healthy..from Blake's running mag)

1/4 c. olive oil
2 leeks-washed and chopped (I use the white and some of the green)
1 can (2 cups) chicken broth
1/2 tsp. thyme or tarragon
2 boneless chicken breast
3 large red potatoes, chopped into cubes
2 carrots, cut into coins
1/2 lb. snow peas, trimmed
1/2 lb. asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces (I used zuchinni instead)
2 Tb. fresh squeezed lemon juice

Saute leeks, salt and pepper to taste for five minutes in the oil. Add broth, thyme and boil one minute. Add chicken, potatoes and carrots and simmer, covered, for five minutes or until chicken is almost done. Add peas and asparagus or zuchinni and cook for 3 minutes. Remove chicken and chop-return to pan. Add lemon and serve over brown rice...delicious!

Fall activitties we are glad to be done with

Logan's soccer team after their game last Saturday

These are the cupcakes I made for my piano recital. The chocolate spiders looked really cute on them and they were gone in a minute-I didn't even get one!

Logan's soccer cake for his last game turned out really cute. I got this idea online and the kids loved it-they all crowded around us after the game exclaiming "where am I?!" It's two cake mixes, so everyone could have white or chocolate-I put one flavor on each side. So easy!

Johanna with the 10 baby gowns she sewed for her first 10 hour young women's project.

I love Fall!!!

I think that October is my favorite month. I love that the holidays are just around the corner. I love harvest time-especially since we live in an agricultural area where produce abounds. It always amazes me that food is so plentiful here-there's no excuse for anyone to go hungry. I love pumpkins and the color orange. I love crisp Fall days and cooler temperatures. I love Fall food!!!
My kids had a great time visiting a local small farm on Friday (no school). We ostensibly went there to pick grapes. The grapes were'nt great, but the hayride, baby goats (cookies and cream), trampoline and big rope swing were! I did get 11 quarts of juice.

Flirty witch? No, it's only Johanna, posing in a picture Grandma H had asked for...cute, huh?

Gluttons for Grapes!! So, eleven quarts of delicious, antitoxidant rich grape juice just wasn't enough, so we drove to Payette (an hour away) to pick some more. Grape heaven-you could smell them and they were literally dripping off the vines. We went there last year and just like then, we all had a fabulous time reveling in the wonderful grape bounty. We probably picked too much, and I will probably regret it as I get more and more tired of steaming grapes this week. It was great though.