Mad Science Fun!

Today Nathan is having a "Mad Scientist" birthday party. So I am off to make a volcano cake and practice my "scientific"experiments. I will borrow Sammi's camera so I can blog the pictures on Monday!

Have a great weekend!!

Wacky Hair Day

Yesterday my kids had "wacky hair day" at school. My two oldest, being on student counsel, get really into it and go crazy. Sammi pinned Barbie clothes all over her head with a sign that said "Barbie was here". Allison had a major Fro going on and we sprayed her hair all different colors.

Nathan, my 6 year old today (happy birthday), doesn't have much to work with so he said he just wanted orange hair and that was good.

So we hosed his head down with a nice fluorescent orange. His little friend across the street came over to walk with Nathan to the bus stop. He saw Nathan's hair and wanted his head sprayed just the same.

After a phone call to his mom, we hosed his head down too. They were so happy as they walked to the bus.

Funny thing is, last night when we washed his hair, we discovered that orange didn't want to come out. YIKES! Yes he has a pumpkin head this morning. And even better - so does his friend across the street.

So, if you are planning on orange hair this Halloween, and want the color to stick around, I highly recommend the product in the picture! It colors great - and then some. Hee Hee!

This is how I feel right now. We had a fun birthday dinner at a restaurant with friends for Jeff's birthday. And yes, I did -that is LEAVE MY CAMERA ON THE TABLE!!!!!!

Unfortunately the waitress or bus boy or whoever, is not honest because it is not in the lost and found.

I hope they enjoy my camera while the batteries last because funny thing - I have the charger. And - oh yeah - I hope they get some good pictures developed - but oh, funny thing, I have all the cords for that too!

So whoever you are - enjoy my camera!! In the meantime, I am dying because I can't take pictures of anything. Bear with me until I purchase a new camera. Dang it!

Book of the Week

One of my favorite books of all time is A Tale of Two Cities. I don't know why I picked it up - maybe it was because I kept hearing it quoted in conference.

It is a beautiful story of true sacrifice. I remember being so touched by this book. The very end is the pay off, so if you read it, stick it out.
You can get it here for $ .75.

Oh So Good!

I finally made this cake recipe my cousin Alice blogged about. It was Oh So Good!
I thought I would pass it on.

Applesauce Spice Cake

2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. butter, soft
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and sugar, then beat in eggs and applesauce. Stir in dry ingredients. Bake in greased 9 x 13" cake pan for about 45 minutes. (I've never done so, but I'm sure you could bake this in 2 rounds, though you would need to adjust the baking time.) Frost with "Grandma Frosting." (see recipe below)

Grandma Frosting
2 c. powdered sugar
6 T. butter, soft
1 (scant) T. flour
1 egg white
2 T. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Beat until fluffy. Adjust milk and sugar to reach the desired consistently. (It shouldn't be too stiff.)

I Found It!

Every Christmas, Jeff and I always give our kids some sort of non-practical fun gift. (At least we try to.)
Years back when we first started this tradition, we gave our kids a Jump-o-lene. It was great fun! We set it up right in the middle of the family room and left it there until they popped it weeks later! It was totally in the way, but nothing was more fun than watching them dive bomb, superman style, every time they came in the family room! Another Christmas we gave them a Yerf Dog Go-cart! We still have so much fun zipping around the desert on this thing. The best part is the seat slides up so the kids can drive it!
So much fun!
Now that the kids are getting a bit older, last year we bought a little motorcycle to join the Yerf Dog zipping around the desert.
But our toys are starting to get more and more expensive as we go.

So I was so thrilled when I found these fun carpet skates!! It's a totally fun, non-practical, silly gift that I know my kids will love. Especially since we have a front room full of carpet and no furniture!

These are inexpensive and look like so much fun!

I might have to get me a pair.
Vacuuming could be a whole new experience!
Christmas is still months away, but I am so excited to have found the "fun" gift!

Again, I don't have much time for blogging. Tomorrow is Jeff's birthday, and I am doing all the yard work, so he won't have to on his birthday. So, I am off to play in the dirt.

Isn't this picture funny. It's called "Gardening gone wrong". Have a great weekend!

Busy Day

It's a busy day today. I will be back tomorrow with some good blogging! Have a great day!

Family Night Chart

I finally finished mine!
Now the kids never let me get out of spending time together!
Yeah for charts!

Book of the Week

A Return to Modesty by Wendy Shalit. In this book, she talks about the lost virtue - modesty, and how with it, women have the power. A very interesting take on the subject - I highly recommend it! You can get it here.

Shabby Apple

I love these cute dresses from Shabby Apple.

ALL IS WELL

Turn up the volume, sit back, close your eyes, and enjoy!

That Time Again

Last year I didn't get around to it, but it's that time again, and I am ready - to plant a garden!!

For those of you that live in the southwest... it's time to start now. Manure those garden beds and get ready!

As soon as the temps leave the 100's, you can plant. I know it's feels like it will never do that, but fall will be here before you know it! So what are you waiting for?

Sweet

I was organizing my pictures on the computer yesterday, and realized that I didn't have a picture of my first try at a really cool gingerbread house.

I was so bummed because I want to try and make one each year (and hopefully get better every time) and see how I have come along.

Then my sister-in-law, April, saves the day and emailed me this picture she took last Christmas! Yeah for April!!!!!

Wallah! My first attempt!

Spooky Memories

I walked into Michael's craft store last night and couldn't believe what I saw. Christmas decorations already! Ahhh... what are they trying to do to me!

Well it got me thinking about the fall season and I was remembering the first haunted house we did back in 2005. I was too fun! Here's a couple pictures of the outside and spooky "cast". What's on the inside remains a secret... you will have to come inside this Halloween if you ever want to find out!!

Finger-lickin-good!

I finally made this recipe from my recipe club. Delicious!

Citrus Chicken

Marinade

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 2 T. orange juice
• 1 T. minced fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp garlic minced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp white pepper
• boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 or more)

Sauce

• 1 T. minced garlic
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 2 T. orange juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 2 T. butter, cut into bits

Combine marinade in shallow dish and marinade chicken for at least six hours or in the fridge overnight. Grill or broil chicken how ever you like it. For the sauce, saute garlic in oil in a saucepan over medium high heat until golden brown. Add the rest of the ingredients except the butter. Cook to reduce by 1/2. Add butter and allow to melt, then serve over the chicken!

Book of the Week

Okay, all you Jane Austen fans -this is a must read! Seriously laugh-out-loud-funny!
If you have ever dreamed about a "Mr. Darcy" of your own, you're in for a real treat!
It's AUSTENLAND by Shannon Hale. You can get it here.

Vacation Memories

We spent the last 5 days with my brother Eldon and his family at Disneyland. Here are a few pictures!

Here are the girls with the lovely Jasmine!
This was a Nathan approved ride... not to scary!
Eldon made sure we stopped off in frontier land to shoot the rifles.
It was pretty fun. I even think Eldon out shot Jeff!

Here we are at the California Adventure Park.

The roller coaster behind us is my favorite ride!!

We ran into so many fun characters to sign the kids autograph books.

I highly recommend the character dining.

We had several characters visit our table!

Here's my little pirate.

Loved the Aladdin show.

This is just outside the theatre.

Click on this picture and you will see Jeff and Eldon holding hands.

What a bunch of girls!

Nathan wouldn't get in any pictures with girl characters.

What's up with that?

We had such a great trip. The best part was that it was Disney's off season and the longest we ever waited for a ride was 20 minutes (and that was for Peter Pan). AAHHHH.... it really is the magic kingdom!

But we are home again and it's back to the grind! I just have to get over my incredibly stiff neck. I can't decide if it was the backpack, the kids, or the whiplash from the rides, but my neck is completely out today. Am I getting old or something?

On Vacation

I will be spending the next 5 fun filled days at Disneyland.

YA HOO!

I will be back Monday!

Jeff's idea of "Daddy Daughter Date Night"

It was Allison's turn to have a date night with dad. She picked Chinese food for dinner of course... because that is her favorite. (At least it used to be.)

So Jeff found a new Chinese buffet that he heard was good.

As they went through the line, Jeff spied a nasty looking squid (NOT Calamari)

- gooey, tentacles and all.

He told Allison he'd give her $10 bucks to eat it. She refused.

$20 - no

$30 - no

A new outfit at the mall?

Here's the tentacles...

Here's Allison playing with them

Here she is eating them...

Here's Allison almost puking!

Here's Allison in her new outfit from the mall!

Got to love those nights out with dad!