Thursday, October 25, 2012

Celebrating Fall

So far we have

harvested our garden,

baked chocolate chip cookies with peanut butter M&Ms instead of chocolate chips (yummy!)


learned how to knit again


tried eating chili in a jar


picked 3 huge bags of apples off our neighbors tree and made 3 pie fillings, raw applesauce, and took apples for school treats twice


put a soccer ball in a Jack-O-Lantern costume


made more Halloween decorations


finished another soccer season







made Jack-O-Lanterns out of pizza




tried out costumes






and made caramel apples



Whew! And we still need to go trick-or-treating!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Tagged!


If you're reading this, you've been tagged!
Rules to follow:
  •   you must post the rules
  •   answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post
  •   create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged
  •   let them know you tagged them
  •   No tag-backs
1.  What do you wish people understood about you?
Even though I may come across as being very opinionated and stubborn, I think I am fairly open minded and love discussing different viewpoints on many different subjects. Unfortunately, I tend to make people feel bad when I share my opinion and I hate making anyone feel bad, so, I'd rather listen to the conversation than make it controversial.
2.  If you could go back in time and have a do-over for your life (all or just part), would you?
I would redo high school with the confidence I have now.
3.  Which superhero is the most crush-worthy?  Why? Or am I the only one who swoons just a bit over guys wearing capes?
Superman!
4.  What’s the square footage of your dream house? (Let’s assume you can afford it, plus hire a housekeeper, gardener, etc. if necessary).  I really want to ask about your favorite architectural style, but that’s probably too nerdy.
If I had the money to hire a housekeeper, gardener, etc then a house about 4000 square feet should be plenty big, I wouldn't want to loose my kids in anything bigger.

As for architectural style, I don't know. I can love many different styles. I think I'd prefer a one-story with vaulted ceilings and big glass views out to my big beautiful garden (that I hope to one day grow) and a stream, or, better yet, while I'm dreaming, let's make that a view of a waterfall.

It would be a quality built home with features and style that would last over time. It would have a few fireplaces. I especially like the two-sided fireplaces so that two rooms can enjoy the same fire. There would be 3 large bedrooms with large closets. One for all the boys and one for all the girls (because some day I will have more children).

The 3rd large bedroom would be my master suite with 2 large walk-in closets, a fireplace between the bathroom and bedroom and a small sitting area. One well-lighted vanity area should be enough and it will be surrounded with walnut or mahogany woodwork (maybe cabinets --- I just don't want too much room for clutter to accumulate). A walk-in shower with no door or curtain. Water that comes out warm when turned on and a heat lamp above (because I enjoy a hot shower). Build in alcoves for my favorite shampoo and conditioner. A skylight would be nice in the bathroom too, as well as a deep jacuzzi tub next to the fireplace.

1 or 2 smaller rooms for guests.

All the floors would be dark hardwood and porcelain tile heated from beneath with radiant heat. Most rooms would be covered with beautiful thick rugs.

We would have a small office space which would also be the library. The walls would be high with tall windows, maybe stained glass if it's not too fancy, between the bookcases to let sunlight in. It would also include a fireplace and a door to the outside. 

We'd have a movie room for Eli and the guests and a playroom for the kids.

My kitchen would have a full-size pantry in which my freezer would fit, a seamless stovetop, part of a lower wall would be painted with chalkboard paint for the kids. Quartz countertop that continues down the sides (waterfall style) to the floor, because I hear quartz is the easiest of all to maintain. One large deep sink, again, seemless. A big island that the kids can fit around for baking with me and doing homework at. A fridge that has the 2 doors on top and the large freezer drawer you can pull out the bottom. Off to the side would be the breakfast nook/dinning area surrounded on 3 sides by big beautiful windows, maybe some being French doors (if that's the style that works).

Easy to keep clean would be my biggest priority. 
5.  Approximately how many pairs of shoes do you own?
About a dozen.
6.  What’s the one name you really wish you could have used for a child, but never had the chance.
Sarah and Joshua. However, I really wanted to name my son Ezekiel.
7.  Which Disney Princess do you most identify with?  Why, or do you eschew all things Disney? Do you ever use the word “eschew?”
Maybe The Little Mermaid, because I use to pretend I was a mermaid before the movie ever came out. And, no, I don't use the word eschew. Maybe I should try it out.
8.  If forced to get a tattoo (or another one, if you are already thus decorated,) what would it be and where?
I eschew tattoos. I once dated a boy that got one and I cried for him. And, no, I did not marry him. If forced to get a tattoo I don't believe I would get to choose where it went or what is was.
9.  ROAD TRIP! Okay, what popped into your head as a destination? Can I go with you? I love road trips.
Ohio. When I was a child, my family took a road trip to my grandparents every other summer and we stay just over a week. We'd stop along the way at different sites. My dad would honk his horn whenever we went through a tunnel or crossed through a time zone or over a state line. We would eat cold cereal or sandwiches on cement picnic tables at rest stops along the way.
We would always stop and get pictures at the Mississippi river, go to Geauga Lake (amusement park) with my cousins and Sea World which was just across the Geauga Lake from the park. (I guess both parks are gone now.) My grandma was a missionary for the church at some of the church history sites. This is where my testimony of Joseph Smith began.

The summer nights were warm and my cousins had dogs, lucky them! We caught lighting bugs and put 'em in jars. These are the coolest insect ever! My brothers, sisters and I would sleep in one big room wall papered from top to bottom with pink roses and on the dresser, Nana had a bowl and pitcher. (That's where I hid my candy wrappers.) At night, Nana would set up her blue oscillating fan in front of an open window to help cool it down and you could hear crickets chirping all night long.

And, yes, if I ever make it out that way again, I'd love to have you along!!!
10.  Do you buy your own birthday/Christmas presents?
Yes and yes, but it took me a while to appreciate doing it.
11.  Buy a tent and go camping, or stay in a nice hotel at night and hike a nearby national park during the day?  This is a totally selfish question because Mr. Man and I are trying to figure that out.
My choice would be a tent. I love cooking by at a campfire and eating s'mores. I love the fresh cool air and the night sounds. But, if the bears are out, a nice hotel sounds divine.




OK now for my 11 questions (that I stole from here because these are great!)

Out of 50 questions posted, these are 11 I chose:
  1. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
  2. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do?
  3. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
  4. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What’s holding you back?
  5. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
  6. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
  7. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
  8. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now?
  9. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
  10. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
  11. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

Friday, October 12, 2012

Halloween Is Coming! Oh, What FUN!

School paper was on the floor. I was going to throw it away, but, then I turned one over. This is what I saw. And, I smiled.
by Alyssa
The wart, the chin hair and her legs up like she is sitting in a chair (instead of flying a broom) was just too cute. So, I snapped a picture.