Putting up the tree

Getting the branches ready.

Lighting the Star

Everyone gets a turn putting up the star.

Putting on their own ornaments.

 

The kids were so excited to put up the tree.  They went to the storage room the day after Thanksgiving and got out all the Christmas decorations and brought them up stairs and dragged the tree to the bottom of the stairs.  Jere had to help them get the tree to the top of the stairs.   They love looking through their ornaments, and decorating the tree.  They also strung Christmas lights up in their rooms.  We love this time of year.

It's all about Dessert

I made Thanksgiving dinner this year for my family and Jenn's family.  There were 10 of us here.  I made Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, yams, green beans.  Yes it was delicious.  But to be honest we all more excited about the desserts.  Jenn and I made sure there were lots of desserts.  We had pumpkin pie, apple pie, razulberry pie, chocolate pie, green jello salad, trash, ice cream and pumpkin bread.   Ahh...So many choices.  Chema asked why we made so much and our only response was, "Because it's Thanksgiving."

It was a great day and we enjoyed spending time together and with Jenn's family.

We did a Thanksgiving lesson with the kids where we did a reader's theater of the first Thanksgiving,  and then Jere shared this quote from Abraham Lincoln:

"I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." ~Abraham Lincoln

Afterward we made a paper turkey and on each feather we wrote what we were thankful for.   We have been blessed with so much and we are grateful for our many blessings and we know where those blessing come from. 

South Dakota

Olivia had to do a states report on South Dakota. She had to make a poster and box to represent the poster. Grandama Vickie gave her lots of information on South Dakota from when they went to visit South Dakota. Jeremy and Olivia both put a lot of work into the project. I was just glad Jeremy wanted to help her with it.

Activity Days

I was called to be the activity day leader. Which is planning activities for girls ages 10-11. Olivia is in my group of girls. I have 12 girls in my group. We have activities twice a month.

This was the mother daughter dinner.

We made orange turkeys to tell what we were thankful for after having a lesson on our family history.

Olivia and her best friend Celestine.

So our we have decorated pillow cases, played a candy game to help learn the articles of faith, a family history game,  a manners hot chocolate party.  I am having fun being with the girls and doing fun things with them.  I hope Olivia likes having me in there helping.   I know she likes helping me prepare things for the activities.

My newest project

I created and maintain my school's website.  I have been using a program called iweb.  It is pretty easy to use and you don't have to know html.  The district decided that they wanted all the school websites to be hosted on a different server and to have a similar appearance.   So I have been learning how to use Word Press.  Which there are some things that are easy but there are other things that hard and take several steps to get it to appear the way you want it too.  Plus there is a lot of HTML code that you have to work with.  Thankfully there are shortcuts that you can use. It has been interesting, exciting, and a little frustrating developing the new website.  But check it out at:
http://mountaintrails.alpineschools.org/

Look at the employee pages.  They look pretty amazing and they were the hardest thing to do. 

Courage

Olivia was in a church play called "Courage." She has been going to play practice once or twice a week for the past month and half.  She had a few speaking lines and short singing solo.  She did a really good job and she had a lot of fun doing it. 

She is a pink hero!

She liked that a few of her  friends were in the play too.  This is her friend Shamae.

This the cast of her play.  On the left in white is her friend Acacia and and behind her is her friend Maddie.  

We are proud of her trying something new,  and for learning her lines and song.

Fingers Under the Door.

 

Seeing these cute fingers under the door when Devin wants in is just so cute! I want to immediately open the door and let him and hug him.  He is growing up so fast ans soon his fingers won't fit under the door and  he won't want to come in and snuggle with me anymore.  

Halloween Costumes

A Zombie and a Yoshi

A cute toad

Grim Reaper (Chema) Melificent(Jenn) Blue Ninja (Hector) White Ninja (Victor) a princess (Jasmine)

Devin is so excited about Halloween.

 

 

We had a small party at our house.  Jennifer and Chema the kids came, My friend Marianne and her family came, and us.  We had soup for dinner, then went trick or treating, then after we came back to our house to go through the candy and eat doughnuts and hot chocolate.  It was a busy but fun day.

Carving Pumpkins

Every Halloween we love to carve pumpkins.  Ok the kids love to carve pumpkins.  It isn't my favorite thing to do.

Garrett and Jeremy and group effort on their pumpkin.  Garrett wanted his big pumpkin to eat a little pumpkin.  So Garrett designed the big pumpkin and Jeremy did the little pumpkin.

Devin kept saying the "beans" were slimy and gross.

Olivia cleaned out her pumpkin and carved it all by herself.  She was so proud of herself.

See the little pumpkin is being eaten.

You know what is funny.  We have lots a pumpkins but this morning we had even more.  Some I know that we didn't carve or decorate. 

October Sayings

Olivia: For her birthday we took her to a Japanese Steak house. She asked, "Will I get to use pork chops." Oct. 2011
 
Devin: In the car today he asked if we could go to the park after the babysitter's house. I said no, because we are going somewhere else. He gets really excited and says, "The Tiki Room in Disneyland." (No won't be going back there for a long time.) Oct. 2011
 
Devin: He spilled some pudding, he says, "Oopee daisy."
(not sure where he learned that). Oct. 2011
 
Garrett: In Disneyland Garrett turns to me and says, "Mom this is the best day of my life."
Oct. 2011
 
Devin: In the car we listened to the Vanilla Ice Song "Ice Ice Baby" Devin was eating crushed ice and started to sing, "Ice, Ice, SOUP." Oct 2o11
 
Devin: While driving to California, we look out the window and tell them to look at the Desert. Devin replies, "That is not a desert that is garden planted with weeds." Oct. 2011
 
Olivia: I made some fruit dip. She tried it with grapes. She turned to me and said, "Mom this makes it very flavorly."
Oct. 2011

Devin: He picks a book to read each night. Last night he brought me a book about snakes. I read him the book. Then he walks back to his room I hear him say, "I've never read this one before that is why I picked it, so now I can check it off"
Oct. 2011

Garrett: We are planning a trip to the "desert" we will be driving through Nevada to California. He says, "I want to see the pyramids and camels." (Wrong Desert)Oct. 2011
 
Garrett: I was in the car going to the store with just Garrett. I was singing in the car. When we got out of first store he grabs my receipt and writes "Dot Inceisse me" I asked what it said, He replied, "DON'T EMBARRASS ME!"
Then a little later he says, "Mom, you have another job besides computer teacher. I said, "and being a Mom." He replied, "No, your other job is to embarrass me!" Oct. 2011
 
Devin: Jeremy and I were talking about root beer floats. Devin was sitting on the couch next to us and said, "Eat purple farts, gross!"Oct. 2011
 
Garrett: Before school we did his 20 minutes of reading. It was time to go. He looks at me and says, "Can I read 10 more minutes please." (I love that he is starting to love reading)
Oct. 2011
 
Devin: He got the ipad taken away for hitting Olivia. A few minutes later he asked, "Can I play the tie-pad?" I told him no.
Then he looks at me and smiles and says, "Can I play the tie-pad, please, SUPER please." (his cuteness almost worked but I stayed firm) Oct. 2011.
 
Devin: Jeremy was working on a new dresser for Devin. He comes out and says, "My room is almost clean." I said, "Good, are you going to keep it clean." He replies, "No, I like it messy!" Oct. 2011
 
Devin: Came home from the the store with Devin. I had conference on. He came in singing, "Follow the prophet, Follow the prophet." Oct. 2011
 
Devin: "Mom, I want Chocolita, Chocolita is like Chocolate!" (Someone has been listening to his sister speak Spanish).
Sept. 2011.