Our Pumpkins

We carved pumpkins Monday night! My mom and I cleaned out the pumpkins earlier in the day so when the guys got home from work, all we had to do was carve! Such a great idea for any of you with young kids! Cut down some of the time! :) We lit up our pumpkins last night and I took some fun pictures!

Here is a picture of me trying to take a picture of our pumpkins glowing. You have to take off the flash first! :)

Another one with the flash.

Can you see the picture in the pumpkin? Kylee picked that for Jayce. My pumpkin is in the back!
And here is Kylee and Jared's (in the back). Do you see the picture of Kylee's?

Halloween Pictures

Here are some new pictures. My mom likes to buy outfits for the kids around this time of year and then take pictures. They are always cute!

Here are my girls!! :) They are all just getting so big.

Here are all the cousins.

Jaxon was done with pictures! He had enough!

Later that day, we went to Jakers Pumpkin Patch and got pumpkins! Here is Jayce trying to find her way in the pumpkin patch!
My girls picking their pumpkins! It was beautiful!

Kylee would RUN around the whole maze. Such a great aciton shot!

Jayce, my Jayce!
Kylee again. I had a hard time getting pictures of her! She is so FAST!

Happy Birthday Kylee Maureen

Happy Birthday My Little Kylee!

What a sweet little girl we have and I have been so blessed to have her as our first little girl! It has been so fun to see her growing up and becoming her own little person. She has always been a little independent one! She is such a good little girl (she has her moments, like ALL of us!) Love you my girly girl!

Happy Birthday Jaycelyn Jane!

Happy Birthday Jaycers!

Two years ago today, our little sister was born. She was scheduled to come on the 23rd, but decided to come during Kylee's birthday party! What an event to have everyone at our house and me trying to hide the fact that I was having contractions and they were getting closer and closer and harder and harder. I was hoping that I could at least get through the party and then go to the hospital! Nope, that didn't work. We had to cut the party short and head to the hospital. They held me off as long as they could because I was on the blood thinner and wanted to make sure it was out of my system enough to have this baby! AT 3:03 she was born and we welcomed our little girl! She has been a blessing and joy to our family! We love you little one!

Happy Birthday Girls!

My girls (Kylee and Jayce) have their birthdays coming up so we had a little party for the family yesterday! WOW! It is so crazy to have their birthdays together. It is like having twins, or like Christmas around here! They had a great day and a big thank you to all that came and for the wonderful presents! We are so blessed to have such great families! We love you all!!

Sunday Pictures

Yesterday before church I decided to take some pictures of my girls. They were being so funny. I just can't take pictures of them. Some other person needs to so they will be better and not pull such funny faces and poses! What silly gals!

Grandpa Lund's Birthday

Last Monday, Jared, the girls, and I went down to visit Jared's grandparents for Grandpa's birthday. The girls love it down there. Here are a few cute pictures!
Kylee loved holding Jayce and Jayce loved it when Kylee held her and rocked her! Such funny girls.

Emily Laughing

I know that I haven't posted pictures in long time. A couple of weeks ago, the girls had Jared blow up some balloons for them. I do not like balloons. The sound of them when the girls scratch them, the popping sound, ick! My phobia is balloons!! Anyway, Jared blew up some balloons for them and Emily LOVED that! What a cute little girl and Kylee and Jayce are so good to her!

Tagged

I haven't done a tag in awhile and thought I would do this one. Jen tagged me!

4 things I love about my husband:
1. He his so handy
2. He loves his kids (and me too!)
3. He love the gospel and is a great example!
4. Is so kind!

4 Movies I would watch more than once:
1. Sense and Sensibility
2. IronMan
3.
4.
4 TV shows I watch more than once:
1. 24
2. Life
3. The Hills (guilty pleasure!!!)
4. The Amazing Race

4 Places I have been:
1. Mexico
2. Barbados
3. Florida
4. Canada

4 People who email me regularly
1. Mom
2. Jared
3. Mom
4. Jared

4 Favorite Foods
1. Chinese
2. A good soup
3. Blizzards
4. Mexican

4 Places I would like to visit
1. Alaska
2. Bora Bora
3. Asia
4. England

4 Things I am looking forward to this coming year
1. No newborn during the holidays
2. Finishing the basement
3. Halloween parties!
4. Jeffs Family Christmas Party

4 People I would like to tag
1. Mom
2. Andi
3. Megan
4. Christine

Trauma

Kylee had a dentist appointment this morning. Kylee and I went back in July to get our teeth cleaned. Kylee had some cavities. After hearing that, I went home and cried for a few days! I felt like the worst mom ever. What mom lets her kids get cavities! :) I know that it happens, I just felt horrible. I get super nervous going to the dentist and I think that just picturing her having to have all that work done made me feel her pain. We went back to the dentist to get them filled and that didn't work so well. She got one of her cavities filled, but it was traumatic. We tried again a couple months later, but she wouldn't have any of that. The dentist tried to use laughing gas, but she didn't like that either. Our only other option was to go to a pediatric dentist that would sedate her. SEDATE HER! Those words scared me to death. I am not much of a medicine person. They scare me. I know that they are here to help us, but they just scare me! Anyway, we made an appointment and went to see him and get her checked out. We then set the appointment for the sedation dentistry. I was feeling a little better. I knew that we had to get this taken care, no other options on that one! Well, to make a long story LONGER! She had her dentist appointment this morning, early this morning! She did great. They gave her the medicine and then we played in the waiting area. She never really showed any signs of getting sleepy. They called us back and when she sat in the chair she was sure sleepy. She slept through most of it and did get a little upset, but then calmed down. I don't think she remembers any of it! At least, I hope she doesn't. I want her to be more comfortable with the dentist than I am!

200th Post!

Can you believe it! I have been blogging for a really long time. I was just thinking and I started the blogging bit when I was pregnant with Jayce, and she turns two in just a couple of weeks! Wow, how time flys!



I have wonderful and exciting news! The basement is done being texturized! Well, the main room, the bathroom, and the linen closet! I am going to go get some primer today and then we will paint on Saturday! I am so excited for this!!!! :) Jared is too! He will soon have his "man cave." We have come along way, in a year!!! :) It seems so crazy that Jared started the framing on this last winter! Well, it is coming along now. Jared is hoping to get the other rooms hung with drywall and mudded and taped before we get the carpet. We are going to probably carpet the whole thing!

The Subway

Last weekend Jared went with the bishopbric from our ward on a trip. They hiked the Subway at Zions. Jared came home and told me it was a pretty tough hike. They started at 8:00 in the morning and ended at 4:00. WHAT A HIKE!! You have to do some repelling and I didn't think I would like that at all. But then I saw these pictures and now I want to go!! Look at how beautiful!

Happy First Day of Autumn!

I love the fall. I wish that it would last longer. I always feel like the leaves change and I never seem to be able to enjoy them as much as I want. I never am able to get my fill! The weather at this time of year is so lovely. Nice and cool. Not to hot and not too cold! What more could we all ask for. I can almost smell the apples and cinnamon, the burning candles inside pumpkins. Saturday afternoon, I went with my parents up to the cabin to get the 4wheelers for Jared. Oh my goodness! The colors up there were fabulous! I think each year they get brighter! Get up there quick! Enjoy the colors! To celebrate the Autumn Equinox, have a lovely dinner of some comfort food. Comfort food at our house consists of taco soup, cornbread, yummy honeybutter, and then some delicious apple dumplings with homemade icecream! Now, all of you get your comfort food going tonight. Celebrate the first day of fall and savor every moment of this lovely season we get to enjoy!

Miss Emily

Miss Emily is just getting bigger and bigger. Lately, she has been getting up on her knees. She really wants to crawl. I got some video. It isn't the best. The first video, she doesn't scootch, but she is just so cute in the video.


Here is a cute video of her scootching. Kylee seems to think she has to help! What a big sis!

New Projects

I have been into canning lately. Last week, my mom came down to my house and we canned some apple pie filling. I got this recipe from Jared's grandma. She gave me some of hers last year. It is so nice. You just take the quart of pie filling, place it in your pie shell, put some butter on it and into the oven it goes. Such an easy idea! I loved it! So, this year, I talked my mom into doing some! We did 18 quarts! Yummo.

Here is the recipe

Canned Apple Pie Filling
4 ½ cups sugar
1 cups cornstarch
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
10 cups water
3 tbsp lemon juice
Cook sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and water until bubbly and clears a bit then add the lemon juice. Peel and slice apples. Pack apples into 1 qt jars, leaving 1 inch of head space. Pour syrup over apples and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 30 minutes. To make pie, place 1 qt filling in 9 inch pie crust. Dot pie with butter and seal.

Yesterday, we went up to my mom's house and did peaches. I LOVE canned peaches. I had found a recipe for some canned peach pie filling and thought it would be lovely too. You can do peach pie, cobbler, crisp, whatever your heart desires.

Canned Peach Pie Filling
25 cups sliced peaches
2 tsp almond extract
2 tsp yellow food coloring
7 tbsp lemon juice
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cup instant clear jel (1 cup cornstarch)
5 cups sugar
Combine peaches and almond extract. Mix together yellow food coloring and lemon juice and add to peaches. Add water. Mix together salt, instant clear jel, and sugar and add to peaches. Put in jars; cold pack 15 minutes. Makes 7 quarts.

Thanks mom for helping me and be willing to make a mess of your house! (Between the kids toys and the sticky peaches)!

Weekly Menus

So, most of you who know me very close know that I am a very list oriented person. I love to make lists of things to do for the day. I would probably drive a lot of you NUTS!!! I am sure that it would drive Jared nuts if he knew really what I was doing. He just knows that we have things to do! Anyway, on to my lists. I have all of my household chores split up throughout the week. I hate spending a lot of time cleaning my house, but I love a clean house. So, for all of you who are interested, this is how my household chores go

Monday - water plants, dust, wash back window, mop, 1 load of laundry
Tuesday - vacuum house, clean kitchen, 1 load of laundry, clean stove
Wednesday - change bedsheets, 1 load of laundry, iron, cut out coupons
Thursday - clean bathroom, vacuum house, clean kitchen, 1 load of laundry
Friday - 1 load of laundry, weed
Saturday - vacuum house, clean kitchen, 1 load of laundry

I do 1 load of laundry a day because I hate to have lots and lots and lots of folding to do. Honestly, I barely get through the 1 load a day!!!

I have found a new list!!! Simple Mom has a fun post about menu planning. I have always wanted to do this, but just have never been able to stick with it!! I finally found a plan that I might be able to stick with. Simple Mom has this suggestion for menus

Monday - Mexican
Tuesday - Pasta
Wednesday - Asian
Thursday - Crock pot
Friday - Pizza and salad (Jared will LOVE this!)

She does something for Saturday and Sunday and I will see if I will. I have not been very good about cooking on the weekend. Last Saturday, I actually sat down and planned out our meals for 2 weeks and went and bought the ingredients! It has been so nice to have it planned that when 5:00 rolls around I don't find myself saying "What is for dinner? I haven't pulled out any meat yet?" And then there is the energy it takes to try and think of something and then pull of a great dinner! This is what I have been up to lately. MAKING LISTS!!!

The Basement

I am getting so excited! I am sure Jared is also. Lately, he will take his church binder down into the basement and shut the door so that the people he has to call don't hear our kids screaming! I think we are crowding him out!! Anyway, Jared has been working so hard on our basement and I want to give you an update of his hard work. He has been working on the drywall. A neighbor has been over to help. They usually will start around 8:30 or 9:00 at night. They are pretty noisy, but the girls sleep through it and that is all that matters!! Here are some pictures.

This is a picture of the "man cave." I am standing where the kitchen area will be and you can see the stairs going upstairs on the left.

This is a pictures of the kitchen area. I am standing near the bottom of the stairs.
Here I am also standing at the bottom stairs. The kitchen area is on the far left, the linen closet is in the middle and then you can see the doorway to the bathroom. There is a door on the right of the bathroom leading to a bedroom.
Here is a lovely picture of our bathroom. We had to tweak our designs for the bathroom. Well, I guess I helped Jared see the light. We have 3 girls and when they get to be teenagers, we are going to need a bigger bathroom than the one upstairs. We tweaked the designs of the bathroom here so that we could fit in a bigger counter top area and Jared even put in one more outlet so that they will have enough for all the blow dryers, curling irons, flat irons, whatever they just might need!!
Here is a picture of the doorway to the bedroom that is next to the bathroom.
Here is another picture of the family room, this time from at the bottom of the stairs. This is where Jared will spend his free time!! Watching his BIG TV!
This is the doorway by the TV room. Straight ahead will be a bedroom and the doorway on the right will be for our exercise/craft room. Just a small room, but how much room do you really need to exercise?
I am getting so excited to get this done. Next project, finish the office room. I want to put some french doors on that room so that Jared can shut the door and have some peace and quiet when he has to make church calls or is running late for work and has to do a conference call from home! Hopefully we have the main room done for Jayce and Kylee's birthday party!

Labor Day Festivities

I love Labor Day in Payson!! Payson celebrates Onion Days over Labor Day weekend and have some fun activities. Friday afternoon, the girls and I headed down to the carnival. Kylee was a little apprehensive about riding some of the rides and I was hesitant to put her on when Jared wasn't with us. I have put her on some rides before because she has said she wants to go, but once she gets on, OH NO!!! GET ME OFF!!! So, we just walked around, enjoyed the atmosphere of a carnival and ate some ice cream from the ice cream man. Both Kylee and Jayce got those rocket popsicles. They only had them in sour and it was nasty. The girls ate them all gone, but I sure didn't like it. I got a coconut type thing. It was Delish!!!

Friday night we had both families over for a BBQ to end the summer. It was so fun! Friday night, Payson does fireworks as part of the Onion Days celebrations. They are some fantastic fireworks and we can sit on our front lawn or back lawn and enjoy them. Jayce fell asleep during the fireworks and Emily was already sleeping and slept right through them. How lovely for me to enjoy the evening!! Thanks family for coming and celebrating with us.

On Monday, there was a parade. Jared and I have never been to the parade because we are usually always gone on Labor Day. We headed over. The weather had been kind of stormy and the sky was dark, but they were still doing the parade so we headed over. My parents drove down to come with us. We saw maybe 45 minutes to 1 hour of the parade and then the rains came. Oh, what a day. The girls and I came home, put on dry clothes, made some yummy popcorn, and watched Sound of Music! Kylee loved the show. Jared said it was good he had to work in the basement because he wasn't so into that show! I need to take some pictures of the basement. He is almost done putting up the drywall. It looks so different!

We hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!