Snow Fall

It happened!

Last night we received our 1st real snow fall. We did get snow a few weeks ago but it melted that same day.  Today's will be a bit different.  I took these at sunrise this morning after my kids had left on the school bus.

The below bush usually cover's up that window. In fact this morning my kids said, "Hey mom did you know that shed had a window?"

About 9:00 this morning I snapped the below picture. That power line was arcing but I can't get the arc in the picture. The sun's hiding behind some dark clouds. We've got about 3 inches of snow now and over the next 3 day's could get up to another 3 inches. I mopped my floor yesterday! So not ready for the wet, slushy mess that will be tracked into my house. 

But I'm sure thankful for our deck that is fully loaded with ready firewood. 

Burr it's cold outside!

Town Halloween Party

Last year I really really wanted to host our annual Halloween Party. However having a new baby taking too many classes online, being involved with the kids school and working as a Book Keeper for 2 companies my plate was filled to the max. The kids and I were disappointed but I knew I couldn't do it. I promised them "next year". When my sister-in-law heard of this, she being on the town board, asked if I'd be interested in doing a town Halloween party (something never been done before). The kids jumped for joy before I could even respond. 

Fast forward to this year. Here's are invitation to all!

The town gave me $200 to work with. Knowing I'd need help I asked my sister-in-law that got me roped into this. She took charge of the food and I did decoration's and games. That night the board members were suppose to be there to help me run the games. Fortunately or Unfortunately our High School Girls Volleyball team was at region's that night. This left me with no board members to run games and many many parent's away. We had kids trying to come in 2 hours before the party was suppose to start! We finally started to let kids in about 5:45. The 1st hour was CRAZY. My sister-in-law, my mother-in-law and myself were the only adults with 40+ kids. I wanted to grab my camera out of the van and take pictures but my hands were FULL! The last 45 minutes I finally had parents show up and some help. By then though the kids were done with the 17 games/activities I had stationed all around. I had games like pumpkin bowling, witch's toss, skeleton relay, zombie tag, sensor boxes (witch's tongue, etc.), bobbing for apples, sucker ghost treat making and many many more! We ended the night with a pinata full to the brim with candy! Overall it was a success. The kids had fun and I have received many compliments from parents about how much fun their kids had. My sister-in-law doesn't know if she wants to do it again next year due to the lack of parents. When I'm asked I politely let them know that I won't be here next year!

At the party we were having a treat contest. Madelyn wanted to participate but knowing how busy I was it needed to be something simple. She searched online and saw chocolate chip cookies that looked like they had spider's all over them. She's great at baking chocolate chip cookies and can make them by herself. When she had a few dozen baked I showed her how to pipe the legs and she finished her treat's! Madelyn was the only one that submitted a Halloween treat. She should have won the gift bag but there was a little misunderstanding with our judges and it went to my sister-in -law for her monster eyes (meat balls). Our judges didn't realize that she had done ALL the food and it was suppose to go for the treat. 

Oh well! She still had fun.

In between decorating for our party and waiting for the kids to get home from school Kylie and I spent some time outdoor's enjoying the warmer than usual weather.  I needed a break from my disaster of a house and so grabbed my new camera to take with us. I don't have a costume that baby girl will leave on so she was ready to go to the party dressed like this. 

Playing with our home grown pumpkins.

I'm getting "cheezy" smiles a lot lately!

I love em'.

There's a real smile.

Playing peek-a-boo on the porch. 

I sure love this little pumpkin of mine!

Did you know that Monday, October 14 was Columbus Day?

The kid's were wishing it was one of those "No School" day's but it wasn't.

Madelyn's 4th grade class did put on an assemble though.

They each had a part to read. 

And they sang many songs to everyone.

Afterwards they all sat as a class to allow the many mom's around to take their picture's.

They did a wonderful job!

Mystery Reader

In 1st grade every Friday after lunch a Mystery Reader comes to school. Clues are given to the class to see if they can guess who it will be. When the Mystery Reader is decided upon the child of the Mystery Reader get's to go to the office to pick up that special person.  I got to be that Mystery Reader a few weeks ago for Emily.  It was so fun to watch Emily come and get me. She had no idea I was coming to her class that day. I think that's what makes Mystery Reader's so much fun!

Being October and my favorite holiday is Halloween I decided to pick one of our favorite Halloween books to read aloud to the kids. 

I think my kids love this book because we've put action's to it. Emily's class loved the repetitiveness to it and the action's.

After the story Emily got to pass out her treats that I brought to go along with our story.

Since it was a Friday Brayden didn't have preschool and so he got to come too. Mrs. Leigh had him pass out the napkins. He felt so big!

 Ms. Rochelle helped Emily pass out the treats.

With my Halloween theme we all dressed up in some of our Halloween clothes including Miss Kylie. 

It was a hit! Can't wait till I can do it again sometime this Spring.

Cutting Wood

It's that time of year again.

Wood cutting to keep us warm all winter long.

We've been told by the "old timers" that is going to be one "dozey" of a winter. Apparently with all the rain we've received this summer it's a sign of being a lots of snow kind of winter. Yeah for us! So glad this will be our last winter here. Really hoping we'll be in St. George for the next one. 

One particular nice, sunny, Saturday morning we headed up to the mountain. We came across this old tree that had fallen over. Kory decided we'd start off with it.

While dad sharpened the chain saw this kids had fun climbing all over the tree's branches.

Kylie fell asleep during our short drive. When she woke up she decided her pig tail's were just no fun. So she pulled em' out and looked liked this for the rest of the day. 

 The kids and I explored a little bit while waiting on our dad. Down the hill a little bit we came to one of the Hunter's local spots. This kids had fun climbing up to the look out chair

and playing in the now empty watering hole.

It was a great day. So glad we came home with lots and lots of wood.

We've gone wood cutting twice more since and are so glad we are finally done. Our porch is full of wood and if need be we've got lots out in the shed as our emergency pile. Hope this winter isn't going to be as bad as everyone's saying it's going to be.