Trick or Treat

I took the girls trick or treating tonight. They picked out their own outfits for the night. They wanted to wear their dress up clothes. They also wanted make-up...in case you don't know, dad is no good at make-up! My first attempt on Olivia almost made her cry but after we washed it off and reapplied she was happier about being seen in public. They also had some jewel stickers that came with the make-up to put on their faces.

After we made the rounds and collected a bucket of treats we came home and handed out candy to the other trick or treaters. It was a pleasant night for it thankfully!

Who'da thought they'd want to be princesses?

We kept the make-up very subtle.

Collecting treats!

Pumpkin Carving

Today we did our traditional pumpkin carving! The girls could not wait to do their pumpkins ever since bringing them home last week. They must have asked at least 100 times!

This is Olivia's pumpkin. She wanted a mean face jack-o-lantern so I drew one on her pumpkin first to see if she liked it. She didn't. It just wasn't mean enough for her. So I started over and drew this one. She was pleased with it.

This is Sylvia's pumpkin. She wanted a snake but we felt that a goofy face was more in order. She didn't seem to mind.

This is Joseph's pumpkin. He insisted that it be an Iowa State pumpkin :) This pumpkin took far too long to do to look this bad! Some parts fell out of the design. Maybe next year we'll stick to the simple designs!

Here the girls are working hard on clearing out the innards of their pumpkins. Sylvia wasn't very interested in getting hers out. This picture was staged to make it seem as if Sylvia was really working on hers!!

More pictures here.

Once in a Lifetime....

In case you were not following college football this weekend, let me update you. The Cyclones managed to beat the Cornhuskers in Lincoln for the first time in MY LIFE! The last time they did this was 1977. What an amazing win! GO STATE!

Head coach Paul Rhoads is a little excited about the win

I also could not pass up the opportunity to welcome my Cyclones home from their monumental victory. Here is video of me and a horde of Clone fans giving our boys a proper greeting:

Fall Festival

Today we went to our church's Fall Festival. Some members of our church host families on their farm complete with food, games, hay rides, s'mores, campfire, and songs. It was a great autumn afternoon for such an event. The girls had a great time. They loved the hay ride and Olivia found some friends to play and climb on hay bales with. We ended with some hymns around the fire. It was a great time filled with food, fun, faith, and fellowship. What more do you need?

More pics here.

The things children say...

The girls have been cracking me up lately, so I have to share.

Me(while driving): What is that car doing? This is not a two lane road! ...grumble, grumble Oh, now they're trying to cut in front of us!
Olivia(from back of minivan): Whoa, they must be in a big hurry. I bet they have a nah-point-ment.


Sylvia: I want to sleep with Olifia.
Me: No Sissy, you talk too much during nap and won't go to sleep. You need to nap in separate rooms.
Sylvia: But I luhf hew!


Olivia(towel drying off after bath): I don't want to put my jammies on. I want to have naked day.
Me: Like pajama day?!?
Olivia(totally serious): Ya.

Miniatures

The kids' G-ma [jee-maw] knew that they would enjoy this miniature library set and had a great time playing with it when G-ma and Papa were visiting. Of all the places to play after that weekend, the girls curiously set it up under the close supervision of their Grandpa Keith, as if he's part of the play. Weird things catch me sometimes, and even the Barbie has significance, as it was an original childhood toy of my own. I remember my Dad, Grandpa Fitch, make-believing with me and this very Barbie doll many years ago. Big idea: our children are BLESSED and God's plan is PERFECT!

It's Soup Season

I don't know when or how I became such a soup FREAK! I crave it and just can't get enough of the stuff, especially this time of year. Unfortunately for my family, who are not soup-eaters, I plan on making lots of soup in the coming months. I end of eating a few bowls, then freezing individual portions of the rest. Is this girl really "stocking the freezer"? ...YEP!



My apologies for the poor pictures. I need a lesson on how to photograph my edible creations so that they appear as appealing as they do in person:(
We coupled our broccoli-cheese soup with grilled ham & cheese sammies. They weren't nearly as black as they look in the pics.



And to give credit (and thanks) where credit is due! This recipe comes straight from the Grace Lutheran Church Cookbook, "Heavenly Delights". I've been making some of the recipes submitted by the mothers of my childhood friends. The last batch of cookies I made were with Sandy LaBahn's (Megan Henning's mom) chocolate-chip cookie recipe. The following is from Tami Mullinex's mom.

Broccoli-Cheese Soup -Jeanne Schultz

4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 qt. water
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
2 1/2 cup cubed potatoes
1 (29oz) pkg. frozen broccoli bits
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed

Combine bouillon cubes, water, celery, carrots, and onion. Bring to a boil. Cook gently for 20 minutes. Add potatoes and frozen broccoli; bring to a boil and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Add chicken soup and cheese. Heat until cheese is melted and thoroughly mixed. Serve immediately.