2011

So VeRy BleSsEd

why not?

Lovin' this one a little extra this week.

man is SHE old!

My BIG sister is turning 40 tomorrow!!

Phew, glad it's not me...but equally glad for a reason to have a surprise get together! Happy Birthday Shauna...you're gonna rock 40!!

(With what was left of her cake at the end of the party.)

An amazingly talented friend of mine made this for our surprise lunch. Seriously Melissa!! Wonderful! I'll let you all in on a secret...it tastes as good as it looks!! Unbelievable, I know..but Oh so TRUE!

(l-r) Tenay, Rachel, Shauna, ME, Brindy and Lanie

BEST FRIENDS!

I am so blessed to have the most wonderful sisters in the world! (Karen and I got online together, her in UT and me here, to pick the cake theme, we missed her at the party.)

Lanie's gift cracked us all up!

They're BOTH 40...tee hee...I feel like such a kid with these ancient ones...

We recycled the bow from the top of the cake and put in on the bottom tier. It was a shame to have to cut it but consuming that was my favorite part of lunch! And that's saying something! (Costa Vida's/Cafe Rio's pork salad is just about my all time fave.)

But Seriously, I hope 40 isn't THAT bad I'm just 2 years behind her!

ApaCHe TeARs

Just outside Superior AZ and Just just past the Arboretum there is a small dirt road off to the West. There you find the precious Apache Tears. Bring your hammer and tools for it is a dig. Everyone can find one...they are everywhere.

About 75 Apaches and the US Calvary squared off against each other in battle on a mountain overlooking what is now Superior, Arizona in the 1870's. Rather than face defeat, the outnumbered Apache warriors rode their horses off the mountain to their deaths. The families of the warriors cried when they learned of the tragedy. Their tears turned into stone upon hitting the ground. Today these beautiful translucent gemstones are known as Apache Tears, Good Luck Stones.

To us it's just a stone, but to the Ancient Ones it's a frozen tear, lost in the sands of time.

At first you see just a little black in the rock (above) and more often than not, that is all you will chip out. But after many small victories you may find yourself chipping away more and more until you reveal something large and exciting! (below) Once polished and held to the light the stones are translucent, otherwise they are black.

No matter the size you can leave with plenty for your family to keep and remember their fun family time.

And fun family time if most definately IS
Dad-Clyde
Dad-Monte-Clyde-Seth

Will-Jack

Seth

(Clyde carried the bumbo-the baby seat-on the hike out...)

My goofy guys had so much fun on the way to the car after the dig.

Sr-JrHave I ever mentioned my "hunk-a-hunk-o-burnin' love" has got ROcKin' muscles?...yeah, I'm a lucky gal.

Like Father like sonS

Monte Birk and Seth

profound for 3

Tonight at bedtime Jackson wanted the song with "the leafy trees, you know mom the one where the flowers are naughty?"

and

"Mom, I'm sick, I'm really really sick. I've got worms in my throat."

(*germs-Mom has swollen tonsils and he doesn't want to be left out.)

and

"That was a GREAT trick or treat"

TruNK or TrEAt

Mountain Ranch Ward TruNK or TrEAt

2011

If a picture is worth a thousand words...

...enough said.

AnNuAL PumPkIN CarVinG

11 years...Can you believe it? We've been hosting this for 11 years now. It's become one of our very faVoRite things! I've got in down to a science now-it's called a "Carving Contest Bin" After Halloween I'll hit the sales and buy all my replacement items and put them in the bin. Next year I'll send out the invites, make the prize shirts, purchase the pumpkins and open the bin-VOILA! Party Time!!

Clyde, Jack, Monte Sr., Monte Birk, Diane, Will, Seth

(l-r) Clyde's, Seth's, monte Birk's and Jack's PumPkIns

I let the boys begin their pumpkins as soon as they got home from school this year. Sadly that means I forgot to take pictures of them actually making their pumpkins but happily it gave them more time to play at the party. And it was far less stressful than trying to help each one of them finish in time for the judging. This year Monte did his entire pumpkin alone. He was so proud and HE WON!!! Seth and Clyde needed a little help with cleaning out the GUTS and drawing but they did all their own cutting.

It was a great crowd this year with the Judd, Peterson, Reidhead, Singer, LeSuer, Bogle and Sanchez families. We are so blessed to have so many good friends.

One handed carving going on here.

Now THAT deserves an award...

My husband is truly AweSoMe!

This year we finally got smart and moved it into the front yard. Years past we've had it in the back and it ruins our freshly seeded winter grass. Either that, or we're cramped for space being relegated to the porch. It was fantastic in the front and the kids had way more room to RuN!

Hite, Seth, Clyde and Noah

(Hite is from our ward and Noah is one of our best friends from school)

The Judds w/ Petersons in the background

Tawnya, Sienna and Madison Singer with little Deja Judd

(a few of our fantastic neighbors)

Emery, Josie and Abby Reidhead

sleuthing

A family favorite. We probably put too much

chocolate in each glass of milk.

We can't help it, can you?

(If you said yes, you're probably being untruthfull with yourself. I hope so, because if you really only use one Tablespoon in each glass you are missing out!!) I try to keep it under control with an "out of sight out of mind" tactic (ie the top shelf in the pantry behind something else.) But the other day I came into the kitchen to find the pantry door open wide with the tallest stool ready and waiting. An empty glass of chocolate milk was sitting next to the gallon milk jug on the counter. As I was putting the lid back on the container and pondering who it was that had the tasty treat the answer was revealed. The culprit had left his fingerprints...

I'd say they're just about Jack size-wouldn't you?