Katelyn and Steven's Wedding August 10, 2013

I just received these photos from my incredibly talented niece Heidi!  I wanted to make sure I had this wedding information on my blog for our family history. It was a beautiful sunny day!

This is the cake I made for the wedding.

The cake topper.

I made the brides Bouquet and I also worked on all of the other flowers too...boutonnieres, corsages, table pieces, bridesmaid bouquets.

Our family!

Tori, Caitlin and Courtney got to be bridesmaids.  They were so honored Katelyn asked.

Me, my dad and my brother Todd

My dad and his new wife Susan

Tiffany and the bride

Tiffany dancing with the Bride and Groom

Dreaming of Thanksgiving...

This year, I did not want to cook the Thanksgiving dinner. Honestly, I am so burned out from life, it is not even funny.  After living through the worst year of my life so far, I just didn't have it in me to put on the huge production.  But because of various reasons our original plans to be with some family fell through,  now the Thanksgiving feast is back at our home with another part of our family.  I will be cooking for 17 people.  Not too many, but just enough to have a wonderful fun filled afternoon together!  I will admit, my inner Martha Stewart is so excited to put on the big spread with all of the fixin's and of course the table decor.  But, the SNL Debbie Downer inside of me is fightin' hard to put a stop to the festivities.  Just a little FYI, the Martha is beginning to pull ahead in the race, but I am sure about November 26th, Debbie will rear her ugly face again. lol.

So in my mind I am beginning to put together ideas of what I want to make and create for Thanksgiving, here are a few things that are racing through Martha's mind...I mean, my mind! :)

This adorable Thanksgiving Banner would look cute hanging from any fireplace mantle? Here is the link if you want to recreate this fun decor!



Here are a few ideas I am thinking about for my table setting...

 

I will probably lean towards the hurricanes, candles, nuts, leaves and pumpkins. The colors are just so beautiful!  I will host in my dining room and will pull the tables length into the living room. 

 

Each year my husband makes the pumpkin pies. It's a tradition that was created a long, long time ago.  When we were a young family, living all alone in Houston, Texas we had to create our own traditions and make our own holiday fun.  Ron watched me struggle to put on the entire meal and by the time the pies came along, I was spent. So he decided he was going to take over the pie making. I am so glad he did, he makes it so much fun every year!  He typically will make 3-4 pies. One traditional pumpkin pie and the other pies will be surprises pumpkin pies.  We then have a taste test, and we each try to figure out what ingredient is in each pie.  There is always something odd in one of the pies, and we always have a good laugh about it.  

 

I saw these fantastic pies and I am beginning to think, I may need to make an apple pie, not for Thanksgiving, but just because it is Autumn.  My very generous friend in my ward gave me several boxes of apples.  There are some granny smith apples just calling me...."Make us into a pie! a delicious cinnamon, brown sugar, apple pie!"  Looks, like a pie or two is on the to do list for the week.  One for my family and one for my generous friend who gave me the apples!  

 

Here are a few Thaksgiving recipes I have been gathering as I plan our family feast...

I love to make fluffy homemade rolls.  I will insert my favorite recipe here.  But to go along with warm rolls, who wouldn't want this scrumptious maple butter. Once again Our Best Bites.com has hit another home run!

I found these incredible green beans at Pioneer Woman blog.  Can she cook or what?  Love this dear lady!

These mashed potatoes are so delicious...you will never prepare them the old fashioned way ever again!  Now, when making these potatoes....just close your eyes and dump all of the ingredients in the stock pot.  If you see how many calories go into this dish, you just won't enjoy it.  So, go ahead close your eyes and just put it all together and enjoy!

 These sweet potatoes  belonging to PW have caught my eye.  But, Thanksgiving if for Traditions, so I will probably just stick with my mother's delicious recipe for sweet potatoes...butter, salt, brown sugar, real maple syrup and the sweet potatoes all mixed into goodness!

Each year when I prepare my turkey I reflect on a dear friend from my past, Lisa Van De Walle.  It was my first Thanksgiving away from family in the foreign country of Texas, and she taught me how to prepare a turkey!  I have to say, she taught me well.  However, I am leaning towards trying this new recipe this year.

The dressing or stuffing is an old family recipe.  If I was to ever try anything new, I think I would be hung my my toes from a very tall tree.  This recipe is made from french bread, finely diced, and all melted together with butter, celery, butter, onion, butter and herbs.  Did I mention you will need butter?  Let's just say, you won't be losing any weight if you were to come dine at my Thanksgiving table.

This cranberry sauce is oh so delicious!  The only thing I add is a little brown sugar.  It just gives it a nice hint of sweetness.

Halloween!

Halloween is my least favorite holiday.  Every year I put up decorations for two reasons, first because my mother use to go all out for the holiday, she loved it...I guess you could say it is just ingrained into my soul.  The second reason I decorate is for my kids.  Now, I am not one of those freaks that puts up the blood and gore....I don't like the scary decor.  I prefer the cute, happy pumpkins, cute witches and the fall leaves. 

We only had 5 groups of kids (few kids in each group) come to our home to trick-or-treat.  We live in a subdivision where the homes are on acre lots and they are quite spread out. So I was not too surprised at the lack of trick-or-treaters this year.   Last year I walked Tiffany around our area and it took us two hours and we didn't get much candy.  This year, I took her to a subdivision where all of the homes are close together on small lots.  Let's just say, her loot pile was much bigger this year than last year.

The twins texted me on the afternoon of Halloween and asked if a "few" of their friends could come over and hang out....a few turned out to be about 25. haha!  I have to say though,  you would have never known there were 25 kids in my home.  They were pretty laid back and quiet. Yet, they had a great time too.  Lots of laughter!  They had a great time with Chip our mannequin...they put him out in the street to scare passing drivers.  They youth were pretty creative!

Tiffany dressed as a biker chick and Brianne went to her MANY parties as a royal.  I think she ended up going to about 5 parties. She is our social butterfly.  Oh, speaking of social butterflies...that was what Tori and her senior friends dressed as for Halloween, social butterflies.  You can't see in the photo, but they each had on butterfly wings too.  Tori was Facebook.

Here are the photos of the fun night....

 

RHS Homecoming

I just have to say that I am so impressed with these incredible Mormon youth here in the Tri-cities!  They have so much good clean fun together and are just so well rounded.  I am always impressed with the young men that come into my home to take my daughters on dates.  They look you in the eye, they tell you exactly what they will be doing that evening and who they will be with.  I love that. It does help though that Ron is standing next to me, giving them the death glare! The girls tell us that the boys are all afraid of Ron! I think that is awesome! Good to hear we have them on edge.

So Homecoming this year was just so cute.  The boys asked the girls in very creative ways and then the girls respond in just as creative ways.  It is a fun game!

I will begin with Tori... She was asked by two young men. She was then faced with the decision of  trying to decide which one to go with.  She chose Rychardt.  This young man dropped off a basket of goodies late one night on the door step (all of her favorite candies, diet coke, etc.)  and now that I am writing this...I can not for the life of me remember what the cute saying was on her basket. HAHA, gesh, I am getting old.

Anyway, she responded by putting rubber duckies and glitter all over his car and a sign that said,"I'd be quacked up if I didn't say YES!".  I know very cheesy.

Glad to see all of the glitter washed off of his car....unlike the floors in my home. (More about this in the next paragraph.)

 

As a Senior this year, Tori went all out for her last Homecoming. Here she is on Spirit Day! (I still have gold glitter all over my house! The next time you are at my home, just look down and you will see it stuck on the tile, grout, carpets, and baseboards.  The vacuum will not suck it up.  It's like teeny tiny pieces of glitter, almost like a powder.)

 

 

 

Courtney and Caitlin on Homecoming Twin Day! 

 

 

 

Courtney was asked by a young man named Caleb.  He sent her a photo in a text message that showed our front door and he said "Catch me if you can!".  Of course Courtney, Caitlin and their two best friends began screaming. They were so excited!  The flung the front door open and found an envelope with a clue.  She was then sent on a scavenger hunt.  It was so cute.  

Here is the final stop on the hunt.  He must have baked her 4 dozen cookies. That box was so full!

 

Courtney said yes by making Caleb this....

(It's a pillowcase)

 

 

 

 

This was how Caitlin was asked. We found this on the front porch.  

 

She opened the bag of flour to see what was inside.

 

There was nothing.   About 30 minutes later, the door bell rang....and...

 

There was John.  He said,"oops sorry, wrong flour/flower".  He gave her a bouquet and inside one of the flowers a note said,"Will you go to Homecoming with me?"

Caitlin responded by baking a cake (not with the flour, hee-hee) and putting this in the middle of the cake. Then we iced it, so it looked just like a normal cake.  

 

 

 

 

After much shopping....MUCH shopping.... (UGH!) ..........The big night finally arrived..... 

This is my absolute FAVORITE photo!

Yes, that is a mannequin....his name is Chip.  It's a long long story.  If you ask, I will share it with you sometime.  He is our only son. ;-)

This hair style is called "the waterfall", we found it on Pinterest.

 

 

 

 

Courtney and Caleb

Caitlin and John

The group date!

 

The youth had a great time attending Mormon Homecoming at the Ostler's home. We are so grateful that the youth can attend a dance where it is fun, everyone has high standards and it is a safe environment.  (and if my girls were here they would add..."and there is no grinding!")

  Thanks Delene!  We appreciate all your family does for the youth! :)