NICK'S WEDDING

Tonight was Nick's wedding. He is Mikell's older brother. I LOVE NICK! He is such a fun guy! He married a cute girl named Sam. They had their reception at the Farmington Community Center. Here are a few pics of Zach, Kell and Boston:

               Bubsy had a long, long day! He is out cold! He looked so handsome in his pin striped suit!

                                                         Bubsy and Mommy!

                                                        Bubsy and Daddy!                     

                                                           Rachel loves her Uncle Zach

TURKEY TIME

Thanksgiving was so different this year! Hardly anyone showed up for dinner! We had it at Mom's but Debbie and all of her family went to St George to have dinner with Erin, Ashley was up in Logan working, Zach and Mikell were at Beckstead's, Diane was sick, Dad and Mona were in the Philippean's and Jan and Scott's kids weren't there either! So it was just me, Steven, Grandma, Andy, Mom, Ray and Jan and Scott. It was great though! The food was delish and it was fun to catch up with Scott and Jan and hear all about their trip to Hawaii. I really enjoyed myself but then....

After dinner  (well we ate at 1:00, so I guess lunch,) we went home and I sat home all afternoon and evening and got so depressed! I cried all night long cuz I missed not being with my kids. It was just awful! All night I had a pity party and thought this was the worst Thanksgiving I have ever had! I hated being all alone on Thanksgiving!! I feel so bad for anyone who has to spend the holidays alone! Normally I wouldn't mind being alone, I've been alone for a long time now, but since it was a holiday it really effected me I guess. Stupid huh? I cried so hard my eyes were so puffy the next day I couldn't go out in public till about 1:00 in the afternoon! And I sported a headache all day long!
Zach and Kell spent the night at Beckstead's so they could get in line for Black Friday with Brandon so it was a LONG, LONELY NIGHT! I should have just stayed with my mom. Hopefully next year will be better! Sorry for the downer but just tellin' it like it is :)

                                                         Mom made a superb meal!

 

                                                                 Grandma...97 years old!

                                                                 Making the gravy!

                                                             Andy, Scott and Jan

                                        Ray is SO SWEET! Every year he does all the dishes!

                                      Steven in his "Thanksgiving Surprise" handing out his Christmas cards!

BIRTHDAY BOWLING

Steven loves to bowl. So me, Zach and Mikell took him BOWLING for his BIRTHDAY!  We had SO much fun! Steven was SO FUNNY when he would get a STRIKE! He would do this little STRUT and then throw his thumb over his shoulder while walking away from the pins like, "take a look at that!" It was HILARIOUS! We all knew that we had better beat him or we would never hear the end of it. Zach almost won him but...then he got a GUTTER BALL and Steven died laughing. He has called me every day since saying why did Zach's ball go in the gutter? and then he threw another and it went in the gutter! Why Punky? Aha hahaha....we'll hear about that for the rest of Zach's life! :)  Steven bowled pretty good. He got 164. He strutted around like he was all that when he got two strikes in a row and then he'd pound his chest. Hilarious!He couldn't believe it when Mikell got a TURKEY! (3 strikes in a row!) He then said, "you're a turkey! Can I eat your leg?"  Only Steven! We had so much fun with Steven and when I was driving him home he kept saying, "This is the best b-day I have ever had Punky!"  That made my whole night!

                   He would only let Zach take this pic of him if he could kneel down and pose like this!

            Steven would pound his chest whenever he'd bowl a double strike. What a character!

                                                                Yeah! I got a strike...finally!

                                                                            Zachary!

                                 Bubsy was so good the whole night. He loved all of the neon lights!

                                                                  Zach, Kell and Boss Man!

STEVEN'S 54TH BIRTHDAY!

Steven turned 50 on Nov. 21st. Mom, Grandma, Deb, Jess and Brody joined us for cake and ice cream. Steve was so happy that his cake said "Happy Birthday Zombie Steve!"  We had a great time together. Of course Steve had his SECRET SURPRISE! He donned a new COSTUME. This time he was a "MORTAL COMBAT" character. He was so thrilled to hold Boston and was really cute with him.

                                                 Steven...aka...Mortal Combat and Boston

                               Zach and Jessica....she finds out in a few days the sex of her baby!!

                                                                    Mikell and Jessica

                                               Boston loved Brody! What kid doesn't??

                                                Mortal Combat in full costume!

 Debbie with Boston. He got so hot we had to take his cute little hoody off. He has started drooling alot so maybe he's starting to teethe?

                                    It took Steve a few tries to blow out all of the candles! It would help if he took the mask off!  Just kiddin' he did, but then immediately had to put it back on! (That is a horrible pic of me!!)

PUMPKIN WHOOPIE COOKIES

I have been wanting to make these NUMMY cookies for over a month. I finally found the time to try them out. These are DELICIOUS! They are PUMPKIN WHOOPIE COOKIES WITH CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING!!!  You have to put the batter in a cake decorating bag and pipe it into a circle like a CINNAMON ROLL. They don't get wider only a little taller. You then put the cinnamon cream cheese frosting in the middle of 2 cookies and wala...you have a Pumpkin Whoopie Cookie!
These just might be my new favorite FALL TREAT! I really think you need to make these instead of Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Bars. They are that good!!

 Pipe the batter on your cookie sheet so it looks like a Cinnamon Roll starting in the middle and working your way out.

OK, so do you want the recipe? You NEED THIS RECIPE. They are so moist and super delicious!!
Here it is:
Mix 3 C Flour
1 T Cinnamon
1t Baking Soda
1t Baking Powder
1t Ground Ginger
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Ground Nutmeg
1/2 t Ground Cloves

1 C Brown Sugar
1 C Sugar
1 C Vegetable Oil
1-15 oz Can of Pumpkin
2 Large Eggs
1 t Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat together brown sugar, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Add eggs, then vanilla. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients. Slow incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Using a pastry bag with a round tip squeeze out circles of batter starting from the middle and working otward until the circles are about 2 inches in diameter. Bake 11 min. and cool on a rack.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
1-8 oz pkg Cream Cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted Butter (room temperature)
1-16 oz pkg Powdered Sugar ( I used like an extra cup than what this called for)
1 capful of Vanilla
A pinch of Cinnamon to taste ( I added way more than a pinch!)

Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Frost flat side of half the cookies and top with another piece. Enjoy right away or chill overnight.

Let me know if you try these and what you think of them!

I'M PUBLISHED!

I am SO EXCITED! So, many of you know that for the past year and a half I have been collecting fun, creative dates for Mikell and Zach, and Ashley. I have printed them off and put them in 2 huge binders for them. I got most of them from http://www.datingdivas.com/.

 I have helped my co-worker, Kerstin put some fun dates together for her hubby too. Well, one day while I was in LAS VEGAS, Kerstin called me up and said HELP ME! I need to find a cute, fun easy way to give my hubby his new golf clubs, golf balls, golf socks, golf towel, and tees to him. So...honestly it took me like 10 minutes to write this cute creative letter using GOLF TERMS, and another 10 min to write a SCAVENGER HUNT for him to get his gifts. Mikell couldn't believe how it just came to me so fast. I had a BALL doing it! (no pun intended :) I turned my idea over to the DATING DIVAS, and they LOVED IT!! They were going to publish it on their FAMOUS website during FATHER'S DAY but they couldn't get my pics to open. So FINALLY they got it to work and they are using it as a CHRISTMAS idea for hubby's that love to golf. You could totally use this as a fun date, you don't have to go out any buy them new clubs. Anyway...here is the letter I wrote. The letter is found at the end of the scavenger hunt. Then, I will show you the clues, and then the cute sayings that were on the gifts. But be sure and visit their website and leave a cute comment. Then you can see the cute pics we included too.  It is called "FORE DE GOLFER" oh yeah...and the best part is when they said this about me:

"You have to agree with me some people are just plain gifted! This is such a great idea, especially for the die-hard golfing man! Nothing will say I love you more than this awesome surprise! Plan your golfing date today or just send the hubby out on a man date with some friends!!

Thank you Suzanne for sharing this phenomenal idea with us!"

Did you get that???  She called me GIFTED!! ha ha..it totally made my day!

Dear Cody,

A little "BIRDIE" told me you were above "PAR" when it comes to being the best husband. Of "COURSE" I already knew that. You always help me by "CHIPPING" in when I need an extra hand, and you make my spirits soar like an "EAGLE" whenever I'm in a "BOGEY" mood, or "TEE'D" off. No one needs to "HIT" me over the head with a "CLUB" to tell me I "SCORED" a "HOLE IN ONE" when I married you.

I'll be "FORE"ever grateful to be your wife.

Love,

Kerstin

P.S. You make my heart "PUTTER" every time you're a "ROUND"!!

 Put first clue on towel that says:

Good Morning Sweetie, today is your lucky day! Follow the clues to find your way. Go to a place where you find things in a pair…another little hint…it’s something you wear! (That leads him to the socks)

Then on the socks put the clue: Your next clue will be found on a thing you like to tease, when you find it give it a kiss and a big squeeze.

(That lead him to the baby! And the baby was by the box of tees) pinned to the baby’s shirt was the next clue: Daddy, you’re doing a great job, you’re well on your way, next clue will be found where I like to play! (In the play pen was the new box of golf balls).

On the golf balls was the next clue that says: We’re having a ball, now now let’s go for a ride, we’ll start by driving in the car and end up where you hit a line drive! (Golf Course)

These were attached to each of the gifts:

 I have a “ball” every time I’m with you!

You knock my “socks” off!

I’ll never throw the “towel”in on our marriage!

You’re such a “tee’s” and I love it!

FIRST SNOWBALL WAR OF THE YEAR!

Ashley came down from Logan to clean out her room so Boston could use it. While she was here it started SNOWING! So of course she and Zach had to grab their SNOWBALL THROWERS and have a SNOWBALL WAR! I was hoping this snowball fight wouldn't end like they did years ago when Zach would throw too hard, and hurt Ash, just to make her FURIOUS, so she would charge Zach and he would push her into the snow and everytime she would try to get up, he would push her back into the snow which would result in Zach laughing hysterically and Ashley in tears. No, this year didn't end like that but Zach did starting throwing them pretty hard but Ashley held her own, and got him pretty good a few times too. I don't think they will ever OUTGROW their SNOWBALL WARS!

                                            Zach putting on his BRAVEHEART FACE! 

MY NEW ROOMMATE!

Most of you know that I have 3 new ROOM MATES! Boston, Zach, and Mikell moved in with me for awhile. I am SO EXCITED to have this baby in my house every day to hug, and cuddle and kiss. He is SO SWEET! We have been very busy trying to move them in and clean rooms out, make room in the garage, and paint, lay down some new carpet, and we are totally BEAT! But it'll all be worth it to have this CUTE- FACED SNUGGLEBUG here!

HALLOWEEN WESTERN STYLE

We go all out at work to dress up for Halloween. We decorate the hall, our offices and everyone is so awesome to dress according to theme. I have a bazillion pics but will only post a handful. Wish I had to time to post all of our cute decorations. Most everyone dressed up like a COWBOY, so me and Nancy dressed up like SALOON GIRLS! Enjoy!

                                                          The whole rowdy gang!

                                                                 Suzy Saloon Girl

 Dax and Cyndi are always visiting the Outhouse! We had to dress them in long underwear!

                       The sheriff rounding up some wanted outlaws! (Lesa, Dawna and Pat)

 

                                                                      Sheriff Pat 

 Steven made these horses butts for me and Dawna made the tails...belly up to the bar!

                                         We lined the halls with all of the employees wanted posters!

                                Dawna made these cute saloon doors to hang to our office entrance

Our boss had the Hot Bath sign. We made a bath with bubbles using bubble wrap!

There were so many cute pics but it takes too long to post them all! I love Halloween at the Court House!

OWL CUPCAKES

I made these cute little owl cupcakes out of OREOS and REESE'S PIECES, and CANDY CORN. Really easy but so cute!

                                                   "Whooo is going to eat me? Whooo??"

PUMPKIN CARVING PARTY

Jessica organized a PUMPKIN CARVING PARTY for our family. We ate TACO SOUP, watched old FAMILY VIDEOS of Zach and Jessica when they were little, and LAUGHED OUT LOUD! It was so much fun to see them that little again. You totally forget how they sounded and the funny things they did! Then we watched Debbie's 40th B-DAY.  She is turning 56 this year! Wow!  Afterwards we CARVED PUMPKINS, ate cake, and I made OWL CUPCAKES. We all really enjoyed being together. It was a lot of fun. The best part was when we SANG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Debbie! It was hilarious! We sang in our best voices...(HA! HA!). I seriously almost PEED MY PANTS! I wish I could have gotten Dad's voice on video better but I was too close to the camera and couldn't pick up on his very well. We all LAUGHED so hard! What a great day today was!!

                                              Mona's pumpkin turned out AWESOME!