yummmmmmm

Pumpkin French Toast....did you know there was
a shortage of pumpkin? It finally showed up
after MONTHS and MONTHS of looking at Costco.
This led to pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins
and pumpkin french toast at my house! Delish!








And Josh's BFF Nate, had his birthday--he asked for
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes. I finally have
perfected this recipe!



Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes filled with peanut butter
filling. Topped with whipped milk chocolate ganache, a dollop
of peanut butter frosting and last but not least a Reese's
Peanut Butter cup. DIVINE!

When Nate was asked how many he wanted to eat...he told
me "Just load up a really big plate!"

I think he and Josh ate about 6 each (the first sitting).

I only know I baked about 3 dozen and there are only 2 left
on the plate today. You do the math!

(Remember: Kyle, Lizzie and I are NOT
eating "treats".) If anyone needs a "treat" let me know-
I LOVE baking them even if I'm not eating them.

I have passed out plates of birthday treats, soccer treats,
and "just because" treats to get them out of my house~

DORF

Today while driving in the car with my girlies, Grace said to me...."Mom, you know how there are 7 of us?" (7 girlies in her "BFF" group of girls).

Me: "Yup".


Grace: "Well, for Halloween we decided to be the 7 Dwarves."


Me: "Ahhh, cute...."


Puddy, piping up from the back seat: "OH!!! Grace, what Dorf are you gonna be?"


Well, whichever DORF Grace is going to be...it is sure to be a cute one.


Any votes?

Homecoming Revisited

Cute Whitney, with a wink!




Josh apparently smiles for
someone ELSE's mother...


Josh & Whitney at the Stephens....
Josh caught mid-blink.
(looking like a druggie)




AND...off to the dance from the Stephen's home.

Thanks Whitney for a few pictures! :O)

Homecoming

Last night was Homecoming.

Yup, it was.

Too bad I didn't get any pictures...

All the other moms did, but not me. (in my best whiny voice)

I wanted some pictures. (stamping my feet in anger)

Should I just post last years pictures?

Same boy, same girl, different outfits.

(Imagine purple and black, I was told that's what they wore)

I guess I'll have to wait for the $40 package pictures to come home from school...

...I'm not holding my breath.

Bear Lake

We were fortunate enough to get an invite up to Josh's BFF's
(Best.Friend.Forever) Family Cabin at Bear Lake over the Labor Day weekend.

Who can say no to a trip to Bear Lake? Free place to stay and food for one meal
for everyone....also about as "cheap" as a good trip gets!

This was our view for 3 days....





There were 5 teenage boys (who arrived the first
night with the Brevicks @ 3 AM). or would that be the 2nd morning?
Let me tell you something about teenage boys.....
shhhhh....it's a secret...but they....
...GIGGLE (and giggle and giggle) like a bunch of girls
...@ 3 AM.
...all hyped up on Mt. Dew.
We feel a bit sorry for Debbie & Ron who had to drive up with them.
Kyle finally had to "shush" them @ 3:30 (AM).
Since they were sleeping (or NOT sleeping)
in the family room outside of our bedroom door.
It was soooooo funny to hear all of them giggling, like girls.
We ended up all giggling with them too...and then telling them to
"SHUT IT" and go to sleep!


There were 3 nights of these (beautiful sunsets over the lake)...




3 days filled with this (Water, Sun, Relaxation)...








Many hours shooting potatoes and old corn cobs through this (Potato Launcher)...





Some of this (4 wheeling)...




Lots of this (sunscreen)...



Hours of this (boating)...




More hours of this (tubing)...








All in all a great quick getaway. We spent time w/5 teenage boys,
5 new families we did not know (but got to and had LOTS
of FUN!). Everyone took a turn cooking one meal for the whole group.
We ate GREAT food, and we had some long hours in the sun
at the lake. We couldn't have asked for a better Labor Day Weekend.
It was all topped off with @ quick trip for some Bear Lake Raspberry Shakes.

Fun Times!

Yeah for Bear Lake!

And Yeah! for the Brevicks!

pink fluffy something or other....

This year "Little O", as her soccer coach lovingly calls her, has taken on soccer again!


She has the same super fabulous great coach (Sam) that she had last year. He is making
sure they learn a LOT about how the game is played. Me, I'm mostly along for the ride.
(and picture taking.)


Even though it looks like Sam is smacking Olivia around (most likely for bad behavior! ha!)
in the last picture, we are pretty sure is is NOT an abusive smack...
since they are both smiling in the picture. (please know I AM KIDDING!)


The team has taken on the name of "Pink Fluffy...." ...well, something or other. It keeps vacillating between "Elephants" or "Rhinos" or "Raptors" or some darn thing and I just can't keep up.


On to victory all of you Pink Fluffies!!!



....Or is it Fluffy Pink.... ???

have i ever mentioned....

....that i am MORTALLY terrified of mice?

no really i am.

like pee in my pants, cower in a corner terrified of them.

well, last night i faced my fear head on and i am sad to say, the fear won.

josh received an "answer to homecoming". asking and answering is
done in creative and wonderful ways these days.

he asked with a cake. a nice, pretty, simple, actually edible cake that i spent 4 hours baking and assembling. wait, maybe *I* asked someone to homecoming?

well, if that is the case, whitney and i should have a fun, albeit interesting, time
at homecoming together. josh's mom and josh's girlfriend together on a "date". awkward.

last night our doorbell rang and in my pj's i answered it. his "answer" had arrived.

to my SHOCK and utter horror on the doorstep were two rodents of the mouse variety in a box, complete with FOOD and bedding and a poster that said "it would be 'mice' to go to homecoming with you! yes."

i stepped back, shut my door and reopened it again, praying they would be gone. obviously
the good lord does not answer prayers about mice on doorsteps.
the d*mn things were still there.
alive.
and well.

did whitney actually leave live MICE on my front steps?
two, breathing, nibbling, scurrying mice?
what had i done to offend her? i racked my brain. NOTHING!
i could not come up with a single thing.

everyone else quickly ran to see what the "answer" was
(it could also have been they wanted to see why i was loudly
uttering profanities at 10 o'clock at night.)
they then scooped up the little guys --adoringly cooing and petting them.
my children were petting mice. now i knew for certain they had been
switched at birth. i was giving them back ASAP! (the kids AND the mice!)

i quickly ran to the farthest corner of my living room and shut my
eyes and starting sobbing.

i shouted things like "get those things the*(&^( out of my house!"
"you are grounded until you're a senior if they're not gone in 4 seconds!"
"PLEASE for the love of ALL THINGS HOLY REMOVE THEM NOW!!!"

even though i am pretty sure i was yelling (at the top of my lungs i might add),
no one was listening to me.
no one.
imagine that.

i think they were too busy naming the mice "Stewart" and "Little" to pay my
"snivelling, cowering mess in the corner" any attention. i was too busy
naming them "Some Cats Next Dinner".
no one cared.

did i mention i am TERRIFIED of mice?

did i mention they scare me?

after being laughed at, mocked, and made fun of, i went to my bedroom to console myself.
"it's OK if you hate mice" "lots of people do" "they are very scary"
"i still love you even if no one else does" (sometimes it's good to have a friend around--
even if it's only yourself.)

the mice spent the night in the garage after threats of death. unfortunately,
(er-it's a good thing!) they are still alive and well this morning.

2 mice for sale--any old home will do!

**pictures ADDED.