Christmas TrEaTs!

One day after work my darling friend Jaci and I got together to do a little treat making. Christmas time is the time of year for treats! We wanted all our friends and neighbors to think our treat was the best ever and crave it the next year. So we made a most delicious Chex mix and we dipped

pretzels!

This Chex mix is no ordinary mix either! I'm thankful Jaci shared it with me but I think it'll also be a bad recipe to have around because I'll want to make it all the time! It has Nutter Butters in it! Talk about heaven! And to top it off the mix is covered in white chocolate! My mouth is watering just writing about it!

Our pretzels turned out fabulous too! We dipped them in caramel then chocolate and made them all sorts of pretty! There were zebra pretzels, coconut pretzels, pretzels with red sprinkles, pretzels with red & green sprinkles...we had such a great time! We talked about going into the pretzel dipping business we had so much fun! Really I think what made our treats so delightful were our fun aprons! What a fun night we had! I hope this becomes a Christmas tradition! I think my friends and neighbors who got these treats hope so too! If you didn't get any this year...it's coming your way next year!

Suzie Homemaker

So, I'm trying to be more "crafty" these days. When I turned 21 ( i think it was 21) my mom gave me the choice of getting a sewing machine or a bike for my big day. I chose the sewing machine! I think I have got it out 5 times in the last 6 years (ok, i totally just dated myself there) and on several occasions have thought to myself, "Why didn't I get the bike?" Well, I decided it was time to put the thing to good use and learn how to sew. I started with a few pillow for my couch and then moved on to a quilt! A darling woman in my mom's neighborhood offered to share her quilting talent with me and I'm having so much fun learning! With the holidays it's been hard to work on my projects but hopefully the new year will bring me some time and I can finish up! Brian and I need some warm blankets around the house so I'm excited for them to be done so we can snuggle up! I'll post some pictures of the final products when I'm done! I know how anxious you all are right now! :)

The Perfect Tree

Bundling up and venturing into the woods to cut down a fresh tree has come to be one of my favorite traditions. I love that this is something Brian's family does and I am able to ba a part of it! This year my family came along with us and cut down a tree too! It's been a VERY long time since my family had a real tree and I think they always came from the tree lots. SO, this was a new and fun expereince for them. Brian was determined to find us the PERFECT TREE so it took us quite some time to get ours! But when we found our tree it really was perfect! So was everyone elses! (how do you like my camo pants!)

I really have been blessed to have such great in-laws. I love Brian's family and I love that I am a part of it now!

It was really fun having my parents and sisters come along this year. Too bad my brother couldn't make it.

Aren't my sisters adorable! I just love this picture of us in our hats! It was pretty cold up the canyon, good thing Brian brought extra gear for us all to wear!

I have a problem

I don't think about shopping all the time and I don't really like going too much but once in awhile I'll get on a shopping kick. I casually roam the stores (any store) and take my sweet time looking for deals. You may think that looking for a good deal isn't a real PROBLEM and it really isn't. My problem is I find the good deals and buy things that I really don't need all because the price was right. Then I get my purchases out to the car and all the way home think to myself, "Why in the world did I buy these things?" The items never make into the house and a week or two later I return them all. I guess the only good part of this is that I return them! I seem to satisfy some great force from withing when I buy things and when I return them I feel rich because I have more money in my account! Weird I know. I just thought I'd share that with you because with Christmas just around the corner I have been doing a lot of strolling around in the stores and buying things I don't need. When I make all my returns in January I'll feel like I won the lottery and then I'll have to go spend all the money I just got back! And the cycle continues...

PiCtUrE tImE

Finally...here are the ACTUAL photos of what's been going on (see post titled Catch Up Time):

1. Daisy and I dressed up for Halloween! She doesn't look to happy to be a pumpkin!

2. Here are a few photos from our girl's get together with our long lost friend Amber!

3. Thanksgiving is a time for us to give thanks. I love this picture of my niece sitting at the head of the table with her arms folded...and ready to eat!


We had two turkey dinners! One with Brian's fam and one with mine!


My sister is the napkin folding QUEEN!

4. Here is our village of Gingerbread Houses! Aren't they adorable!

I don't know about you but I couldn't make a gingerbread house without tasting the frosting and candy!

Our Home SWEET Home!

6. Lastly, the hunt for a Christmas tree! I'll post those tomorrow by themselves!

All about ME

Still no internet at home...that means no pictures. Here's a little something I found on another blog that I thougth I'd put on mine.

Only rule: You have to anser with ONE word:

1. Where is your mobile phone? desk

2. Relationship? married

3. Your hair? dull

4. Work? bank

5. Your sister(s)? fun

6. Your favorite thing? husband

7. Your dream last night? entertaining

8. Your favorite drink? cold

9. Your dream car? free

10. The room you're in? office

11. Your shoes? black

12. Your fears? alone

13. What do you want to be in 10 years? Mother

14. Who did you hang out with last weekend? family

15. What are you not good at? cooking

16. Muffin? top

17. Wish list item? raise

18. Where you grew up? Utah

19. The last thing you did? lunch

20. What are you not wearing? bracelet

21. What are you wearing? sweater

22. Your pet? Cocker

23. Your computer? slow

24. Your life? happy

25. Your mood? anxious

26. Missing? sunshine

27. What are you thinking about? Christmas

28. Your car? fast

29. Your kitchen? grandma's

30. Your summer? vacations

31. Your favorite color? blues

32. Last time you laughed? today

33. Last time you cried? Wednesday

34. School? done

35. Love? life

Catch Up Time

Without the Internet at our house and my mom's computer being down, I haven't had many opportunities to log on and post what's been going on. I've found some images from the Internet that will have to "fill in" until I can get my pictures on a computer. Here's a quick summary of what's been happening in our lives...

1. Halloween was great fun! I dressed up as a gypsy and little Daisy was a pumpkin! We were able to see all our little nieces and nephews in their costumes too! Clown, Bee, Dale Jr., and a witch. Brian's mom even dressed up! She was a pirate!

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2. My darling friend Amber and her hubby and baby girl were in town, visiting from Tennessee!! All of us girls who used to live together (along with a few hubbies) got together and caught up on life while we had lunch. It was such a great time. Amber's little girl is adorable and it was so good to see Amber. Now we are all trying to plan a trip to TN to visit her! I am so thankful for such wonderful friends!

3. I love Thanksgiving! This year we had Thanksgiving lunch with Brian's family and dinner with mine. I don't know how many calories we consumed but they were all well worth it! I love getting together with family and celebrating all the things we are thankful for. I truly have been blessed to have such wonderful family, friends, a beautiful place to live, food to eat, clothes to keep me warm and most of all for the gospel in my life.

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4. Each year Brian's family makes gingerbread houses after eating Thanksgiving dinner (or lunch). Actually, it the girls and kids that make them while the men watch t.v. or talk about hunting. I don't mind though. I love this tradition and love being a part of Brian's family. I can't wait to post a picture of MY gingerbread house!

5. Another great tradition I have married into is cutting down a fresh Christmas tree. This year my family came along too and experienced the fun...and cold! It has been too many years since they had a real tree and Brian's family was so nice to let them come along and find their "perfect tree." After a lot of hiking in the snow we all found our trees and then celebrated with hot chocolate and donuts! B and I put our tree up that night and it smells divine!

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6. Every year on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving our little town has a craft fair called, The Novemberfest. My mom and I have made it our tradition to go to this. When I was little my dance group performed at it! Oh the memories! This year mom and I didn't make it but my darling friend Jaci and I did. We were among the 4 in our office who had to work the day after Thanksgiving so we jetted over on our break and had lunch and strolled around to look at all the crafts. While there we ran into some bloggers whom we recognized and introduced ourselves. What fun girls!

7. Before heading into work on "black Friday" I met my mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law at 4:30am to face the mad crowds. I went with them last year too and had a blast! There were a few deals we just had to get our hands on so we woke up early and planned our missions to get the things we needed. We had success! It's quite an adrenaline rush! After we made our purchases we celebrated our accomplishments with breakfast at Village Inn!

I found this little excerpt about black Friday on the Internet... Why oh why do we shop on this day?

"The day after Thanksgiving is considered the first day of the Christmas/Holiday shopping season. It is often called "Black Friday" because it is when retailers that have been operating in the red first turn a profit for the year. A lot of retailers open before the sunrise that day for big sales ending later that same morning. They have always drawn crowds, and frequently caused disputes over a place in line, or the last of a hot item, but this year it got ugly, very ugly. Across the nation, people stampeded when doors were opened, and riots broke out when items the crowds were seeking had run out."

8. And last but not least...Brian shot his buck! It is at the taxidermist as we speak! Way to go hun! (This picture doesn't do it justice)

So, I think I'm just about caught up. I'll get my photos on as soon as possible! Oh, we did get our first snow in the valley today! Just a few inches but..."it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" I love this time of year and the joy and charity in everyones hearts that comes along with it! Happy Holidays!

Family

We got our family pictures taken a few weeks ago and just got them back. Here are a few of my favorites! Don't I have a darling family? I think so! I sure do love them too and don't know what I'd do without them!

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The kids

The whole fam

Mom & the girls

Mom & the kids

Dad & his girls

The fam having fun!

The Pumpkin Walk

One of my favorite things about Halloween is The Pumpkin Walk. People all over the community volunteer their time to create SEVERAL different "sets" made of pumpkins! I don't know what the theme was this year but there was a "monkeys jumping on the bed," a western alley full of characters (see below), a classroom with students, boys camp and so many others! This year I went with Jes and some of her friends while Brian was hunting.

Here's Jes and I with Clint Eastwood and "The Duke"

Below is Jes, her brother and "The Duke"

Us with the friendly witch!

Here are some of the scenes from the walk! The Hairspray characters heads were pumpkins...and they danced!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

tRicK oR TrEat

I never know what to be for Halloween! This weekend I spent some time at my parents and my sister and I raided the Halloween costume bins! We had a blast! So, what do you think I should be for Halloween...

An evil pioneer woman?

A Raggedy Ann - Pippy Longstocking doll?

A...well...not sure what this is?

Or I could be a pysho inmate/alien?

I think I'll keep hunting for my costume!

"Elk-ing"

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Last year Brian and I took my family up the mountain where he guides and we listened for elk, watched for wildlife, enjoyed the fall colors, and just had a great time. We had so much fun, we did it again this year. We packed some sandwiches and loaded in the truck. Mom and the girls and I filled the bed of the truck with foam pads and blankets while Brian and my dad were in the cab. Brian was our tour guide and pointed out some wildlife.

Brian brought his gun and deer tag on our little trip and at one point we all thought we would be witnesses to his kill shot and have to pack a deer home! That didn't happen though, thank goodness.

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We had a fun time on the mountain and we were able to hear some moose calling, coyotes howling, saw some deer, and had lots of laughs. I love this tradition! My sister called it "elk-ing" because we were on the lookout for some big bull elk!