Apples & APPLES & Apples

I had lots of apples this year!! I made applesauce and jelly and syrup..... And there was still alot of apples!!

1 box left of theses

and still these to tubs

and 1 1/2 box of these.............



So we went to do this

We made apple cider!!!!!!!!!! 15 gallons of cider!

It was so much fun with the kids!!!!!!!

This is "JONES Apple Orchard", in Blackfoot!!!

We first went to his apple orchard with Colby's Cub Stout's group!!

He is so good with all kids!!

He really makes it fun!!

If anyone wants info call me!!!

It is good family time!!

I sure hope that when my kids have kids

that they take them and do this with their kids!

The apple machine is awesome and FAST!

Will have more pictures to post of the gallons and gallons!!

I have been reading up on different traditions and found this one on this blog!!

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2007/12/20/traditions/

Since our oldest son was a toddler we have had friends come over IN THEIR PAJAMAS to read Christmas stories. Our oldest son is now 15 and this has become one of our most loved holiday traditions.

So warm up some hot chocolate and invite some friends over and relax and enjoy some special family time.

A sweet little 4 year old said it was the best party she had ever been to. Now that is a pretty good endorsement when you have been to a "princess" party before!

There are no fancy clothes or fancy food and kids are definitely invited. At first the guests (especially the adults) might be shy about wearing their pajamas---but we insist.

We sit around reading Christmas stories, drinking hot chocolate, sometimes we do a craft(decorating gingerbread houses and making gift tags are a favorite), and we eat a few simple snacks. It is such a special way to spend a cozy and relaxing evening with friends.

We enjoy listening to our friends favorite Christmas books and as some of the children have gotten older they enjoy reading the stories also. I can't say enough about how special the evening is for us. It is a moment in this busy time of year to slow down and remember what the Season is about!
When we moved to Germany I met my dear friend Wendy who was also having these parties. Her sister Tara has written some wonderful invitations. I "borrow" these poems and then make a theme around the invite.

This is one of my favorite,

The Polar Express.
We would like for you to join us for
a Christmas tale
We'll gather for a story about a
little sleigh bell
We'll be in our pajamas so that's
how you should dress
All aboard headed north on the
Polar Express
Your time and date
Please bring your favorite Christmas
story to read!

Invitations can be made by layering holiday papers and adding a jingle bell at the top

The best thing is we can always elaborate on the theme and change it up. Next time I use this I want to make jingle bell wreaths. Family Fun has cute jingle bell bracelets to make. The possibilities are endless. Party favors would be cute sent home in a bag clipped with this jingle bell clip.
So warm up some hot chocolate and invite some friends over and relax and enjoy some special family time. A sweet little 4 year old said it was the best party she had ever been to. Now that is a pretty good endorsement when you have been to a "princess" party before!

I THINK THIS WOULD BE SO MUCH FUN TO DO!

We will be heading off next weekend to do one of my family traditions----- Cutting down our own Christmas Tree! I hope it snows more!!! We try to go sledding and we build a fire and cook hot gods and marsh mallows!!! Always so much more yummy in the mountains!! I can't wait!! SNOW! SNOW!

Another tradition for my family is the SANTA PARTY....

And as always I will be having our Santa Party!!! I love this! Santa has been coming to MY house since I was a girl!!

I remember that one year Santa got stuck and my dad had to help him get unstuck so that he could make it to other little kids house!!!

I love that now he come to MY KIDS' house!!!!

Every year he comes and brings each and every child a nice gift! (yes its always a book, but that is a wonderful gift!!

My family also does the Operation Christmas Child

here is a link to learn about this!

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/index/

Ryan and I and my children started doing this with the

BFBC http://blackfootfbc.org/, last year we really enjoyed doing this with the kids!!

We pick 2 younger kids for this.

AND

we have be doing this since my children were little "little" have went to our local Christmas Tree Fantasy and join in on the Angel Tree and pick 2, one boy and one girl the same ages as my children. This way they know what kind of toy and clothing the child would like!!

I hope that my children keep this family tradition's

going on & on & on!

SO HOW ABOUT YOUR FAMILY TRADITION'S???

LET ME KNOW!!

Love to hear all the different family traditions!!

ReDo's!!

So a couple weekends ago Miss KarLee went out of town with her grandma, and we went to work on her room! My wonderful hubby painted everything for me!!
KarLee has a nice but very outdated bedroom set! I thought we would do black and white and hot pink!!! Turn out so dang cute!! Ryan did an awesome job!! We have a few touch ups that we need to do but other than that its way cool!! Pre-teen room! And KarLee was completely surprised!! And LOVED it!


Here are some pictures of her "messy" room, I had to hurry to get everything ready for Ryan to paint as soon as she left! Colby was a big help as well!

Here is her bed with all her stuff from her

dresser & drawers piled up!


Took all the "little girl" things out and boxed them up!

Colby and my dad and sister and I made this for KarLee

I decided to get pink basket "things"

(there is one in the barbie house I used to see if they would work)

to put her all her yarn and sewing rings in!!

I don't have a picture with it done, and moved it to the closet for her!

I have been going to do a ballerina wall for Karlee

But still haven't got this done.

Mainly due because we are wanting to frame the mirror

and then need to figure out how to hang it.

After rearranging her room she will now have
this whole side of he room to dance away!!!

Once we get this framed and hung

Then there will be a hand rail that will run under the mirror

for Miss KarLee to dance & dance & dance!!

This is what Ryan's shop looked like!

He lined them up and painted away!!

First all the white things then

he did all the black things!!

Chair before and after!!

Picked up this cute fabric in Idaho Falls!

Refinished her chair seat!

Ryan painted the black stuff next and this is what it all turn out to look like!

I took some before and after of some but didn't get all the things before and I didn't get a good after picture of her room!

No before on the mirror

But here is the finished mirror, not hung up yet,

but looking good!


Here is the dresser. at one time I had tried to paint it purple.....




all her shelves, I divided half for white and half for black and a few for pink!

After! Ryan forgot to spray the front so some touch up!

Her headboard before, this is what all the pieces looked like before





and now after!!!!!!!!

Some before pictures




Some beautiful after pictures!!

Can you tell I was so very happy!!!
Her seat turn out so cute!

Love the look of her room!!

This is one of her walls

I waited until she came home to decide where she wanted to hang things up at!

(since it is her room!)

Had Ryan spray her letters, for now anyway....

And then since he was already painting I asked him to paint somethings or me!!!


This is a desk that was my grandmothers that was given to my mother than to me.

I had a hard time deciding if I should

But did

and love it!

So I had him paint the old computer desk and it turned out good too!

And then................


We decide to clean out the computer room/weight room...

(cause one day we will be using it for a much better reason.....)

And re did the "area" downstairs.

Everything turn out nice.

And then Ryan built me a wonderful craft table!!!!!! Finished product to come!!

Sorry I thought I took some pictures of this area done, but I must have forgot to put my card back in my camera!!! he he silly me!

"My Want List" or/and "My To Do List"

Just because I was in a silly mood today!

Enjoy with me!

One day..... Probably in the far far future, I want to make a sign like this!

And I(I mean) WE will "remodel" our kitchen, and maybe put a nice saying like:
One day I want to put this Vinyl lettering in KarLee & Mine our scrap room!!

One day I want to do (and what I mean when I say do, is decorate it)
my laundry room......



I like this saying to put in our family computer area or libray area!!
I really like that saying!


Oh and 1 day I (againI mean) We will get new (prettyblue, yes BLUE)

washer & dryer (like the ones in the picture above)

and I will put one of these sayings in "OUR" laundry room!

One day....

Then I will move on to "OUR room"

I have done(and again meaning of done, almost decorated) Our Room and Colby and KarLee's Rooms, that pretty much all that are "done" besides the NEW mirror in the master bathroom(which is the only thing in that room for decor)

I like all 3 sayings!!

Maybe this in my upstairs front room!!

This in the middle bathroom

And maybe one day, this in the kids bathroom!!

And I think, 1 day I will put this in our downstairs frontroom.

oh and this down our stairway, (You know all the childrens fingerprints you see!

(I mean art work that I will miss someday sooner than later.)

And last but not less important for my "WANT*WILL HAVE*SOMEDAY"

I will have one of these! Its a Growth Chart!!!

(think I need do make one for my grandma's wall!!)

Oh and the baby in the picture too!!

One day!! Soon I hope :)!

and when we have one of those one day soon we will put this saying in

his or her room
and this one too?!


or maybe this one??!!!