Peachblossm

Holiday Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 02:29:00 +0000

Becca put out this great recipe for sugar cookies and I tried it. I had some initial difficulties resulting from the fact that I don't, rather haven't, baked. Like, ever.
So I muddled through 20 minutes of beating together sugar and butter and dough that was way sticky. Today I pulled out the chilled dough and we came up with these:

Dea helped me frost most of them.

I Love Lucy - pre making it funny and adding pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:11:00 +0000

I've been invited to the I Love Lucy Club.

Here's the story^:

I had great ambitions of making many delicious confections for the Holidays this year. I've been feeling very festive like that. I remember making English Toffee and Pulled Taffy as a kid. Now that I have a kid, plus some, I thought I'd give it* a try myself.

I had to have a candy thermometer, so on my way home from work one night I stopped by Fred Meyer** and picked one up. Then I needed to get the ingredients. It took a day of shopping and stuff, but I came to work yesterday all sorts of prepared. First on the list on yummy, fattening foods to make was Fudge. I used this recipe which sounded really good. I didn't look very hard and evidently there are much easier ways of making the stuff. For the sake of being gung-ho, I wanted to do it authentic.

So.

I had these two pages of instructions that are not really in order. Starting on page two I added the ingredients mixing them and melting them slowly. I don't know what the crystallization they referred to looks like, but they were very adamant that you don't want it in you fudge. Things were cooking great until the mixture started to boil. I had it in a big pot because I knew that it would grow as it boiled. I didn't realize how much the stuff would grow. The mixture bubbled and rose and rose and bubbled. I had to keep it cooking or I might get crystals! So I did the logical thing as the mass reached the top of the pot. I blew on it.
Nuthing happened.
Rather it kept growing. So I turned down the heat. But just as the flame turned off, the mixture boiled over the top and onto the stove. I had to keep it cooking or it would crystallize and ruin the batch. So I grabbed a bigger pot and put it on another burner. I turned on the flames and realized a second later that it was the wrong burner. The bag of oranges was sitting next to the burner I had turned on. The red mesh bag was casually draped over the side of the fruit basket and on top of the burner. AH! I hastily turned it off and lit the correct burner. Then I poured the remaining mixture of overflowing, bubbly, sticky, chocolate stuff into it. I turned up the heat and got it back to boiling. I couldn't stir it, per the instructions Else I might make it crystallize. When it got to the correct temperature I removed it from the stove. The next step was to beat until creamy. I can't beat it in a Teflon coated pot, so I had to pour it into another container, again. Then I got the mixer out and started beating the sucker. It was HOT and kept flinging bits of 30-seconds-ago-boiling-chocolate-mixture out at me. After the 15th burn I had Dea help me make a shield with paper towels. After the 20th burn I thought to look at the directions again. I was supposed to let it cool.
Oh.
So I let it cool. For Ever. Finally when it was the right temperature I went back at it with the beaters. Twenty minutes later it was still not creamy, Derek and Lori were home and it was time for me to leave. I poured it into a Tupperware and stuck it in the fridge. Today it is still not creamy. I was able to get this picture*** of the stuff. I spelt 'love' with the drizzle from my thickness testing spoon. So now I have some really good fudge ice cream topping.

^It's pretty straight forward, so there are not so many explanations down here. Sniff.
* Making candy, that is.
** I really wanted the $20 fancy schmancy one from William Sonoma. But the $5.99 one at Fred Meyer was closer... and cheaper.
*** It won't upload... sorry.

A new post

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:16:00 +0000

I'm not sure what I want to post about^. I know I want to post something. My computer kinda died and I thought I lost my pictures. Yikes! Lucky Scott showed me how to find them again^^.

^ That's a lie. I know many many things I'd like to post about. I just can't pick.
Jaedyn had 6 teeth. She had her first candy cane. Everyone called her a boy at our ward Christmas Party. The mohawk* didn't help. Nor did her missing earrings.
Things are moved to storage. It is bliss.
I had a birthday. It was not so exciting. But I did get one birthday present. From my mom. It's a sewing machine. I made a hedgehog as my first project. I'm still making it. I made a wallet for the second project (later Alicia gave me some fabric, thanks!).
We made a gingerbread house. Super soft, nasty light butter is the way to go for the recipe I had. I tried again with real butter and it turned out rather nasty.
My hands are getting scaly. The weather up here does weird things to my flesh.
We have been watching Bones. It's interesting.
We are going to Houston for New Years and my mom's wedding! WOOHOO!!!

*She really has a mowhawk. When we take her hair down from it's pony spike...it's this fantastic mowhawk that lasts for days.

^^ Now I need to send those pictures. Thank goodness for my husband who saves me from computers.

Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:39:00 +0000

We had a fun Thanksgiving this year. It was very different. No Football. No Turkey Bowl. No parades. It was surreal and weird.
We did sleep in. Even Jaedyn slept in. It was beautiful!
We did put up with nasty wet weather.
We did go to my cousin's house for dinner. Derek cooked up a delicious meal and Lori made some very yummy pie.
I think I'd rather go somewhere normal for Thanksgiving next year. Somewhere with a Turkey Bowl. I never thought I'd miss that. Hmm.

Jaedyn's Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:28:00 +0000

She has her third tooth* the top, front left one. The fourth is coming in to the left of her third tooth and she can drink from a straw. Cool. She is getting better and better at crawling. Currently her Jumper is inaccessible** but she has come to love it***.

I'm kinda a basket case lately. I just don't know how to deal.

~~~

* it's crooked.

** A big pile of crap in sitting in our living room waiting to be moved to storage^.
^ I finally got us a storage shed for all our extra stuff. We've needed it for SO long!

*** She hated it when it was hung in the hallway across from the washer and dryer. Now that it is in the living room and she can SEE us she is happy.

Halloween Party

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:44:00 +0000

Dea and friends helped me with decorations and making the food.

We had :

Graveyard dirt.

troll boogers...not a hit.

pumpkin cupcakes.

bloody spiders. not a hit.

Derek's cookies. a big hit.

apple cider

apples to bob for.

a puzzle and books

and party goers.

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:41:00 +0000

Dylan had a birthday.

Her Dad took pictures...

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:40:00 +0000

Then I made Graveyard Dirt

And mini Caramel Apples

Pumpkin carving

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:27:00 +0000

I tried carving Jaedy's portrate into a pumpkin this year...

Meh. It's a first try.

Update

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:11:00 +0000

We went to James and Alicia's for Sunday dinner yesterday.
Alicia made a delicious pot-roast with veggies and bread.
Jaedyn sat on the floor until our conversation was interrupted with her fussing*.
I pulled her on my lap and she immediately went to town on my food.
She ate my potatoes and carrots and green beans**.
She even tried for a nibble of my roast, but I drew the line at eating my meat.
After dinner we sat around and she was fussed over by these guys.
They were spoiling her with ice cream and our apple crisp dessert.

When we got home and put her to bed***, I decided enough is enough and I had Scott take a whack at my hair****.
I gave him a trim in return. We'll have to get pictures with our new hair stlyes sometime. If we ever get around to it.

___________________________________________________________________

*We dropped bread crumbs on the floor at her feet, like any good parents do to children who are pigeons... Oh, wait, we have a human baby. Maybe that is why she started fussing.

**They were all cooked in the crock pot and very mushy, so she was able to take whole chunks of veggies and shove them in her pie hole~~.

~~ She also shoved her entire binki (minus the handle) into her mouth during church. I didn't get a picture because of the setting, but I have been eagerly awaiting the nest binki shove+.

+She will often put her binki in interesting positions. Usually they involve her cheeks being propped up into a smile.

***Jaedyn has decided that sleeping is for babies. Real babies who during breast milk^ and eat baby food^^. She is a big girl who does not need to go to sleep. Especially not if she is very tired.

^ She definitively told me to stop offering that stuff at 8 months.

^^ She will sometimes let us give her some, it is convenient after all. See above regarding her current eating trend.

**** It had been two showers and I had not brushed it out between, during or after either shower~. That's when I knew I had too much hair. It had to go. Scott relieved me of at least 5 inches... probably more. I never thought my hair was so red... but it definitely looks red in the photo. It looked red in real life too, that's why I took the photo.

~Eww. I know.

New format...

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:43:00 +0000

I have been inspired* by one of my favorite author's blogs. The way she writes is much more inline with the way I think**. Stay tuned for more exciting blog posts that are *** easier to read.

~~~

* When am I not inspired by something I see online? I mean Blogs are perfect for getting inspired by something^.

^ In my case it is usually more than one something. Thus I get woefully overwhelmed with the cool things I could be doing, but am not.

** Which is all over the place, obviously.

*** hopefully!

A new post

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:29:00 +0000

I really don't get how some bloggers are full time mommies, have a crafty business and blog consistently. Maybe it's because I can't upload pictures from work. Or I am raising two kids very close in age and another a little older. Or my eyes hurt from looking at the computer so long. Or I can't decide if I should do crafts, paint and do art, cook or bake, read, or work out. There is way to much inspiration for my little brain (budget).
I come up with like 5 things to blog about each day. When I get home I have forgotten and I'm usually to tired to do anything anyways.
But I am inspired, you super mom-bloggers. Keep it up!

Fall in Redmond

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:47:00 +0000

Jaedyn and I were in Downtown Redmond yesterday running errands. It was so pretty that we had to come back with Scott when I had my camera.

This tree is so brilliantly red. It was well defined by the green trees behind it, and we think it was one of our favorites.

This is the green tree next to the red one. Notice the random red branches UNDER the green ones.

Scott and Jaedy taking a walk.

The trees change color in different patterns. I remember Grandpa O. telling me about it. Some change from top to bottom and others from bottom to top.

Even the bushes are changing color.

These trees are my favorite. They are awesome! They have just about every color of the rainbow, some all on one tree. With the sun behind them, they really look on-fire.

And then we saw these, purple, leaves. How cool is that!?!

In other news, it was really misty one day. I took Dylan to the park and at 9:30AM the soccer field looked like this:

Back to downtown, we were so hungry after our photo trip downtown that we stopped at the first food lace around. Carolina BBQ. Holy Cow! it was Dang Good. We split a platter with ribs, shredded pork and pot roast, fried okra and corn bread. It fed us both until we couldn't make room for dessert.

I dresses Jaedyn up for church today (usually Scott does that). She looked so cute. It's hard to tell but we've got her hair up in a alfalfa sprout! She is growing hair!

We saw this cool flower arrangement and then saw it was stuck in a pumpkin. How festive. Maybe someday I'll be that decorative.

Until then I'm enjoying the picture.

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:33:00 +0000

Oh blogging world, how I love thee.

My world is merrier and I smile more whenI read your comics, hear that my life is normal just like yours and read exciting exploits from favorite authors who are multitasking QUEENS!

Thank Thee!

Blackberries we picked

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:55:00 +0000

See a fewposts below for story...

Jaedyn drinks from a cup

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:54:00 +0000

Captured for posterity...

Swimming diaper?

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:52:00 +0000

We went swimming with our friends the Reeders. Jaedyn is came home with a HUGE diaper (the littel swimmer's are too big and we don't have a washable swim diaper, so we put her in a diaper instead of teaching her to pee in the pool).

Dad took the best picture of how big it was. I got distracted taking cute baby pictures.

Quickberry Quackberry, Pick me a BLACKBERRY!

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:26:00 +0000

two thousand coolness points to the person who knows where my post title came from.

Anyways. We have these HUGE blackberry brambles all over. We walk along one on our way to the part. We go to the part about 2-3 times a week. I am always kicking myself for not bringing along some container for the ripe blackberries we pass.

Today we fixed that!

Scott gathered the Lloyds from our ward and we all went blackberry picking. Benjamin is in my nursery class. He is SO cute.

I forgot about the thorns and Scott and I both wore flip-flops... and then Jaedyn grabbed a handfull of blackberry and smeared the sleeve of my white, very nice, work shirt! Oops... It's soaking in stain removers as I type.

We had a fun time. When we were done, we all trooped back and had homemade whole wheat bread and butter, warm from the bread machine with mashed fresh blackberries on top.

I didn't have my camera for the actual berry picking, but I'll be sure to go back and get pictures of the bushes.

Toys!

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:44:00 +0000

I brought my lovely plants with me to Washington. Unfortunately they did not make it over two mountain ranges without severe damage... even death! I thought they had all died, and left the pots in a mourning heap at James'. I then bought some new plants at a community college sale. I got two Bergsmania, some Shamrocks and a Devil's something-or-other. I also planted some herbs as a Relief Society craft and bought the coolest Spiral Rush from Ikea.
Months later I noticed that my pots were looking quite sad and I needed something to hold my new plants (they were still in the plastic growing pots from the nursery I bought them in). So I brought my pots home. and then I noticed that Wonder of Wonders, Miracles of Miracles, my Spider Monkey plant that I got as a cutting from Janika is STILL ALIVE! IT's pictured in the center in a blue pot.
I was so happy that I hurried to repot my other plants and make my porch garden-like again. They look so much happier in pots. And I have two pots left over. I love and miss my pathos, so I'll have to get another and pu tit in the little white pot. THe emty blue one is for a fern. I will get one someday and grow it by the front door, in the shade of our entry way.

Here is Jaedyn and Dad with some of Jaedyn's favorite toys. We have a keyboard (so she can play computers with us), a book, a teething bear, a juggling ball (for baby weight lifting), a bag of sea creature bath toys, blocks, a dishwasher basket, teething ring, twig ball, rattle, and lady bug book / toy. Unpictured are her toothbrush and binkys.

How To Test

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 05:33:00 +0000

I've made some Frog Prince / Swan Princess name and picture magnets for the nursery class I teach on Sundays. Having been inspired by other How-To'ers, I'm trying it out.
Here is what I did:
I started with templates I drew up. A frog, A swan, A crown, A circle, A rectangle.

Using the frog, I place the template and trace it.

Then cut it out.

Measure out contact paper and position the frog and crown on half.

Then fold contact paper over the other half and trim the edges.

Cut out the rectangle and circle (I juse a straight cutter and circle punch for them).

Lay down some packing tape, sticky side up.

place the rectangles on the tape and write the child's name.

Fold the tape up over the rectangles and trim excess tape off.

Repeat for the child's picture. Then Rubber Cement the name and picture to the animal.

Then hot glue a magnet to the back of the picture.

ANd ta-da you're done.

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:06:00 +0000

I come to my blog when I'm bored and in need of some snooping into other people's lives. SO I look at the post that is weeks and weeks old.. and turn to the links at the sidebar.
But recently I added Reader and now I can go to one place and see what updates have been made to every blog I sometimes run across. It's super convenient. But now when I come to my blog in boredom... I'm forced to post something, because I've just come from Reader and there is nothing new.

Ah, the irony.

Inspirations

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:31:00 +0000

Michelle inspired me to post a talk I gave in church last week... or two weeks ago... anyway, Just like her I had fun researching out and writing my talk. The topic given for every speaker that month was Home as a Sanctuary for Righteousness. All the generic talks had been given. Beautify your home, keep it clean, speak and act with good manners, show respect, show love etc. So Scott and I had to change up our approach.
And just like Michelle I timed out what I wrote and then after a short youth speaker my talk just flew by and Scott had to make up the difference for the remaining meeting time. He did a great job. He has received so many compliments. I got a few, mumbled, good jobs. I realize that it needs to be fleshed out a bit more. But the last time I spoke in church was like 4 years ago and I spoke for like 20 minutes. No to sound petty, but I think my last two talks have averaged themselves out. I'm good and the next talk I give should be a well written, well delivered, well timed talk.

Enjoy:

Good morning brother’s and sisters, I am Arren Quigley. My husband Scott and I are new to the ward, the state and the region. We are both from Texas. I grew up in Houston and Scott was born in Dallas. He moved around in his youth but when we got married, he brought me back to Dallas.
Recently it seems that my family is expanding in location across the nation while Scott’s family seemed to be collecting here in Washington. We joined the move west three months after our daughter, Jaedyn, was born, and here we are in Redmond.
We both have extended family in the greater Seattle area and as we have been driving all up and down the state we have made some observations. One of the first things we noticed when we got here was that Washington is weird.
The street signs look different. Drivers here are not quite so aggressive. Nor do they “Drive friendly, the Texas way” by waving thanks when you let them in or cut them off. The sky changes from dark to light and back to dark at a different pace. The people wear different clothes and because of the latitude difference, they have a tendency to wear more of them. I am aware that Texas is like a country unto itself, but most of the differences we noticed are just cultural.
Culture, defined as the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.
OR the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another.
OR The customs, beliefs, arts and institutions of a group of people,
Means it is the people here, or there, that make this place seem so different.
It’s what they value, like tall trees vs. wide open spaces.
In other areas value is placed on nature, on becoming one with the earth, on food, on technology, on entertainment and maybe on what not to wear. Culture changes and morphs as one generation places emphasis on a new value and something old loses importance. It’s lost in the transfer from generation to generation and new values take hold.
I was making a calendar on-line recently and had the option of adding various holidays. I noticed a trend as I browsed through the holidays from around the world. We tend to celebrate three things, freedom from oppression, cleanliness or new life, and beauty. Across continents and cultures these holidays have different names and wax and wane as the generations change. For instance, spring celebrations, like New Years and Spring Cleaning may have less import as gifts and cleaning are provided year round.
One custom, or institution, that every culture has is a home.
Ann Douglas said that “Home is an invention on which no one has yet improved.” It has been shaped and modified to fit the needs of the climate, geography and lifestyle of its people; but the institution of a home spans all cultures. So a home is different to everyone. For some of us it is boxlike with doors and windows. Some have levels and stairs. Some homes are circular, like the Mongols’ yurts, some like the pygmies in Africa are packed up and moved everyday. “different lifestyles influence the shape of the habitat, the division and distribution of domestic spaces” We have these domestic spaces, in every culture because homes are special. Homes can be our refuge, from the elements, from predators and sometimes from the “world” or the very culture we live in.
A place of refuge, a special place. In other words, a sanctuary.

Sanctuaries are protected places. In outdoor sanctuaries, wild animals are not hunted. Indoors a sanctuary is a sacred or holy place. In our Bible dictionary a sanctuary is defined as a tabernacle or temple. The tabernacle of the Ark of the Covenants was so sacred that those who touched it were killed. Forms of temples have been built as a safe place, a sanctuary for worshiping Heavenly Father since the time of Adam. Our bodies are also called temples or tabernacles. In D&C 93: 35 begins with,
“The aelements are the btabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God.”
Our spirits share these tabernacles with the light of Christ, with the love of Christ. His love is protected in layers of sanctuaries called tabernacles, homes, churches, temples and righteous living.

Righteousness is a term that can mean something different to everyone. When I was looking up the definition in the scriptures, the allusion to the armor of God popped out at me. Again and Again. In the war against the Devil, we have been given the following armor:
• Loins girt about with truth
• Breastplate of righteousness
• Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
• Shield of faith
• Helmet of salvation
• Sword of God’s Spirit and His word through revelation
Righteousness is the breastplate. Protecting the heart. Protecting Love from the fiery darts of the adversary. So as we live a righteous life we can feel the love of our Father in Heaven and our lifestyle will protect that love. It can be hard; our adversary is cunning and has experience on his side. In 2 NE 2: 27 we read:
“Wherefore, men are afree according to the bflesh; and call things are dgiven them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to echoose fliberty and eternal glife, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be hmiserable like unto himself.”
He wants us to be miserable like him. Cut off from the love of our Heavenly Father, like he is. Currently he is doing a good job of disrupting the institution of the family. By undermining the family, and dividing families from units to individuals he is creating a platform from which cultures of discontent and frustration instead of love and acceptance grow.

Winston Churchill said “We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.” Like so many adages we hear it’s true that you reap what you sew. If you want a life of love and acceptance, create a loving and accepting home to live in. If you are not the master of the domicile, or you don’t feel that you get to make the choices about the atmosphere of the home, remember that home is where the heart is. A home cultivating righteousness can begin at the doorframe of your bedroom, or inside your car or within your journal. The important thing is to protect the love Heavenly Father gives you, to not allow a fiery dart called “I can’t” get to you. As you cultivate your home to be a safe place or sanctuary for righteousness it will return the favor and shape you to be a righteous person living in a sanctuary or tabernacle and both sanctuaries will protect the love Heavenly Father shows you. So while not every home is the same, they can all be sanctuaries for right as defined by the culture they are found in. Our goal as Latter Day Saints is to create cultures of righteousness. To cultivate and create the culture where home is a sanctuary for righteousness. Where love is given greater value. Where the plan of our Savior is applauded, encouraged and prevails over our adversaries attempts to dissuade us.

I’m so grateful for the excellent counsel we have been given in conference and the past weeks as well as from our Bishop on this topic. I encourage you to take the Bishops advice and “take what is good in your home and improve upon it.” I bear testimony of our Heavenly Father’s love for each of us in the name…

children's books I'm looking for

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Actually there is just one that is really important. I don't know the title... or the author. It's an anthology of stories and fairy tales... with excellent illustrations.

The book is blue hardback and the end sheets in the front and back of the book are blue with black sketches of people in all attitudes of reading.
There is a lady with a parasol in a boat, reading, a boy in a tree house by the river, reading, and a gentleman in a bowler hat leaning against the tree, reading, among others; all of them, reading.

Inside there are the regular fairy tails... and some others... like a dragon that lives with a family or something... the picture for that story is of the family and the dragon and a Farris wheel in the background. There is Rikki Tikki Tavey the mongoose / family pet that saves the family from a cobra. There is the dog who thinks it's a cat. Ah, so many good stories from my childhood.

Anyway, I've been looking for it. Does anyone know of this anthology?

I'm also keeping my eyes out for the Great Fairy Tale Classics Vol. I and II... I had them as a kid, and still have one but some pages are missing. They are good stories, not great illustrations but I think they are worth keeping.

SEAFARE

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:38:00 +0000

JOBB

noreply@blogger.com (Peachblossm) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:52:00 +0000

Today was Jaedyn's half-Birthday party. We went to a park near by and set up in she shade. It's been hot in Washington. Today was supposed to be 100 degrees at party time. It was less humid than yesterday and we had a nice breeze so it did not feel too bad. In the shade, with a bottle of water. It was really low key and easy. Scott and I figure that we will reserve our big parties for when she will remember them. A cake with minimal frosting and candles in the shape of a J, water in bottles and streamers completed the decorative festivities. Oh, we did pull out some party hats for everyone when we gathered for food.
We had fun and our wonderful guests even brought us presents!! We were not expecting anything, it was so nice of them.
Sariah and Gwyneth and Eric brought a Hello Kitty sippy cup thermos. I've been wanting to, among many other things, teach Jaedy to drink from a straw. This thermos has a straw and should be great. Karen Farrar brought a booster seat chair. Now we can give Natalie and baby Claire back the bumbo. I'm sure Jaedy will be thrilled to have a tray to slap her hands on... or color on... or whatever. AND our presents were red. Aside from Scott's theory that red is the BEST color, we are trying to keep Jaedyn's stuff keeping with her lady-bug theme.(ie lots of reds and greens). So without even trying, they were the perfect gifts!!

THANKS YA'LL!!

Jaedy and Uncle James playing in the grass. They blew raspberries at each other.

The party crew.

Jaedyn spots a cake!

AND DAD LETS HER EAT SOME!!!