Our Fabulous trip to Utah

 We were able to make a trip to Utah over Conference weekend. We packed alot in our 4 1/2 day's there. Here are a few highlights.

With dear friends Heather and Bob, at General Conference


After the morning session, on Temple Square.

cousins Gracie, Coleman, Ella, Hudson and William at dinner.

We were able to see all 5 grand kids from my side...

...and 5 of the 8 from Ron's side.

cousins Logan, Tyler and Landon having breakfast

Nathan and Bryce with Grandma Kathleen and Grandpa

We took a ride up American Fork Canyon to see the fall leaves....Beautiful!

Of course, seeing our children and grand babies, attending conference and listening to the Prophet and Apostles speak to us were the highlights of our trip. But we squeezed in a whole lot more. We had dinner with the kids, breakfast with my sister and nephews, got my hair cut (bless you Janika!) took flowers to mom and dad's cemetery, watched Dumbo, Rio, and Conference on T.V. ...went to a (sort of) soccer game, and a (sort of) pewee football game, helped ready Erin and Ben's (huge) lot for grass, by raking and picking up rocks - I totally had flashbacks from 1975 picking up rocks (boulders) from the lot my parents built their house on. Ate yummy baked oatmeal and homemade rolls, slept in three different beds (thank you Shannon and Erin!), went birthday shopping with a 7 year old, and laughed my head off at our 2yr. old grandson who said "hey baby!" to me. We drove up one of the beautiful canyons of Utah to see the fall foliage and got a mini botany lesson on quakies from my son-in-law Ben. I never cease to be wowed by the beauty that Heavenly Father has created simply for our pleasure! We are truly blessed.



31 day Challenge

I've been reading some of the 31 day challenges that people are committing to for Oct. Call me a joiner, but I think I'll  jump on  run after  flag down the next  get aboard that bandwagon and try a challenge I've been meaning to attempt for a while now. Some of the challenges that bloggers are taking on are profound and include such feats as giving up caffeine (don't have THAT to give up), being more consistent with their children (great concept, 25 years too late),  photographing their wardrobe each day --what?? (my photo's would be 26 day's of jeans and a white t-shirt/ 5 Sundays of dresses), vacuuming every room, every day (are ya kiddin' me??). I have decided to take on something much more aggressive and both physically and mentally, and let's face it, emotionally challenging. I am committing to go without candy for 31 days. Why would I do that in the month of greatest candy-temptation?? I have no answer. But I will confess to you right here, right now:   I'm Kathy, and I'm a candyaholic.

PROOF

It started out innocently enough...

I told myself, I'm just in it for the pretty colors...

but then it got out of control...almost taking on a life of it's own...

I was hiding the "good stuff" behind healthy snacks...

...what's next, hiding Snickers bars in the toilet tank??

this is just the stash from my art room.

 (Don't even get me started on my pantry supply)

Then one day I found myself sneaking Dove dark chocolate

from my husbands office, without him knowing.

So before there's an intervention the likes of which Lindsay Lohan

should see, I'm taking my 31 day challenge to exclude C.A.N.D.Y.

from my daily, hourly, sometimes minute to minute diet.

This begins October 1st. I'll be reporting soon.

If this doesn't fly, I may have to check myself into the

Betty Crocker Clinic.

Wish me luck.



Changing Seasons

I love this time of year. I love the changes of every season, but I've always been partial to fall. This year I have a new environment to experience the autumnal beauty in. The broad leaf trees are beginning to turn color. I can see some trees from my art room that are a blazing gold. Set among the Douglas furs that grow so abundantly here, they are even more brilliant. Heavenly Father must have made the beginning of fall so beautiful to make it a little easier for us to give up our summer. Perhaps He created the crocus, that pop their little heads up at the first sign of warmth in the winter months that seem to last forever, as a way of telling us "hold on just a little while longer, spring with all her colorful patchwork, will be here soon!"  God is the ultimate artist and philanthropist. I want to be like Him when I grow up.

End of Summer

I wanted to add this photo because I think it is such a classic summer picture.

It's my 2 step sons and 3 of my 4 son's-in-law on our trip to Cannon Beach this summer.

Good bye summer. Hello Fall.

Mormon Messages: Create

This just says it all!

I love our Heavenly Father.

Very Talented Visitor!

My awesome mother-in-law was just up for a visit this past week. She is super fun and hilarious! She and I really had a good time together. Her schedule and life is so busy, I'm really thankful she made time to visit us. While she was here she taught me a new fall craft.

This is Sonia. Also know as Abuela to all the grandchildren. She helped me create this cute pumpkin centerpiece. Can you tell what it's made from?

Seedless Blackberry jam...Hello Deliciousness!

I posted on the family website that I made seedless blackberry jam...with F.R.E.E. berries that grow wild here. These sweet little bundles of fruitiness grow everywhere. SCORE! In the past, to make seedless jam I had to ruin a perfectly good  use a wire strainer and a rubber spatula.



Lot's of pressing and scraping until all the fruit was through and all the seeds were left in the strainer. It took forever! (but totally worth it!) When I told Ron that I was going to make seedless jam he brought me this strange looking little pan:



True kitchen gadget love!

I think it was one of the treasures from the Talbots. It hooks on the side of a pan or bowl and you turn the handle and it presses the fruit through the bottom and leaves all the big ol' seeds in the top. It looks so old, I wasn't sure if it would be effective at all...but it worked like a charm! I didn't adjust my recipe for seedless.