Happy Halloween

This halloween we carved pumpkins and made cookies. It seems we bake cookies for every occasion. It is a easy and fun activity for the children. The kids also made paper ghosts that we hung up. This year was the first they went to a bundle of homes to trick or treat. Alyssa dressed as Strawberry Shortcake. (My mother sewed her dress.) Tyler dressed in camouflage.

Catching up

Guess who?! I can't believe it is already close to mid-September. I feel it should still be August, maybe because of the lingering hot temperatures. August was an enjoyable month. We spent time with Grandma J and Baba in the Sequoia's. It was a refreshing vacation. Later in August my parents came for a visit. The children had sleep-overs with Nannie and Grandpa. They enjoy that so very much. Actually, one of the planned nights they cooked dinner for all of us and our little one was a bit distraught and did not want us to attend. Last weekend we spent another amazing weekend at the cabin. The Wagon-Wheel fire was extremely close to our property. We feel very fortunate that the fire did not come into our canyon. The children have begun pre-school. Today was their first day at school needless to say they are a bit tired this afternoon. After school we had a simple lunch and made a strawberry pie and banana breads. They do enjoy baking.

Sequoia National Forest

At the beginning of the month we traveled to the Sequoia National Forest. Once again we stayed at the lovely Kaweah Han. Although it is only the children's and my second time there, my husbands family has been going for many generations. My children are the 4th generation to vacation at Kaweah. Through the years I have heard many stories about Kaweah. It is wonderful to experience it first hand. The lodge itself is constructed with exquisite craftsmanship. It is a very peaceful place to be. You can always hear the continuous sound of the flowing river from below. I just love laying in the hammock and drifting in and out of dreams there. The only wildlife encounters were of a doe and trout , although my sister in law spotted a bear. The kids were great hikers. A- hiked to and from the redwood grove. Last year she needed to be carried.

Fossil Creek

Have you been to Fossil Creek? It is near Strawberry, Arizona. Years ago we had camped there. I remember the ride down was not the most enjoyable, but it was nothing like this past weekend. I can't believe the fear of falling off of the cliff I had experienced. It was so intense! I must say the trip down might have been worth it. The water was amazing in clarity and temperature. The photos look as if we were at a pool. It was very refreshing for a hot Arizona day. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Flash Flood

Over the 4th of July weekend we spent our time at the cabin. It was a refreshing weekend. During our stay it had rained. After the rain decided to go to town for water. Upon leaving we noticed water rushing under one of the bridges, it was a flash flood. We then turned the Trooper around to watch it come over our road. It was so powerful. The kids called it the "chocolate river". We left and by the time we came back we were able to cross the road.

Food, Inc.

Have you gone to, or heard of the movie, Food, Inc.? I am hoping to view the movie this week. You can see the trailer at:
http://www.chipotle.com/#/flash/fwi_food-inc
Let me know.

Tonto Natural Bridge

 

Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is a must see! When you come to town make sure we take you there. The park is now only open on Saturdays and Sundays. We took our children there for a wonderful day. The old trail that we used to decent on is now closed. Maybe too much fall exposure? First we had a picnic at one of the covered ramadas. We followed the Gowan Loop trail to the bridge. The hike down was filled with lizard sightings. To see the looks on the childrens faces when they saw the bridge was priceless. When we reached the destination we went "spelunking". Tyler has wanted to go to a cave for some time now. It was nice and cool in the cave, so we took our time.

The Cookie Book

In 1979 my mother and I used to bake cookies together from a book called The Cookie Book, by Eva Moore, Illustrations by Talivaldis Stubis. The book is designed for children to make cookies with an adult. I came across this book and am now using it with my children 30 years later. Each month has a specific cookie assigned to it. For the month of June is the Tiny timmies recipe. Yesterday, the children and I make these delicious cookies. I think Lew was happy to have cookies when he arrived home from work.
The recipe is as follows:
1 sm. can crushed pineapple (9oz)
1/2 c. softened butter
1c. light brown sugar
1 egg
2 c. flour
2t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1- 6oz package butterscotch bits
3 oz. chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 375.
1. Get a small bowl and a stainer. Open the can of pineapple and dump the pineapple into the stainer. Let the syrup drip into the bowl. Set aside.
2. Get a large mixing bowl and measure the soft butter into it.
3. Pack the brown sugar into a measuring cup and pour it over the butter. Cream the butter and the sugar together.
4. Now get a cup. Break the egg into the cup and then pour it into the mixing bowl with the creamed mixture.
5. Measure out 3 T. of the pineapple syrup and pour it over the egg. Beat everything together with a mixing spoon. Beat it well. Do not leave any lumps of sugar in the batter. Set the mixing bowl aside.
6. Measure the flour, the baking powder and the salt into a sifter. Sift them into a bowl.
7. Add the sifted ingredients to the egg mixture. Stir slowly. Stir until the white flour is all mixed into the batter.
8. Dump in the crushed pineapple, the butterscotch bits, and the nuts. Stir it all into the batter.
Shape and bake the cookies. Use an "eating" teaspoon. One full teaspoon of batter makes one cookie.
Put a candied cherry in the center for decoration.
Cook 10-12 min.
Try this recipe out with your children and let me know what you think!

World Wildlife Fund

This is another site to visit.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/
There is a lot of information at this site.
I am just starting to go through all of it.
I would love to hear what you discovered on this site.
Laura

Payson, Arizona

We spent a wonderful weekend in Payson. It was great to cool our heels in the Rim Country of Arizona. Our friend's the Moore's came for the day on Saturday. We had a great time with them. It rained in the afternoon. It felt so good to hear the thunder and watch the rain. On Sunday we were at Washington Park. There we saw a beautiful beetle called the "FUNGUS BEETLE". What do you think about it?

 

We also watched two Painted Redstarts. They loved to spread their wings and fly through the creek bed.

 

It's My Birthday

I had a great birthday. I worked out and went to the library. It sounds so ordinary and maybe it is. The kids had me giggling all day. They had so much fun sharing my birthday. One of the phrases they were using with marvelous inflection was "Raise your hand if you are the birthday girl". Pretty funny. During the day we headed to LGO a local restaurant to pick up some of my favorite cupcakes(Tammi Coe) Delicious. We stopped by a friends house for a quick visit. For dinner we ventured to Humble Pie, delicious pizzas were had there. When we returned my wonderful family sang happy birthday and we enjoyed the cupcakes, ooey gooey, coconut, carrot, and red velvet. So, as you can see they day may seem ordinary, but it was extraordinary for me. Happy Day!

Pro Environment Website

Treehugger.com has a bit of everything. Please take a look. I think you will find something that will interest you.

The Amazing Skoy cloth

Our friends from Get N' Green, (Getngreen.com) , shared with us this wonderful product. The Skoy cloth which is anti-bacterial has replaced sponges, and paper-towels in our home. I hope you order some. Let me know what you think.

Sunny Days

My sister-in-law, brother-in-law and niece were visiting for the weekend. I am so glad the weather cooled down to the 90's by the time they arrived. Days previous reached 108 degrees. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a restaurant, NOCA. I had the scallops. I am not very good at cooking them at home, so I always enjoy them from a restaurant. The children loved playing with their small cousin. Saturday we visited the family at their hotel. We stayed the day at their poolside cabana. The kids enjoyed the water slide the most. Lew enjoyed it also. I enjoyed the bellini by the pool. It was a relaxing and fun weekend.

The Cabin

 

We are so thrilled to have a deck on the front of the cabin. We needed the outdoor living space. We are planning on spending a lot of time there during the summer. Xo L

Tucson, Arizona

Last weekend we visited our friends in Tucson. Tucson is a beautiful place. We loved the natural landscape. For dinner our friends had a BBQ and invited other friends we hadn't seen for a long time. It was a wonderful evening. In the morning they cooked a fabulous breakfast. It was so relaxing. We took a walk around the neighborhood and went for a swim. I must say I am a little worried about the kids swimming skills. Last year they passed their swim test with flying colors and this year it seems they have never been in the pool before. I hope it comes back to them sooner than later. In the afternoon we drove to Mt. Lemmon for lunch. Mt. Lemmon is approximately 9,000ft. above sea-level. On the drive up are fascinating rock formations called Hoodoos. We can't wait to go back!

HAPPY SPRING!!

HAPPY SPRING! The weather has been perfect. The butterflies are here and we love being out! For Easter we were invited to a neighbor's home where the children participated in an egg hunt. We enjoyed brunch and the company of our friends. The kids also had an egg hunt at home. Later we had a casual dinner at home with the traditional ham that my DH loves so much. I spoke with my 90 year old grandmother that day. She is the youngest of 16 children and the only one still alive today. She mentions that when I speak with her. It must be hard to see so many people you love pass away. She lives far away so I am unable to see her. This weekend I will see my husband's grandparents who are all in their 90's too.

Master Blister Beetle

I was so fortunate to see my friend G.L this week with her wonderful family. As we were playing at the local park, we spotted a most unusual insect. It turns out it is called a Master Blister Beetle, Lytta magister. It had a beaded head and body, bright orange in color. The insect was long with black wings. Apparetly, in the spring is when the Blister Beetles appear. I have never seen one before. It was an interesting find.
The photo and information is from http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

Hail at the Cabin

 

Arizona spring weather--it hailed one day and the next we were hiking in t-shirs. We stayed there along with my parents. On the way to the cabin we saw--javelina, a racoon, skunk, rabbit and a ground squirrel.

YeeHaw

 
 

This month the children's classroom is having a western theme. Last week the cowboy "Hotshot" came to the class. Today the children rode a pony. It has been a fun month.

Mom displays @ the Phoenix Art Museum

#phototop
My mom designed a flower arrangement for the annual Arts and Flowers event @ the Phoenix Art museum. Above is a link to her design.

Bucking Broncos

Here are our bucking broncos. Today a cowboy came to visit the preschool class.

Happy Valentine's Day

This Valentine's the children created

cards for their friends and baked cookies

with their Nannie. They loved decorating the

tastey treats!

Arizona Sunset

Mountain Biking in Arizona

Lew riding the trails near our house.

A Trip Back in Time 2003

July 2003 we were fortunate enough to spend our time in New England. I would love to get there this summer! What do you think?

An evening in Arizona

What a beautiful evening

for a family hike.

The Fire Cat

My children adore this story about the "Fire Cat" . I can't wait to read them the Jennie Cat stories by the same author.
I am sure my sister remembers these stories. If you have not read them check your local library.