Halloween 2011

 I look forward to trying to come up with costumes so that we all match. This year we were the INCREDIBLES. I tried to keep the cost down and got alot of the stuff on sale. I think they turned out great and I already have the idea for our costumes for next year, so I will be watching the sales all next year to get what I need. I cant wait. I love Halloween!

This year our ward had a Halloween Party, which I was excited for. I kind of volunteered the Primary to be over it, oops :)! But that is okay. It turned out to be a huge success and I believe everyone had a wonderful time. We had a potato bar, with all the toppings, a chili cook-off, caramel and apples for dessert and water, homemade root beer, and hot apple cider for drinks. Then we had a few carnival games for the kids and a trunk or treat. We had a guy in our ward make a maze in his horse trailer and it was a huge hit. It sure was a wonderful evening that I really didnt get to enjoy, because I was running around making sure that everything was running smoothly. I didnt even get to enjoy any of the yummy food, I am a huge fan of chili and I didnt get a bite of a single one. Oh well, I am just glad that everyone had a great time :)!!!!!!!

Here are our awesome Halloween Costumes for 2011

Cute little Incredibles!

This was us at the party.

Then we got all dressed up again on Monday to go trick or treating. It was fun we made stops at Flint and Lisas, Grandma Jaynes, Uncle Fred/Aunt Beckys and then our final stop was to see Shauna. We got to eat a bowl of her taco soup, which is DELICIOUS!! We just sat and talked. It sure was a great Halloween this year. Cant wait until next year!

Halloween 2011

One INCREDIBLE Family!!!



Carving Pumpkins

We sure had fun carving pumpkins this year. Logan helped for a little bit, but then went and watched a movie. This year Matthew got in and carved one. I of course had to gut all the pumpkins, because Matthew just hates it. So here is our fun family night of carving pumpkins

Logan helped and liked the guts, so he will have to be my helper next year.

More guts!

Yuck, we sure had a lot of laughs gutting pumpkins!

Working hard on his pumpkin.

The final product of all our hard work:

Logans Pumpkin, Didnt he do a great job?!

My pumpkin

Matthew Pumpkin

They turned out great!

Our non-carved pumpkin

Always fun family nights at this house. Happy Halloween!!!

I AM DONE...(I think?)

Wow it has been a long three months! I usually just get in and get all my canning done, but I have had tons of other projects that have required my time, not to mention two kids and a husband. I dont know how others do it. I thought I loved canning, but man it was tough this time around. I will have to take the advice of my Grandma Jaynes and go sit in my fruit room until I appreciate all the hard work put into our storage, then maybe I will like it again for next year :)! Heres how it went:

The potatoes left over from our garden. I would can them but I am done!

The spoils from the case lot sales.

Canning This year!

The rest of the canning!

More food storage.

Water

Its been a pretty crazy canning season, I canned a few new things and lots of the stuff we already like.

New Items Added to Food Storage This Year:

4 Quarts and 12 Pints of Maple Syrup

16 Quarts Pickles

4 Pints of Pickled Jalapenos

4 Quart of Pickled Vegetable Medley

24-Cans of Chicken Noodle O's

(a great investment that I never thought of, but it sure is a lot easier for Logan to eat the O's instead of the long noodles)

List of What We Have So I Know What To Do Next Year

Canned:

18 Quarts Spaghetti Sauce

4 Quarts 12 Pints Maple Syrup

41 Quarts Grape Juice

56 Quarts Pears

8 Quarts Peaches

24 Quarts Tomatoes

16 Quarts Pickles

4 Pints Salsa

11 Quarts Potatoes

4 Pints Jalapenos

4 Quarts Vegetable Medley

51 Pints Carrots

55 Pints Green Beans

Other:

48 Cans Cream of Chicken

24 Cans Chicken Noodle O's

18 Cans Tomato Soup

3 Cans Butter

48 Cans Mandarin Oranges

Quick Oats

Macaroni Noodles

Spaghetti Noodles

Hard Red Wheat

Hard White Wheat

Sugar

Flour

Brown and Powdered Sugar

Ramen Noodles

Salt

Honey

Water (4 Cases, 1-50 Gallon Drum)

It has been a very long but fruitful canning season. It is good to see the shelves all full and to know that we have food. It is crazy how well our garden did and I think that we will be rethinking how much we plant next year. I know I always like to plant more than we need, because I like to share with those who need it. I just have to write down just how crazy the garden was. I was able to share cucumbers with about everyone. I think I picked over 300 cucumbers and there are about 50 or more in the garden for the cows to eat. I was also able to give carrots away. I canned about 90 pints and gave away 36 pints and kept the rest for us. I still have enough carrots still out in the garden to can about 30 more pints, but like it says I am done, so I will be trying to give them away (or if I cant I will have to can them in quarts :(! ) I was also able to give my grandparents tomatoes and they were able to get 36 quarts of juice from them and I also canned 9 quarts of whole tomatoes for them. They arent in great health but my grandpa love tomatoes, so I thought I would help him out. I might do one more thing. My friend makes really good white chicken chili recipe and I am trying to figure out how to can it, so I might have one more canning project. But all in all, the harvest is in and I am one tired mama. So until next year, I AM FINISHED!!!!

Random Happenings

We sat in the scale house and weighed in trucks for corn silage.

It was definitely harder with two kids this year.

I have been helping my grandparents once a week and Logan has come to love their electric chair. He has figured out how to operate it himself and if we cant find him, he is usually on the chair.

This is Logan at 3 yrs and Ashlee at 10 months.

Playin on the horse just before bed.

Their absolute favorite place to play is on the couch. Look at those smiles.

One Cute Little Boy!

She sure is growing up fast!