Happy Halloween 2011



I can remember when the kids were little, I really enjoyed Halloween. But now other than the decorations at my front door, I leave the celebrating up to my daughters and the grandkids.  I did start a tradition several years ago that seems to be a hit.  Other than our grandkids, we never seem to get many trick-or-treaters at our house and I was tired of having all that candy left over...so I decided to hand out dollar bills instead of candy.  You should see the look on the kids faces as I place the dollar bill in their bags...it's priceless!!  One little trick-or-treater said this year "now that's the kind of treats I like!!"  Don't get me wrong...it's not like I have a hundred dollar bills just waiting to be handed out...I have my limit of the first 30 kids that come to our door.  So far we are up to 17...and that doesn't include our grandkids.  They get their own little goodie bag.  Here are pictures of the grandkids - minus Ian.  He was busy doing his own halloween party stuff...which looked pretty interesting on facebook...here kitty kitty :-)

The day began with lunch at Subway with Batman! 

When I told Taite I was going to put this picture on my

blog he says "Granny...people are going to say Wow

I can't believe you really had lunch with Batman!"

Kids are so cute!!!!

Damon and Jonas - who you can see are into Star Wars

Kenzie, Wyatt, Haylee and Taite

Tailar and Dominic

Holly's family really gets into Halloween each year.

The theme this year was Star Trek.  Holly made her own

costume and Gavin molded the headpiece and made

his own wig!!  Holly really looked like a Vulcan!!!  It was

amazing!!

Happy Birthday Gavin

Gavin is the last of our October birthdays and I think he has always enjoyed having his birthday the day before Halloween...it makes for some pretty fun parties!!  This year he took some friends to Provo to do a little laser tag and it sounds like they had a fun time! We gathered at the Hooper home Sunday night for some cake and ice cream and Holly made another one of her awesome birthday cakes.  Gavin is a huge fan of sushi so she made him a cake that looked just like a big piece of sushi...thanks heavens there was no raw fish!!!  Just a yummy cake with frosting and coconut!  I still can't believe he is 14!  Gavin is a handsome youngman who is also very smart. There isn't a character on Star Trek or in the Star Wars movies that he doesn't know...which is pretty amazing considering there are so many of them!  He has also followed in his mother's footsteps and is quite the artist!  Happy Birthday Gavin...Granny and grandpa love you!

Cutting Wood for Winter

With the kids being out of school for UEA, we decided to have Haylee and Taite stay over night and then take a little ride down to Gunnison to get some firewood.  The day started early with a stop at McDonalds for egg McMuffins and hashbrowns for breakfast and then off to Satter-White to cut wood.  The kids were a big help hauling the logs to the trailer while Randy cut more.  We should stay nice and warm this winter.

Haylee

Taite

Haylee and Taite on top of the trailer full of logs

Once we got the wood home, then it was time to split

it!  Thanks Wyatt and Wayne for all your help!!

Deer Hunt 2011

I love this time of year when the leaves are turning beautiful colors and all the hunters are running around town in their bright orange hats and vests.  But I also love our visitors that drop in for the deer hunt.  Randy, Wyatt, Amy and Daniel all get up early and head for the hills and I get to have fun with my grandkids!!  We also decided to light the "ring of fire" up one last time before it gets too cold.  We invited the Nunleys and the Hoopers over to join us for hot dog roasting and a dutch oven dessert...which I might add was NOT as good as the one Jason and Krysten made for us up on the mountain!  I guess I need to practice a little more :-)

Dominic, Wyatt, Taite, Tailar and Haylee

TaNeal, Haylee, Tailar and Amy

(I don't think Haylee liked the flash! Her eyes are closed in both pictures)

Holly, Gavin and Logan

Randy, Taite and Dominic

Head 'em up...mooooove 'em out

It's that time again to move the cows to another pasture...just one more move and they will be set for the winter!  Thanks Kenzie, Wyatt, Haylee and Taite for helping us round up the cows and move them...we couldn't do it without you!!



Happy Birthday Ian

I can't believe that Ian is 16!!!  That makes me....really OLD!!!!  Since I knew Ian had plans with his girlfriend...who was also born October 18th...and a big surprise party the day after his birthday, I traveled to Salt Lake to celebrate his birthday eve.  His resturant of choice was "The Pie" a pizza resturant up by the University of Utah.  It's an interesting place where they let you write messages on the walls with sharpie pens!!  Luckily I had one stashed in my purse.  Ian is a handsome young man who is also very smart and talented.  He excels at everything he does.  He's taking college classes in school, loves his computer and also loves hanging out with his friends.  Happy birthday Ian...Granny and grandpa love you!

Me, Ian, Damon and Jonas

Brandi, Ian, Morgan, Damon and Jonas

I sure do love this kid!!

And this is Ian's beautiful mother...who also happens

to be my daughter!  Love you Bea

Happy Birthday Tailar

Our Tailar also turned 6 this year.  This year Randy came with me. While we didn't make it in time to be there with the rest of the family for cake and ice cream, we had our own little celebration later that night.  Then Amy and I got so caught up in canning tomatoes, that I completely forgot about taking Tailars picture...so we snapped this a few weeks later when they came down from the hunt.  Amy said that Dominic came in early to wake Tailar up for her birthday and when she asked him to rub her back, he did just that.  Then he told her to get up and he would fix her breakfast.  He cheerfully got out her bowl and her favorite cereal and poured the milk in the bowl for her...now isn't that a sweet big brother!!  Tailar loves princesses, the colors pink and purple and loves to help her mom at Cold Stone.  Happy Birthday our little Princess...Granny and grandpa love you!

Happy Birthday Taite

What do you say when your grandson asks "Granny, will you make me a big cupcake cake for my birthday this year?"  Of course you tell him yes!!  The look on Taites face is priceless!  I tried to talk him into orange colored frosting since it's October, but he insisted on blue...which is his favorite color.  TaNeal had invited a bunch of people over for his party and we knew that one big cupcake wasn't going to feed everyone, so with the help of Holly, we decorated some small cupcakes to go with it.  YUMMY!!!!!  Taite turned 6 this year and loves kindergarten and playing on the farm with grandpa.  Happy Birthday Taite...Granny and grandpa love you!

Happy Birthday Jonas

Today begins a month full of birthdays...infact...5 of our 11 grandchildren were born in October!  So that means that this Granny is pretty busy traveling from one birthday celebration to another and loving every minute of it!  This is our youngest grandchild, Jonas and this was a magical birthday year for him.  He turned 4 on October 4th.  When I asked Jonas where he wanted to go for a birthday eve lunch I knew where we were headed...Sizzler!!!  That is his favorite place to eat!  Jonas is such a little sweetheart and says the funniest things!!  He loves the color pink and right now is in love with Angry Birds...which is why we bought him the movie Rio.  Happy Birthday my sweet little Jonas...Granny and grandpa love you!!!