MORE California Pictures!!!

This is our family at 6 flags Magic Mountain!  It is not especially my favorite place... but the kids sure had a ball!!!  It is a park of many COASTERS!  I have memories of riding the colossus when I was a teenager with my sisters Laura and Jeanette (who later had to be pried from the seat!!!). It was soo scary and fast!  We were soo cool because we dared to go on it!  Well no more!  That ride was the baby ride in comparison to the new ones they have!!  The scariest one (the X2) has you facing downward as you drop at 100% vertical!!! I would not even go on tis one... But Morgan did!!!

Morgan & Meg

Boo is one of my favorite Disney characters!

Morgan is the only one of my children who would willingly pose with the characters!!!  She was so cute as she had her picture taken, Minnie then leaned over and gave her a kiss on the head.  Morgan came back to me exclaiming with wonder how soft her hair was because "Minnie kissed her there!!!"

Zack, Ben & Morgan at Tarzan's tree house!

Crazy Christmas hats at the gift show in Magic Mountain!

Twas the Night Before Christmas!!!

It is so nice to have an engineer for a husband... all my treats come out completely square!!!! (only when Russ measures them!!!)

Each year, on Christmas Eve the kids get to open one present!  When they were little they would get so excited, until they realized that mom got to pick what present that they got to open!  After a few years they caught on that it was new PJ's!!!  It is still a tradition that we have every year!!!

Disneyland!!!

Here we all are in front of the Mickey!!!  Everything is so green and the flowers are beautiful!!!

Zack , Donald & Brayden!!!  

After the initial shock of Indiana Jones... Brayden really enjoyed all of the rides!  Even Space Mountain!!  Zack was a little on the queasy side (He takes after me!!!)  I do have to hand it to him... He would go on a ride even if he knew that it would probably make him sick!!

Morgan, Tinker Bell & Meg!!!

 Morgan totally believes in fairies!!! All of the little girls in the line were so cute!  The chatted to each other about all of the different fairies and which ones were their favorites!  Oh to be young again!!!   You would not think it to look at these lovely young ladies, but I am raising a couple of roller coaster FEINDS!!! The bigger the coaster the better!!!

Aunt Sandy & Ben!!

We were so excited to have Aunt Sandy go with us!!! We all had SUCH a fun time!!! All I know is that I don't want to wait another 10 years before we go again!!!  Ben's favorite ride was appropriately named THE SCREAM @ Magic Mountain!!!   I think it was the one with corkscrew turns and too many loop-de-loops!!!

We're Back!!!

We had such a fun time in California!!!  The weather was bad... all around us!!! Wednesday was the only RAINY day.  The rest of the time it would sprinkle here and there... just enough that there weren't any lines most days!!!  I have lots of pics and I will post a few each day!!!

Can you guess what it says????

Today was the day!!!  I have needed to do this for 3 weeks!!! I made 18 sets of the FAMILY hanging that I do for the boutiques.  I still have to put the ribbon in, hammer in the nails & wire them, but hopefully the worst is over and I can get them wrapped and delivered!!! Then I am DONE for 2 weeks!!!!!   Yeah!!!!

Bra Shopping!

Liz and I went bra shopping yesterday!!  Not my favorite thing in the world to do...  but the underwire on 2 of mine broke last week!!! I was getting desperate!! So now thanks to Liz the "girls" are back where they belong!!!

Temple Square

I think everyone ended up at Temple Square last night!!!  It was so pretty with the fresh snow.  It had been a few years since our last trip to Temple Square, it was neat to see all of the new creches.  Especially the one in the reflecting pool!!! That one was my favorite!

Tis the Season!!!

Well, today was the day!  We went through all of the Christmas boxes and put up the tree.  All we need is a little snow to complete the background!  The front porch looks really cute too... but I will have to take a picture tomorrow!!!

I'm Thankful!!!

1. My family!

2. My Friends!

3. Our Neighborhood!

4. Our health!

5. Our home!

I am so grateful for this time of year that we get to reflect on all that we are thankful for.  I get so busy... it seems as if I go from one project to the next!!!  I am glad we get to take a day tomorrow to stop and remember all that we have been blessed with!!!

Congratulations!

Congratulations Tom and Jen... She's a cutie!!! Desirae Lynne joined her family today!  Of course, Laura & Becky were first on the scene!!! Usually they get there even before the baby does!!! She is so beautiful and perfect!!! 

It's Official!

Well, it's official!  Ben is an Eagle Scout!  He had his board of review tonight.  He finished his project a full WEEK before his 18th birthday!  (that's not procrastinating!!!)   It's so weird to have my little boy all grown up!!!  They keep sending info about graduation and it is less than a year before he will turn nineteen!  I cannot be THAT old!  

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Have you ever been searching online for a photo for lets say halloween to use on your blog... when in the next room your children are doing the very thing that you are searching for ???   Sometimes I am SOOOO blonde!!!  (Or is it grey that signifies brain cell loss???)

Meg, Morgan, Travis & Ben Carving Pumpkins!!!

HAPPPY BIRTHDAY TO RUSS!!!

10 things that I love about Russ!!!

1. On our first date, he had baked me a cake!!!

2.  He is always patient when I am a crazy person.

3. Sometimes if I am really quiet... He gets chatty!  

And if you know Russ this doesn't happen very often!

4. He gives the best back rubs!

5.  He is patient with my ideas, and he usually completes the big ones!

6.  He is a fabulous Dad!

7.  He is still a boy at heart!

8.  He is really good at finding addresses!

9.  He has such a cute butt!!

10. His ears are so cute and they are perfect!  I always hoped that our kids got his ears!!! McDermaid ones are a little scary!

I Love you Russ!  Happy Birthday! 

This is Russ climbing around the lava field in Hawaii. 

Hey everyone!!!

I am hosting a Grocery Smarts class on Nov. 5th (Wednesday) 

Right now it is scheduled for 6:30... I hope everyone can come.  I went to Cami's a couple of weeks ago and had really fun at the grocery store that week , I cannot wait til the new ads come out!!! Everyone is invited,  the class is free the website is free... It just gives you great tips and tricks on how to use their system!!! This reminds me of what my Mom used to spend HOURS doing all by herself.. Now its all on the web!  Call me if you have any questions!

Meg's first deer!!!

Meg was the lucky (or skilled???) hunter this weekend!!! She shot her a 3 point all by herself!!! I don't know who was more proud.  Her or her dad!  I will spare you the pictures of her gutting the deer!  Unlike Ben Who will not touch the gooey, icky deer with his bare hands!!! Meg insists on poking her own knife in the deer!  I don't know what that says about her future job interests???

Tagged!

Amy Martin has tagged me AGAIN!!!

She wants to know...

5 Things I was doing 10 yrs. ago...

Getting ready for Ben's baptism.

CRAFTS!!!

Taking care of 5 month old Brayden

Mowing my 1 acre yard

making Halloween costumes

5 things on my to do list today...

Go to hobby lobby (by stuff for super saturday)

cut out all make and take wood

got to pack meeting 

cook dinner

Celebrate Ben's Birthday

5 snacks that I enjoy

SWEDISH FISH!!!

Funyons

Circus Peanuts

Twix

 Kit Kats

5 Things that I would do if I were a Millionaire...

Take my extended family on a Disney World Cruise

Pay off house

pay all bills

landscape my yard

Go to Italy with Russ

5 Places that I've lived...

Clearfield

Logan

Missouri

Clinton

Syracuse

Hooper

5 jobs that I've had...

Snow Shack

Harmons

Silk screening t-shirts

Photographer

Pampered Chef lady

Craft lady

5 people I tag...

Becky Hancock

Jeanette Atkinson

Jen Thomson

Erin Johnson

Denise Morris

SOOOO GROSSS!

I just went out to check the mail and got a huge surprise!!!   Let's start off by stating that I am not squeamish by nature!  I can handle the sight of blood, I can handle spiders(unless they fall on me!!!) I even don't mind mice if they are outside...But if they get into my house IT MEANS WAR!!!  This is the cauldron on my front porch!  It has the fog maker in it and it is so cool!!!   I went out to get the mail and there he was... FLOATING in my cauldron!!! I must admit...I jumped a little!!!! It is just sooo grosss!!!

I KNOW that we live in the country...but when something surprises you like this...EEEEWWWW!!!  Now i have to wait for Russ to get home before I can go on the porch!!!

I should set up a hidden camera to catch the kids' reaction!!!

Fun Weekend

Each Halloween (Usually during the hunt) we get together as sisters to celebrate Halloween?? Or is it just to dress up in goofy costumes!!! Usually I am a party pooper and dress as the photographer! Maybe I was adopted!  We always have such a great time.  Everyone always comes up with very creative costumes.  Thanks Jeanette for hosting such a fun time!  Hopefully your house survived!!!

Morgan & Madison @ the pumpkin patch.

Megan & Morgan (Morgan is Luna Lovegood!)

Brittany (Michael Jackson) & Laura (Garden gnome)

Chloe (Snow White) Liz (Evil Witch)

Later that night we each made some really cute pumpkins (Thanks Liz & Erin)!

Meg turns FOURTEEN!

My Meggie turned FOURTEEN yesterday!!! It has seemed to me that she has been fourteen for a long time, and now it is official!  Megan has always been mature for her age.  She loves to babysit and recently got a job cleaning for a neighbor!  Meg has a 4.0 GPA and she recently got her braces put back on!! (She has them in the 1st grade!)  Meg is getting so tall!  One of her goals is to be taller than me... but, I explained that that's too easy!!!  

This is Megan today with her special B-Day cake  (Made by her dad!)

THIS is Megan on her real Birthday!!! (Yesterday!)

We were at the Halloween party @ Jeanette's!!!  More pic's next post!

Russ is so great!!! He isn't afraid to try anything!  Whether it be building our home or a made from scratch cake with real fondant!!!  (We watch Ace of Cakes WAY too much!!!)

I've been Tagged!

My friend Amy Martin has tagged me!

She wants to know 6 unspectacular Quirks that I have...

But, there are so many to choose from!!!

1.  All of the light on & off switches have to point the same way.. If they are all off ( in an outlet with multiple switches), they all have to be pointing down!!! We even planned this while building the house!!!

2.  It's hard for me to leave a project unfinished!! ( It does happen sometimes though)

3.  I vacuum in lines.

4.  I order the same thing at restaurants.  It's hard for me to order anything different, when I find something that I really like!! I don't want to be disappointed when I could of had something that I Love!!!

5.  I sometimes read 2-4 books at a time!

6.  I fall asleep when I get into a moving car for any length of time.  This is a great improvement from my youth when I USED to throw-up everywhere we went!!!

I tag...

Denise Morris

Cami Howard

Liz Davis

Ben's Eagle Project!

Everyone picked out their favorite glasses to model!

Ben had lots of helpers on Sat.  Now he has to size the lenses!

This is Incredible!!!

Morgan is making a snowman.

These used to be my pansies!!!

9 to 12 inches AND STILL COMING DOWN HARD!!!

Our Mail box!

Brayden is in up to his knees!

Yes, We really are the Silly Steeneck's!

I loved Liz' pic's of her and Seth so we copied them!!!  It's the silly steeneck's + Travis!!!

I need a good book!!!

Help everyone!!! I am contemplating reading Harry Potter again!!! I need something new to read!!!  I don't get much free time, but when I do, one of my favorite indulgences is to read a good book while soaking in the tub!  (Don't tell the library!!!)  

Bathroom wall!

I finally got my wall done yesterday in my bathroom!!!  Krista told me forever ago to take this picture (it's of all my kids footsies) for my bathroom.  It has been almost a year... but I just couldn't come up with a saying I liked.  Recently I found this one!  

Tonics, Potions & Brews!!

I just love finding cute stuff @ the boutique!!! I went yesterday... and these cute bottles were calling my name!  I really liked the ones with the sparkly potion in them, but they had a weird label.  I am going to try to make the frankenstein one glittery!!!

Super Saturday!!!

These are just a few of the crafts that I am doing for our wards super saturday!  I know, I know, I am a glutton for punishment...  I sometimes have a hard time not volunteering when it comes to crafts!!!  I'm sure it will be fun!  I have done easy things, so hopefully it won't be too bad!  

Ben is also working on his Eagle Project!!! He is collecting eyeglasses for third world countries!!!  I think it is a good project.  If anyone has some they want to donate, there is a donation box on our porch!!!