Life on the farm: November 2008

Montana Trip

I feel like I've gotten behind in blogging! The more I get behind, the less I want to do it. (kinda the way I feel about cleaning sometimes :) I just need to make myself sit down and catch-up I guess. Last weekend we made the long drive to Hamilton, MT for my grandma's funeral. We were very blessed in that the roads were perfect! (Kaleb wasn't so much, but it was 9 hours I guess)

It was wonderful to see so much family and share with eachother our love for grandma.
We did lots of music for the funeral and I think she would've liked that. I sat up on the stand during the whole thing (a blubbery mess) and it was crazy to look down on all her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids and how much she's influenced all of us! Her example makes me want to be better.

Sunday we went to church and then most of the family left, except our little Smith clan.

Monday we celebrated Alisha's b-day and played games. We were gonna try and do an early Thanksgiving dinner, but there was so much funeral food left over, we couldn't justify it.

Mom made 4 pumpkin pies instead--

that's the best part anyway :)

It was weird driving away without Grandma's kisses and her waving. I know I've said this already, but I will really miss her! Thank goodness for our Savior and his sacrifice that we will be resurrected and I can see her again!

(Can you tell kaleb got spoiled there with his aunty and uncle?) He called them "Kack and Leech." And every morning he went looking for "Pappa" and "Nanna." I love you family!

Memories of Grandma

We've had some great memories with Grandma. Here's a few pictures I found.

This picture was taken just last Thanksgiving. Yep, 88 year old grandma got right down on the floor and played with Kaleb! So sweet. I'm going to miss her!

Memories of her: Naps on the porch, washing dishes (to get her hands warm :) driving the Mustang, picking up sticks in the yard, looking at pictures and writing on the backs, reading letters from family (and writing letters back), music in the park, watching Lawrence Welk and Full House in the kitchen (turned up loud!), Peanut M&M's, IGA's oatmeal cookies and Vanilla Ice Cream, feeding the cat, hiking Blodgett Canyon, showing us old pictures and telling the stories to go with them, garage sales, drinking spins, Farmers Market, Leading Music in Relief Society, taking us to Widows lunch, Pizza Hut, writing on the oven, tutti-fruiti, dancing, recycling and saving everything --even washing machine water :)

Ribbon Curtains

I finished baby's curtains. Yay!! Thanks Amber for letting me copy your idea and helping me! Yes Mom, I actually sewed them (just don't look too close at the crooked stitching :)

Braydan's much more ambitious with his projects. I told him a while back that I wanted a window-box, but I didn't expect it anytime soon. Well, one day he came home from Lowes with all the stuff and just started building it! I do love my handy husband.

Kaleb loves sitting on it and looking at trucks out the window. The only thing is, we both (braydan and I) had different ideas about how it would turn out. I pictured it white, with chair-rail boxes on it. It's all nice oak wood, so he pictured it stained a dark mahogany color. What do you think? Since it is nice wood, I'm leaning more toward staining it, but can I still do the little panel molding? I also have to figure out how I'm going to cover it!

One last serious question for you: What do I do with a Nemo obsessed boy???? Don't get me wrong, it's nice that he'll actually watch something to give me a break once in a while, but I think I can quote the whole thing!! He asks to watch it at least once a day and has the biggest fit if I don't let him. I have to set a timer for 30 min. or he could probably STAND and watch the whole thing (he doesn't sit very long). I've tried Ice Age and Robots but no go. Any good ones I could change it up with?

Here's my two bumbs watching Nemo. I dont' think they know I exist!

Where O' Where???

Where o' where did all the dominoes go? One day I noticed half the box of dominoes were gone. Kaleb likes to dump them out, but I usually find them nearby. Not this time. After some investigation, I discovered this:

Coincidence?? Time could only tell. A few days later Braydan had to work under the house (cause he's building the window box thing) and discovered a pile of dominoes at the bottom of the vent chute. Mystery solved! A certain little boy sent them for a ride down under. Now they're in the sink awaiting disinfection :)

Never know what mischief he'll do. Especially when he's with his accomplice, Kaitlyn. Today they were friends. Sometimes they're arch enemies, depending on their moods : )

THANK YOU!!!

Just a SHOUT-OUT to Denise and Sheraden for throwing me the nicest baby shower!

We had nummy breakfast/brunch food, fun games, and cute prizes. You guys are the best! One of the games the teams had to design baby blessing dresses out of toilet paper. Aren't they beautiful?