Sky High

We had a few days off in November.  My parents were in town.  It was the day it rained almost 3 inches in Portland!  WE had some major extra energy at our house.  We headed down to Tualatin to Sky High.  It was the best two hours spent to expend all the amazing energy my children have every day!

Food!

Two of my favorite food items are tomatoes and apples!  Kate led me on to these amazing "Aurora" apples.  We bought 50 pounds and they are almost gone.  They are juicy, crisp and a beautiful mellow yellow color.  

As we left Utah after staying with Dave's parents for General Conference, Dave's Dad packed us up with about 50 pounds of green tomatoes out of their garden.  Amazingly they made it home and almost all of them ripened in the box.  They took their own sweet time turning that beautiful deep red, but it was such a treat to have garden tomatoes at the end of October.  One of my favorit things to do with them is cut them up with onion and garlic and roast them in the oven.  They are ready to use for whatever your heart desires!

Trick or Treat!

Avery the mummy and Nicole the swinging '50's girl!  I think they enjoyed answering the door almost as much as going trick or treating.

Thanks to the Brown's for letting us crash at their house.  They have a super busy trick or treating neighborhood and we had a great time hanging out and talking while all the trick or treaters made the rounds.

Aurora as an Egyptians princess.

I realized this year I need to start buying boy dress-ups.  Beth lent us Micky Mouse.  He looked so cute, but was not so pleased to have the hood and gloves on.

Myah as a pirate.  I love those easy costumes!

Ethan and Cooper getting ready to head out trick or treating.

Dave took Cooper out and Randy took Ethan out.  Cooper only lasted a few houses before he was done.  I think he knew he didn't have to work that hard and be scared by all the masks to get candy.

Saturday Soccer

I love soccer season, but I love to see it come to an end too!  Avery finished up with her last game on Saturday.  They earned a medal which she wore all day and cinnamon rolls from Maggie's Buns.

Booting that ball out of there!

I must say this picture shows the action like Avery is fond of.  She rolled to the ground and got right back up.

Avery's soccer team.

The Big Medal!

Trouble and Berries

Cooper has found a new way to get into mischief!  First, he identifies what he wants.  Second, he runs to go get his favorite pink Dora the explorer stool.  Finally hops up on it, pulls off whatever he can reach on the counter top or gets up on the toilet, counter, bed, dresser or any  other object that is out of his reach and has a great sense of satisfaction once he is to his goal!

This is his favorite counter top because it always has "the pile."  

He dropped the clothes he was carrying around to get down to business!

Here is the "I've been caught" look.  He doesn't really care because he is ready to start pulling things our of the cupboard below as you can see.

Coop eating on Myah's  smoothie Popsicles.  I love how the berries are  stuck all over in his teeth!

My Weakness!

This post is for Fall, apples, my great friend Beth and my lack of will power I have when this treat is around!  German apple cake has a place in my heart, along with my Grandma's "Penuche" frosting makes a complete meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner for me!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch cake pan.
2. In a mixing bowl; beat oil and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well.
3. Combine the flour salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the apples by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cake cool on a wire rack. 

Penuche Frosting

1/2 C. Butter

1 C. Brown sugar

1/4 C. milk

Bring all ingredients to a boil.  Cook for one minute.  Then add:

2 1/2 C. Powdered sugar

Mix and pour over cake.  For some reason this frosting solidifies very quickly.  I like it any way, but it is not very spreadable after it has cooled down.

Can you say CRAZY hair?

Spirit day at school brings out the crazy hair!  Aurora's wish was the Eiffel Tower and we came up with cupcakes for Myah.

We put two pigtail in for Myah's hair, back combed the hair like crazy and then sprayed them with pink food coloring spray.  Walmart was out of pink Halloween hairspray.  Another reason I really don't like Walmart!  We cut the slit down the back of the cupcake paper and the bottom out and wrapped it around the back combed hair.  Tons of hairspray, found a good place to put the candles in and a bunch more hairspray.

Aurora's Eiffel tower is four pigtails.  We cut the end off the bamboo skewers and forced them into the  middle of the pigtails and then built the hair up from there.  We sprayed it white and silver glitter and then tons of hair spray.

Student of the month Myah!  She was picked from her class to be student of the month for October.  The SOTM assembly coincided with crazy hair day so she received her certificate with her crazy hair.

General Conference and Fall in Utah

We traveled to Utah for General Conference.  We have been to the conference center a few times, but never taken the official tour.  It was very enlightening and inspiring!  What a testimony of the pioneers and the church.  We love going to Utah to see Dave's family, the BIG Utah hair and the numerous augmentation billboards they have along I-15!

The amazing glass work at the top of the conference center.  It reminded Dave and I of the amazing snowflakes there in the winter time.

The Nissinens joined us for the trip.  This is the top of the building where there are four acres of native landscape.  It was a beautiful day and pretty hot, about 86 degrees.

Cooper looking at the fountain water, just briefly resisting!

We drove up to Powder Mountain ski resort, about 8000 feet.  Another beautiful day in Utah!

Our silly funny face picture!

We stopped at Dave's old stomping grounds, South Fork River.  I am not sure the South Fork of what?  I have only ever heard South Fork.  I guess I need to look it up on a map!  The water was freezing. I can't believe Avery is standing in it.

Dave was taking random shots without warning.  Thanks honey!

Avery freezing her feet off!

A boy and his stick.  We had to bring it home.  We LOVE rocks and sticks in the car!

Cooper was a trooper, we drug him all around.  Gratefully he did not get sick and loved running around everywhere.

Dave took the girls to the BYU vs. USU football game.  I did not want to torture myself taking Cooper.  They loved it and were some of the very few in the nosebleed section cheering for the Aggies!  

Myah sporting her team.

Did I say nosebleed section?  This picture is with Dave's phone, but still!