Old Faithful

   So, I had a very interesting and scary experience this week.  I got a bunch of chicken for a great deal and decided I would try to bottle some of it.  I have done it before but it has always been with someone else and it was at least a year ago when I did it last.  I attempted to pressure can the bottles in a pressure cooker that I recently purchased at Wal-mart.  Well this cooker was a little different than some I have used before so I was trying to figure it out as I went using the manual that came with it.  The instructions said for the 15lb weight to be gently rocking for about 75 min.  I discovered that their idea of “gentle rocking” is different than mine.  This is what happened all over my kitchen…

   There was a little black plug, the overpressure plug, that popped out and “Old Faithful” sprayed everywhere.  I had never seen so much water all over my kitchen before.  The ceiling was dripping and there was about a 1/2 inch worth of water on the floor.  I didn’t even realize there was enough water in the pot to make such a mess. 

   The mess took quite a while to clean up.  I was truly grateful for the help of my husband in this endeavor.  He helped to dry the ceiling and cabinets while I was on low cabinets and floor duty.  What a mess!

  Overall it was an experience I don’t want to do again.  Ever! I am extremely grateful that the Lord was watching out for us and no one was hurt. 

Please Vote for Kelly

I know that my blog doesn’t reach a lot of people but for those of you who read please consider voting for my sister-in-law Kelly Edington for a contest hosted by Impact Photography Group.  She has been through a lot this last year and this would be a well deserved prize for her and her family.  Find out more about her on her blog and then consider voting for her on the Impact Photography Group blog.  Thanks!

Marching Forth

Here we are, all the way into March.  It always amazes me how fast time flies.  I don’t ever remember time going this fast as a child.  It always seemed like it took forever for Christmas and other fun things to come around.  Now, day after day and year after year seem to be slipping away.  All the more reason to find the joy in the everyday things.

January and February were filled with the everyday things of life.  We did try to find some joy in the little things though.  On the 14th of February we decided to have a birthday celebration for the 100th birthday of Arizona.  I am not a cake making expert  but tried to make a fun one for our celebration.

We had an Arizona flag cake.  We also invited my Grandma Edington over to have dinner and cake and ice cream with us.  We didn’t want her to be alone on Valentine”s day now that her sweetheart has been gone for almost eight years. 

We all enjoyed the time together.  We love our family time. 

Over President’s day weekend we got to go see CG and Gramps in Glendale.  They have recently moved and we got to see their new house.  We were all excited for this little trip.  It had been about six months since the last time we made it over that way. 

We had a great time visiting with everyone.  We just had a low key weekend hanging out and letting the kids play with their cousin.  We even got to see Gramps’ horses and cows.  The girls always love doing that. We also really enjoyed our visit with Grani on our way home.  Love you Grani!

Just this last week the Elementary school celebrated Dr. Seuss’ Birthday.  They got to dress up like characters from Dr. Seuss’ stories.  Kelsi decided to dress like Cindy Lou Who.  It was a fun challenge to figure out how to get her hair to stick up like that.  Thank goodness for the internet and the ideas that people share on there.  I found one website where they used a floral cone for the top and pipe cleaners for the braids.  Kelsi’s hair is so long that it made the top really high.  She had lots of fun with this one. 

Today is mine and my husbands 12th anniversary.  We are so grateful for the years we have had together.  We have come closer and closer over  the years.  We have learned a lot and appreciate everyday. 

We actually didn’t end up doing much today.  Mostly because our whole family ended up getting sick.  We think it might have been something we ate.  I guess we will never know though.  We have tried here and there just to take a few moments to be together enjoying each others company.    

Christmas Time

   December was full of lots of fun and holiday cheer.  We decorated our tree the Monday after Thanksgiving.  We have a manger that we put in front of our tree every year to help us remember the baby Jesus.  During the month the girls get to add hay to it when they do kind things for others.  We try to fill it with lots of hay so it will be supper soft for baby Jesus when appears on Christmas Eve.  This is a tradition that I remember doing in my own home as a child.  The girls really enjoy it as well as mom and dad.

  The weather has been surprisingly warm for December so we have  been spending some extra time outside.  One of the projects that the girls enjoyed doing was making a “rock garden.”   I can honestly say it is thriving.  It is actually doing much better than our other garden did and they did it all on there own.

   We got to see Santa twice this month before Christmas.  The first was the ward party.  This year our ward had a breakfast instead of dinner like we usual do.  I had never had a breakfast ward party before.  It was kind of fun.  They had a really good breakfast and a program put on by the primary children.  They also had a brass ensemble playing Christmas music while we all gathered and ate. 

  The second time was breakfast with Santa at the Manor House.  The breakfast was super simple just cereal, fruit and muffins but the kids enjoyed it and most importantly they got to see Santa. An added bonus was that is was free.

 

   A fun thing I learned from Kelsi this month was about double rainbows.  She told me one morning that she learned at school that when there is a double rainbow one is opposite the other.  At first I thought she was mistaken or was thinking of something else.  I have seen tons of double rainbows and had never noticed that.  Well,  that same day it rained and there was a beautiful double rainbow out behind our house.  Guess what, she was right.  It is amazing what we miss when we aren’t really paying attention.

  On Christmas Eve day we made some sugar cookies.  The girls had a blast cutting out the Christmas shapes.  They also discovered by accident that you can make fun shapes on you face with a cookie cutter and flour when Courtney accidently put a star on her face.  (She bumped it a little before we could get the camera.)  The other two had to try it also. 

  

   That night we had our traditional Christmas Eve fiesta.  Both Jeremy and my families have a tradition of Mexican food for Christmas Eve so we have decided to continue it.  We try to keep it simple with just the five of us so we pick one or two things that are our favorite.

  We, like so many others, have a tradition of getting new pajamas on Christmas Eve.  These are the ones we got the girls this year.  They came in a set that had a matching nightgown for their doll or stuffed animal.  I thought they were supper cute. 

  Jeremy and I got a wonderful treat that night.  The girls decided to put on a program for us.  They sang songs and danced to Christmas music.  They planned it out all by themselves.  They even made programs for us to follow.   

   After their program we went to look at Christmas lights for a little while.  When we got back we did one of our favorite Christmas Eve traditions.  Jeremy read from Luke chapter 2 about the birth of Jesus Christ and then we followed the star.  We take the star off the tree and turn off all of the lights except the Christmas tree.  We take a flashlight and shine it on the star and follow it around the house as Jeremy holds it up high and walks around.  Meanwhile I try to sneak a doll wrapped in a blanket into the manger under the tree.  (This year was the first year I got caught.)  We follow the star until we end up back at the manger under the tree where the baby Jesus is now at.  The girls always talk about this and want a turn to hold the star as we follow. 

  Christmas morning was really good but busy.  We opened the presents from Santa first.  Then we had breakfast and got ready for Church.  The girls were so good to be willing to hold off opening up all of their presents before 9:00 am church.   They did get a few minutes of playtime in with there new toys from Santa before we had to get ready.

  Courtney’s main thing she got was a wooden train set.  The older two got Legos and a a few other things.  Put this all together and you have instant Christmas mess.  I guess it wouldn’t be Christmas without it.

  Over all we had a wonderful  Christmas and were blessed to not have too many of us get sick until after Christmas.  Courtney had the stomach flu a couple  days before Christmas but the rest of us waited until after.  No fun, but we survived.

  We hope you all had a wonderful holiday time.  Tomorrow it is back to the grind.  The kids head back to school.  That means no more lazy mornings for mommy.      

Christmas Letter 2011

Getting our Christmas letters in the mail is not one of my strong points.  So, her it is for those that follow our family.

Dear Friends and Family,

   Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  We hope that this Holiday season brings joy, peace and good health to you all.  This time of year is a great time to reflect  back on the year and prepare for the new one.

   We still love our house and enjoy living next to Great Grandma Edington.  We didn’t get the landscaping done like we had hoped this year but I am sure one day it will get done.  We are just grateful we have a place to live that is our own.

    The girls are doing great! Courtney is three and loving life.  She is home alone with mom during the day and enjoys that time.  She does miss her sisters when they are at school though.  She is excited that someday she will get to go to school also.  More often than not she wants to bring a lunch and backpack in the van when we take the girls to school so she can pretend she is going to school now.  She thinks that just about any word starting with the letter C has to be her name.  She is a very talkative, happy girl and a joy to have in our home.

  Shaylee is seven and in second grade.  She enjoys school for the most part and is getting better on her reading all the time.  She has made a big improvement from the start of the school year.  At the end of last school year, in May, Shaylee became our first child to break a bone.  She got knocked of the bars at school and fell and broke her collar bone.  Sad to say, we didn’t realize it was broken for five days.  She would favor it and complain of it hurting but we thought she had just strained it.  It was when she screamed out in pain trying to pull up her pants that we decided it might be more serious and had her checked.  Luckily it healed pretty quickly.  She did have to miss out on playing baseball for the first time though, maybe next year.  Shaylee is a wonderful child and very tender hearted.

   Kelsi turned nine this year and is in fourth grade.  Fourth grade has been a new experience for her.  It has been a little harder than what she has been used to but hopefully it has been good too.  They do things quite a bit different in fourth then in the lower grades.  She has a homeroom teacher and a different teachers rotate in and out of the classroom teaching different subjects. Overall she enjoys school, especially the social aspect of it.  She loves to read, draw and color.  Kelsi is growing up fast and is a wonderful helper around the house.

   Another interesting tidbit, both Kelsi and Shaylee learned to ride their bikes without training wheels this summer.  They are both doing very well with it and love riding them now.  They even rode them in the people parade the Town of Thatcher put on for the 4th of July.  It was great fun!

  Jeremy is still working hard to provide for his family.  He is doing a great job.  We have been so blessed by his job and are grateful that he has it.  On those days that may be a little tough or long we just have to remind ourselves how blessed we are that he has such a great job.  We are also blessed that he does find time to spend with the family also.  He has started having daddy daughter dates with each of the girls and it is an exciting night they each look forward to.

   Cindy continues to be blessed to stay at home and take care of things there.  She has found a little time to help out at the schools also.  She gets to help with PE, PTO and Box Tops.  It has been fun for her to get out and be a little more involved at the schools.

  We are truly grateful for the year we have been blessed with.  Not everything that happened this year has been wonderful but much of it has.  We are thankful to our Heavenly Father for helping us along the way this year and we look forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  What a gift and blessing He is and what a gift it is to have you all as friends and family.  We love you and wish you the best in 2012!

Love,

Jeremy, Cindy, Kelsi, Shaylee and Courtney Hunt

Odds and ends of November

   Here are a few odds and ends of the happenings of November.  We had several busy weekends in November.  The first weekend we headed to Pomerene  for my nephew Matthew’s baptism.  We are so proud of him and it was great to see everyone. 

   We got spoiled the next weekend also when we got the chance to go to Tucson with the whole Edington family, all 33 of us, to see the Wizards of the Rings (A fun take on the Lord of the Rings with jokes, singing and dancing.) at the Gaslight Theater.  If you have never been to the Gaslight Theater and you like that kind of theater I highly recommend it.

   All the cousins where so excited to see the Gaslight had extended a special welcome to the Edington family on they sign outside of the entrance.  Some of them even had to get a picture with it. 

  These are just a few fun shots of the girls outside the theater.  Nothing like posing in a wood cut out to look like someone else.  So fun!      Another fun thing the girls enjoyed was the night we let them eat dinner under the table.  I know probably not the cleanest thing to eat off the floor under the table, but they had a blast.  Luckily no one ended up sick or anything.  I guess you could say I am just trying to boost their immune systems.        In November, Shaylee became our first child to have braces.  She had to get them on five teeth on top.  She had a cross bite that needed to be fixed.  With the dentist and orthodontist suggestions, we decided to take care of it sooner rather then later.  Luckily she wont have to where them for very long.  She will probably get them removed at the first of the new year.  She has been a real trooper about it.  She gets very nervous about dentists, orthodontists and doctors but she was so brave during the whole thing.  She was excited to pick the color of the bands on them.  She started out with pink and then got red for Christmas. 

   Courtney has discovered a new joy, body art.  I guess it is a phase they all go through at one point or another.  She came into me one day and said “Look at me, I’m funky!”  Silly girl. Love her to death but we are going to have to nip this one in the bud before it gets out of control.  If you look closely at this second picture you can see she drew all over her face and even her eye lids.  She is my child who thinks that every time mom is putting on makeup she needs makeup also so she can be “beautiful.”  She is a particularly big fan of lipstick or gloss.  That has also been know to end up all over the face.

   In November we also had a big yard sale.  We had a bunch of toys that we where growing out of.  One job the girls had was going through the stuffed animals they have and picking out the ones they could live without.  I thought this picture was a fun picture.  This is probably only a third of the total stuffed animals they had before the yards sale.  We got rid of quite a few but I wouldn’t mind getting rid of a few more.  I just have to convince the girls of that. 

  This is just a silly random picture of a tomato that started sprouting.  I don’t remember ever seeing a tomato have it’s seeds sprout from the inside out.  It had been sitting in this bag in the kitchen and just started growing.  Thought it was kind of weird and interesting. 

  I know some of these things are kind of random but isn’t that the way life is.  You never know what you get from one day to the next.  Especially if you have kids.  They make life crazy, tiring, frustrating, funny, fun, but most of all a great joy.    

Halloween

We had a great Halloween this year.  We tried to just keep it fun for the kids.  A few days before Halloween we carved a pumpkin.  That is always interesting, but fun, with little ones. 

I regret to tell you that I didn’t remember to take a picture of it after it was finished.  It was a wolf howling at the moon. We did one just like it a Halloween 2008. They sure grow up fast don’t they.

Here are the pictures from this year.  Shaylee was a witch.  She really wanted the green face and black hair so we went all out this year.  She really enjoyed her costume this year.

Courtney’s costume changed several times. For the longest time she wanted to be the “Lady in Pink” from The Backyardigans episode about the Super Spy.  We tried to find her something pink she would wear for that but didn’t have any luck.  Not because of the lack of pink in our house but because she just couldn’t find what she wanted.  So she picked the outfit above out of our dress up box.  I guess you can call her cute costume a Halloween fairy.  She also got to dress up for the library story time.  She settled on Super Girl for that one. Oh, the joy of having dress up clothes on hand.

Kelsi loves huskies and decided that is what she wanted to be for Halloween.  This one was a little more of a challenge in that it was tricky for me to make her look like a dog and not a cat.  I don’t have much experience with face paint but I think in turned out alright.  Regardless of what people thought she was dressed like she turned out cute and had fun.  

We dressed up on Saturday night for the ward Trunk or Treat.  It was a great success.  The girls loved going around.  Courtney just kept saying “I love this trick or treating!” It is always fun to see all the kids dressed up. 

On Halloween day we started the day out with Jack O Lantern pancakes.  Not perfect, but the kids had fun with it.  I can honestly say that I am not going into the pancake shape making business any time soon.

Shaylee’s school had crazy hair day that day also.  This is what we came up with.  You can’t see, but we also sprayed it with some pink hair color in the back. 

We decided not to go out again on Halloween night.  We stayed home and played fun Halloween games.  The first game we played was a musical hat game where you walk around in a circle to music with a witch hat on the floor.  You take turns stepping on it and whoever is on it when the music stops is the winner.

The next game we played was pin the face on the pumpkin.  We all worked together to put the pieces of the face on. The girls seemed to enjoy doing this.  We came up with quite an interesting Jack O Lantern.

 

Here is the end result.

We also played a game of Halloween bingo called “Trick” and “Don’t Eat Feet,” which is just like “Don’t eat Pete.”  For our treat we frosted Halloween shaped cookies. It turned out to be a great day. Filled with sugar and lots of fun.  We all hope you had as wonderful Halloween as we did!