Gingerbread houses with friends...

Last week, we had our good friends, my former roommate, and her family over for dinner and gingerbread houses!  The kids had a a great time and of course we had a great time catching up!

Holly also taught me how to affix the graham crackers together using straight warmed-up-to-a-boil-sugar (we used 1/2 cup of sugar in a small pan and turned up the heat to about med/high and let it melt down until it's brown and bubbly with little/no stirring; we dipped the sides of the graham crackers in the sugar and attached them together... it assembled 5 houses) and it was incredible.  It literally affixed the crackers together like glue with 3 seconds (caution it is HOT; definitely an adult activity!!).  No, hold-the-graham-crackers-together-for-30-minutes-to-make-sure-it-dries-hard-enough-to-decorate and then it falling if someone touches it too hard; I will forever do that in the future!

Here are some photos from the night.   

Victoria, Cort, Crew, and Holly

Another great idea that I borrowed from our ward Christmas party cookie decorating station was using ketchup and mustard bottles to put the royal icing into and using that to squeeze it out.  It worked like a charm and it forever changed the way I look at decorating gingerbread houses... 

not to mention that it kept Sterling entertained as he chewed on the top

 I love little kid fingers.  Here are Brooklyn's.  By the end she won the award for the most candy used.  I don't think there was an uncovered spot on her house or plate.  It was pretty cute!

 I love Ethan's concentration

 Daddy helping out the kiddos

All the kiddos with their houses

They turned out pretty cute!

Welcome home Briggs party!

A few weeks ago Cory prepared a spur-of-the-moment "Welcome Home Briggs" Party; complete with confetti, party hats, banner, and music!  I thought it was so cute and creative... what a fun daddy!  Grandma happened to arrive a few minutes before Briggs (for his piano lessons on Wednesday's) and she joined in the fun.  Even Kola, our dog, got to come into the living room for the fun, hat and all! (she's usually only allowed in the kitchen).

Right before Briggs got home!  Ethan looks a little too excited to throw confetti ie. paper shredder scraps!

The sign that Cory drew and Ethan colored!

Right before Briggs came in the door.  Sterling is so excited!

Kola... well, maybe not so much!

I was in charge of starting the music, "We are family" and taking pictures.  I didn't get any great ones of him coming in the door but we had some great music ;-)  He was surprised and a little perplexed!

So fun!

Kola is a good sport!

All the mayhem!

Sterling doesn't know what to think.  

I am still finding little papers two weeks later!  But it was worth it!

Gratitude!

Today we spent Thanksgiving with Cory's family.  It has caused me to reflect how grateful I am for not only my extended family but to have been raised by good parents.  I'm so grateful for my life, my husband, my children, and even more, gratitude for my religion, my loving Savior and my Heavenly Father.  I'm so grateful for good friends, teachers and those who've made an impact in my life, for my freedom, to live in America, for love and forgiveness, for the laughter of my children, for the funny things my kids say and do that make me smile every day and for so many other things that make my life so rich and full.  I feel truly blessed!

Yesterday was Cory and I's ninth anniversary; I can't believe it's been nine years.  As I reflect over our life over the past nine years, there has been a lot of love, learning and growing a together and there is no one else I'd rather be with or experience my life with!  His love has helped me grow; he has seen in me what I haven't always seen in myself and I'm better because of him!

We really weren't able to celebrate our anniversary, aside from some sparkling cider with the kids, (we plan to do something in December) but I took some time to go through the blog books I've made over the years and I traveled back in time with so many memories that we've made over the years.  Seeing Briggs grow from a baby to now.  It was fun to see where we were in our life when we added each of our children into our family.  Our travels with our job across the country and our adventures there.  I remembered all the great friends we've made along the way; friends we'll have forever!  It has been good!  I look forward to another great year ahead of us!

I got a hankering to go through some old photos.  Here are some of us 9 years ago...

Dating...

Cory's birthday; a month after we started dating

... back before we knew anything about love and life ;-)

Those were good times!

A photo my dad took of us!

Skydiving... apparently before we had too much to loose ;-)

A rush for sure, but we both agree that we'd never do it again!  We can cross that off our bucket list!

 Our engagement photo

Our Wedding

 Idaho Falls Temple

 Dancing at our reception!  I love this photo!

Thanksgiving football; days after our wedding

 Love this!

Our first year

 Back when we couldn't get enough of each other ;-)  

Ooooh... to go back in time... you all know what I'm talking about ;-)

I love you hun!!

Sun Valley... Conference weekend...

Early in October we were able to take a little family trip up to Sun Valley to do some family bike riding; which we LOVE to do.  A big thank you to Cory's parents for allowing us to use their condo time share!  We had a great time!
We left Friday after school and drove up there.  After getting unloaded it was time for bed.  The next morning we took off on a bike ride.  It was pretty chilly outside with a little rain; moments when I was really feeling underdressed and then the sun would come out and we would be roasting.  We packed a picnic lunch and ate at a park.  Saw the silliest looking dog we'd ever seen (got a kick out of Ethan and Briggs' reaction)!  Learned that Ethan can do the monkey bars like nobody's business... I had no idea.  And watched Sterling crawl up and down the hill. 
We also hit up this little Toy Store along the way and took a break to feed Sterling!  Oh, and there was a garage sale with the coolest travel trunk from the old train that used to go through the area and I so desperately wanted it but there was no way it was fitting in our car!  A big bummer for me!




We also rode our bikes around the Sun Valley village and stopped to reminisce about going to see Harry Potter on our honeymoon at this theater almost 9 years ago.



The village is super charming and reminded us a lot of Disneyland where they have Tangled, The Sword and the Stone and old Carousel.  It was really nice!  I couldn't believe all the beautiful flowers!  I think I  really need to work on my flower garden next year!










We went to this old fashioned candy store and the kids all picked out a transformer ring pop for their treat... even Brooklyn... she definitely has brothers!  I got some yummy hand dipped chocolates!  Totally satisfying!


This was from Saturday morning; walking around the resort.  Sterling was O.U.T.


So cute!


The view of the condo we stayed in; it brought back a lot of good memories for Cory, as he and his family would stay here often when he was a kid.


"Daddy NO kisses, I have Chat-stick on!"


We wanted to go on our little trip when the trees would be turning and I think we picked a great time.








Our little girl is getting so grown up!


Looking at all the fish in the pond











Goofy kids!


Ooohhhh I love them!


Seriously where did that Ethan boy come from?!?!?  He is SOOO silly!


My handsome husband!!




I love this picture of these two!





Wrestling on our murphy bed!  This is real life around our house!  But usually there are some tears in there too!  Brooklyn may be a girly girl but she loves to wrestle with the boys!  It's the only way I'd have it!

Saturday after our bike ride we came back and listened to Conference, gave Sterling a nap and then mid-afternoon Cory took the kids to a park while I made a nice spaghetti, salad, french bread, and root beer dinner!  The kids loved it!  Then Cory took off to attend the Priesthood session while I put kiddos to bed (which didn't go as smoothly as I would have liked!  Not.At.All!  I guess that is life with little ones!)

Sunday we got up, ate breakfast and took our time getting loaded up in the car.  We drove to Picaboo, Idaho and tried to stop and see a wonderful mentor and friend of mine from 9 years ago; I helped up at her ranch getting her yearling colts ready for her annual horse sale before Cory and I met and I really wanted to see her again.  

The first time we tried to stop they weren't home so we decided to go to the only place a small town of about 128 people have to eat; a convenience store/restaurant, where we had some lunch and Cory played catch with the boys.  After about an hour we tried one more time (my husband was great because he knew how disappointed I was when they weren't home the first time) and I'm so glad we did.  They were home and we had a wonderful visit with Katie while Rob enjoyed playing catch with the boys!  I sure love that woman!  She taught me so much about life, communication, and horses, and was ever-so-patient with my un-ending questions!  I really feel like we are kindred spirits (that was a little Anne of Green Gables ish wasn't it?) but it's true, and I was so glad to see her after all these years.

Picaboo, Idaho

Enjoying his spoon


Brooklyn eating her burrito


Playing catch








Brooklyn hugging Sterling





The convenience store/restaurant





More and more catch... now with a little competition!





Rob and KatieWhen I got home and uploaded my photos I noticed that Sterling has his hand right on her chest... it made me laugh!  Must be a boy!





The tree that myself and the other two girls who worked on the ranch gave to Katie; a gift that would keep giving each year so she would remember what a great influence she was on our life.  I was glad to see it thriving!

It was a wonderful trip!