Our company this week

WHY can't they just all behave so I can get ONE good picture of them ALL?? Even the threat of putting them on my blog doesn't help!!







We're delighted to have Jana & Darla together for a couple weeks while both their co-workers are away at other conventions.

Just today

*I'm making bread

*I have more grapes on simmering for jelly

*I have a table covered with pears that need canned

*The workers are here for 2 days~~one being our daughter Jana because her co-worker went on
to another conv. This is the first time J. has been in her "home field" (even tho it's just for a couple weeks)

*Middle school & grade school kids are out of school tomorrow & Friday for parent/teacher conferences, but not the HS. WHY can't they schedule all the schools in the district the same days off so families could go/do something TOGETHER?

*We're having beautiful fall days. Could we just please have them until AT LEAST the end of Oct? The end of Nov. would be even better! I love fall. It's my favorite time of year except for the fact that winter comes after it.

*My sister G.K. is going to be at BW Missouri. Conv. If you see her there, tell her hi :*)....she doesn't read my blog unless she HAS to!! :*) However, she's addicted to P.W.'s. blog & reads it all the time. You can see how I rate. I can't help it I don't have as exciting a life as P.W....or am not as good a writer!!

*My "little" sister is heading to LV/ NV for the weekend to see her kids/grandaughter. So if you see her, Ditto to the above except she's not addicted to P.W.'s blog :*) It's her birthday on the 30th this month, so tell her happy early birthday too!

*My older boys & Relyssa plan to go to B.C. KS conv. this weekend, you can tell them hi if you're there & see them....It's good for them to know you read my blog & check up on them too! LOL!
(The boys don't read my blog either, but Lyss does some....mostly to see if I have any pictures or videos she can "steal" for her facebook page!!)

*This blog/writer has been such an inspiration & encouragement besides beautiful photography. However I was afraid the news wasn't going to be good, so cried when I read the up-dates last
night.

*I need to post my photo results for this project

*Thinking of all you who are heading to conventions today.

*I must get to work before the fruit flies take over my house :*(

*OH YES! I love, LOVE the new blog links that let you know when people's blogs are updated! I don't spend near as much time "hopping" to see if anyone has posted something new!!

Cake -- part 2 and another party

Well, we survived another birthday party! I think I've mentioned before that since both my sister's & I live in close proximity, along with a married with children niece, we have LOTS of birthdays to celebrate! It's often hard to find a date that works for (give up on ALL) settle on the majority of us. That's the reason these birthdays get stretched out, and kind of run into each other! (As you can see by my list up above, I have a nephew with a birthday tomorrow...) We had settled on Sun. eve supper (tomorrow) but then our workers announced they will have Sun. Gosple meetings, starting tomorrow eve. Scratch that plan. Re-schedule for tonight.
We had a great time. Luanne & I did a taco salad supper, easy to make a huge batch of. and not much work. Add watermellon & grapes, along with cake & ice cream, a warm late summer evening with our family & friends, what more could you want?
Oh, so you really just wanted to see pictures of the cake eh?

Well, for my first attempt I think it turned out pretty well. Made some mistakes, nothing serious, learned some things, TO do, and NOT to do, far from "perfect" but the girls liked it and it tasted good, so that's all that really mattered, right? That I got lots of compliments was a bonus, although maybe everyone was just being nice!
It really was fun, I think I'm hooked. Can't wait to do the next one!! Oh yes, I also canned 3 batches of grape jelly today, and although I ended up leaving for the party with a few dirty dishes & the remains of the gum-paste misc. on my counter, I managed to keep my kitchen reasonably clean during the process. YEA!! Now that really is an accomplishment :*) Unfortunately my hands didn't fare so well, they are several shades & blotchy with red frosting dye!

Here's a couple more of the "twins" birthday party pictures. Yes, they both got "chucks" for their birthday!

And life goes on

Lynisha was following us to convention, & had just called me to ask how far ahead of her we were. As I was about to tell her the mile marker, she said, "OH! I just blew a tire!" We went back to help her out, having to unload the trunk, put on the spare, call Ryan to come bring her his car & drive hers back to town (luckily we were only about 25 mi.) Traveling interstate speed, with 3 kids in the car I was quite thankful to see the car...AND ONLY HER CAR! pulled off the edge of the road & not the potential accident it could have been! And yes, although she was talking on the phone, she has a bluetooth, so no mishap there. We didn't make it in time for Wed. meeting after all, but just thankful to all arrive safely!





Proof I really was up early enough to see a sunrise! My sister torments me to death because I have always been a night owl, NOT a morning person, and she is the opposite. For years at convention I did not get up for breakfast. My kids did not eat breakfast either, so usually I would manage to wake up enough by the time it was over and the sleeping quarters came alive with returning people to get up and get me and X number of little people ready for the day. When my older girls were old enough to wait tables & were up, I managed to convince them to bring me coffee when they came back from breakfast. (I know, I was spoiled, but really, how DID you think I survived having 12 children??!) JK! Anyway, when my sister moved back to NE and started going to the same convention as me, somehow she managed to convince me that getting up for breakfast was a GOOD thing! To top that off, there have been years we even went on a walk BEFORE breakfast! WOW! So, I am converted. I've even been known to wake HER up. The best thing about it all is that we discovered the coffee gets put on really early! So, we pull on our sweatshirts & tennies & head over to the cookhouse & grab our before breakfast cup! At our spring convention it's already light really early, but this time of year the sun doesn't start coming up till a little before six.

The unloading, cleaning, & convention put away will wait,
My after-convention treat is my favorite re-treat. I hate showers. Convention ones are a pain, a necessity at best. Nothing like soaking away the aches of the day.
Tomorrow's another day, but tonight I'm relaxing!! AAAHHHHHH!