Homecoming 2012

Katie came home from work one night to a message on our garage door....  an invitation to Homecoming.  Such a fun part of her high school experience.  She has gone to every dance since she turned 16!  This time it is Brett Siddoway. Cute kid.  We've known him since church nursery - 3 years old! 

Happy Birthday to Me!

Ice cream cake from Katie, sharing it with my kids... a good day!  And earlier, a yummy lunch with Carol at IHOP.  Happy Birthday to me!

Trip to Utah

Such a blessing to get on a plane and fly to see my grandkids, daughter and parents.  With Tammy moving to Utah, we are missing the September Women's Celebration 5K race in Boise, which has become our tradition for the last 4 years...  combined with my birthday and the RS broadcast for fall conference.  So I decided a fall trip to Utah would be my new tradition. Love Southwest points.  My trip also correlated with some cataract surgery that Dad had scheduled.  So I could be there to be a big help to him and Mom.

No more direct flights... so I flew thru Las Vegas.  Couldn't help but notice that the temple is built on the outskirts as far as posssible from that "wicked" city.  It was fun to see it all from the air.  Flying over desert, and nothing and then to see a great mass of houses and people in the middle of nowhere.

 We did so many fun things in Utah, just playing with the kids, painting and helping Tammy decorate her living room with awesome things we found at TJ Maxx and a crazy search for the perfect mirror that ended in a fabulous used furniture shop in Sugarhouse, shopping at Taipan and Ikea, building firetrucks at Lowes workshop for kids, spending time with Mom and Dad, going to the Brigham City Temple dedication, seeing Steve and Suzette.  It was a fast week and I couldn't stay away from my life in Spokane much longer, but it was great!

Having some fun in the kitchen

Want to redo this kitchen of mine.

I changed up a few things.  Put vinyl on my mixer... love the silhouette!  bought some new canisters.  Hey, these things are huge for me... I don't do change easily.  I've had the same canisters for 18 years... 

I am trying to clean off counter tops and tops of cupboards. I think it all stems from staging the house last year for sale. Clean and streamlined empty is my goal.

This is semi-before. 

The paper chase is more contained than usual but the counters and cupboard top is cluttered.  And I almost look forward to my new stainless steel fridge that will keep me from the magnet clutter and photo gallery....But we are a family and we actually live here.....

 This is after.

I also froze some peaches this year as opposed to making jam or putting them in bottles.  We really just eat the raspberry jam now from the garden.  So we'll see if we use these as much.  That was the extent of my harvest time.  I'm no pioneer woman. 

And I bought a new "window" mirror for the above the laundry room sink.

Someday I'll get new cupboards and countertops, and maybe even a new floor.