Author Archives: Karin

Apr 6 2012

Colorado Day 3: Part 1

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Denver's Museum of Nature and Science

Day three started here at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  Day three was so busy I had to split it into a couple of post.  This museum is huge.  We didn’t go here to tour the museum though.  That’s going to have to be another trip.  We did, however, go here to see an IMAX 3-D movie.  The movie that we watched was “Flying Monsters.”  This movie was about the tarasaur.  This is the first 3-D IMAX  movie that our little family has ever been to.  The first impression I had was wow this is really neat.  The second impression was we should do this more often.  Then things began to change about 30 minutes in I started to get a little motion sick.  By the time it ended my vertigo was off and I felt nauseated.  The kids loved it but my first and second impressions were quickly dismissed by the end.  They can go again but I think I might have to pass.

The escaltor in the museum

the entrance into the theater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waiting to be let in the theater

Sitting in the theater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sophia with her 3-D glasses on

The museum has a little discovery center around the corner from the theater.  After the show we decided to take the kids in there to explore a little.  They had fun with all the cool stuff to do.  One of our favorites was the wall with mirrors on it.  Preston enjoyed making his arm look like a wing.   There was a skinny mirror that I wouldn’t mind having in my bedroom.

Sophia playing with some blocks

Levi and Grandpa doing the smelling test

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preston our paleontologist

Preston making his arm a wing at the wall of mirrors

Apr 3 2012

Spring Break in Colorado Day 1 & 2:

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This year, since we are having great weather, we decided to go visit Corey’s parents for spring break.  The first day we spent most of it in the car.  Usually the drive is about 10 hours.  This time we wanted to go through Utah to hand off some baby stuff to Corey’s brother and his wife.  We left at 6:30am and got to Orem by 10:30am.  We got to talk and go out to lunch with Russell and Hannah.  She looks so cute with her little baby bump.  It was so nice to clean out our storage area and get rid of most of the baby stuff.  By 12:30pm we were back on the road.  Colorado here we come.  We stopped in Echo canyon and Corey tells me that his 3rd great aunt was named after the canyon because she was born there while migrating with the pioneers.  So we had to stop and take a picture.  We also got to see some ground squirrels up close.  We did finally make it to Greeley Colorado by 9:30pm.  We were tired and it didn’t take us long to get settled.

Echo Canyon rest area

Ground squirrel

Echo Canyon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day two was a blast.  Corey’s parents had to work for a few hours that day so we decided to go to the family funplex in Greeley.  We didn’t bring the camera because we were afraid it would get wet.  This place had a zero depth water play area, a lazy river, a couple of big slides and a normal swimming area.  We all had a blast playing in the water.  It was easy to spend a few hours there.  When we got back we ate some lunch and walked over to Nammi’s work to pick her up.  We went for a walk around the park.  That is when we noticed how nice and warm it was.  It ended up being in the upper 70s.  By the time we made it back to grandma and grandpa’s we were pooped.   Corey and Sophia took a nice nap in the recliner.  The boys had fun playing with all the old/new to them toys.  These toys were toys that Corey played with when he was a kid.  We thought this was a great day and so much fun.

Preston playing with an old set of bricks (lego type toys)

Levi climbing into the large cabinet full of toys

Sophia playing with an old farm set

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daddy and his little girl taking a nap.

 

 

 

Feb 2 2012

Ouch

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Okay, I kind of have a feet thing.  I hate feet they are gross and disgusting and I normally would never post pictures of my foot.  Today I make an exception.  So if you also don’t like to look at feet feel free to skip.

For a couple of months I’ve been meeting with some friends to play volleyball/basketball on Wednesday nights.  We started playing volleyball and never got quite enough people to play so then we started playing basketball.  I don’t play either sport very well but liked doing it for the exercise and also for the company.  Well last night things turned sour for me.  After I went up for a shot I landed on a friends foot.  That was the end of that.  My foot quickly rolled off and, yep, it’s sprained.  This isn’t the first time I have sprained this particular foot.  Actually it’s the fourth.  It never feels good and takes a long time to get back to normalcy but I have to say that with each sprain it gets a little easier.  Not the pain that still sucks but at least I know what to do about it now.

I remember the first time I sprained my ankle.  I was probably around nine.  We were getting ready to head out for Disneyland.  My grandpa was watching us while my parents were getting some last minute things for our trip.  We were racing back and forth in the front lawn and at some point I rolled my ankle while turning to run the other way.  I went in the house and my siblings convinced me not to tell grandpa, mom, or dad.  I don’t blame them.  We were afraid my parents would cancel the trip.  It wasn’t until about 4 hours into the trip when we stopped at a rest stop and we all got out to “get the wiggles out.”  My siblings again started to race, not wanting to be left out, I also tried and immediately realized I couldn’t walk on it let alone run.  My mom noticed and the story unfolded.  We did end up going to Disneyland where I spent a lot of that time in a baby stroller. Very embarrassing for a nine year old but I suppose I deserved it.  I did ask my mom if we had told her about it before we left if we would have gone and she said probably not.  So my siblings and I were justified in not telling her …right?!.

I’m really thankful that when I sprained it this time that I had great friends who helped me out.  One had a compression bandage in hercar.  We were at the church so another went and got ice from the kitchen.  We got it all wrapped up and they helped me out to a car and drove me home.  Another friend followed in my car.  They were so great and I’m sorry we didn’t get to finish playing.  I’m also grateful for a wonderful husband who was there for me when I got home to carry me into the house.  He also stayed up with me until the pain subsided a little and I could relax.  Well I guess this is one way for me to get a day off.  Not able to do much around here so I just need to learn how to relax and enjoy it.

Where'd the ankle go?

These pictures don't do it justice it really looks gross

 

Dec 24 2011

Christmas Letter

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I think it is sad how more letters are being emailed/posted every year.  I love to display the letters we get on our hall wall.  It has been a really fun tradition that I have carried on from my childhood.  Unfortunately last year we received so few letters that I didn’t even hang the line up.  I made it work this year but it seems it’s starting to look more and more pathetic each year.  I know it’s easier to send via email or other electronical means.  So I really appreciate all those who took the time to send us a card this year.

I did send out letters this year to a select few.  I like to make my own cards and it can be very time consuming.  I had only made 26 this year so I’m very sorry if you didn’t receive one.  I try and send a letter to all those who sent me one the year before but inevitably we always miss one or two people.  So if you didn’t get one from us this year here is the link to a copy of the letter that went out with the cards.  I’m sorry and I’ll try and send one for you next year.  Although if you follow this blog you probably already know everything that is going on in our lives so this might be a repeat.  I hope you all have a very wonderful Christmas.

Christmas Letter 2011

Nov 5 2011

Straw Maze

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One of the things I love about fall are the corn and straw mazes.  Corey and I used to go to corn mazes and we always had fun.  One year we decided to try the local straw maze.  It’s in Archer Idaho near Big Juds (If you’ve ever lived around here you know about Big Juds).  We found that we enjoy the straw maze much more than the corn mazes.  So that’s been a tradition for us for a few years now.  We like the straw because it’s nice and soft to walk on and you don’t have rows that you keep twisting your foot in.  We also like how it muffles the sound and you really don’t feel like anyone else is in the maze until you round a corner and wallah there they are (I bet it’s pretty cool at night).  Also you can’t really tare a part the bails of hay like they do the corn.  So the maze looks the same the last day as it did the first.  This year they had some tunnels built into the maze which the kids absolutely loved.  If you haven’t tried the straw maze you should.  It can be a little claustrophobic at times so if you have trouble with that maybe you don’t want to try this.  Each of us took turns leading the way through the maze getting hopelessly lost and when we got to the finish we started it all over again.  This is a great family activity.

Nov 1 2011

Pumpkin follow-up

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Our Three Pumpkins

I told you I would give an update on the pumpkins that we grew in the garden.  That’s right I said pumpkins.  Last time you saw one of these it was just a blossom.  I hand pollinated 3 more for a total of 4.  One pumpkin got the size of a baseball and then shriveled up and died.  These pumpkins kept growing and growing and growing.  I had to pluck them off the vine while they were still green.  I then put them on my porch and let them turn orange.  They all still have green on them but the kids didn’t mind.  They are  27lbs, 24lbs, and 19lbs.  These were the biggest pumpkins our family has ever carved.  Definitely going to try growing pumpkins again next year.  I just hope we get some blossoms about a month earlier than we did this year.

I let each kid design their own pumpkin.  Preston decided he was going to name his count pumpkinstein.  Corey had a little trouble with all the teeth Levi wanted on his.  Sophia likes the circle (hers was nice and easy to carve).  They turned out pretty cute and the kids had tons of fun scraping out the guts.

So being the forgetful person that I am I forgot to take pictures of the kids in their costumes 🙁  Preston’s was the most creative.  He wanted to be an ice cream man and unfortunately I don’t have a picture of him.  Sophia wanted to be a fairy.  Levi wanted to be Dracula. There was one day last week that Levi had a School Program and we got pictures of him and Sophia dressed up.  We went trunk or treating at our church and then Corey took  Sophia and Levi around the block some more.  Preston is getting so big, he wanted to go with his friends this year.  One of the other parents went with them and they really scored on the candy.  Pretty soon he is going to be too old to go trick or treating and I ‘m having a hard time coming to that realization.  When did he start getting so old?  I haven’t aged any so what happened here?

Corey Carving and Levi being a goof while Preston watches intently.

The kids in front of their pumkins

Three little pumpkins sitting on a bench.

Pumpkins all lit up

 

Levi and Sophia in Costume. Levi is sad because his dracula teeth hurt his mouth.

Oct 19 2011

Austin Texas

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This past weekend Corey and I had the privilege of visiting Austin Texas for his sister’s wedding.  My mom flew over so she could watch our kids for us.  This was such a blessing for us.  This is the first time we have left our kids for more than one night at a time.  It’s been over 2 years since we have had an over night trip together.

Austin is a very active city.  We were on the go all the time.  There were people everywhere.  We had such a good time seeing the different  things and eating at different places.  I can’t believe how many places there are to eat at.  We had so many options I could’ve spent another month there and still not have eaten at each place.  When we first arrived in Austin his sister, aunt and uncle picked us up at the airport and then we went to a restaurant called 24.  Apparently the owner of the restaurant is going to be on the show top chef this season.  Here we met Lisa’s fiancé,  Neal, and  ate lunch.  Neal is so nice and perfect for Lisa.  We had a great lunch.  Corey ate chicken and waffles.  I had a burger with some whipped potatoes.  Those potatoes were the best I’ve ever had. This is much of how the weekend went.  We just hung out with family and tried new places to eat.

On Lisa’s wedding day I woke her up, much to her disapproval, and we went for a walk with her mom.  Afterwards we picked up her bouquet and other flowers.  Then Lisa and I had our hair done.  Her hair was so perfect and pretty it brought tears to my eyes.  It was so fun to spend time with Lisa.  It’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to do so.  She lived with us for two weeks while at BYU. She was actually living with us when I had Preston.  Then again she was there for me when my mom had her accident and I pretty much lived at her aunt and uncle’s house (where she lived at the time).  She would take me to the hospital navigating the streets of Portland.  This was such a blessing at the time.  After she put her wedding dress on and did her make-up she looked like something out of a magazine.  So beautiful.  Her reception was at a place called Parkside.  It was fun and different.  She had some dancing there which was great because Corey and I haven’t danced together for quite some time.  I loved that his cousin’s wife Jennifer knew the steps to thriller.  Austin is so busy all the time it was funny to see that it gets even busier after 11 pm.  We kept asking ourselves all weekend does anyone work here?

When we arrived in Austin Lisa gave everyone a gift bag.  We had vouchers for bike rentals.  So on Saturday morning Corey and I rented our bikes and rode around their bike trails.  It was really fun and a great way to see the people and places of Austin.

After biking, on Saturday afternoon,  Lisa had a trapeze class set up for us.  Yes that’s what I said TRAPEZE.  It was a little different but ended up being really fun.  Corey did get sick his second time around and had to sit out the rest of the time.  I went four times before I said that was enough.  The toughest thing about the whole experience was getting over how tight the harness was.  When they put it on they tighten it then they have you raise your arms and when you don’t think it’ll go any farther they tighten it some more.  It reminded me of saddling a horse.  I really had a hard time breathing.  It was a really big relief when I finally got to take it off.

All in all we had a really wonderful weekend.  We love hanging out with Corey’s family.  They always make me laugh.  I wish we could’ve stayed there longer but alas we have children and work.  My mom did such a wonderful job with the kids.  Sophia cried when she left.  I wish she lived closer so they would have more opportunities to see her.  Thanks Lisa for getting married so we could have this great vacation!

Lisa and Neal with Lisa's mom and dad.

Lisa and 3 out of 4 brothers

Sep 19 2011

My Mom’s Apple Pie

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I’d say this is the well kept family secret but can’t since we share this recipe with everyone.  This is definitely a family favorite.  I always loved it when I would walk home from school and the aroma of apple pie was in the air.  This is by far my favorite pie.  This recipe is also pretty simple and well worth it.  I made a pie last week with the apples off of our little tree and it was so good.  So good that I’ve made another pie this week.  Anyways here is the recipe and step by step instructions on how to make it.

 

Filling:

6 Apples peeled and cut into slices

3/4 to 1 Cup sugar (depending on tartness of apples)

1 tsp cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

2 Tbs flour

1 Tbs lemon juice (depending on tartness)

Crust:

2 Cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 Cup cooking oil (canola or vegetable)

5 full tablespoons COLD water

step 1

First step is to peel, core, and chop the apples.  I peel all the apples at once and then chop them.  That way it keeps the browning from oxidization to a minimum.  Each apple gets chopped into 8 pieces and then each of those slices gets chopped into quarter inch thick triangles.

step 2

Next step is to add the rest of the filling ingredients to the apples and mix.  My apples were tart so I used 1 cup of sugar and no lemon juice.  Put in a medium sauce pan and heat slowly on the stove (about medium low heat).  Meanwhile start putting the crust together.  Don’t forget about the filling give it a stir every few minutes or so believe me you don’t want the sugar to start to burn on the bottom of the pan.

This crust recipe is one of the most simple recipes I’ve ever come across.  Many people are picky about their crust and I’m one of them.  I love this crust because it is easy, flaky and taste good.  Once you try this you’ll never go back to cutting in butter or shortening and letting it chill.  You can also half this recipe for a one crust pie like pumpkin or pecan

step 3

In a large bowl combine the flour and salt.  In small bowl combine the water and oil.  It’s important to know what is meant by 5 full tablespoons of water.  As you fill the tablespoon up with water continue to fill it until it is so full it makes a dome over the rim.  If this doesn’t make sense let me know.  Hey, by the way, Don’t forget to stir your filling.

step 4

After the dough had formed a ball split into two separate balls one slightly larger than the other. Slightly larger because the bottom crust is bigger than the top. Oh! And don’t forget to stir the filling.

Take the larger dough ball and place it between two pieces of wax paper.  Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it fits into your pie plate with extra over the sides.  Don’t worry if the wax paper starts to wrinkle just lift it up and smooth it out.

Take one side of wax paper off and flip the crust into the pie pan.  Push and position the crust until you have about 1 inch of crust hanging over the side of the pan.  Slowly peal back the wax paper trying not to tear the crust.  Don’t forget to stir the filling.  Roll out the top crust between the wax paper and set it aside.

By now this is what your apple filling should look like.  The sugar should look syrupy and the apples are starting to cook.  When the filling is hot and bubbly that is when it’s time to add it to your crust. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

After adding the filling to your bottom crust dot the top with a tablespoon of butter.  Before adding the top, this is very important, wet your finger with water and go around the rim of the crust.  This will help the top crust adhere better and you won’t have a mess in your oven to clean up. Take one wax paper off the top of the top crust.  Flip over and place over the top of pie.  Press the rim together and peel off the remaining wax paper.  Trim the crust until it is about an inch from the rim of the pie plate.  Fold under the crust to lay on top of the rim.  Using the two finger method crimp the edges.

 

 

 

 

Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.  I like to make a star or flower shape on the top.  Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden.  Take out of oven and place it on a rack until completely cooled. Serves 6-8 slices.

 

Sep 16 2011

Apples

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Honey Crisp Apples

Apple season is finally here.  We planted this honey crisp apple tree about 5 years ago. This is the first year that we have had a good crop of apples.  We bought the tree bare root.  It was practically a little stick with roots.  After planting it in the fall we didn’t expect blossoms on the tree in the spring but there were.  No apples developed that year.  The next year there were no blossoms at all.  The third time a few blossoms and a couple of wormy apples.  The fourth year we were optimistic but because of a late frost that killed all the blossoms there were no apples.  This year has been good to us.  The tree blossomed and we had an abundance of fruit growth.  My husband was continually out there thinning them.  We have had to put braces up to keep the trees branches from falling and breaking with the weight.   I’ve sprayed it twice to try and keep the worms down.  Although we now see that I needed to either do it earlier or more often.  There are a number of apples with little worm holes in them.  Other than that there haven’t been to many things I’ve had to worry about.  Well that’s not true there is one pest that is causing my apples to disappear. They’re about 15 years old and one of them lives next door.  Yep that’s right it’s the pesky teenager.  For a couple of weeks we have been getting after our kids for eating the apples and leaving the cores in the road.  They denied ever doing it but we knew the apples weren’t eating themselves.  Well today I was cleaning my kitchen and heard a ruckus outside.  I turned around just in time to see three teenage boys eating apples and throwing the core into the street.  That’s right MY APPLES.  This pest wouldn’t be so bad had they come and got my permission but no they just take.  Well I guess I can’t blame them the apples look delicious and if I don’t say so myself are delicious.  It’s hard to pass by without wanting a taste.  I do like to make applesauce and pie filling every year.  Maybe this year I won’t have to beg my neighbors for apples.  I’ve made two apple pies so far and they have been the best apple pies.  Next time I’ll share with you a step by step apple pie recipe.

our little apple tree

 

 

Sep 12 2011

Cantaloupe

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Cantaloupe

If you look at the first post about me starting to blog about the garden there’s a list about what I planted.  You may notice that cantaloupe was not one of them.  When we planted our watermelon we waited and waited and it did nothing so we decided to go get another plant and got a cantaloupe.  I didn’t know that cantaloupe did so well here.  I wish we had bought it instead of wasting time on the watermelon first.  We so far have three cantaloupes and one is almost ready.  They are about the size of a soft ball, smaller than your normal grocery store cantaloupe.  I can’t wait to get my first taste of fresh garden cantaloupe I hear it’s really good.  As for the watermelon we left it in the garden and as soon as the cantaloupe started to take off so did the watermelon.  We now have a watermelon the size of a base ball.  The sad thing is there is definitely not enough time for it to ripen before the first frost.

 

Watermelon on the left in the shade. Cantaloupe on the right