Popcorn?

We have been ordering through this co-op lately.

One of our items was baby Indian corn.

We followed their suggestion to try popping an ear in a paper bag in the microwave.

We all had a few giggles when Matt opened the bag:

Halloween Package

The boys were uber excited for the Halloween package they got in the mail from Grandpa and Grandma J.
It took more than a little restraint for them to not rip open the box while Kalvin read the note!

Somehow, they managed for 30 seconds.
And no longer.

Thanks G&G J! 

Random Thoughts

We don't get too much of the Q-word around our house.

Especially with this guy:

He was so focused on the book that he never knew I took a pic.

We had our ward "Trunk or Treat" Friday night. 

There was a chili, cornbread, and cobbler potluck, games, and the Trunk or Treat.

The boys were in sheer heaven for about three hours.

And they got lots of compliments on their way cheap costumes.

BTW-Notice the paint swatches to the right of the mantel? 

Yeah, I'm going through a decor crisis right now. We are getting a new dark brown rug/carpet for the great room and I am thinking of changing the main paint color as well. Just for the living areas and hallways on the main level.

So...The first color has way too much pink in it, although the pic makes it even more so. 

#2 is a fantastic color, but probably too much dark going on with a dark rug.

#3 is really good. Seems a bit chameleon in color, kind of like the existing "peanut" color. There are green undertones to this gray/beige. It is a PB color called "Bennington Gray".

#4-A perfect beige. 

Do I want a perfect beige or a hint of green going on? I am probably going to replace the golden backsplash in the kitchen with a glassy green tile to match better with the verde fire island:

My big dilemma right now is wanting to have a more timber frame and cozy feel in the house. We don't get that too much with all the white trim. Debating on adding some wood trim accents to the kitchen and living area ceilings, or around the windows.

Who knows? Maybe that rug will do the trick? 

I'm excited to get it in the house sometime this week!

Getting in/out of town these days is always an adventure.

Our road, AKA the local dirt pit-

 We're never entirely sure where to drive, as it changes every day and hour by hour. 

Can we say obstacle course?!?

Luckily, it didn't deter our major delivery last week:

As you can see...It was worth it!

$15

Bountiful Baskets

See if you can join in the fun too.

Here's what I picked up today:

1 celery bunch (2#), 1 bag black seedless grapes (2#), 4 avocados, 9 plums (1# 13oz), 5 Bosc pears (1# 8oz), 2 yellow squash (1#), 4 Jonathan and 1 red apple (1# 15oz), 8 sweet potatoes (2# 8oz), 1 garlic head, 4 tomatoes (1# 3oz), 1 romaine lettuce, 7 bananas (2# 14oz), mushrooms (8 oz)

Yup. Fifteen bucks. Seriously.

We opted to get the extra "fruit pack" ($10) as well:

2 Fuji apples (10oz), 4 Granny Smith apples (1# 6oz), 2 gala apples (1#), 2 Jonathan apples (12oz), 3 Bosc pears (12oz), 3 Speckel pears (6oz), 1 orange (7oz), 1 Asian pear (6oz), black seedless grapes (2# 7oz),     4 bananas (1# 11oz)

For fun, we also decided to get the "Fall pack" ($15):

2 small pumpkins (1# 4oz, 1# 8oz), 1 medium pumpkin (5# 6oz), 5 baby Indian corn, 2 large Indian corn, 2 multi colored pumpkins, 3 gourds

And today's whole score put together:

My mind is reeling with all sorts of recipes to do the next two weeks...

Bugs, Decks and Crazy Eggs

 This week, our outdoor focus has been on bugs. 

Specifically, water bugs.

More specifically, "water boatsmen" and "skippers".

As in the ones that have decided to claim the uncleaned, algae ridden pool as their home.

The trick is to take your bug net, scoop out the water bugs, and transfer them to the wagon.

Add a few twigs, dirt, and who knows what else...

And there you have it--hours of entertainment.

Of course, we still have the fun indoor stuff to do too!

I am certain that I have had more fun than any of you this past week.

What could be more exciting than trying to completely refinish a deck in two days?

We made the mistake fantastic decision of buying a hot tub and then remembered our deck needed to be refinished before the spa installation.

And before the days and nights got too cold to do it.

We ended up using this deck product that can be found at a couple of the big box home improvement stores. It was an absolute pain to apply. I found that it would fling off the roller and spray nearby areas, even though I rolled the product on sloooowly as directed.

But the stuff really does look nice. I still need to do the railing in the dark stain, but that will most likely have to be completed in the spring.

Our sweet girls are laying up a storm.

And keep surprising us...

OUCH!!! I hope this chick got her epidural first!

The same egg with others from yesterday.

Naturally, we reward them for their efforts...with leftovers!

The Caretakers

The boys are growing up too quickly!

They have all been so excited to collect the eggs--to the point that they see who can wake up and get to the coop first. So far, Xander seems to be the early bird most often.

 Kalvin holding "Pretty"

 And Xander trying to hold Pretty

Talmage with one of the Red Stars. He wanted to hold one of the bigger girls.

Quality Control Memo

The girls apparently didn't get the message:

About the cutest 'lil egg ever! 

We think this might be a first laying attempt...

It takes a few weeks for their system to work out all the kinks. Oh the things we are learning as first time chicken owners!

I snuck a pic of them all ready for bed. They weren't too happy with the camera flash.