SUMMER 2010

We have had so much going on the last couple of months. I will attempt to catch every one up.



JUNE:
-Turned in 4-H Record Books


Kids with some of their Chouteau Club Friends at 4-H Special Awards Interviews

-All three of the kids received invitations for 4-H Special Awards Interviews.














-Ginger attended the Mayes County 4-H Food Preservation Workshop


-Yoda got a hair cut and decided to play the piano. Just between us, he's not very good.


-Kids attended the Bread Baking Workshop at the Mayes County AG Center in Pryor

-The girls and I gave a beginner's sewing workshop at the AG Center in Pryor. We made Fleece Hats, a Sewing Tools Poster & a Parts of the Sewing Machine Poster.



Holli teaching a "Parts of a Sewing Machine" Workshop








Ginger teaching a "Sewing Tools" Workshop





Me teaching how to use a Sewing Machine to make Fleece Hats


-We attended the Addison Road Open Air Concert on the River Walk in Jenks



Addison Road



Kids with friends at Concert

-We attended the 4-H Multi County Camp in Chouteau at Camp Christian.


JULY:
-I had a wonderful & Simple 4th of July with Jeff and the kids.

-Mayes County 4-H Summer Break Trip


Touring Grand River Dam



Checking out the Lab at Grand River Dam Ecosystem Building



Workshop on how a Dam Works



Holli holding a lizard at the Wildlife Workshop at Grand River Dam Ecosystem Building


-I got the kids homeschool year planned out and ordered books. Holli is a Senior, Anthony is a Sophomore, and Ginger is in the 7th Grade this Year.

-I gave an Intermediate Sewing Workshop at the AG Center in Pryor we made 4-H Autograph Elephants

-Ginger performed in the Pinocchio Play in Pryor





-Spent time in Miami with 4-H Friends from Ottowa County


Playing in the pool




Having a picnic at the park











-Holli & Anthony went to Falls Creek with Adair Baptist Youth


Holli, Jeremy & Anthony fixing to head out to Falls Creek

-Holli has her first parent's okay-ed boyfriend, Jacob Wood of Converse Oklahoma

-Found out Mandi and Bryce are expecting a baby around the 24th of March


-Attended my nephew Kevin's Wedding, I now have a beautiful new niece Kasey

The Johnson's at Kevin's Wedding



-Holli & Anthony went to Champions 4 Christ Camp in Branson MO with Jubilee Youth Group

Jubilee Youth Group

-Ginger tested for and got her Orange Belt in Soo Bahk Do


Ginger Breaking her first board during Soo Bahk Do Test



Ginger sporting her Orange Belt









AUGUST:
-We started Back to School on August 2nd
-Jacob spent the weekend with us
-We bought Anthony his first vehicle; a teal 1992 Ford Ranger
-Holli made her first car purchase; a white KIA Sportage (her bug bit the dust)


-Attended the Mayes County 4-H Banquet; the kids and Chouteau Club did very well.


Chouteau 4-H Club

Ginger received a Gold Medal in her Fashion & Fabrics Project along with a Bronze in her Visual Arts Project. She also received a special award for the 2010 Outstanding Junior Record Book.

Anthony received a Gold Medal in his Computers & Technology Project. He also received three special awards, the 2010 First Year Senior Award of a $50 Savings Bond, the 2010 Senior Achievement Award of a $50 Savings Bond & the Blue Award where he was awarded a 4-H Medallion and a 5x7 photo of himself form Bonea Photography.

Holli received a Gold Medal for her Digital Photography Project. She also received the Blue Award where she was awarded a 4-H Medallion and a 5x7 photo of herself from Bonea Photography. She also won the 2010 Hall of Fame Award where she received a $50 Savings Bond and a 11x14 photo of herself taken by Bonea Photography.

-Found out Mandi & Bryce are going to have twins in March

Our Family is Growing!

We recently learned that our family is growing. Our oldest daughter Mandi and her husband Bryce are expecting twins in March. We are very Excited and Thankful!
At Mandi's last check up all was well. The babies have good strong heart beats and are growing right on schedule. We are all looking forward to the day we can hold them in our arms.

Here is a pictures of our beautiful babies together.

The Wind in the Willows

"Friendships bring a goodness and grace into our lives whose value transcends material measure." Vigen Guroian

Finished reading aloud The Wind in the Willows to my kids. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs an example of true friendship or to be reminded of what true friendship is. This was my second time to read this book. I Loved it even more the second time around. I had forgotten what a gem it is. So happy I had the opportunity to share it with my kids. Had fun going on adventures with Rat, Mole, Badger and Toad. Forgot how that the best of friendships are sometimes with those that aren't exactly like me. Was reminded that true friends are patient, forgiving, helpful and there for each other when things get crazy...and they get real crazy with a friend like Toad. Through all the ups and downs Rat, Mole and Badger where there for Toad, but they also helped him to be a better toad.

In Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child's Moral Imagination, Guroian recommends three books as the best books to read on friends and mentors: The Wind in the Willows, Charlotte's Web, and Bambi.

Yummy Summer Fruit Pudding

Don't really know what this is called, but my family loves this for a Summer Time Desert.

Ingredients:
Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
Tub of Whipped Topping
Canned Mandarin Oranges
Canned Fruit Cocktail

Mix pudding mix into whipped topping in a large bowl.
Drain canned fruits and mix them into whipped topping and pudding mixture.

Refrigerate for one hour then Serve. Yummy!!!

Cheese Ball

Ingredients:
Wafer Thin Ham
Cream Cheese
Green Onions
Chopped Pecans

Put cream cheese in bowl and chop up green onions.

Slice up ham.

Mix it all together....Clean Hands Please!!!

Form into ball and roll in chopped pecans.

Serve Cheese Ball with your favorite snack crackers on a pretty plate...Enjoy!!!

New to me Furniture

This is the couch we had given to us. I painted the wood work on the couch and love seat Ivory Silk. The love seat was partially dyed orange. Think I'm going to get some upholstery fabric paint and paint it a color that will go with the couch. Also going to make new covers for the cushions and pillows with a coordination fabric. I love this style of furniture, it just needs some TLC.
Very happy to have more feminine furniture in the living room. Now if I can just get me a couple of strong men to carry the chase down stairs I can gain control of the living room again.

Chocolate Gravy

Granny Loffer & a few of her Great Grandkids on Easter 2006
Back Row: Mandi, Holli, Ginger, Dakota, Anthony
Front Row: Taylor, Granny, Maddy, Paige

Yummy Chocolate Gravy is a family tradition. My Granny Loffer use to make it for me when I would come and spend the night and she did the same with my kids as they were growing up. Now that the kids and Granny are getting older I decided it was time to learn how to make it so that I can pass on the tradition with my own grandkids someday.




CHOCOLATE GRAVY

Here is the recipe:
1/2 stick butter
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
3 leveled tbs all purpose flour
3 heaping tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla (put this in after gravy is thickened and removed from heat)
*Cook it just like you do for gravy-skillet, medium heat, stirring continually until thickened.

Memorial Weekend

Our Memorial Weekend was mostly spent on projects around the house. We did go to a family dinner at Jeff's Mom's on Saturday. Had lots of Yummy food and a very nice visit with everyone. Jeff and Anthony got my garden ready for me to transplant my salsa garden plants. I had some furniture given to me so we picked that up and I've been working on it to get it ready to go in the house.




The challenge will be seeing if I can get the orange dye out of the love seat...if not I have a pretty "Shabby Chic" slip cover picked out from Target.
















Jeff and the kids also started tearing down walls down stairs to make it a large open fun room for movies, games and friends.

















We'll be moving our big sectional down there and putting my new couch and love seat in the living room. It will be nice to have something more feminine again. The living room will be for school, reading and piano.


Was going to go to some friends house to night for dinner, but Holli got sick. Jeff, Ginger and Anthony went on with out Holli and I.


Sick Holli Napping with Yoda....Awwwww!!!
Yes, that is Yoda. He is naked and tired from his trip to the groomers.

4-H Record Books are due this week, we have a 4-H meeting and lots of projects started that need finishing. Looks like its going to be a busy week.

Mandi & Bryce's House

My oldest daughter Mandi and her husband Bryce are building a house. I'm so excited for them. We have been making trips out to see the progress.

Here are some pictures I took a few days ago.

My First Garden

My Salsa Garden....just getting started.
Parsley, Cilantro, Tomatoes, Onions, Jalapeños, & Cayenne Peppers





Where the Garden is Going





My Boys Working Hard



My Garden is coming along. Jeff and Anthony have been working hard on getting my spot ready for me to transplant my plants.
Kind of late in the year to start a garden, but I'm hopeful we'll be making some homemade salsa sometime this year.


Look...I have a Tomato Growing in my Flower Bed!