Latest Exploits, Late Show-Style

I've been too busy (or something) to update regularly. Sorry you've missed all the fabulous posts I have composed in my mind. This will have to do. Here are the top ten most important, time-consuming, and/or tasty events that have occured in our lives lately. As always, we like to offer samples of the tasty things to anyone who dares come around for a visit.





10. Riley started preschool. This happened way back in August. He loves it and is making lots of new friends. He wishes it were every day instead of two days a week.





9. We went to Lagoon. We couldn't afford Disneyland (or the gas to get there), and the kids couldn't tell the difference. We went with Dan and Dee and their three boys. Everyone had a great time, even Sammy, who cried and screamed on his first ride (a scary free-fall type, but for little kids) and loved that same ride by the end of the day. We even wished we could have stayed an hour or two more.





8. Zeke started crawling (all over, not just a few inches). Of course, by now, just a few weeks later, he has moved on to pulling himself up to standing using anything over three inches tall, and he cruises around the house faster than I can keep track of him. We don't think he'll take long to start walking.





7. We went camping at Capitol Reef. Camping is so much fun with people who are good at it. Thanks to Uncle Dave, Aunt Marie, Uncle Doug, and their families. We're so glad Torrey and Heather came with Elaina, who somehow loved playing with our crazy boys. Sammy survived a weekend of stormy skies and thunderstorms (he's a bit scared of them). And of course, next time we go hiking through a river we're bringing water shoes!





6. Sammy started kindergarten. He loves his teacher and classmates, has learned several goofy songs, and usually likes recess (except when it's cloudy and there might be lightning). But his favorite part is the bus ride to school. He and his friend have started taking turns for the window seat. And that's about all he'll tell me.





5. I built the world's most beautiful baby gate. Okay, you might not think so. But it keeps my beautiful baby from falling head over heels down the stairs, and it didn't require drilling large holes in the stair railing. I did it all myself, except for sawing the wood (thanks Bruce!).





4. Bruce successfully ran his second CFC golf tournament. His team didn't win, but they raised lots of money for the campaign and got to eat some dang good cookies at the same time. Next year, I hope he'll be able to get home a little earlier.





3. I made oodles of blackberry jam and Mom's amazing cupcakes. I won't list all my latest culinary exploits, but these are two of my favorites. I now have apricot and blackberry jam stockpiled for the next several years, and tomorrow I'll be making some blueberry jam too. The cheesecake-filled lime cupcakes wowed the Utah crowd (thanks Mom!), and next week it's on to Ginger-Lime Cheesecake with Mango-Lime Salsa (possibly my all-time favorite).





2. We've lost almost 90 pounds!!! When I say "we," I mean the biggest losers, a.k.a. Dan, Dee, Leah, Leo, Tricia, Bruce, and me. Thanks to Bruce's blog (and a whole lot of smack talk), we've lost a lot of weight since last April. We even hope to keep the damage down over the holiday season if we keep up the hard work. All this despite my cooking habits (see #3) and the other amazing cooks in the family (trip to Albuquerque, Deanne's cookies, Leah's pies, etc.).





1. My peach trees are working!!!! This is my current excitement. We've gotten 12 peaches from our two peach trees this year, and they're delicious! (I've eaten one already.) They will soon be a pie or cobbler or something. They're definitely growing well, and I hope to have an even better crop next year--perhaps enough to make a pie for me and one to share! Aren't they beautiful?