Yummy Fireside Treats

All of my grandchildren love helping to build a camp fire. It is a must do (and a well supervised) activity when they come to visit us in the mountains. This night we roasted marshmallows and the kids made S'mores for their treat. The adults enjoyed a really yummy pineapple upside down cake that my daughter and her husband baked in their dutch oven. It was perfectly baked and sooooo good!

Hello, Mama Bear

Let me introduce you to Mama Bear and her baby. This life size bear is part of the decor in our temporary mountain home. She stands right next to a bank of windows on the back of the house and next to one of the patio doors. It took me the longest time to get used to her standing there. She frightened me for weeks when I would catch a glimpse of her when I was home alone.

I have since made friends with her and I now greet her every time I enter the house alone. (Not to worry.....I know I'm being silly.) My youngest grandson has made friends with her too. On his last visit he entered the house and the first thing he did was give the bear and her baby a huge smile like he was visiting a dear old friend. He waved and waved to the bear and kept telling her hi! He was a bit puzzled and very disappointed that the bear was not sharing in his excitement of seeing one another again.

Home Away from Home

Well here it is... our home away from home. This has been home for the last six weeks or so and it will be our home until my husbands job on the Navajo Nation is complete. It is a beautiful four bedroom home nestled among the Pines of Flagstaff, Arizona. Our view just beyond the Pines in the front is a very large meadow with a large pond. The backyard is a wildlife playground. The lot backs up to National Forest. At the end of our lane, just right of the house is an additional two car carriage house with an apartment above. The property also has a large fire ring for building big bonfires. It is a great place to do dutch oven cooking and the roasting of marshmallows for some really tasty s'mores.

All of the living spaces have large uncovered windows to invite the natural light and the beauty of the outdoors in. The breakfast nook in the back of the house overlooks two bird feeders and a bird bath. We have Squirrels, Chipmunks, lizards, and a wide variety of birds who have parties just outside our windows all day long! A couple of my favorite wildlife guests are a pair of large Jay Birds. They are bright blue with a black crown on the top of their heads.

The homes interior is beautiful and fully furnished. I only added a few items to the fireplace mantle to make it feel a bit more like home. The home also has a baby grand piano which has given me an opportunity to brush up on my very rusty piano skills. Just this past week a skunk was spotted hiding under our front walkway. All I could think of is the amount of times I have swept that front walk with the skunk probably being just inches from me!!!!

My very favorite guests are the two legged variety that come up from the valley to visit. Our children and grandchildren have been frequent visitors and it is they who have turned this home away from home and it's furnishings into a real home for us!

A Very Spoiled Grandma!

I have quickly realized what a spoiled Grandma I am! This is just day twelve of me being a long distance grandma and I am not very good at it at all. My husbands work has taken us just three hours away from all of our children and grandchildren for a few months.

I only had to go five days before seeing a set of my kids and four of my nine grandkids who came for a weekend visit. I was thrilled to see them and we had a wonderful time together. When it was time for them to go you would have thought they must live on the other side of the world from my emotional state when having to say my good-byes! My sadness started up when it got within a couple of hours of their planned departure. I held it together until it was time for them to load up in the car. It was then that the tears began to flow and my heart was breaking that I was not going to see them for a while.

I held up in my bedroom to try to gain composure so not to upset the kids. They all came in one at a time to say good-bye to their sobbing grandma. They had me laughing and crying at the same time. I realized how silly it was to be feeling so sad but the tears continued to flow and my heart continued to be break.

It has now been just five days since they left and I will be seeing another set of kids and three grandsons tomorrow who are coming for an overnight visit. I have been already been trying to prepare myself for their departure. Since I am still tearing up when I think about my first set leaving just five days ago I think I will be better off talking to my grandsons ahead of time to let them know that my tears (that I'm sure will come) when it is time to go is because I love them so much and that I will miss seeing them until next time.

I already know that once they leave I will only have another five days before I will get to see another set of my kids and two more grandsons who will be spending a few days with us.

As you can see I am a very spoiled grandma. I am also a very blessed grandma who loves living close to her children and grandchildren!

Most importantly, I have gained enormous empathy for ALL long distance grandmas in a very short period of time. I have also wondered several times this week if my own mother who is now in her late eighties has ever felt this way. I have always just assumed she was thankful for the peace and quiet she was left with when we left with our young family. I wonder now if I assumed wrong......no surprise, that makes me ( a very homesick grandma) shed tears too!

Pop Star Treats Inc.

Early Saturday morning we received a knock on the door. To our surprise we opened the door to find our nine year old granddaughter who lives right down the street and her friend who was spending the weekend with her.

We were greeted with a well rehearsed sales pitch. They had created a sign reading "Pop Star Treats", a product and price sheet, and a folded up cutout from a Halloween Costume catalog of two Pop Star costumes that she and her friend wanted to earn the money to buy . Their presentation of the cupcakes and their sales pitch were both adorable.

They had spent the day before baking up a storm and they had a WAGON FULL of cupcakes for sale! They had also made mini cupcakes on picks as free samples for their potential customers. They were confident that just one bite of their tasty free samples would greatly sweeten their revenues!

We were thrilled to be their first cupcake customers. Later in the day they hit us up for a car wash, and even later in the day they hit us up for some housework. Each time they returned they had a bit more cash in their tightly clinched fists. When they left our house in the late afternoon they had earned a total of $54! Not bad for a days work at 9 years old.

Creative, hardworking, and adorable are just a few of the words I will think of with this precious memory!

Peek-A-Boo

All of the school age cousins peeking out of McDonald's Playland. I thought they might enjoy the play time as cousins with Papa and I. They ended up LOVING it! Simple things, great times, precious memories. What a wonderful gift for both grandchildren and grandparents!

Grandkid's Back to School Party Favors

Pencil boxes (with their names printed on them) filled with a few school supplies were the party favor for this years Grandkid's Back to School Party. The items included new pencils, erasers, a pencil sharpener, a bottle of glue, some stickers, a back pack package of Kleenex, a box of crayons, and some sweet treats.

Before the party started I had a list of rules. (much like you would see in a classroom.) Each child's name was listed and there was a box to check off for each task or rule. The number of tasks or rules matched the number of things inside the gift boxes.

I showed them the boxes at the beginning of the party and we talked about the rules. I explained to them that broken rules would result in a loss of an item or items (of their choice) from the gift boxes.

With Papa and I being so outnumbered and with an outing planned we needed an incentive to help us. Some of the items included following directions the first time they were asked, no fighting, buckling up in the car, being helpful, staying with our group in the parking lot and in McDonald's, eating good, cleaning up, and participating in all of the games and activities. The incentive plan worked like magic. They were quick to remind one another of their potential loss or losses. At the end of the party everyone had earned their complete gift boxes!

The box had to be packed just right to get it all in there. They all loved going through their gift boxes and then the challenge of getting everything packed back in. I was so proud of them as they worked together, assisting one another to get their gift boxes filled again.

Outing to McDonald's with Grandma and Papa

These pics are from our Grandkid's back to school party this year. Believe me, Papa and I got the looks, and all heads turned when we arrived with our seven little ones who were all talking up a storm and all very anxious to hit the playground.

A trip to McDonald's netted hours of fun cousin time of unlimited play, ice cream and food. I don't remember why the raising of the hand but what an adorable photo to catch at a back to school party!

Ice Cream Before Dinner?

A highlight from the back to school party that ended up being all the chatter to their parents when they got home was that; "Grandma let us have ice cream before dinner!"

It's true! But, not really planned that way. I reversed the party plan due to Papa getting home to go with us to McDonald's earlier than expected. The plan was to play our games at the house, and have an early dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches, chips, and a drink at home before going for an ice cream treat and some play time at McDonald's.

We instead, went to McDonald's and had ice cream. They were having so much fun playing we decided to stay and have dinner too.

So, completely by accident, a fun, "naughty", and long lasting memory was created!

Grandkid's Back to School Party 2009

I fudged a bit on the back to school party this year but it was still a wonderful success!

The party began at my home in the afternoon just a few days before school was to begin. I had seven guests this year. The oldest is going into the fourth grade and my youngest guest will be starting preschool this year.

The party started with a few rounds of ABC Bingo. We then loaded up for a trip to McDonald's for an ice cream treat and some fun cousin playtime. They were having so much fun playing with one another that they worked up quite an appetite. We ended up ordering dinner too before we left.

After we returned home we did our traditional Hokey Pokey dance and I ended the party with party favors of some back to school supplies and a few treats!

Look who Grandma Loves!

Two of my grandson's and their parents took a summer vacation to the beach recently. I had a request of them (the boys) before they left. I asked them to please write a message in the sand for "Grandma" and take a picture of it and send it to me as an activity for them at the beach.

It ended up being quite the task since the waves kept washing it away before they could snap the picture. They endured and got the job done just like Grandma requested. I love it! How can such a simple thing bring a grandma so much joy?

Invention Crafts - 2 liter Bird Feeder

This is a simple nature craft using a plastic bottle, a wooden skewer, twine, and birdseed. The young inventor first removed the label off the bottle using kid safe scissors.

Wash the inside and the outside of the bottle. Drain as much water as you can from the bottle. Place the lid on the bottle and dry the outside of the bottle.

About 3 inches from the bottom of the bottle draw a 3 "x 3" square or an arched topped square on both sides of the bottle using a Sharpie marker. Make sure the openings match up on opposite sides of the bottle. You could give the child a pattern to trace. Cut out the marked sections. I started the opening for my grandchild using a sharp knife. The child then used a pair of kid safe scissors to finish the cutting.

Make sure that there are no sharp edges on the bottle openings. Using a paper towel and the bottle openings dry the inside of the bottle. Tie a 4-5 foot piece of twine or heavy string around the neck of the bottle. Center the twine/knot on the bottle neck to leave you matching lengths of twine to be used to tie to the feeder to a tree branch.

Cut a small "X" one inch below the center of your bottle openings using a sharp knife. (This should be done by an adult) A drill with a small bit could also be used by an adult. Don't make the wholes or "X's" too big, you want the wooden skewer to fit tightly.

Push the wooden skewer through one "X", now push the skewer through the bottle and out the "X" on the other side of the bottle. Center the skewer in the bottle. This creates a wooden perch for the birds to sit on on both sides of the bird feeder. Snip off the sharp end of the skewer and add a bit of masking or duct tape to both ends of the skewer to help protect eyes and skin from any sharp edges.

Take the bird feeder outdoors. Hang the bird feeder on a sturdy branch in a tree. Placing it where it can be seen from an indoor window is really fun. Fill the bottle/bird feeder to just above the wooden perch with wild birdseed. Now, sit back and watch the birds discover this very special treat!

Interesting note: Three of my granddaughters saw the finished bird feeder hanging in their cousins tree just minutes of him being home with his finished project. I received a frantic phone call that they all wanted to make one too. I was too busy that day but promised we would do the project the next day. They all arrived the next day and were thrilled to create their very own bird feeders. They took them home and hung them in their trees which are right across the street from the cousins feeder they had seen the day before.

The feeders were quickly found by the birds. With the kids watching they discovered that the birds finished the seed from the girls feeders before the one across the street which was the original bird feeder made by my grandson.

My eight year old grandson made the observation that the birds preferred the girls feeders because they were more attractive! Turns out the girls had added decorations to their feeders using colorful Sharpie markers. Regular girls stuff like flowers and hearts. Not science, but a very good observation. Who knew???

Invention Crafts - Working Elevator

On a recent visit to my home three of my grandsons pulled out my invention crafts tub for some crafting fun. This tub is where I store all kinds of things for my grand children to recycle into their very own one of a kind inventions.

This is not a time to worry about the clutter that fills the kitchen counters and floors as their very creative minds began to quickly gather items that are needed for their inventions. It is amazing what ideas can be sparked by the treasures that are found in "Grandmas invention craft tub."

Above is photos of the finished elevator system, it's inventor, and his younger brothers who marvel at their big brothers invention skills. The invention has an elevator car with opening doors, a pulley system that can lift and lower the elevator car for more than six feet. Even the balance of weight was considered by this young inventor. Vegetable cans were borrowed from the pantry to give him the weight needed for the invention to work safely and properly!

4th of July Gift Boxes

I created these small gift boxes for my nine grandchildren for the 4th of July. I found the boxes in the dollar store "Dollar Tree" in the wedding section. They were 12 for a $1. They are solid white and they could be used for any occasion or holiday by adding your own decor to them.

I decorated the boxes using patriotic stickers that I found in a Michael's Craft Store. The stickers were adorable and a great price. The book had 316 stickers for just .70 cents! The regular price was only $1 which is still a great price.

I also like getting the small white bottles of bubbles from the same section of the dollar store. They are 9 for a $1. I added a patriotic sticker and they became a 4th of July party favor for the small gift boxes. The boxes are a perfect size for a few goodies and favors. These boxes were filled with candy, party poppers, a light stick, a bottle of bubbles, and a red, white, and blue tinsel necklace!

4th of July Necklaces

When I have all nine of my grandchildren together I like to do things to make them feel united. This year we are all attending the fireworks together. I was in the dollar store recently and I saw some red, white, and blue tinsel garland that was really thick and shiny. Like always, I found inspiration in this glittery dollar find.

The strand was nine feet long. I have nine grandchildren, so I cut it into nine, one foot lengths. I added a bit of clear tape to the cut wire ends to keep it from possibly unraveling. I tied 24" lengths of blue yarn about an inch in on each end of the cut tinsel.

I had created nine very festive 4th of July necklaces for a buck! The necklaces ended up being part of a small gift box that I made for each child. The shiny thick tinsel necklaces made the perfect topper for the patriotic gift boxes!

Popping 4th of July Fun

Every 4th of July I treat my grandchildren to some kind of small gift, goodie, or activity to help celebrate our time together at the fireworks show. This year I put together small gift boxes for each child.

The small patriotic decorated boxes include a few Tootsie "Pops", kid safe TNT "Pop-its", always fun Party "Poppers", a glowing light stick, a small bottle of bubbles that will provide lots of "Popping" action, and a glittering red, white, and blue necklace which also serves as a eye "Popping" burst of color and shine to top of the gift boxes!

To add to the fun I will arrive with their gift boxes in a large basket lined with patriotic linens and some festive red, white, and blue tinsel party picks. I will also have the supplies for face painting. Face paint, glitter, patriotic stickers, and sparkling stars will provide some holiday fun while they are waiting for the fireworks to begin that I am sure they will enjoy.

This project and these ideas are all very simple and inexpensive but they help to make the time you spend with your grandchildren just a bit more fun, festive and memorable!

Make sure to watch the 4th of July clearance sales and you too will find inspiration for just pennies on the dollar that can be stored away for the year and used to create your own memories in helping to make the 4th of July holiday "Pop" for your grandchildren too!

Have a happy and safe 4th of July !

Dance Recital Times Three

My three granddaughters recently performed with their dance school. The college auditorium was filled with all those who were there to support the little dancers. They had been practicing for weeks and weeks for this very special Pink Carpet Event. Custom costumes had been made. Hair, make-up, a limo, lights, fireworks, the whole nine yards. The girls were thrilled to be a part of it.

Our family was there with 100% attendance taking up over half of an auditorium row of seating. All five little boy cousins were there to support and to be entertained by their sweet and adorable girl cousins. Three of the boys cousins 8, 6, and 2 all walked into the auditorium carrying bouquets of flowers for the girls. It was as CUTE as it could be!

The girls did a great job and they were very proud of themselves. They came straight out still in their last costumes following the show to see all of us. They were showered with bouquets of flowers and a flashing photo shoot fit for the dancing diva's that they were!

I am very proud of the girls and equally proud of my entire family who all do such a wonderful job of supporting one another.

Time Fly's

I had not realized so much time had past since I had last posted. I've had lots on my plate recently with an unplanned two plus weeks of being really sick, a six day trip out of state, and all of the planning details for a large July wedding.

Being well again makes me realize how thankful I am for my health. The out of state trip yielded a very happy young bride with her finding the wedding dress of her dreams in a bridal shop in Salt Lake City. The details of the large July wedding....still a bit overwhelming.

The trip to Utah also served as a chaperoned trip for my daughter to go visit her fiance in Orem, Utah were he attended school at UVU and plays on their baseball team. I had lots of free time while there while they crammed as many dates into their days together as they could. They had a great week together.

I really enjoyed myself as well. I shopped til I dropped. Ate where and when I wanted to eat. Took in a movie of my choice. Napped whenever I needed a nap. The only thing that got me out of bed a bit earlier that I liked was the pretty yummy and FREE continental breakfast at the hotel!

I had a beautiful view from my hotel room. The mountains in Provo are beautiful and to add to the beauty they were covered with freshly fallen snow! I spent so much of my time looking at the beauty and at the locals zipping by taking care of their business and wondered if they even noticed the beauty around them anymore.

One of my very favorite things were the trees that were in bloom that lined many of the streets. I called them Popcorn trees. I don't know what kind of trees they were but the blooms look just like beautiful white popped popcorn! The trees were just covered in yummy looking white stuff!

One of the Popcorn trees was just outside my 3rd floor window and it was in full bloom. We have a song that the children sing in church that says "I looked out the window and what did I see? Popcorn popping on an Apricot tree. Spring has brought me such a nice surprise, popcorn popping right before my eyes!"

I know it wasn't an Apricot tree but for sure it was a nice surprise and I too saw popcorn popping right before my eyes.

Now it's time for me to look at my natural surroundings. What am I zipping around and taking care of my own business and missing???

Another Gift of Nature

I heard on the TV today that research has shown that time spent in nature is good for your brain. Those who spent time in nature or looked at nature pictures for one hour before testing scored 20 percent higher. Those who spent time outdoors on city streets showed no improvement.

The world that God created for us to live in is amazing. He thought of everything for us! So all of those camping trips, visits to the mountain cabin, the sites of waterfalls, streams, the ocean, and lakes, evening programs with the Park Rangers, the canyons, snow trips, watching for wildlife, and the family hikes they do more for our families than create wonderful memories, and good family fun. Who knew?

Bargains! My Favorite Thing to Find

I went to CVS to have my prescriptions filled yesterday. I chose CVS this time because I had two gift cards that I had received for free for filling previous prescriptions there months ago. While waiting for my prescriptions to be filled I browsed the store. I found a bunch of storage containers at DEEPLY reduced prices. I had been needing some so this was a great find. When I went to check out with my prescriptions the cost was completely covered with my free gift cards and the receipt included a $5 off coupon on any purchase in the store of $15 dollars or more for the next three days.

I went and loaded my cart with thirteen storage containers in a variety of sizes. The CVS shopping carts are very small and I was making a huge purchase so it was very awkward and quite a balancing act getting my purchase to the register. Most of the containers were valued at more that seven dollars each and I didn't pay more than a $1.50 each. On top of that, my total was just over the $15 dollar mark before tax so, I used the $5 off coupon I had just received. My total cost was just over $13 for 13 storage containers. A savings of $60.88!

If mood and happiness boost the immune system as research says then I received a much needed shot to my immune system with this find!