Graham Cracker Houses

One box of graham crackers plus several bags of candy plus icing glue equals GRAHAM CRACKER HOUSES! Add some very creative children to the mix and the result is some amazing creations.

Throw in some giant marshmallows and graham cracker houses get really crazy.

This family tradition that takes place just a few days before Christmas has continued in Elly's and Brian's house. I had the privilege of being invited to join in the action this year. It was lots of fun!
Elly and I marveled at how each graham cracker house reflected the personality of it's creator.

Snow for Thanksgiving

It started snowing the night after we moved into our new home and continued sporadically until Thanksgiving Day, four days later. With all the snow on the ground, we were thankful the drive to Elly's house for our traditional Thanksgiving dinner was a short one. We now live only eight minutes away!

The grand kids proudly showed me the snow fort they had been working on.

Thanksgiving dinner was delicious....

...and so was the chocolate pie!

Jim actually ended up spending a good portion of the day on the road. He drove for an hour and a half to pick up Aunt Maurine so she could join us for dinner. She seemed to enjoy the meal and the company.

The ride to Gordon's house with our grand kids afterwards was more than she could take, however. She became so overwrought with all the commotion that it was evident that she needed to go home shortly after our arrival. Jim didn't get much of a chance to visit with his family. What a sweetheart!

The Move

Thanks to the help of many friends and family members the overwhelming task of packing up all of our belongings, cleaning both houses and moving into our new home was accomplished. We couldn't have done it without all the help!

After the unexpected quick sale of our home in Idaho, we had about a month to find a new home and prepare to move. By the following weekend, we had bought a house. The task of packing our belongings was a big one, though. We had been in our Idaho home for over twelve years! Men, young and old alike, helped Jim pack and clean up the garage--an especially daunting task. Several women from the ward helped me pack. Others helped me clean as the last of our belongings were being loaded on the truck.

Ann and Patrick hosted a going away party--we loved spending that last night before our move with good friends--and then provided a place for us to rest our weary bones for the night.

It would be another week before we could move into our new home. Many family members shared their homes and meals during that time. Then they appeared on our doorstep anxious to help on the day we moved in. We put them to work and got so much accomplished!

We feel blessed to be associated with so many wonderful people! A million thanks!!!!!

Big Changes

After following the counsel we received in stake conference a couple of months ago to discover what we could do to bless our family, we received an impression that we should move closer to family. After much discussion, we decided to put our house up for sale to see what would happen. We listed it on a Monday and got an offer the following Saturday! That was the week Jim was in Prague. I was to have joined him there but discovered at the last minute that my passport had expired. That actually turned out to be a blessing as I was home and able to get things going toward the sale of our home. I was also able to spend some time searching for a new house. We have since bought a house in an area much closer to family and will be moving into it in just three weeks! Although we're sad about leaving Idaho and our good friends here. We're getting excited about the new adventure ahead. Here are a few photos of our new home and the things we love best about it.

We're excited about the front porch swing and the big backyard,

the little playground and basketball court for the grandkids,

the three small but full bathrooms, the large laundry/project room,

the outdoor patio and deck,

lots and lots of storage,

the good-sized garden spot,

the fruit trees and outdoor fire pit,

the playhouse and horseshoe pit,

the garage with it's nicely finished floor and storage cabinets,

and especially the large kitchen/dining room/great room for big family gatherings.

Watch out family here we come!

Corn Maze and Chickens

Watching four of our grandkids for almost an entire week in October was challenging but filled with fun. The biggest challenges involved getting the kids settled down for bed each night, trying to get them out the door and figuring out how to deal with the conflicts. Thankfully we had far more fun than challenges. The fun included two trips to the corn maze....

where we slid and bounced,

put on disguises,


rode the wild cows,

tried out the hay ride and "keep left (or was it right?)" maze,

got buried in the corn box,

and maneuvered our way through corn mazes. The boys even won prizes in the pig race!

More fun was had in our backyard as trees were climbed and decorated,

popsicles were consumed,

chickens became playmates,

and more!

I think we were all a little sad that this would be the last time we'd get to entertain the grandchildren in our Idaho home. We had just sold our home the week before! Consolation came from the fact that we'd be moving closer to these kids and other family members. Who knew what adventures lay around the corner!