Christmas tree snow

This year I experimented with snow on my tree.  I have a couple of places that have garland and I put snow on the garland and loved the way it turned out so I thought I would put it on the tree.

At first I just used batting, but that looked flat and no matter how I fluffed it, it still looked dumb.  A co-worker told me about "Buffalo Snow", so I hunted and hunted to find this product at the local craft stores and could not find it.  So my friend at work gave me the stuff she had left over.  Buffalo snow puffs up much better than other pillow stuffing stuff.

I like it, I think I will do it again next year, a little bit of snow goes a LONG way.  I think I will add more next year.  Laura doesn't like it, so the "jury is still out".  At the conference center for the Christmas concerts they did snow trees that were awesome, I just want mine to look like theirs!

Merry Christmas!

Krumkake - our Norwegian tradition

One of the Norwegian traditions passed on to me by my Grandma Johnson was a taste for Krumkake. They are thin cookies rolled into a cone shape.  To me they are the taste of Christmas.  You could eat an entire container of them and never get full.  When I got married some ladies in the ward gave me a krumkake iron for my bridal shower, I don't think I thought much of it at the time, but it was a great gift.  I use it every year, and my own tradition is that I watch/listen to "It's a Wonderful Life" while making them.

These cookies take a Tablespoon of batter at a time, so it takes a while to make and roll each one.

This is the part that takes asbestos fingers...Hot, Hot.....Katie Jo had this job this year.
You can't eat them with one hand, you have to hold a hand under your mouth because they crumble all over.  However if you squirt whipped cream into the center they don't fall apart, they stick to the cream.

Yes, now it tastes like Christmas.  Thanks grandma.

Bathroom fixes

Finally, we replaced the kitchen floor with hardwood in February.  The floor removal crew tried to stop at the laundry room door but left cuts in the old linoleum... for the eventual removal of all the floor so we could tile the floors in the small bath and laundry room.

We finally tore up the floor, which required pulling out the bathroom vanity, sink and toilet and of course moving the washer/dryer.   Nothing EVER goes as planned, however.  What was supposed to be a long weekend, turned into 2 weeks with no washer or dryer.  Can I just mention we have great neighbors!  The tile we ordered came in wrong and had to be REORDERED, so we could do nothing but wait.  I did put up a couple of new coats of paint.

This sad old sink/vanity - has been crippled it's whole life.  The drain stopper never worked, the sink cracked just after the warranty went out...maybe 19 years ago.  (It's funny what you stop noticing when you see it everyday). So hooray to new a new granite vanity!

And as and added bonus, we did the upstairs bathroom (vanity only) at the same time!

Happy Birthday to me.

Oh the weather outside is frightful!

The first EVER blizzard warning for Utah!  Just want to get Laura home safely tonight and then stay next to the fireplace!  Happy Thanksgiving!  (This photo was taken Sunday morning, 11/21)

November in Denver

I visited my mom in Denver for her 87th birthday.  It was just a 3 day visit, but it was fun.  My Brother Brian was born on his mom's birthday (62 Years ago), and I was also born in November (next week) so we had a celebration of birthdays. 

This looks like I get just a little cake, but it was a gluten free chocolate cream pie from a wonderful GF bakery in Denver.

Mom took me birthday shopping at Kohl's!

My sister-in-law, Connie, took me on a field trip to a store I never knew existed:

I was blown away at all the dolls, accessories and cost$ at this store.  They even have a beauty salon where you can get your dolls' hair done for $20!

My 2 brothers and my parents.  Dad will be 92 in January.  Below: he still tinkers at projects in his basement workshop.  (Does anyone know how to flip pictures around on these blogs? I tried everything I could think of.) 

 Coming NEXT.....Bathroom remodel!

Fireplace Finally Finished!

It's taken a few years from start to finish, we began finishing the basement in 2007.  It really took off in 2008, but now in 2010 we have just a few details to finish, one being a mantel for the fireplace.  It still needs cabinetry for the kitchenette area, but that will still have to wait for the economy to make huge improvements!

Looking better!

I bought the trim, moulding and pine board at Home Depot for a total of $49.00.

With a little help from Handyman Hone (a guy in the ward who has helped us pretty much done everything along the way) we got the pieces put together.

A little primer, caulk and paint and hooray!  Done!  Except for the constant rearranging I will do to make it look just right.  Each season.



Octobler!

What is not to love about this wonderful season?!  Living in the shadow of the Wasatch mountains during the Fall is such a glorious blessing.     Part of the fun is that Rob's birthday is in Octobler!!   We had Rob's birthday breakfast of crepes (both the Gluten Free and poison variety).

Then a trip to the pumpkin patch

Cookie baking rounded out the weekend festivities!

Katie had some cute cookie stencils- you can sprinkle with sugar. 
I'm working on finishing the basement fireplace mantel - so I can cozy up to a warm fire when the warm autumn weather turns cool.  Look for the next post!



Trip to the Pumkin Patch

I only managed to grow a few little pumpkins in this years' garden.  Lucky for me I have just a few little grandchildren too!

Yesterday we harvested the pumpkins.

 The princess Maci was far more interested than Ashton.

 After he collected his, he was finished with the process.

I don't think I'll be making any pies from these this year.  (Phew!)

The games we play

I had an idea, which morphed into another idea, and then finally settled on the final idea. I wanted to make a personal piece of "art" that reflected some of our families favorite games to display in our newly finished basement.  So I stumbled through Ebay, (I'm not very good at Ebaying) and bought way too many some scrabble tiles and a game board. 

(I have sold a few extra sets on KSL.com, but still have more to sell!)

I laid out a grid on Excel and started arranging words describing things the Tobler's play or liked to play when younger.

I was limited by the fact that board has only 15 spaces by 15 spaces and their were many words and games that did not fit. I would have liked to added "piano" and "lucky unders".   I glued a piece of foam board on the back to make it stable and give it depth when mounted.

 I glued each piece in place and then took it to Roberts Crafts to have it framed.  As luck would have it, it fit nicely inside a premade 16" x 16" frame so I didn't have to pay for a custom frame.  The framer did a great job giving it some depth in a little shadow box effect.  I loved the attention it got as I took the finished product up to the register to check out.

I was so excited to go home and hang it up!  I love the finished product.  (For anyone studying the actual words, wondering why we have CRUD on there, it is a fun game you play on a pool table, you earn the letters as you loose a turn and when you spell out crud, you are eliminated.)

General Conference Love

I have been a fan of Conference as long as I can remember.  I especially love it now with my husband singing in the choir.  I almost chuckle at the "controversies" that arise following the counsel that is given.  It stands as a witness that the prophetic words we heard are true. 

2 Ne. 2: 27, 29

  27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

and Isaiah 5

 20 ¶ Woe unto them that call ^aevil ^bgood, and good evil;

These scriptures were quoted or referred to numerous times when the many talks on choice and consequences were given.  I, personally, prefer the liberty option, not being a fan of misery or captivity.  So when the Salt Lake media broadcast stories about the multitude of groups opposing the talks by Apostles of the Lord, I tingle that we get to see the scriptures demonstrated in real life!!
                            

Laura and I were priviledged to be in a crowd walking to the Conference center Sunday afternoon when a car drove slowly by and 2 people yelled profanities and slurs about Mormons at us.  Not quite a martyr experience, but still an opportunity to think about how lucky I am to be a member of this church!

Our apostles will ALWAYS stand for truth and righteousness, and NEVER lead us astray.  The very thing that our "enemies" criticize- (we are so NOT politically correct) - is the thing I can count on to lead me through this world and all its traps and snares.

I'm Glad That I Live In This Beautiful World......

We had a great getaway with great friends this week.  We have been on several trips with the members of the bishopric Karl was in and we have a wonderful time together.  This week we headed up to Star Valley, Wyoming and spent our time in Yellowstone and the Tetons.  The weather was amazing, 80 degrees at the peak of the day, 45 or so at night.  The Autumn colors were simply breathtaking!

We even saw bears!  2 different bears in 2 different locations.  We also saw the usual Moose, Elk, Bison, Coyote and deer, but the bears were so fun!  We hiked a few awesome hikes to waterfalls and along streams.

Cute young couple don't you think?

If this Elk looks like it was close - that's because it was.  It was amazing how he just walked among the dense trees and never even touched his huge antlers on them.  I can't even walk across the kitchen without banging into something!

 We went to a chuck wagon dutch oven dinner show, the food was just okay, but the entertainment was fun.  There was this 18 year old fiddler that was incredible!  The down side was that Karl had to leave that afternoon so he could get to choir practice, so he missed the end of the trip.  If he missed choir he wouldn't be able to sing for General Conference, so it wasn't a hard decision to make.

Speaking of Conference, watch for Karl in the 4th row on the right side, 2nd in from the outside end.  He had to memorize 17 songs for the 3 sessions of conference and the Spoken Word broadcast beforehand!

Garage Sale finds- part deux

Just a few more favorite items of 2010:

Who would want to get rid of this wreath...for $1??

Lucky for me!

I guess on a sweltering summer morning, an autumn wreath isn't noticed, unless you're me.

On occasion Karl will go with me.  He's a great sport and he sees totally different things than I see at the same sale.  He always notices tools, fishing stuff and other typical guy junk.  Like this Power Wheels...seriously, "you want to take this home?".  Turns out, it was a pretty great find.  He had to go to a battery store and get a new battery, but it works great.

Ashton is too little to ride it by himself, but the Hansen girls next door take him and Maci on rides whenever they come over.  (They have a pink jeep Power Wheels of their own).

Anyway, Scott Vikari and Madison Garrett got a kick out of it this summer too.  Too bad those Texas kids live so darn far away!

This slide was my first purchase of the summer for $5, another Grandma thing.

This was also a great season for bracelets.  I didn't picture them, but I found a ton of fun braclets for myself for .50 or a dollar.  I think the jewelry crafters get tired of all the stuff they've made.

For those of you who know my crystal christmas tree collection, this was a THREE TREE year!  They are difficult to come by and some years I haven't found any.  But again they are usually dusty and unattractive sitting amongst other disguarded things and the seller only wants .50 for them.  (I have to breathe deeply and not give away my emotions when I see one, but a giant "YES!" dance is happening in my head).