Pumpkin Patch

We had a fun filled Sunday in Bismarck including a stay at a hotel, swimming in its pool, a trip to the pumpkin patch, and a shopping excursion. Cowboy gets one free day and we take advantage of it. We got to Bismarck late on Sat. night, and someone was up and at 'em ready to go to the pool on Sunday morning right after breakfast. She only went down the water slide 2 or 3 times, but loved the adjacent pool that went from 8inches to 3 feet. It was perfect for her, and the water was abnormally warm. It was like bathwater. We had a lovely morning swimming.

Cowby and Paige on the slide.

This was our first trip to Papa's Pumpkin Patch in Bismarck and we will be going again if we are there at the right time. We were there for only an hour, but in the 40 mph wind today, that was suffice. There were great wooden things for kids to climb on, such as this combine. Cowboy and Paige loved it.


Lots of photos--including a lot that looked like this one--not the perfect shot!

Cowboy was creative with picture of a bale tunnel that a slide goes down. However, Paige didn't actually go down the slide--too high.

The pumpkin patch chair that everyone gets their picture taken on--we aren't one to argue with tradition.

We had a lovely time there; got to see the pumpkin catapult almost take out the channel 5 news crew, Paige got to pet some animals, and I resisted the urge to buy 10,000 pumpkins! Plus, we got winter gear for Miss P ranging from a new coat to boots so she'll be ready for winter. This is the first year I am prepared, so I am sure it won't even snow now.

I made it with squash. . .

What in the heck is that? Is it a mangled brain. . .dog vomit. . .or. . . mac-n-cheese made with squash? Correct answer is mac-n-cheese made with squash even though it looks like the others. I bought this cookbook called "Deceptively Delicious" last week and thougth I'd give it a try. Basically you puree a bunch of vegetables and freeze them; and then incorporate those purees into normal food your family eats--but they are none the wiser that they are really eating an additional vegetable. I spent my Monday evening creating purees out of squash, yams, and cauliflower--wasn't too challenging except for the fact that I have a very small food processor; so it took me a while to puree everything. But in my freezer are neatly labelled bags of those foods waiting to be incorporated. I have to admit, my family eats vegetables pretty well by themselves; its just sort of a cooking challenge for me to add these purees in when I can. Plus a few of the baked goods recipes don't have any oil in them; they use the purees instead. I'm game for saving calories and adding a little nutrition.

So tonight, I thought I'd make the mac-n-cheese to go with our sloppy joes. It cooked up really nice, I added the 1/2 cup of squash, and away we went. The recipe has cream cheese in it and I think that ruined it. It made it very sticky and that taste overpowered everything. I could have added liver and the cream cheese would have blocked that out. If I do this version again, I would omit the cream cheese and it would probably be better.

The verdict on how it tasted? Ryan--he ate it (I didn't tell him there was squash in it--he HATES squash). I ate a little bit, but didn't care for the consistancy. Paige--ate a few bites and ate 2 sloppy joes instead. So I don't think we'll make this version again.

I'm not going to abandon the concept, just this recipe. I am going to work my way up to the brownies that have spinach in them!

The Big 5-0

So my Mom turned 50 yesterday. I calmed my desires to embarrass/surprise her and behaved pretty well. She was greeted with plenty of decorations at the bank. . .I will claim a small part in that with a lot of appreciated help by her co-workers. Thanks Amanda!

But in a small town you can put signs on Main Street--did you know that? Some people even get up at 5:30 am to make sure they are in place! Kudos to my family.
Mom got them as a momento.

After work Paige and I went over to see her and opened up presents. Mom loves orange and is trying to accent her kitchen with it. So I got her some Rachel Ray moppines. Very cool.

Paige helped her open up her big present from Dad.

What could it be. . .more Rachel Ray stuff. Orange cookware!

Mom loved her orange cookware, and she really needed some new pots and pans. She can shriek with joy like I did when she doesn't have to soak a pan for an hour to get it clean. My aunts and gramma came out for cake and we had our pick of angel food, pumpkin bars, or red velvet. Nice. Hope you had a great day Mom and we love you!

Aren't I too old for this?

So on Tuesday I discovered I had chicken pox. . .at the age of 28 :) As one of my friends from school asked, how did you not get it in kindergarden like the rest of us? I wish. I always thought I was immune because I never had them when all my friends had them and we were exposed at the same times. My daughter is vaccinated against them and had no symptoms when the little guy at daycare had them a few weeks ago. The good news is I don't really have that many; probably 2 dozen and then are pretty concentrated so you only see a few if you look at me really hard--and those sort of look like bad acnce! Plus, they don't all itch like crazy, only a few are driving me crazy. The final straw is that I found I had them once I had traveled 600 miles from home! But that's a whole other story. . .

Grandparent's Day

Keith, Paige, and Ryan--April 23, 2006

Jane and Rick at Paige's baby shower, early May 2006

Mom, 4-5-06

The above pictures are all pictures of Paige and her grandparents. Several of the pictures are of their first meeting their granddaughter. The one right above of my Dad, you can tell it was love at first sight. That is my favorite picture of my dad--ever. The pictures of Rick & Jane at the hospital were very grainy, so I found these much better ones of her baby shower a few weeks later.

Paige is fortunate to have fabulous grandparents, and I hope as she gets older that she realizes how fortunate she is to have them, and to be so near them. We live very close to 4 out of the 5; so obviously she's not spoiled at all! They are great at helping us out, and there are many days when she is mad at Mom or Dad that you hear the wails for a gramma because they would obviously give her sympathy when Mom and Dad are being mean.

So thanks to all of you for being so wonderful.

This picture is of my grandparents and my parents on our wedding day. Probably one of the best pictures I have of them, so I felt it should be included. I never got a good picture of Paige, myself, and Gramma Alice, and I deeply regret it. I do giggle at the one below of them the day she was born, and I laugh because I think Grampa hated that camera of Gramma's because it never worked for him. I have a copy of the picture he did end up taking with it, but I like this one better because I can remember that moment so fondly.

Streaker. . .with pearls

There are somedays as a mom, that I just have to take a picture because its funny. I also am mean and think of how funny it will be when she is 16 :)

This particular moment was captured on Labor Day. We had a long weekend and were finally at home. Paige said she just wanted to stay home. Good idea. She ran around in her pj's, and then got dressed. When she is dressed at home, that is normally either a shirt or pants--not both. That afternoon got warm and she streaked around in her undies. Whatever. Then she started playing ball and I suggested she should go outside. I heard silence and assumed she was getting her clothes on. I heard the door slam, so I followed and found this young sprite in the driveway. Flip flops and pearls. Nice.

Thank goodness we don't live in town.

Leaving on a "jet" plane. . .

My aunt and uncle flew in on Friday of Labor Day weekend and we all went to see them off on Sunday morning. They save a huge drive from Minneapolis to Hettinger with a flight. Paige is enchanted with their plane, and loves it when she gets to 'fly' it.

In case you land and have no idea where you are, they have signs.

Saying goodbye.

Lack of ground control led to our own signals.

Almost ready. . .


Up, up, and away!