Sweet Tooth Heaven.

My mom makes fantastic candy.  Especially her brittle and toffee.  I have never been able to master it.  She is very good knowing what stage the candy is at based on the "cold water test" (drop a little in cold water and depending on how it solidifies, she can tell if it is soft ball, soft crack, hard crack, etc.).  I never could tell... not really.

This last visit I had an AH-HA! moment and decided to write down the temperatures on the candy thermometer for the different steps (I know.  Duh, huh?).  That was all it took!

I have since made peanut brittle and english toffee both on my own and both were delicious!  Now my Mom won't be forced to make a double batch for me every time we visit. :)

Ali's Choir Concert

Ali's choir did great (even better than the 7th and 8th grade choir.. shhh)

They danced, played on the phone, got a drink.
Wash, Rinse, Repeat

More Random Pics

Cole's Lego Football Game

Whitney and Macy playing together.

Megamind

Jane got lipstick for her birthday.
Jane loves her lip-lick.

Me in High School.
Me and my awesome tapered but relaxed fit jeans.  Oh and the Sally Jesse glasses.
Check out Bryan waiting his turn too....  it was a great look, Bry :)

Random Stuff

Here are some picture that I found from while my camera was lost.

Can't see it, but Macy's has an eye patch.

Buying Donuts

Shaving the beard for crazy hair day.

Crazy Hair Day at School

School has popcorn and pickle fridays.
yes, that's a pickle
and yes, she opted to buy that over popcorn.

Family Photos

We had my Mom and Dad in town this last week (which was lots of fun) and my Dad took some great pics (even with his hurt back, working around our crazy schedules, and around Macy NOT liking the cold).
Here's a few to share:  (taken on our front porch)

This is the closest we could get to Macy and Jane sitting still in the pic.  Macy was chronically looking up at the  clouds,. Jane was usually picking her nose.  So here's the winner :)

Pretty Ali.  Age 11

Cool Cole.  Age 10

Very Cold Macy.  Age 5 1/2

Jane Train.  3 yrs old. in 5 days

Jenner - 21 years old
(yes, I had my kids very young)

I'm not mad.  Despite what my face says. :)

Yup.  We still like each other. 

They were so done at this point.
Ali's face just got more devilish in each pic (this was her starting point).

Look A-Likes

Who do people tell you that you look like?

I'm told I look like:

Celine Dion (don't love this one.. but I get it A LOT.  They always mean it as a compliment, but I haven't learned to take it as one yet) :)

When I had my very short hairdo.
Trinity from the first Maxtrix movie -
(I don't really see this one)

I ran to the grocery store early one more, hair still wet and slicked back from the shower and the stocker guys followed me around telling me I looked like her.  Odd morning.

What about you?

Halloween

Halloween was fun.  Here's the costume run down:

ALI- CAT FROM THE SHOW "VICTORIOUS"
Pretty much a hipply dressed teenager with red velvet red hair.  No one had any clue who she was.  Her night went something like this:

"And who are you?"
"Cat"
They look up and down.  "A Cat?"
"No, Cat from the show Victorious."
The nod without having any clue what she's talking about.  "Uh-huh."  Big handful of candy and quickly move to the next kid in the fairy costume.

Another one.. after a few like above...
"So what are you?  A Fashion Diva?"
Ali... warn out from explaining herself. "Uh, huh.  I'm a fashion diva."  Holds out candy bag.

COLE: KNIGHT
"Mom, I want to be a ninja or a knight.  Either's fine.  They both have swords."

MACY:  PIRATE/WITCH
Found her costume cheap at the thrift store.  Cute little red and black striped piratey dress that we added a black witch hat too.  She liked it, but seemed sad about it from some reason that I couldn't place.  I finally got it out of her that night before bedtime.

"Don't you think a witch needs to have a broom, Mom?" We hunted from a broom, but couldn't find one under $8.00 (and I'm too cheap to pay that much for a broom).  We got creative and made one out a of dowel, black duct tape and balck garbage bags cut into strips to be the bottom.  Adorable.  She was all smiles after that.

JANE:  FAIRY PRINCESS
This gal didn't care what she was as long as she could wear a crown... and even then.  She fell so in love with her fairy costume that the crown idea got thrown to the curb.


TRICK OR TREATING:
This was Jane's first year to trick or treat.  Last year at Halloween we were moving here, staying over at Rob and Becks with Jane and Cole throwing up.

After we'd finish one house she'd turn and ask, "Can we go another one?"  And would dart off to the next door.

Down her they're a little odd.  People sit in camping chairs in their driveways or on their porch with their bowl of candy.

Now we've spent the last 2 weeks being asked at EVERY hour of the day by Jane for a "sucker." "No, you can't have that for breakfast."

(I really wish her favorite candy was something else...still says an "F" for her "S"    Lovely.)