Jack-o'-lanterns

The The finished product!

Pumpkins inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season. Porches are lined with carved pumpkins often depicting a face which may be cheerful, scary, or comical. Some pumpkins are not mere faces, but have actual characters etched on them.

Our skills used at our annual pumpkin carving party with the Fulk’s continue to improve. This year some challenged their carving skills, and carved more detailed and intricate designs. Other’s continued with the “old reliable” patterns. Whatever your pleasure, they were all fabulous!

Once the carving was complete, the pumpkins were illuminated and became Jack-o’-Lanterns. Each pumpkin’s charm came to life. They are now ready to light the way of the scary trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.

We love our annual pumpkin carving party with our wonderful friends! The night is always filled with great food, fun, and fabulous company!

Glowing in the dark!

Happy carvers/crafters. My pumpkin is the one on the end with the ribbons.

Successful Blackout #4

The Ute’s Blackout football games began 4 years ago to promote team spirit and unity. Within the walls of the stadium resides 45,000 fans all dressed in black awaiting their Runnin’ Utes. The atmosphere is filled with excitement, anticipation, and adoration towards football and the players.

In this year's Blackout game, the Runnin'Utes dominated in the first half against their opponents the Oregon Beavers. My favorite player John White, aka, Wolfman, got his hand on the football 35times, and ran 205 yards.

While the second half didn’t bring out the best in the Utes, they ended with a mighty victory over Oregon 27-8.

Halloween Traditions

Halloween celebrations begin with decorating the house, and porch; choosing the perfect pumpkins at Pack’s Pumpkin Patch; school “fall” parties; Friend parties; Grandpa and Grandma’s Halloween party; carving pumpkins with the Fulks’; and of course trick-or-treating.

No wonder Ben said, “Do you know what one of my favorite holidays is? It’s Halloween!”

At Grandpa and Grandma Brown's party, we enjoy chili, soup, scones, fishing, pinatas, and of course the donut game. No matter what your age, it is a fun time for all!
Andrea, Lizzy, and Liz
Cousins

Games

Airplanes, and Sticky Eyeballs

Lately, Ben has been fascinated with paper airplanes. He meticulously constructs his dart designed paper airplane to fly high and far. Ben and his friends have been flying their nicely crafted paper airplanes over the 2nd floor balcony into my family room and foyer. Innocent enough, right? Wrong! These airplanes have been making crash landings into my lovely chandelier. The chandelier is located in the entrance of my home where there are high ceilings. I don’t own a ladder tall enough to reach the aircraft. So……we have paper airplanes in my chandelier.

Halloween gooey eyeballs are also a pet peeve of mine. It was a bad idea for me to bring them as prizes to Grandma’s Halloween party. Now I have 10 sticky, gooey, eyeballs, stuck to the ceiling in the entrance of my home. Did I mention my high ceilings? Yep, they aren’t coming down any time soon. Not very funny!
However, there was a gooey eyeball stuck strategically to the ceiling in my room, just waiting for the perfect time to make me laugh. One night as I climbed into my comfy bed, laid my head on my soft pillow, I opened my eyes and to my surprise an eyeball was staring back at me. Since it is a reachable eyeball, it’s funny, non reachable eyeballs, not so funny.

I sometimes wonder where my children get all these crazy ideas, and then I remember some of Steve’s famous practical jokes. Back when we had infants, he took a poopy diaper, placed it in a plastic bag, and placed it under my pillow. What a lovely surprise I had when I nestled into my nice comfy bed.

I must say, if I had to choose I'd rather have a sticky eyeball staring at me then a poopy diaper under my cushy pillow. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The Stash

Kitchen widow seal

Meg to Ben: "What's up with all the flies in the window seal?"
Ben (with great enthusiasm): "You should see my stash in the laundry room!"

Laundry room window seal

Warning: You might want to ask for a paper cup to drink from at my house.

Packs Pumkin Patch

Thursday during our UEA break, we planned and executed our annual trip to Pack’s Pumpkin Patch. We met Jodi and her two cute girls (one more on the way) as we usually do. Lizzy loves to mother the two girls, especially Tyli since Ty will let Lizzy carry her around. We love these girls and their cute mom.

This is the place we pick our own pumpkins from the field to carve with the Fulks’. Pumpkin carving has taken on a whole new dimension at the Brown household. There is also a very young child hay maze with a scarecrow picture gallery.

We were a little disappointed this year that there was no corn maze. This might be our last year at Packs Pumpkin Patch. We may be moving on to a more adventurous corn maze for older children.

Regardless of our let down from the corn maze, we LOVE spending time with the Fulks’and had a great time.

Christmas Dance Invitation

Invitations to the Bountiful High School Christmas Dance have already begun. If you are thinking this must be another girl's choice dance, you are correct. "What"? I exclaimed as invitations were distributed just days after the Halloween Dance. I guess the saying, "The early bird gets the worm", applies here as well.

I'm just enjoying having a boy this time around!

Wadded Paper

Wednesday, I picked Ben up at the Elementary School for his dentist appointment. He was leaving for the day, so he opened his school locker to retrieve his backpack. As I looked in his locker, I noticed several papers wadded up at the bottom of his locker. Among the crumpled papers I found this award.

I guess I should be relieved I didn't find a "Falcon Fumble", but then again, I think a parent's signature is required for those.

Way to go Ben!

Generations of Apple Pies

If you aren't lucky enough to have an apple tree; apples such as these can be found at Farmer's Markets or other street vendors.

Making Apple Pies

Josh and Sarah

Grandma Brown’s apple pies have been a recipe handed down through generations. Even the apples produced for the pies are generational. They are harvested and picked from an apple tree that was planted my Grandpa Brown’s parents. The tree is over 100 years old.

This year for the annual apple pie making, with aunts, in-laws, and grandma, and grandpa, I brought Sarah. She had a day off school and was able to come and learn the pie making process. It warmed my heart to watch her being taught by her grandmother the culinary art of making pie crust. We made enough pies to last the winter. Sarah even got to take home her own pie.

Since college was on fall break she was also able to spend time with time with some of her favorite cousins.

This is grandma’s Apple pie recipe:

DOUBLE CRUST PIE
•2 cups White All Purpose Flour
•1 teaspoon salt
•3/4 cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening, chilled
•1/4 cup ice cold water

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:
1.COMBINE flour and salt in large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2.USE middle of bowl for a well. Place ice-cold water in well, and gently add flour mixture to the well. Toss gently with a fork; push to side of bowl. Repeat just until mixture is moistened and can be formed into a ball. (The dough should hold together when picked up and pressed, and should not crack).

3.ROLL dough gently on lightly floured surface; use a back and forth motion from center. Do not roll over the edge or it will be thin. Turn dough 45 degrees between each roll to keep it round. If dough sticks to surface, dust lightly with flour. Roll to 12 inches in diameter for a 9 inch pie.

INGREDIENTS:•Filling
•6 to 8 medium Granny Smith apples
•1 cup sugar
•2 tablespoons cornstarch
*1 tablespoon lemon juice
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or to taste)

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:
1.PREPARE recipe for double crust pie. Roll out dough for bottom crust. Place in 9-inch pie plate. Press to fit without stretching dough. Trim even with pie plate. Do not bake.

2.HEAT oven to 350ºF.

3.PEEL, core and slice apples. Boil apples in water with 1/2 cup sugar until apples are tender. Drain water, toss with 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon (or more) ground cinnamon. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Cover with top crust; seal and flute edge.Cut slits for steam to escape.

4.Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until pie is golden brown and apples are tender.

Autumn Day

Loving the beautiful autumn colors on my brisk Fall walk!

The Halloween Dance

Bountiful High School's Halloween Dance was tonight. Mike and Sierra Eggett dressed as a ref and basketball player. Fortunately, the Y on her basketball jersey was inconspicuous, so as not to cause a scandal.

Their day activity included going to the Pumpkin Patch. In the evening they enjoyed a tasty dinner catered at the Grand Ball Room. Aubrey Monson was in their group, so she had some clout with her mom Jana, the owner of the Grand Ballroom, to get a High School dinner catered at such a nice place.

Thriller