Autumn Day

Is there anything better than sitting at home curled up in a blanket with a good book and the wind blowing outside on a crisp autumn day? This is why Fall has become one of my favorite seasons. Even with kids at home running around I can still be at home with that chill in the air and a wonderful cinnamony (is that a word?) smell from my Scentsy candle I just love it. Maybe it is the excitement of the coming holidays, or getting out old clothes that now feel new for the season. Whatever it is I am so glad that fall is finally arriving!! Is anyone else as excited as I am???

I've been Tagged...

My friend just tagged me. I was supposed to post the fourth picture from the fourth folder under my pic docs. This was it!! Isn't she cute???
So I now tag...Mariana, Sarah, Lauren, and Carolyn.

Fabulous Meatloaf

Thought I would share a recipe. This was taken off the dottie's weight loss website last year ( www.dwlz.com ) and we LOVE it! Don't be turned off by the label "Meatloaf" or by the weird ingredients. It is truly great, my husband keeps asking me "When are we going to have that meatloaf again?" So here it is:
1 box pork-flavored Stove Top stuffing mix
1(8 oz) carton egg substitute
1 cup mild thick n' chunky salsa
1/2 cup honey barbecue sauce
1 (14 oz) pkg fat-free smoked sausage
2lbs lean ground round

Glaze
1/4 c grape jelly
1/2 cup honey barbecue sauce
2 tbsp salsa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a blender grind up the stuffing mix into fine bread crumbs. In a large bowl, combine egg, salsa, BBQ sauce, and stuffing mix. Stir well until combined. Cut sausage into 1 inch pieces and grind in blender. Combine ground sausage and ground meat with the bread crumb mixture. Separate into two loaf pans you can freeze one for later and then bake the other one in the oven for 50 minutes then spread on glaze and bake another 10 minutes.

Be aware that many times I have used whatever on hand: hickory bbq sauce, turkey stuffing mix, I have even done 1 lb ground turkey, 1 lb ground round - each and every time it has turned out fabulous! Let me know if you try it and what you think....

Happy B-day to me!

I don't know about anyone else, but it just seems that unless I have adorable pictures to put up on my blog it is hard for me to sit down and write. Sad I know, but nonetheless true. So in an attempt to update my blog slightly I am posting a few random pictures from fun times this summer!!!
This was my birthday dinner with my family. Jed and baby Hyrum stayed home as it was about 8:00 when we went out and Hyrum just does not do well unless he sleeps in his bed.



This summer Jed and I took the little ones to the coast for a fun day at the beach and and the aquarium. I was so amazed at how much fun Hyrum had with the interactive displays and themed rooms. He was so adorable! I snapped this picture while we were packing the car back up. The kids just loved playing in the trunk while we cleaned off the sand and stuff!

Best Friends

Nothing big has been going on with us, so I thought I would share a cute story. When my first child, Ashlee, was born my Aunts in Tennessee were all so wonderful and threw a shower for me. They pretended I was there and handed me gifts. They then mailed them to me with instructions to watch the video while opening the presents. (The are so creative!) Anyways one of Aunts went to the store and bought a cute bear for Ashlee. Well this little bear has become Ashlee's favorite thing in the world. All of her others toys come and go, but bear has always stayed. When I found out I was pregnant with another baby my sister said that baby would need a bear too or they would fight. How right she was!! I find them constantly snuggling up with their cute little bears!! How adorable they are! Hopefully Bear can make it a couple more years.

Mom's Graduation Party

Brianna with her cousins on baptism day. Brianna with her dad before her baptism.

This past weekend we celebrated my nieces baptism and my mother receiving her Master's Degree. It was a great day that we all spent together - (of course I am still a single mom while Jed is away for work, but with family around it all went well!) Anyway we had the baptism in the morning on Saturday then had lunch afterward. After lunch we all told mom that we were going to go see a movie. Instead we got on the freeway and drove up to my brother in Pleasenton, CA for a surprise BBQ/Pool Party!! It was a blast. He even had a cover so Ashlee could kind of swim with her cast so all had a good time. Following are some of the pictures:

Brianna with her dad before her baptism.

Brianna, Ashlee, Michael, and Hyrum with the newest member of the church!

Hyrum was soooo cold!!!

Ashlee with her Lobster claw cast...
Banka and Ashlee chillin poolside...
Hyrum strutting his stuff already - ladies man...
Grandma and brother Darin

Twilight Series - Midnight Run

So I just finished Breaking Dawn about 2 weeks ago and loved it. I have really enjoyed reading this series as it is light and funny. Well I heard that you could read an excerpt of her book the one from the perspective of Edward, I think it is called Midnight Run, so I went online to check it out only to read a depressing letter from the author on her website www.stepheniemeyer.com . I guess someone either stole a copy of the rough draft or something and so now she has decided not to right the book!!! If you go to her website you will find a 200 page copy of her draft as she decided to make it public for all. I was so sad for Stephanie Meyer - how horrible to have your work stolen like that. Anyway when I have a couple hours to sit in front of the computer maybe I will get the chance to read it it was such an exciting option. Hopefully she will change her mind in the future. I just thought I would put this out there for other readers to mourn with me the loss of one more Edward/Bella story. Too, too sad.