Happy Halloween

Here are some pictures of our halloween fun.

Hyrum painting his costume

Fireman Hyrum and his little dog William




Dave let Hyrum do all the "dirty work"

Balloon Fiesta

Albuquerque is home of the annual Balloon Fiesta. It is a spectacular event where hundrends of balloonists come from all around the world to participate in mass ascensions, flying competitions, and other fun events. Yesterday morning we got up early and drove to a place where we could park and watch the balloons ascend. It was amazing to see the sky fill with color. It's hard to describe just how awesome this is and the pictures don't do justice at all. I guess you will all have to come out and see it for yourselves. You are welcome in our home anytime!!!

These are "special shape" balloons, meaning they are not the normal hot air balloon shape. It's amazing what shapes and characters they turn into balloons. I have no idea what these are, but they look cool since we were so close to them.

Wells Fargo stagecoach

Creamland dairy cow

Albuquerque truly is the "Land of Enchantment"

Summertime Fun!

Now that the leaves are starting to fall and the air is cooling off, fall is on the way and the days of summer are gone. I've been meaning to post some pictures of all the fun projects we've been doing throughtout the summer, so before it gets too late, here they are. (This post is for you Jen)

PROJECT #1: BRICK PATIO

We learned a great lesson while laying down the brick; "If you're going to do a job, do it right the first time." We didn't level the ground as well as we should have and it really showed once we got the brick in place. We decided to pull it up and start over. It was worth the extra work because when it was done, it looked great!

Dave did an awesome job at cutting the brick to fit around our curved patio...way to go sweetie!

Putting the finishing touches on by filling in the cracks with sand. The best part of having our new patio is not having dirt blow up into the house, and fewer weeds to pick...you can't go wrong with that. Hyrum also loves the extra space it gives him to ride his bike.

PROJECT #2: GARDEN

If you plant it...

It will grow!

An abundant crop.

The zucchini just keeps coming and coming. Zucchini anyone?

PROJECT #3: FLOWERS



Gerbera daisy is my favorite flower. How can you not be happy when you see one of these flowers; they scream "Happiness"! I've always wanted to learn how to plant and care for flowers, but have never really had the opportunity. This year I decided I would never learn if I didn't try so I bought these plants and have done my best to keep them alive. I love seeing color in our backyard and what I love even more is going out in the morning and cutting a few flowers to put in vase on the counter.

Just playing around with the camera...isn't this beautiful!?!

I also experimented a bit with hanging baskets. I really knew nothing about what flowers grow well together or how to care for them, but once again I decided I'd never learn unless I tried. This picture doesn't show the flowers very well, but I've been pleased. Red begonias and yellow marigolds look great together and they've lasted all season. In fact, I thought the begonias were gone and they're starting to bloom again. My mom was a florist and probably laughs and how amateur these are. I'm grateful for her love for beautiful things that she passed on to me.

PROJECT #4: DAVE'S VIOLIN SHOP

Dave built two sets of drawers to store his tools and supplies in.

Now his shop is up and running. Dave has been working most evenings and mornings on a violin. This will be the first instrument made in his own shop.

The violin hanging from the bench is almost done. The varnish is drying.

PROJECT #5: CANNING

I absolutely love canning. The actual process is a bit more stressful now that I have two busy boys to care for, but I still find great enjoyment in being self-sufficient and seeing my cupboards full. This year I canned green beans, tomatoes and salsa, all from our garden. I also did peaches and applesauce.