There is no place like home

I went home to Utah for Thanksgiving and other than the freezing cold and the fact that my mother doesn't believe in a heater, it was great! I miss my family and it was so good to see them. We always have such a good time and there is always a lot of laughter. Once again, I am ticked that I did not take more pictures, but it is what it is!
My sweet momma, I miss her so much!
I learned you don't mess with grandpa's whipped cream
Because then he smears it on your face
I learned sometimes you have to stand on your tiptoes to be seen in the pictureI learned grandpa never smiles, ever. I also learned that he doesn't like the rules of Scrabble although he does manage to kick my butt almost everytime!
I learned that not only does Steph's hubby not have a face, but neither does their son. Their kids are so cute but unfortunately you can't see that. I was unable to get one of Libby because I only saw her at family pictures and cameras aren't allowed there.
I learned that Brian and Jamie have really awesome smiles, really they are perfect!
I learned that sometimes a 2 year old can be really mean
And is not afraid to wear a bow if that's what he wants
On a side note, notice his snotty nose? He passed that to me but it was worth it to kiss all over that face. I can't believe how smart he is and how much he is talking. When they showed up for family pictures, Brian got out his Utes flag and he said "Hey daddy, go Utes!" So cute!
I learned that a growling, moving dinosaur will cause hours of fun for both boys and girls
I learned that getting up really early for Black Friday is a great way to spend time with your sis, but can really make you look and feel your age!
How can you not love these faces!!!!!!

Catch up

I don't know what is wrong with me lately, but I have had no interest in blogging. I think it is partly because I know I am going to have to commit to some time as my computer is slower than molasses! I am going to try and be better though. Halloween came and went without any fanfare. Once again not one person came to my door (I did NOT buy candy this year) and once again, I was the only one who dressed up at work. Where is the sense of fun???? I was the Octomom (thanks for the idea Steph!)
I got so many compliments on my "hair" that I decided to mix things up and dye it! I don't have any pictures yet, and trust me, you do NOT want to see me right this second, so as soon as I decide to take one, I will post it.

I have also started baking a treat for work on Mondays. Mondays suck as it is, so I wanted to bring treats for everyone to try and brighten the day. Here are a few things I have made so far but unfortunately I have not taken pictures of everything I have done. First we have Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Apple Toffee Tartlets
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (which took entirely TOO MUCH time!)
Here is my spin on Carrot cake in which I mixed half carrots, half sweet potatoes. I am so mad I did not take a picture of the finished product. I did it in my bundt pan and it was so pretty!
I also made 1,000 Calorie Bars, Peanutty Buckeye bars, and Lemon Squares. My next treat is Molasses Sandwhich Cookies. I LOVE to bake, and since I have been eating healthy it has been hard for me, but this allows me to do what I love and then give away to other people!

I have been doing a lot of craft projects too and Celeste gave me this idea from a Womans Day magazine.
You take your old sweaters and make pillow cases out of them and close them up using cute buttons. So cute! I of course have been doing a lot of crocheting but nothing new or exciting.

I have also been trying to help with my "carbon footprint" in small ways and I found these bags at Ross for $1.00 and use them whenever I go shopping. I don't only use them for groceries but also at the bookstore, the craft store, and the little ones I use as my lunchbox!
That's about it! The weather here has just been wonderful. We are finally getting into fall though and the reason I could tell was this.....
Yes, we have a tree in Vegas, and it changed colors! Very exciting, as you can see from the background that we do not get a lot of color out here! I am so excited to come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas and can't wait to spend time with my family! Even in the cold ;)