Just a Little Fun!

This one is actually a belt!

I have been having a lot of fun making these cute little Rosette flowers for my nieces & the Randall girls! I have all boys - so, when something like this is made it is usually shipped out to someone! I have had to use Carter's head a couple times just for measurement or for a fit & he wants nothing to do with it whatsoever!!! I usually have to pay him to try one on for me! In fact, there is a new sword at Walmart that he is going to go buy himself tomorrow... with money that he made off of his Mom paying him to try on flowers! I've been selling a few here & there so, if you are interested in having me make any for you email me @ erinmturley@gmail.com.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Oh wait, that's not all of them... there are more on the other cupboard!!!

114 Bottles of pears & 104 Bottles of peaches!

Tis the season to bottle fruit! I have no option! My kids absolutely refuse to eat any fruit out of a can! They are truly fruit snobs! I have even tried to trick them and open up a can of peaches and put them in the bottle! I know - I'm terrible! But, they totally knew and turned their noses up at it! McKay loves peaches and doesn't like pears. Carter loves pears and doesn't like peaches! Soooo, we do both! I'm starting to panic that I might need to do more peaches though... McKay and Cannon can eat a whole bottle by themselves! This weekend it's my goal to get the salsa done... that's for James!

Thank you Becky for helping me as we worked together to get it all done! And to my Sister-in-law's Maggie & McKenzie who totally saved me! We had to get all of the pears done on Monday... yes 114 bottles in one day... & Cannon wasn't having anything to do with being cooperative! He was tearing everything apart & after he jumped off the couch with a sucker in his mouth I knew I had to call for help! So, thank you for taking the little man for me!

Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub

I saw this recipe & loved the idea of it! It is a yummy lemon sugar hand scrub. I set away at making batches of it! It works perfect for a teacher gift, a little something for Marilyn the bus driver, visiting teaching... & it is soooooo easy! Plus, I found these really cute jars at the Dollar Store! You seriously have to love that place! So, here is the simple recipe:

2 1/2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 TBS lemon juice

Scented Essential Oils

So, the recipe that I got said that the essential oil was optional. But, I didn't think that the lemon juice covered the smell of the oil well enough... So, I went to Michael's and for about $2.50 you can buy a bottle of essential oil. So, then I would just start with 2-3 TBS of lemon juice and add the essential oil until I got the strength of the aroma that I wanted. If I needed a little more liquid I added a little more lemon juice. I have tried citrus, honey bun and peppermint scents & I think that peppermint is my favorite. On one batch I accidentally used plain olive oil instead of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and there was a difference - I would definitely use the Extra Virgin. You do need to stir it every now and then after it has set for a few days.

I put cute ribbons around them and tied on cute little antique spoons that I got at the good ol' DI! But, I gave them all away before I got a picture... The person who uses it the most at our house is James! He loves it & has his own bottle of it setting by his sink! Enjoy!

Redfish Lake 2010

Redfish Lake 2010... This year to me was very special to have all of our family together. All but one... Cannon wasn't able to make the trip with us... The day before we were to leave he came down with the Croup. We put our trip off a day to see if he would get any better... But, he just got worse. I didn't know what to do... the boys dream about Redfish like I do & just couldn't imagine canceling the trip. But, taking Cannon wasn't an option either. James's parents could see how sick Cannon was and the morning that we really needed to leave or decide to stay home they offered to keep him. I will admit I bawled all morning. I cried all the way to McCammon where we were meeting Megan and Greg & Miranda and Ian. I was a mess! I don't leave my children well at all & to leave him last minute & sick was almost more than I could handle. I was so grateful that they kept him and it was a good thing because he had a rough week with multiple trips to the doctor.

This year was a year with lots of wonderful memories. But, I think the best thing of all was truly just being together as a family. After missing last year due to Travis's accident it was extra special for us all to be there together this year. Who will ever forget floating the river in the middle of a hail storm, the bear attacking James in the trailer, Miranda and Ian coming all the way from North Carolina... (& Ian coming by himself with Lincoln!), Jon having to leave Stacey up there with 5 kids all by herself (thank goodness for Mothers & Jason!), Megan being there 9 months pregnant, Jason always having some one's baby in his arm's, the game of water polo at Challis, having a real life GI JO with us in camp (at least my kids will never forget that!), Grandpa telling stories by the fire... and here are pictures of a few more memories...

I LoVeD how Tyson always referred to my trailer as "My House"! He would say "Can I come in your house and play Wego's"!

This was usually the scene outside of my "house"... little kids playing Lego's!

Jackson learning the hard way that Uncle James is stronger and faster! But, us learning the hard way that we need to check his pockets for electronics before we throw him into the pool........ That was a very expensive payback!

I love capturing the little moments with McKay and Carter...

I seriously would have taken Eli home with me! Not that I would have EVER been able to talk him into it!

This is what happens when you give a bunch of Wall's BB guns... it entertains them for hours!

It was so nice having Ian here this year & to get to spend some time with him. My boys seriously think that he is GI JO! When they play army they pretend that they are Ian!

I LoVe this picture of Jason and Maegan... they truly have a special little bond! The Uncle who gives her anything she wants! And she truly loves him so much!

It was all about the pocket knives this year... it seemed like just about every little boy - and many of the girls - were carrying them around!

This is one of my favorite memories... James has two chain saws. One that works like a charm and one that was his Dad's when he was little & doesn't work very well. For some reason he decided to take the second this year & he had fits the whole time. One morning My Dad, James, Jason & Travis tore the whole chain saw apart... the four of them spent hours together working on this chain saw & harassing each other and laughing & laughing... I just loved watching them all together!

My Dad gave the boys Kayak lessons & by the second day McKay had it down! He was taking people for rides all over the lake & he was DANG good at it to!

Carter came down with a little fever bug & spent a day in the trailer...

It's a memory all of it's own to see Travis with an Apron on! And to watch Travis & Jason try to cook together! Jason can get a little bossy in the kitchen!

Jason & Jake shelling the Clams that Jason dug up on the river.

All of our meals together with all 35 or so of us!

Falling asleep at the campfire...

Grandpa telling stories!

James was so proud of his pile of wood... he totally took this picture & had to have his chainsaw and ax in there! Such a man!

Us sleeping through the bear literally tearing our cooler apart and eating all of our food! I do have a fridge in the trailer - but, always have a cooler full of food to! He ate everything except the salsa & eggs! I still can't believe that we slept through it! There are even bite marks in the lid of the cooler!

I still have NO idea when my camera was confiscated for this picture! But, since Greg thought he was so funny it's worth posting!

Carter & McKay jumping off the rock at the back of the lake...

Karate Kid - he decided it was a lot harder than it looked!

When McKay was 3 I was pregnant with Carter & wasn't allowed to travel. James took McKay to Redfish with all the Wall's except me! That year James bought McKay a whistle & McKay drove everyone crazy with it! So, James rented a little boat & took him out to the middle of the lake and told him to blow his whistle all he wanted! So, even though Travis usually has a boat up at Redfish we have continued to rent a little boat, buy the boys whistles & go to the back of the lake.

Thanks Greg for this last picture... I think all that are in this picture laugh when they see it! We laugh because this was a picture of the beginning of our river trip!!! There aren't any pictures during or after because it was raining and hailing to hard to take any! I bet none of us will forget that river trip!

So, as always it was a wonderful year at Redfish! My memories are something that are hard to put into words... All I can say is that this year was special - and I think you would all agree!