It's Beginning to Look a lot Like...

Gingerbread Houses!

So a couple of years ago we started this little tradition of making a gingerbread house during the Thanksgiving Holiday. I love how the house smells so yummy after baking gingerbread! Two years ago, we had family in town and so I just made enough cut outs for two...one for each family. Last year we were out of town and didn't get to make one...and the kids let me know this year that they didn't want to miss out on it again, so I promised them that we'd do it.

Well, Andy and I got this grand idea that we'd let each of the kids make their own...but the thought of making enough gingerbread house cutouts for four kids just made me want to crawl under my covers...so I used my "Merry Moolah" coupons and bought the premade, ready to put together kits from JoAnns. Brilliant. That's all there is too it. Except...the house didn't fill up with the aroma of fresh gingerbread.

So, Thursday night we got started. I mixed up the frosting (yes, this comes included in the box) and we helped them glue their houses together.

We were so amazed that their walls were straight, and the roofs were actually on the top of the houses.

We let them sit overnight to make sure that they were solid.

Then the next morning, we started decorating them.

The kids loved that they each had their very own bowl of candy (yes, included in kit) and I mixed up all of the frosting, made different colors, and then they just kept passing the frosting tubes around.

Taylor was very meticulous about where he put each piece of candy.

It was so fun to watch them create their very own designs. Brooklynn only wanted candy on one side of her roof because she wanted room for Santa to land on the other side. You know, you have to think about those things.

I kept having to remind Rachey to put the candy ON her house...she just wanted to eat it. And I think she used the whole bottle of green sprinkles...she wanted to have grass on her snow.

And Andy and I started cracking up when Brooklynn decided to use yellow sprinkles on her snow, just in one spot. It was in the back of her house...so we thought maybe that's where the reindeer took a short break before flying onward. Watch out for yellow snow!

Matthew even got in on the action. He was like Rachel, and couldn't figure out why Mommy wanted him to put the candy on the house...he just wanted to eat it.

Here's Brooklynn with her finished product!

Matthew sort of lost interest after a while...so I finished his for him. I hope he doesn't mind the pink. I could have kept going for hours...but just stopped when the kids were done. Weird, but it's really relaxing to goop a bunch of frosting onto a piece of hard cookie dough and then stick candy in it. Sort of therapeutic. Here's Rachey with her finished house. Hers was the most colorful, and I really liked it. Notice her pile of unused candy to the side. Yes, I finally gave up...I mean, she's just going to nibble it off the house anyway, right?

And here's Taylor. He even made some icycles on the roof. He really got into this project, and so far hasn't eaten any candy off of his. Christmas morning, his will most likely be the only one still in tact without any candy missing. In fact, I'll probably have to start asking him if he would like to munch off of his house. Funny how the kids are so different.

This is definitely a tradition that we are going to keep. It's so messy and time consuming, but it's also worth every minute of it. I think that next year I might just have to make them again instead of buying the kits though...because I really missed that smell of gingerbread. And to all you candle people out there, NO, it's not the same as a good scented candle!

Happy 1st of December!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving this year!

The weeks leading up to ours were really fun. Brooklynn and I decorated a box to look like a Turkey, and then cut out a whole bunch of leaves out of different colors of paper and throughout the month each member of our family could write down on a leaf something they felt thankful for and drop it into the box. For Family Home Evening the week before Thanksgiving, we played "Thankful Charades" and acted out what each person had written on their leaves. It was pretty funny.

Some of the things that were written were:

• Scissors


• Living near Kirtland


• the Stapler


• Intelligence


• Zippy (our cat)


• Family


• Visiting Teachers


• the Refrigerator

Imagine acting out a pair of scissors...or the stapler. Yes...you get the idea of how this could be entertaining!

On Thanksgiving Day, I scattered the leaves onto each person's plate and then we took turns reading what each person was thankful for. It was really fun for the kids. I think we'll do it again next year, I liked it a lot better than what we've done in the past, which is to just have each person go around the table and name something they're thankful for. This provided us with ample time to really think about all of the blessings we've been given and to really put some serious thought into it.

So everyone's in search of that perfect way to roast a turkey...and this way has worked pretty well for me that past few times I've done it. So once again this year, I found myself gritting my teeth and prepping the freezing cold bird...did I mention that stripes are in this year?

I mix butter with herbs and salt...and then loosen the skin of the turkey and coat the top of it with a thick layer of this butter and herb mixture.

It is not my favorite thing to do in the world...but it makes for very nice moist white meat that is seasoned and everything right off of the bones. Yum-m-m-y.

And I use the oven bags because they keep all of the moisture inside and still let it brown to a beautiful golden brown! Hooray!

So while Andy and I were working in the kitchen, the older three kids were popping in and out to sample food, and Matthew was watching the Macey's parade on the computer.

Here's Matthew all ready to eat...in his chair, bib on...where's the food?

And Brooklynn and Taylor are ready too...

Rachey...

And Mom and Dad of course!

What a fun day we had together!

After a nice relaxing afternoon, we went downstairs and played some Wii. Andy and I have the Wii sports package...and we did the thing that tells you your age based upon your performance on the sporting events. Well, according to the Wii...Andy is 34 (right on) and me? Ahem...apparently I have no speed, very little stamina but have pretty good balance...putting my Wii age at 50. Yes, 50 years old. Oh well...being in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy can't be helping that score. I did feel better though when we put in the Outdoor Challenge, and I beat Andy by several thousand points. I gave him a bad time that he got beat by a pregnant "50 year old"...not too shabby.

Later that night we started putting our gingerbread houses together...but I'll post about that in a few days!

New Blog

So...I started a new blog just so that I could catalog the different craft and sewing projects I've made and am working on without clogging up the family blog. Pretty much, it's sort of an online project journal...feel free to visit it...but I warn you, I'm not all that great and many of you will most likely be very disappointed in what you see there! So many of my friends are so much more creative and talented than I am! But, I enjoy it so I guess that's the most important thing!

You can click on my new blog from my sidebar. Just look under "Other Fun Blogs to Visit" and you'll see "Sherrie's Project Blog"...click on that and it will take you to it. :)

The Pinboards

Taylor, Rachel, and Brooklynn each have a pinboard where they can pin up their special art projects, school papers, etc. Every couple of weeks, I go through the pinboards and put some things into scrapbooks, and toss others. This is what is currently being displayed by each...

Taylor's

• map of the world completely labeled with oceans and continents
• medal for getting 100% on 100 addition facts in 6 minutes
• job chart for cub scouts
• rainbow picture given to him by Rachel
• a snowflake he made a few months ago
• underneath the map is a geneology chart he filled out up to great-grandparents

Rachel's

• report on what she does when she first gets to school
• artwork: vase and flowers
• butterfly drawing she drew and colored
• coloring math page
• coloring book page
• "you won the Love At Home fairy award" letter from Mommy

Brooklynn's

• on top is her clay pizza she made in preschool
• ghost artwork
• littly fuzzy squirrel complete with nut and squiggly eye
• huge autumn rainbow painting
• behind is a painting of a red fire engine
  

One Way to Get a Handle on Things

So, I get up and do my girls' hair for them each morning. I carefully comb through the tangles (they refuse to wear their hair in braids during the night...which would completely alleviate this problem!) but no matter how careful I am, I always hear these exclamations.

"Ouch!"

"Owwie!"

"Mommy!"

"That's too tight!"

"That pulls!"

I have always felt kind of bad about it all...thinking that I need to find a way to be a little more gentle or something. Until I saw this picture that Andy had snapped of our Rachey while she was busy doing her doll's hair.

Now for some reason, I don't feel all that bad about my own techniques.

Andy and I feel bad already for our future grand-daughters.

The Difference Between Boys and Girls

Need proof that there is an innate difference in boys and girls? Just try chocolate. Had Matthew been a girl instead of a boy, he would be eating these M&Ms rather than loading them into his truck and making "Vrooom Vroom" sounds. He is such a sweet boy.

Obviously, I Need to Run Faster...

...because I've been tagged again.

You had better all watch out. After I'm done with this tag, I'm going up to my cedar closet, pulling down my Pageant Judging Briefcase, and I'm going to tag a bunch of you with a list of questions I ask the contestants when I judge pageants....and I'm a judge who doesn't ask "frew frew questions" so be ready!!!

Husband Tag
Here are the rules: At the end of this tag, you tag 4 people and post their name, then go to their blogs and let them know they have been tagged.

What is your husbands name? Andrew Aaron Thuernagle
How long have you been married? 10 years, 5 months
How long did you date? Two years
How old is he? 25 for the 9th year
Who eats sweets? Anyone who knows about the good things in life. (Okay, both of us)
Who said I Love you first? Same time, considering we said we wouldn't kiss until we knew we loved each other...so our first kiss and that was pretty mutual. :) ahh.....
Who is taller? Me, I just slouch and Andy wears platforms.
Who can sing best? We sing the best when we sing together.
Who is smarter? The one who says "I'm sorry" first.
Who does laundry? The one who's most desperate for clothes. I wish. That would be awesome! Rachel would do it every week! No, really it's me most of the time but I never do it all by myself. All the kids help in one way or the other, and Andy helps out too when he's around.
Who pays the bills? Technically, the computer does as I have it all set up for bill pay. But me.
Who sleeps on the right side? I didn't know there was a wrong side to sleep!
Who mows the lawn? Either Taylor or Andy.
Who cooks dinner? Usually I do with Brooklynn's help. But Andy does on Saturdays when he's home.
Who drives? I drive more. Hands down. The van is my office. Of course...when we're together it's usually Andy.
Who's first to admit when you are wrong? The one who is being the most intelligent at the time. Seriously, who comes up with these questions?
Who kissed who first? It was a together thing.
Who asked who out first? Andy asked me out.
Who wears the pants? Honestly, I think this is THE most ridiculous question on the planet. Even when women always wore dresses and skirts and men wore trousers, do we honestly believe that that meant that women weren't a part of the decision making process? Andy and I try our best to work together on most things if it's at all possible. If it's not possible, one of us makes a call and like it or not, the other supports the decision.

I tag: Ashley Jenks, Ashleigh Belnap, Sabrina Atwood, and Kristen Holmes.

I've Been Tagged!

Okay, here goes!

Age-I've been 25 now for 6 years...you do the math. :) Sorry, it's a tradition of mine and Andy's. Each year we celebrate the anniversary of our 25th birthday.

Cool places I've been-hmm...inside the Kirtland Temple (okay, going on the tour is fine, but having an actual sacrament meeting and testimony meeting inside is the best.) Washington D.C. was fun, and then I've traveled to all of the western states and visited the major tourist sites. Pretty cool. Haven't had any international travel...yet!

Places I'd like to go-Austria, Venice, Russia, Great Britain, Belgium, Argentina, and Guatemala. In the states...Nauvoo, Mt. Rushmore, Maine.

Hobbies-reading, blogging, sewing, quilting, cross-stiching, basically any crafting, and writing, oh and creative cooking...I like to make food look beautiful.

Favorite place-this is hard. I don't have a specific favorite place. Pretty much anywhere I'm at if it's with good friends or family and we're making awesome memories whether that's through working or playing or both!

Weaknesses-fresh donuts from Heinens...especially their chocolate frosted custard filled. Those are THE BEST. And...glitzy clothes...yes, I still hold on to my Miss Idaho gowns and once in a while continue to add to that wardrobe for when I judge pageants...love getting dressed up and being on stage. LOVE IT. And...good Mexican food. GOOD has to be emphasized here. Plain M&Ms.

Bad Habits-stay up way too late, eat junk food while watching movies, don't floss everyday (this is especially bad now that there's a dentist in the house), bite on my left pinky nail when I'm thinking especially hard about something, and tense up my shoulders when I play a difficult piece on the piano. (My college professor got after me for that all the time)


Fun Memories-there are so many, which is a good thing! snowmobiling adventures with my family and high school friends, student council days in high school, Miss America memories, college and dating, Andy's proposal, funny things the kids do all the time, etc.etc.etc. the list is too long!

Now I tag: Melissa Belnap, Bridi Waite, and Sarah Parks!

Halloween Fun

What would October be without costumes, candy, and parties? Just another month with 31 days in it I guess! We had a great time this year...here are some pictures.

This year the girls needed new costumes, and I don't know how we managed it...but we strayed away from the traditional princess costumes! Hooray!!!

Brooklynn was a flower fairy...I had lots of fun with her costume. It is made entirely from scrap fabric that I've accumulated over the years from old formals to old curtain sheers that I didn't like anymore. It was a fun project, and seemed to fit her personality really well...cute and spunky.

And Rachey was Sacajawea, or Tiger Lily, or an Indian Princess depending on who asked her and what type of mood she was in. I spent a couple of nights sewing the beads onto her costume...it was really fun and she was really proud of it.

We all got dressed up for our ward's annual Halloween Party. Andy and I pulled out our Raggedy Ann and Andy costumes...and won the "cutest couple" award. I think that Andy should win the "bravest man" award when he wears that costume...he's a good sport.

Matthew was a little intimidated by all the noise at first, but then settled in. He quickly grabbed a golf ball from the miniature golf game, and a marker and got busy creating.

Taylor had fun helping out with the squash bowling game. He's really growing up!

We also went to the Lake Farmpark's Halloween Hayrides this year. It was a rainy night...but we still managed to have a good time. October must be a busy month. Brooklynn zonked out on our way TO the hayrides.

The kids favorite part was the Haunted Hair Salon. Andy and Matthew went into a booth, and were magically transformed into a witch! Taylor was laughing so hard, Brooklynn looked a little concerned, and Rachey just stood there trying to figure it all out. Then they magically appeared again.

The kids also did a haunted hay maze. Taylor went through it a bunch of times. The girls were pretty much done with it after the first time through. Andy and Rachey were having fun with the scarecrow.

For Brooklynn's preschool class, she was supposed to dress up as a community helper. She wanted to dress up as a Veternarian. Here she is complete with cat carrier...which actually had her stuffed horse in it.

When the kids came home from school on Halloween, the first thing they did was to gather in the kitchen to show and share their prizes from class parties.

Then I let them get started on our giant pumpkin. They all took turns reaching in and getting the goop out. Rachey had pumpkin seeds and yucky sticky pumpkin innards up to her elbows.

And the pumpkin was so big, that we did a couple of different designs on it.

Taylor chose to do a bat for his side.
And this is the 2nd year now that we've had our Halloween Dinner. This year we had eyeball stew (tomato soup with tortellinis), tarantula teasers (ritz crackers w/ peanut butter), mummy fingers (hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls), bleeding brains (spaghetti squash with red butter), and bug juice (lemonade, strawberry punch with raisins and gummy worms). The kids love this tradition and are amazingly willing to help with dinner on this day.

We took the kids Trick or Treating...and wore Matthew right out. Our little Peter Pan went straight to bed.

While the rest of us went downstairs to have a Halloween Wii Tournament. We had to break in Andy's birthday present, which was the new game Outdoor Challenge. Everyone loves it...and after we sorted through the kids' candy we had plenty to snack on while burning those sugar calories!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!