The Corn maze

I hope this doesn't scare you like it did me. For family home evening I got free tickets from our "mortgage finance company". The mortgage finance company??.... to go to the corn maze?? Were they tickets from the bail out? YIKES!! At any rate, I didn't look a gift horse in the mouth. We also got free pumpkins, Crispy Creme doughnuts and cider.

Does my terror look real? I thought so. I've been known to act before.

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble

The arachnid den

She was spooky...just an old lady nodding her head and not saying a word.

Belle is not as good an actor as me...she has a slight smile.

Millie...the same thing.

The mad scientist is screaming because he is afraid of us.

Click to enlarge these two pictures and you will see what happens to you when the corn maze sucks you in. You become red eyed zombies.

This little piggy went to market... I mean to the corn maze.

Nick is a good big cousin and takes E on the train around the corn maze.

Isabelle and Millie got their turn too.

Matt and Millie are the first to shoot the corn cannon. Matt shows us how.

No, I couldn't get the cannon to work. More practice is needed.

Emerson loved being here, and for the first time in his life he actually kept a hood on his head. We have been trying for a year to get him to wear a hat but he just wouldn't keep it on until tonight and he actually semed to like it.

I almost didn't blog this picture because I look pretty haggard, but

E is always a good photo subject.

Amy and Emerson are just checking out the fun things to do.

Wayne and Wes were working tonight, so we just went without them. They can go to the corn maze vicariously through our blogs. We will go again next year with our free tickets unless the mortgage finance company is "no more" by then. Now that's REALLY a scary thought! AIEEEEEEE That's Halloweenese for screaming

My husband says to me all the time...."you sure love a lot of things"..... and it's true. I get a lot of satisfaction from the every day things that are around me. I am one of those people who really does stop to smell the roses. Luckily he has made a very decent living for us which in turn has enabled me to be a homemaker. Maybe I have more time than others do because of that, and I can just reflect on what is around me a little more often.

This is the entrance to my living room. I LOVE IT because of all the angles, the curves and the pretty mouldings. In the morning, it looks completely different than it does at night. The paint is a peachy tan color and even though the walls and ceilings are all the same color, if you look at it in this picture it looks like it's painted in 10 different shades. The reveals cause shadows to form everywhere. It's so interesting to look at. I just sit back and stare at it and think that it is a work of art. I am an artist in my heart. (And sometimes even on canvas, wood or paper) Those of you with artist's hearts will know just what I mean.

Sundance

Millie Dancing

Wayne and Wes both had the afternoon off so we all went to the Sundance ski resort for the afternoon. Robert Redford has kept this corner of the world pristine and undeveloped except for the resort. We wanted to ride the tram to look at the world from a different perspective, so we popped for the $8.00 tickets and hopped on the tram. We were wishing our son Shon and his family were here with us too. They will have to vicariously go with us through this blog entry. I was thinking of my Mom as we headed up the mountain because can't stand heights. She might be hyperventilating now just looking at the pictures.

This has been a tradition for our little group for a few years now. We missed going last year because the weather took a turn for the worse and it started to rain as we were heading up. We weren't sure we could do it, once again, but it ended up being a beautiful day.....absolutely beautiful.

The only thing that was ugly was the litter we saw below us in some of the grassy areas. There were many bottles and cans that people had just dropped from the tram and in one pine tree we saw a necklace, some ski goggles, a pink lace bra and some dirty underwear. Ewwww!!!

I'm glad we had the digital camera and that the batteries were juiced and the card was in it. We have been other places when I tried to record the memories and realized the card was home in the computer and the batteries were dead.

E is enjoying being outdoors. He would be outside all day if he could.

Colett and Millie before we go on the tram.

Emerson and Wes share a sucker

Amy and Colett posing by the posies

Chief something or other...I don't know his real name

Not so ready to explore

Ready to explore

Ready to see the autumn colors. It is beautiful, although not as spectacular as other years. It has

been a dry year (so they say) and the colors are more muted than other years. This will be a long blog with lots of pictures so hang in there.

Up we go but where is the safety bar????

Hold on tight to that baby. Colett, why so perplexed?

Millie was pulling crazy faces at us

Mr. O

Bob's (Robert Redford's) home

Which way do we go?

My dimpled daughter Amy

We're at the top now. Wes is swinging Emerson..it makes him giggle

My beautiful daughters Amy and Colett and my hottie husband Wayne

Amelia and Grandpa Wayne

Our two youngest grandchildren Emerson and Amelia

Millie was a little baby sitter today. She was so careful that Emerson didn't get close to the mountain edge or fall and get hurt. She was darling as she hovered. She has a lot of maternal instincts that are so endearing.

The Girls

Grandpa and his fun toy...sunglasses

Joan and Amy Lee

Aahhhh!

She is Grandma's girl today

When we reached the top, we were able to see for miles around in every direction. I always feel closer to God when am in places like this. I know he gives us these beautiful nature scenes to make our souls sing and lift us out of our normal and busy lives.

On the way back down now...snapped my feet to put things in perspective.

After we touched down, we watched a man blowing art glass, and potters making their wares, we checked out the gift shop, the Sundance store and went into the deli for a little chocolate treat. I got a Utah truffle (oh.... can you say manna of the Gods?) Everyone else got plain old suckers or rice crispy treats. They do not have the fine tuned taste buds of a chocolate connoiseur like myself. We also checked out the beautiful scenery and admired the "cricks".

Everyone else calls them "creeks" but if you are from Wyoming you know better. They had fish in them and I wished that I had had my fishing pole with me. They may have locked me up if I had tried fishing though, so those little rainbows will be safe for yet another year.

Amy and her free spirit

How did we all feel about the events of the day? We all felt like dancing, but Amy and Millie showed us how. See you here same time, same place next year.

National Homemade Cookie Day

Did you know that Oct. 1st is National Homemade Cookie Day? I didn't either until I saw it on two different sites so of course I need to go make some NOW and so do you. Share them with your neighbors. Is there any better cookie than chocolate chip? Even with all the variations, I'd never spit one out. I also love peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips in them. I got my chocolate chip cookie recipe 35 years ago and it's still my favorite even though I've tried many. Amy has perfected it but we usually get only half of the cookies it says because we eat the dough. The peanut butter recipe was perfected by my daughter Colett. She added the chocolate chips to it once and it's been a favorite ever since. I am still looking for the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie so if you have it...fork it over please! I like mine chewy and moist, not puffy or dry. The Hero's sandwich shop in Billings, MT had a great one but of course it no longer exists and the Perkins Restaurant in Billings makes a great one, but again, we don't have that restaurant here. I make a mean ginger snap and sugar cookie and maybe some day I'll add those recipes too. But for today, let the chips will fly.

Joan's Chocolate Chippers ... makes 2 dozen...bake at 375 for 8 minutes or until barely browned

my oven takes longer

Mix together:

1 c. shortening ( I like to use 1/2 c. Crisco and 1/2 c. real butter... no margarine... and only use Crisco. I have tried other shortenings and it's just not the same. If you use all butter, they will flatten out too much)

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar (packed)

Add:
1/2 t. soda

1 1/2 t. salt (it may sound like a lot but for the flavor you need this much)

2 c. flour

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips .... Nestles or Ghirardelli... no store brands here either and even Hershey's doesn't taste the same in this recipe)

1 c. chopped pecans if desired (which I do and my daughters don't)

Stir until mixed and bake on greased cookie sheet. Eat while they are hot, even if it they your mouth. Nobody waits until they cool.

Peanut Butter Cookies 375 degrees for about 11 minutes but watch and don't over bake

Mix together:

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/4 c. shortening

1/4 c. softened butter

1 egg

Add:

1 1/4 c. flour

3/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

Stir in chocolate chips if desired

Mix together and bake on cookie sheet ( I spray with PAM first)

Now as you know, if you break them apart before you eat them, the calories fall out so enjoy!