In the news

Nathaniel's 3rd grade class made a front-page appearance in the local newspaper for an economics project. You can read about it at the Daily News Record

To see the actual layout, go to the e-edition of the paper. Since a link doesn't work (see Chris's comment), go to DNR Online and look at the far right of the page for "e-editions" and then go to back issues. Choose Saturday, December 22, and then read the 1st and 3rd page. You can read an excerpt of Nathaniel's job application on the page 3 inset (e-version only):

"I'm a good worker because I don't fight with others. I'm a smooth cutter because I can cut a hard piece of paper. And measure very well and count to 1,000 and can be willing to work with others."

To a Special Red-Headed Uncle

Happy Birthday Uncle Chris, from the Simper Quartet.



We were thinking of you today. For Amelia, it was any excuse to make a cake! So we had a birthday party for you! We would have invited you, but the commute is a killer..... so from a distance, a very happy birthday to you! We love you.

Travels in Virginia

During our whirlwind trip to Virginia last month, we spent at night with Brian and Heather and the kids. (Alas, we were all so busy playing Sunday night that I forgot to take any pictures. I wish I had some of Zachary rolling around on his ball.) Bright and early the next morning — and I do mean bright — Michael and Nathaniel peddled off to school:



While Hayleigh and Zachary peddled around indoors:



In Virginia, we also visited Paul (who's teaching in Charlottesville) and Kate. We're going to England for their wedding a few days after Christmas. Here's Regina with Paul and Kate on the University of Virginia campus:



Since this will be my first trip to England — and our last big trip for a while! ;) — let me know if there are things you think should be on our itinerary.

Ah, back in warm October!

I keep meaning to post some photos from Regina and my adventures back in balmy October. After only eleven years in Massachusetts, we finally rented a canoe and paddled up the Concord River to the historic Old North Bridge where the Concord Minutemen chased off the British troops in that famous April battle that kicked off the American Revolution. (Okay: enough history!) Here's Regina in the lead, with the bridge in the background:



And here I am:



And here's where we got out of the river to stroll around:

Fall at the Woods

Life continues to be busy in Illinois for us, but we have managed to have some good times. We went to a "trunk or treat" at the church the Saturday before Halloween. Jeremy dressed up as a farmer with bad teeth and bushy eyebrows. I was a witch with purple embellishments and long black hair. Jeremy had a good time decorating the trunk like a haunted cemetery!

I tried to leave work at a decent time a few weeks ago but traffic was so bad that I stopped at the craft store. Two hours later I left the store with some silk flowers, a piece of green foam, and a ceramic planter. I ended up getting home later than usual and with a little less money! But this is what our kitchen table looks like now. I also bought some fabric to make a table runner and a christmas tree skirt, which I still need to make. (Moral of the story is don't try to drive home in all the traffic!)

And last, but not least, this is our pet: Fish. Yes, his name is Fish. Sometimes we call him "Fishy" for short. He's a crazy one, and I'll explain why. He is very picky about his food and will not eat soggy fish flakes, so we have to point to the fresh flakes until he eats them. He also get's very active in the bowl if he is hungry. He swims back and forth and if we put our finger at the surface of the water, he will jump up and nibble the tip of our fingers! The last thing is that when he is sleeping he doesn't move at all, but sometimes we think he has a bad dream, wakes up swimming rapidly around the bowl, and then just stops and sinks back to the bottom. Who said a fish couldn't be an exciting pet?!

A Snake, A Cake, and Jake

The Walton family of Virginia --- not the famous Walton family of Walton mountain --- has been changing since we returned from Utah this summer. First one snake, and then another arrived to take up residence in Michael and Nathaniel's room. Here they are:


They eat frozen mice (thawed, of course, but not cooked :-) It's fascinating to watch them detach their jaws to swallow their meals.

We have also added a fence in our backyard. That makes it so that Nathaniel's big wish could be fulfilled -- a dog! This is Jake. He is a 5 month old Beagle puppy.

Jake isn't so sure about which toys are his and which ones aren't. But he is already getting better. We haven't had much trouble keeping the children from eating Jake's food (or the snakes' food, for that matter). The other way around is likely to be an interesting development.

Finally, we thought you'd enjoy seeing Zachary enjoying his dessert. Actually, this isn't cake; it is an ice cream sandwich. But that doesn't rhyme well with snakes and Jake.

Hope everyone has a happy Halloween!

Amelia Speaketh

To her dad:
"I love you daddy, you are my boy ever."

On doctrinal subjects:
"Adam's transgression." (sometimes "Adam's discretion")
"When Jesus was resurrected, the angels come and put his body back together."

About the cat:
"Tula is my best friend."

About her pumkin:
"This is my Jackolin."

Meta Blogging

My family is into the blogging scene and they post more regularly then I do. My little sister blogged the weekend we went to my cousin's wedding. Number #1 appears in three days of that week.

Thursday
Friday
Sunday

Sorry, the littlest is not on these posts. I will see if I can dig up some others.

Nathaniel's baptism

Okay, so it's been a month since the event. But here is a quick report.

Grandma and Grandpa Halls as well as mom and dad came out for Nathaniel's baptism on the weekend of Labor day. Nathaniel was excited about his baptism until he realized that everyone was there to watch him. However, after he made it in for the meeting, he didn't really stop smiling. Grandpa Walton gave a great, personal talk to him that I know made Nathaniel feel special. The baptism and confirmation both went just great.

Here are some pictures.

photos by Caroline

By the way, we finally got the DVD from Caroline and we will be sending copies to you this week. Stephanie & Dallan's picture has white sky in back. However, Dad took some landscape pictures and is photoshopping the background in. The trial runs look cool. All the other pictures look great

Look! It's Mom

Dad helped me. I'm going to try this out also...a little at a time. Love you all. Archway looks cool. I'll have to make those carrot cookies again, Kim. They really are good. Dad says, "Thanks, Chris for the Bluff pictures. " Bye

Under Construction!

This is what we've been working on all summer long! Dallan has done a lot and learned a lot about house building (although he now KNOWS he doesn't want a construction job, or anything similar. He's happy with his computers!)

This is what it looked like before. Notice the placement of the gate made it very difficult to get to the laundry room located in the carport. With the help of a neighbor we cut out some walls and doors and put in new ones and, VOILA! We have indoor laundry! HOORAY! :)

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Our trip to Bluff

Here's a photo of the new Hole-in-the-Rock monument in Bluff, Utah, from our trip to southern Utah in early August. Here are more.

Orange Carrot Cookies

These cookies are so good! I think they're perfect for the fall.

Cream together and set aside:
3/4 cup butter or shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup cooked carrots (mashed)

Mix together:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Add 1/2 - 1 cup chopped nuts (optional).
Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes on a greased cooking sheet.

Drizzle this glaze over warm cookies. (I like to put the cooling rack on a cooking sheet or parchment paper to make for an easier cleanup from the drippings.)

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp orange juice
pinch of salt
orange rind (optional)
1 tsp vanilla

Welcome!

I thought it would be cool to have a family blog that could act like a newsletter for all of us. We can use it to post pictures, recipes, funny stories, jokes, etc... I think the MyFamily.com website just didn't work out very well. Maybe we could try this? Let me know what you think.

Kim