Our Forever Family

Melanie has learned to braid. She loves to play with my hair, which of course I love, and a couple days ago asked how to braid. She caught on really fast and has been practicing. I remember having to learn on myself when I was younger and I certainly don't remember learning at 5! I love that Melanie likes to create with hair. Hopefully I can keep my hair long and not just chop it one day. I love my hair played with even when it gets put in to crazy hair do's by my girls!

I finally got some pictures and now can put them on our blog! Our reunion this summer was so fun. This is the 2nd time going to Wallowa Lake for a McGary Family Reunion. We knew what to expect and we came prepared!! I love this picture of the huge chair with Grandma and Grandpa and the grand kids. I can't believe they have 16 grandchildren with 3 more on the way!! Clayton, Olivia and Grandpa walking on the beach Jason watching Alex and Clayton trying out the stilts and Brandon on the side. These two got along so good this year! Melanie has grown out of the jealous stage and is okay to share grandma! Bailey and Melanie were inseparable! One of the projects mom brought for the girls. They got to paint jewelry boxes and Alyssa was very determined to "do it herself!" Painting their wooden models that Heather brought for the boys. The little kids loved this wagon! Alyssa, Keenan and Olivia. A ride on the tube. They loved this! Alex, Clayton, Olivia, Noah, Cameron Gra...

I took the kids to the Robert's craft store tonight. They had free crafts for the kids and some other fun things also for them. They also did a costume contest. Melanie won! She was so excited and got this prize of fun girl goodies in it. Here are the kids with their masks they made. They had fun.

Today I am starting week 30. I really can't believe that. It makes me excited. I had Cameron take a picture of me. I thought I'd post a picture at 30 weeks. Well, after looking at them it was pretty depressing. SO, needless to say I am pregnant and can see where all of this weight gain is going. And it's not just to the belly. I don't know why looking in the mirror and seeing a picture are so different! Oh, well. I will just chalk it up to a healthy baby!! This month has gone a lot slower probably because the kids are out of school and the days seem a little longer. But that is all going to change with all of the upcoming holidays. I am getting so excited to see this little girl that has been very active in my belly. I feel very ready for her. Yes, I still need to get a few things like a car seat, but mentally I am ready. I have loved having a little break with this one and I think I will enjoy the baby stage a little more this time around. I have decided...

Melanie and her friends were painting their nails outside while I was making cinnamon rolls. It looked so cute and girly I had to take a picture!

2 C. hot milk 1/3 C. instant potatoes (pearls or flakes) Mix together until no lumps. Add: ½ C. sugar 2/3 C. melted butter 2 eggs 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. lemon flavoring (Optional) Mix together. Add 2 C. flour, mix Add 1 ½ T. yeast, mix again Gradually add 4-4 ½ C. more flour. Dough will not leave sides of bowl. Mix for 5 mins. Let rise twice. Roll out dough in to a rectangle. Put soft butter on top, cinnamon, brown sugar, nuts and raisins on top. Roll up. Cut 1” slices. Lay in greased cookie pan (about 4 across and 5 down). Raise. Bake @ 350 degrees for 15-20 mins. Frost with cream cheese frosting right after it gets out of the oven and still hot. Cream Cheese Frosting: 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened ¼ C. soft butter 4 C. powdered sugar 3 T. milk 1 tsp. vanilla Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. *Makes about 2 cups frosting

One of these days I will go to Enrichment and completely enjoy a night away from the kids and home and be uplifted with out the stress. Until then, I will be the one in charge running the show so OTHERS can enjoy a night away with out the stress. Last night we had our craft night at church. Usually known as Super Saturday, but for some reason we never do it on a Saturday. Something with the scheduling of the building? We enjoyed lots of delicious soup that people brought, rolls and cinnamon rolls that I spent the day of making. It was a lot of fun and it looked like everyone was able to finish their projects. It's always good to go home and show the family what you did and so I was happy about that. 75 cinnamon rolls ready to go! I taught a beaded watch class and then taught how to make cinnamon rolls. It was a busy night. I didn't have much time to sit down and ate my bowl of soup between helping people. It was a fun night and as much as I look forward to these thi...

The bag for all that candy! Can you believe there are 114 dots on that thing? 114 dots to trace. 114 dots to cut out. 114 dots to tear off the paper on the back of each. 114 dots to fray check the edges. 114 dots to iron on. Oh the things I do to myself to make it look "original". Polka dot fabric would have saved me SOOO much time! Oh, well!! Now the costume is complete...finally!!

Yesterday I made this hat. I had more fun with it than the dress. I think because I was able to be more creative with it. I bought 2 different patterns that had hats and mixed the two. One pattern was for the bill and the other was for the top. I made up my own leaves and stem. After it was all done I decided to put on the dots. I used double sided fusable web, anti fray on the edges and then ironed them on. I'm sure it took WAY longer than I would of thought, but now it looks more like a strawberry!

Yesterday the kids were talking over the different things they wanted to be for Halloween. So I looked online to see what was available and where. I was also trying to entice a different costume for Cameron than what he had in mind. He wanted to be a crocodile. I was hoping he would choose a super hero of some sort because I knew all of his friends would be wearing something like that. And also, there were no sizes large enough for him as a crocodile. So he saw a power ranger's costume that he liked and so did Jason. Melanie was a different story. She wanted to be Strawberry Short Cake and was pretty adamant about that. Last year she was a witch and the year before a fairy so those weren't an option for her. The costume for Strawberry Short Cake came too small and so after looking at the outfit I thought I could make it. I thought it'd be no problem finding the material. After all, Halloween fabric is all over. So we went first to Target and bought the boys...

What a fun night! Melanie and I went out just her and I. I am in charge of our Super Saturday's craft night for church and I am showing how to make beaded watches. Which are so fun and addicting by the way! I bought Melanie a watch face and so we went down to "The Bead Fairy" and bought all sorts of fun beads for her bracelet part. Melanie LOVED it! She felt so special and was so excited. When we left at 6:15, Cameron had his swimsuit on in hopes of going in the hot tub that I had just cleaned. I left that up to David. When we got back at 8, Cameron was still in his swimsuit, still waiting to go. So the rest of them got their swimsuits on and went hot tubing for 15 mins. I wouldn't let Alyssa get in because I was not going in and wasn't going to freeze watching her. So maybe tomorrow when it's warm. They loved it. When I went out with the towels to wrap them up I realized something and I freaked out! I totally forgot about Jason having tubes in h...

OH, are the kids excited for Halloween! Cameron and Melanie are off track for several weeks and have a lot of time to think about all that they want to be this year. We shall see. These are vampire teeth they got at the neighbor's house (They were new, not used). They had fun with them for a while!