just a sample...

...of the 1st grade "haps" this month!

September is Apple Month in Room 5...

while learning about neighborhoods,

my kidlets built themselves their own house...

and moved it into our Room 5 Neighborhood.

(they were SO cute!)

we tasted apples and chose our favorite flavor...

(move over Granny Smith... yellow apples are the new hit!)

and round 1 of our "class store"

was a HUGE hit.

next up: the month of pumpkins!

fallen for fall...

i know i've said that July is my favorite month of the year,

but for sure my most favorite season is FALL!

september.... oohhhhhh september!

there is nothing more beautiful than the colors of fall.

sunday, jonny and i took a little trip up Guardsman Pass

to document the beauty of Utah mountains in the fall.

we had a good time hanging out in the Beems.

i brought home a souvenir

and it's made our home feel so warm and cozy.

happy fall, ya'll!

you know you've got one foot in the grave when...

so teaching 1st grade is really teaching me

to find the joy and humor in the simple things in life.

yesterday, i was reading a story about school "then and now,"

explaining to my kiddos that going to school is a lot different

now then it was years and years ago.

the following conversation took place:

miss c: "So, today we are going to be reading a story

that will help us compare the

differences between school today

and school a long, long time ago."

abby: "Oh yeah! Like in the 1980's?"

miss c: "Yeaaaaah, Abby. Exactly. Like the in the 1980's..."

way to go, 80's babies.

we've officially graduated to "ancient" status.

a UTAH man am i...

...yes, sir!

saturday ash and i had a little outing to

Rice Eccles Stadium

to watch the U take on the Rebels.

that guy became our buddy.

well... actually, i kept trying to talk to him,

just tryin' to be friendly, you know,

but he wasn't havin' it.

(maybe next game)

and we caught the Crazy Lady in all her craziness...

...it was a B-E-A-Utiful day for some fooseball.

the ultimate survival package...

i was showered with love today by my favorite people in the whole world!

i couldn't feel more loved than i do right now...

the mini Cra's sent me a cute little

1st grade "Survival Package"

amanda, you always seem to know just what i need.

JIF to go cups (my FAVORITE snack)

a journal for recording my favorite 1st grade banter.

chocolate covered anything... in this case, berries.

and my absolute most favorite part...

i don't know about ya'll, but that's the cutest thing

i've ever seen.

it's my "class pet!"

amanda made it all by herself,

and from recycled material too.

my favorite are the arms and legs... made from Will's old baby shirt.

makes the SL-Richmond gap seem a whole lot smaller.

oh, and i can't forget...

they sent me some tea and hot chocolate... to fill those silly mugs i keep getting.

thanks, pand!

the tea is deeeelish!

i'm all rejuvenated for another day.

THANKS GUYS!!!

love you mucho...

falling for fall...

i know... it's only September.

but with the start of college ball last week,

i've got some serious fall fever.

so in honor of my favorite season

(which sadly is always the shortest),

i made some pumpkin spice cookies last night!

they are SO easy to make, aaaaand they are really low in fat.

this is one cookie you can eat a million of and not feel at all guilty.

my kind of cookie!

i had to search ALL over the city for this one can of pumpkin.

apparently canned pumpkin shipments are being held hostage... ?

yeah... i don't know.

anyway, if any of you are eager to make these cookies this weekend,

save yourself some time and just head to Whole Foods.

Recipe:

1 box of spice cake mix

1 can of pumpkin

1/2 bag of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients, drop onto a greased cookie sheet, back for 8-10 minutes, and Voila! Finito!

bring on the FALL!

a little U game, jeans, and a sweatshirt,

aaaand pumpkin spice cookies.

the perfect way to welcome the season.

(Go UTES!)

arts and crafts day...

one Sunday early this summer, the fam was spending some quality time at the cabin when we decided that we wanted to rearrange some furniture and knock out a couple of walls.

well, in the process, we discovered the lovely table below. this sucker had been hidden under an ugly plastic table cloth that we never bothered to take off.

hidden under that terrible oil cloth cover was this amazing piece of ancient history!

half green, half bare wood, dents, dings, and cracks with several fixed attempts.

so... i took it upon myself to refinish it.

here's a little before and after action.

before:

after:

i wonder what else i can find hidden up there

in that one room, cabin of wonders?