tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55393740245557319982012-02-17T12:40:43.137-07:00David & Hillary Crandall. Lakewood, Colorado, USA.Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.comBlogger2661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-73289841398978339722012-02-09T11:28:00.007-07:002012-02-09T12:15:04.411-07:00

The first new thing around here is lots of snow! About 18 inches total between Friday and Saturday last week. The kids have had a blast playing in it. David and I were going to go snowshoeing but there was too much snow to drive anywhere. We rescheduled our baby sitter for this Saturday to try again.In the photo below you can see the mini snow man the kids built for Louise and the snow cave they

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-56915464640837449842012-02-02T19:22:00.003-07:002012-02-03T19:37:18.550-07:00

We have a delightful new kitten in our family: Tilly. She is super cute and very cuddly. (Oreo, our cat of nearly 7 years, died last month). We have never had a cat who is so happy to sit on your lap and purr, purr.Her favorite place to sleep is on someones chest:In other news, Louise has been enjoying these puzzles during school time. She does all 12 every day. (Papa and Mimi bought these for

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-69235465754511691232012-01-30T14:45:00.011-07:002012-01-30T20:12:10.267-07:00

We had two winners in our family at Cub Scout Pack 999 Pinewood Derby! Theo won 2nd place for his den and David won 1st place for the Dad's race! Look at the size of those trophies! This was our first race with our new pack and Theo was thrilled that they had trophies! (We switched to a pack that had families from our church and homeschool group). Nice work to you both!Here is Theo's car and

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-46718654942602011162012-01-22T16:47:00.008-07:002012-01-22T20:10:54.955-07:00

Happy 8th Birthday Theo! We hosted a wild and fun Pirate/Princess Party on Saturday. Kids came dressed as pirates or princess.Theo and I made a pirate ship cake (thanks to the Lego pirate ship pirate people for help). Theo did a nice job helping with the frosting job:Grace and Theo came dressed as Pirates:Louise and Hannah as princess (Hannah is wearing cape Aunt Alissa made):And David and I as

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-1477958015579952322012-01-19T19:50:00.008-07:002012-01-19T21:45:57.001-07:00

Yea, Ha! We had a great time as a family at the Stock Show and Rodeo today. We went as a field trip with our homeschool group and David even took the day off and joined us.The petting zoo was a big hit: After the Rodeo, we went and watched a sheep sheering demonstration:Then we tried our hand at weaving on a loom:Louise's favorite animal of the day was the pig. Up close and touchable:And finally

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-22525057832526111412012-01-17T21:06:00.002-07:002012-01-17T21:16:07.998-07:00

Well this is about how big our baby is at about 8 weeks pregnant. As big as a Kidney Bean (about 1/2 inch). I passed the Kidney Bean around at the breakfast table for the kids to hold and explained that this is how big our baby is. Louise held it with great care and respect. When she accidentally dropped it she said, "Uh, oh, baby bean drop!" Now Lousie has great care and respect for all beans

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-965196665582209482012-01-06T15:49:00.005-07:002012-01-07T19:24:30.513-07:00

Here are the three littlest (for now) Cranbabies enjoying a hike. Thanks, Alan and Jan, for hosting us all for a week and for all the fun.The Pinata was a big hit as always. My favorite memory of this time is when Ezra broke this Pinata open and announced with joy, "I prayed I would be the one to break it open!" I can just imagine him waiting all year to beat Theo to this honor.Great DalmutiDress

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-43076222519758725882011-12-28T05:54:00.000-07:002011-12-28T05:54:24.185-07:00

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01531039824993361103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-33086980460304752282011-12-27T14:13:00.006-07:002011-12-27T14:48:32.648-07:00

Merry Christmas From the Crandalls.We had a delightful few days with my family:Here is what happened when David tried the two second (instead of ten second) timer Yes, David is flat on his back on the floor!:Reading:Origami Lessons from Uncle Jed:A new cousin (Lydia is wearing the dress Hannah wore for her 1st Christmas):This was a rare treat in Colorado, a white Christmas. First, David and the

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-9752375050542375412011-12-23T06:07:00.005-07:002011-12-23T06:55:27.068-07:00

We had a great time singing as a family at our church Christmas program last week. Above we are singing "Love Shone Down." David is on Mandolin, Theo Piano, and all of us singing.Here is "Jingle Bells." David on guitar, Theo Drums, Grace and Louise bells, Hannah driving the sleigh, and all singing. I think we are ready for a Crandall family Talent night in Dubuque. What do you all think?At the

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-46084262616637651442011-12-21T06:43:00.001-07:002011-12-21T06:54:23.756-07:00

Yesterday five new gift bags appeared under the Christmas tree. After dinner I told the family they could open one present early. Everyone was so surprised. We went to the living room and each person opened up a bag. As David's face lit up with delight Grace came leaping across the room into my lap. She said, "The best Christmas present of all!" We are looking forward to this new baby in Late

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-6573381539546794582011-12-11T17:13:00.006-07:002011-12-15T13:11:54.983-07:00

We are now in full swing with enjoying Christmas Activities. Our family is singing three songs in the church Christmas program this week. I bought the girls matching plaid dresses for this.We attended a Christmas Party at Lakewood Heritage Center with my parents. They hay ride was the highlight for us all:After the hayride we visited a 1950s style diner:Then a one -room school house. We all

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-26135492478656763262011-12-08T13:20:00.006-07:002011-12-09T18:55:03.544-07:00

The last of my November posts! David and I had a great weekend trip to Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs. We enjoyed saying in a lovely room in the castle, hiking, playing games, eating good food, and relaxing. The first three pictures are of our first hike to Dorothy falls. This hike involves rock climbing, crossing a river many times by rock hopping and sometimes narrow bridges, and scaling over

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-41582450036278911782011-12-08T13:00:00.001-07:002011-12-09T13:42:07.930-07:00

The historic castle is so fun to stay in and explore. We had dinner one night with one of the tour guides and he told us great stories. We stayed in a room on the second floor of the castle.

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-48341035025545654162011-12-08T12:57:00.003-07:002011-12-08T13:19:09.597-07:00

Well, before I start posting Christmas activities I thought I should catch up on fall fun. Above is the kids dressed up for the fall festival we took them to at a local church. We have one princess, one monkey, and two bumble bees. I couldn't pass up the matching bumble bee costumes when I found them at the thrift store.We yielded nearly 20 pumpkins from our garden this year. The kids had a lot

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-40994772679919844022011-12-01T12:54:00.004-07:002011-12-01T13:09:53.785-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving from the Crandalls! Some of you probably think we aren't around anymore because I haven't been on the blog for some time. Sorry. We have had some computer problems recently. Dell has put a new hard drive in our computer; so, hopefully soon I will be able to upload pictures again. I am working off the small laptop now which won't let me upload pictures. Anyway, here is what we

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-11777264671062124182011-11-02T13:39:00.006-06:002011-11-03T13:28:07.870-06:00

Last week Wednesday we got our first snow. It had its fun moments and its stressful moments.Wednesday when we went out to play in the snow there were still sandals on the porch. It had been 80 degrees two days earlier and the kids had been out playing in summer clothes and no coats on Monday!We still have so many leaves on our trees because we have had such a warm long fall. This led to a lot of

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-74037321781210907662011-11-01T18:25:00.003-06:002011-11-01T18:28:36.954-06:00

The one holiday celebrated consistently at my work is Halloween. I've never participated in the costume contest, but this year had the idea to dress-up like a coworker, Bob. People were actually walking into the lunchroom not realizing it was me and not Bob standing there. I won first prize -- a movie gift card!

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01531039824993361103noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-43002513277689412352011-10-08T06:34:00.009-06:002011-10-11T13:00:34.727-06:00

We had a great time at the Living History Day put on by Vision Heirs a ministry of our church. This event is put on twice a year with the goal to preach the gospel through history. The year was 1778 and we enjoyed going back in time to our country's beginning.Candle making was a hit:Louise liked learning to stuff a mattress:Old fashion wood working:Making a fishing net:Theo participated in a

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-29798354756547737112011-10-04T14:23:00.004-06:002011-10-04T14:47:53.158-06:00

This Sunday for Breakfast we had whole wheat apple pancakes with a wide variety of jams we have recently made. From left to right is Apple Butter, Peach Jam (someone gave me 40 lbs of frozen peaches), Raspberry Jam, and Grape Jelly. The apples, raspberries, and grapes were all from our yard. Grape Jelly was a new experiment this week and it went well. The kids had so much fun picking grapes and

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-61227010440004541582011-09-26T12:35:00.007-06:002011-09-27T08:21:12.977-06:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Louise! We celebrated her birthday this weekend with a picnic in Boulder with my family. (Last weekend she had a party with friends at our house.) Louise was delighted to receive a new baby doll which she named Abby. (Doll was from us and Papa and Mimi). Grams and Papa bought her P.J.s for the baby:Chelsea and Jed bought a cute pink dress for the baby and Ashley bought the

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-89050610949395172222011-09-10T14:45:00.007-06:002011-09-12T20:59:00.636-06:00

This weekend we picked a ton of apples from our trees! About 2oo lbs of apples (each bucket is about 22 lbs)! We all had a great time picking together. Now this week I will be canning lots!Before picking any apples this weekend, I already had canned about 2 dozen quarts of apple sauce. The top shelf is waiting for more to come this week. The kids and I have gotten good at chopping lots of apples

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-82764626238536137382011-09-03T14:43:00.007-06:002011-09-08T13:17:01.757-06:00

We had a great weekend camping with my family at Buffalo Creek. We took a major hike up Mt. Baldy. Here we are at the top of the mountain. It is quite a climb (more of a scramble up the rocks). It was hard, but a lot of fun. Ashley and Jed were great to help the kids lots.More climbing pictures:And more camping fun:One of the best parts of camping was the talent show by Grams and the kids:

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-74384487800008416522011-09-03T14:36:00.002-06:002011-09-03T14:43:06.904-06:00

I forgot to add this picture from our August boating with Andrew and Alissa and Colorado family. David and I have had lots of good canoe memories this summer (both as a family and alone dates) and this time there was someone along to take a picture of us : ).

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-55728436209593323002011-09-02T13:36:00.002-06:002011-09-02T14:02:01.942-06:00

All of Alissa's great vacation pictures inspired me to get going on putting my pictures up from their visit. The most memorable (but not the most fun) part of the visit was Theo's trip to the Medical Station at the Rockies Game. For our 6th visit to an Emergency Room this year, this was the quickest and cheapest by far! He fell on the garden fence as we were leaving for the game. We bandaged him

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-78859821535224293312011-08-31T13:09:00.003-06:002011-08-31T13:25:47.886-06:00

The kids, Grams, and I had a great trip to the Denver Botanic Gardens for a free day. The big hits were the free popsicles and the interactive kids play area. We spent so long at the play area we didn't have much time to look at the flowers. As we were sitting down to lunch Theo said, "But there is still miles and miles we haven't seen." (Thanks, Mom, for first three pictures.)

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-69386361181954070452011-08-22T06:47:00.004-06:002011-08-24T06:40:08.594-06:00

Theo did a great job in Raingutter Regatta. He got a 2nd place medal for his den. Nice work Theo!

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-2504164122618320732011-08-21T14:43:00.006-06:002011-08-22T06:45:13.798-06:00

We had a great time at Family Camp at Maranatha Bible Camp in Nebraska. There were tons of fun activities to enjoy as a family as well as wonderful speakers at chapel times. The lake activities were some of our best memories of family time. We also went on a wagon ride, did archery, and participated in a folk dance. After the dance Hannah said, "If you don't know your left from you right it is

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-56443290718796251912011-08-12T14:08:00.005-06:002011-08-12T14:30:35.173-06:00

When we came back from 10 days of vacation we were pleasantly surprised to find lots of squash! (Our garden is on a sprinkler system, so it did fine without us.) I cut up one of the big zucchini and grilled it with basil, garlic, and butter: This is the first year we have successfully grown cucumbers! Yea! On the other hand, our tomatoes are not doing well, but we have a few: Our pumpkin

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-87712421744453389592011-08-09T14:01:00.008-06:002011-08-10T13:15:59.326-06:00

We had a great time visiting with family in Des Moines for the wedding of my cousin Angela. We enjoyed the free swim beach. We have decided the only way to beat the humidity and heat of the midwest is to swim lots! Hannah enjoyed riding around on Uncle Robin's back: David, Jed, and Uncle Don enjoyed playing Carcassonne in our room in the evening while the girl cousins hung out at the pool

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-3026777711075184442011-08-04T14:43:00.004-06:002011-08-04T15:00:53.716-06:00

The next leg of our trip we traeveled from South Dakota to Iowa to see David's family. On the way we picked up Grandma and enjoyed a picnic at the Sioux Falls.Here are the kids in Iowa ready to go and explore Papa's woods!Papa's swimming hole was a big hit. We had a wild and crazy water gun fight with the cousins: Train ride at the Storybook Farm:"Here we are in the tree house we made with Papa

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-11449466169484824472011-08-04T07:03:00.003-06:002011-08-04T09:23:34.411-06:00

Here we are with Huron's best tourist attraction: the big Pheasant.The even better tourist attractions were the fun playground and free swim beach!We enjoyed sampling ice cream from SDSU:The best parts of summer: family, swimming, and watermelon:

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-76091161596258218382011-08-03T19:30:00.006-06:002011-08-04T07:00:32.778-06:00

We had a great time at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead. This was a wonderful museum with one rule: touch everything! The kids had a great time experiencing what life was like on the prairie. Thanks Andrew and Alissa for taking us here!The kids had a great time helping drive the wagon to school:Grace in school: Theo jumping rope with the rope he made: Horse ride:Hannah and Grace doing Laundry:

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-45023944149604995192011-08-02T19:56:00.006-06:002011-08-03T19:30:26.637-06:00

On our way to the Midwest we showed our kids some of the sights of South Dakota. Above are the kids at Wall Drug South Dakota. We told the kids there is only one Wall Drug.Here we are at Mammoth Sight, South Dakota. This is a great place to see mammoth bones being dug up.The kids trying their hands at digging up bones: More to come on South Dakota Adventures. . .

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-73733599594608696242011-07-27T13:29:00.006-06:002011-07-28T07:11:51.752-06:00

We had a great time on the scout camping trip this past weekend. Above he is demonstrating how to whip a rope to prevent fraying. Theo enjoyed all the stations set up for the scouts. Theo did knots, music, map and compass, and first aid.David led the first aid station:Theo practiced one of the new knots he learned by tying up a rock and moving it:Our Den was in charge of lunch. We set up an

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-91655937495545551962011-07-27T06:40:00.001-06:002011-07-27T06:47:57.523-06:00

We have now tried two times to go to Lakeside but got rained out both times (this has been a strange weather year for Colorado!). Last night we had about an hour of fun before we got a rain check. The best part was seeing Louise have fun on rides for the first time. She was just so delighted with everything.Roller coaster fun (notice the matching flag shirts)And we have been eating lots of

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-62678600472489214122011-07-21T06:29:00.007-06:002011-07-24T20:18:38.490-06:00

David took Grace and Theo for a backpacking trip. Grace did very well for her first time backpacking. She was very excited about the new pink hiking boots and the purple backpack. As they were hiking along she said, "The one thing Theo never told me about backpacking is how heavy your pack is!" She did great and was a cheerful hiker.We used our free coupons for bowling from Summer Reading program

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-50451936441888340062011-07-21T05:56:00.002-06:002011-07-21T06:11:20.862-06:00

We had a super wild and wet water fight for Hannah's Birthday party last weekend! Her actually birthday is this Saturday the 23rd, but we celebrated early because we are camping this weekend with the Scouts. It was kids against Dads and all got very wet. The Dads did tend to hog the Waterzookas! They shoot really far and get you really wet!We were planning to drain the hot tub so we let the kids

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-60526407936848996022011-07-15T15:28:00.003-06:002011-07-15T15:56:09.179-06:00

One of my favorite things about the garden is how excited the kids get over it. When I send the kids out to play, the first thing they do is run out and check the progress of the plants.Below are the girls picking green beans: Louise on the path leading to the compost bins. I love the big flowers in the garden:Theo checking his squash: Hannah is very excited about the pumpkin she planted:Front

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-56299479180961460852011-07-14T12:37:00.002-06:002011-07-14T12:45:32.363-06:00

Our Garden is continuing to do great. These pictures are from about a week ago. The squash and pumpkin plants now have flowers on them.We have enjoyed lots of fresh picked beats:Tomatoes are starting to climb the vine and we are still enjoying lettuce from our first crop planted in April:

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-48071593044537068972011-06-29T14:23:00.003-06:002011-06-29T14:30:10.936-06:00

Theo has finished the Water Zookas! They are tons of fun! Nice work Theo! We tried them out at the pool in my parents neighborhood.They shoot really far!Theo and Papa working together. Theo needed to use Papa's Shopsmith for part of the project. And Hannah enjoying the pool:

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-24794877240783225462011-06-13T06:45:00.005-06:002011-06-17T06:39:47.487-06:00

After four days at Flaming Gorge we headed to Dinosaur Monument.We went on a hike and saw dinosaur bone fossils. Can you find the leg bone in this picture:The kids had a lot of fun participating in the Junior Ranger Program:Hiking along the Colorado side of the Green River:We had such good helpers this trip:Grace and Theo can set up and take down our tent almost by themselves. This saved us a lot

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-14991495102259734422011-06-12T20:31:00.007-06:002011-06-14T15:11:37.427-06:00

Our Second Boating Adventure was in a lake at the campground at Flaming Gorge (see part 2 below for first boating trip). First all six of us went out together. We enjoyed the pretty views. Then David dropped Louise, Hannah, and me off and had Grace and Theo practice rowing. Then Hannah and David took Louise and I for a tour of the lake. Hannah was the funniest tour guide, "and up here you can see

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-9399947638259265082011-06-12T20:23:00.006-06:002011-06-14T15:05:13.604-06:00

We took a fun boating adventure to an island in the Green River. Yes, we can fit all of us in the conoe, but I couldn't figure out how to take a picture of all of us while boating!Here is the island we found:We boated a mile up the green river (started lower left in this picture and traveled to island in the middle).We had fun exploring the small island and watching birds: Here we all are on the

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-52683710645464142822011-06-12T20:07:00.004-06:002011-06-12T20:23:01.758-06:00

We just got back from our biggest camping adventure ever; a seven day, six night trip. We had a great time. No rain, not much wind, great times together, and we had enough food for the week. We spent the first four nights at Flaming Gorge, UT which is a very beautiful canyon with the Green River at the bottom. Then we went on to Dinosaur Monument.Here is the view of Flaming Gorge from our

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-37746370377776181412011-06-03T05:54:00.007-06:002011-06-03T13:20:00.494-06:00

We are very pleased with our garden progress. Above Grace is sitting by her lettuce which we harvested and ate some for dinner this week!Below are the trellises recently put up for snap peas, cucumbers, and tomatoes:Recent Fishing Trip to Crown Hill:Memorial Day weekend was filled with outdoor fun. First, David found a good deal on a canoe which we bought and took to Bear Creek lake near our home

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-3740411703414812862011-05-20T20:01:00.002-06:002011-05-20T20:19:26.334-06:00

Two new kittens! Nine weeks old and very cute!This is Mittens:And SmokyThanks, Jan, for the strawberries. I had an angel food cake in the freezer and Theo decorated it for us. (He loves this dessert!) Theo came home from the Scout Advancement Pack Meeting very excited. I found him dressed for bed with his Wolf hat on reading the Wolf manual. He is excited for next year!

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-80891858247236653992011-05-16T16:00:00.006-06:002011-05-16T16:32:09.669-06:00

Dear Grace, Theo, Hannah, and Louise,Hi from California again. It is warm and sunny here. Did the rain in Colorado stop? How are our ladybugs doing? Thanks for your nice notes on the last blog. It was nice to hear from you.On Sunday we had lunch with Daddy's Aunt Marianne, Uncle Steve, and cousins. This is Papa's sister:Then Sunday afternoon we went to the beach. We spent some time laying in the

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-50699687189450359272011-05-15T10:45:00.004-06:002011-05-15T10:58:51.630-06:00

Dear Grace, Theo, Hannah, and Louise,Hi! From California! I hope you are having fun with Papa and Mimi. We are having a nice time in California. Yesterday we went to a place called Sea World. Sea World is like a big zoo with lots of water animals. Above are six dolphins leaping out of the water.This is Shamu. He is called a killer whale because he eats whales. Look how big he is! This man is

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-40325299142677442072011-05-01T13:37:00.008-06:002011-05-04T06:47:35.669-06:00

We attended a Living History Day last week sponsored by a local homeschool group. For the $2 a person I paid, it was well worth my money! The kids leared so much and had a blast.One of the highlights was reenactment of a Revolutionary War battle. The kids were especially excited when the American Army defeated the British. And boy did the kids jump when the gun shots went off!Theo also joined in

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-77909600368145467432011-04-30T19:53:00.008-06:002011-05-01T13:37:15.609-06:00

We have had a lot of fun with our garden so far this year. Above is a picture from Early April when we planted our 1st crop of seeds. We planted on a warm 70 degree day the first Saturday in April. The next day it was 20 degrees and snowing! Yea for Colorado weather. (In case you are wondering, the boards are to walk on so our planting soil stays soft and not packed down. )Below is David and Theo

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-60383997305925566682011-04-25T06:31:00.008-06:002011-04-25T06:54:23.832-06:00

Happy Easter from the Crandalls! I had fun getting coordinating dresses for the girls this year.And Felicity and Elizabeth got new dresses too! Louise was very cute hunting for eggs with the big kids:

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-27880437213896515212011-04-16T21:08:00.007-06:002011-04-16T21:39:21.295-06:00

Well, here is a short summary of our last 12 days: Cat died, trip to capitol, got kittens, weekend away, dental surgery, surprise birthday party, Urgent Care visit for Hannah (two hours before party!), and finished flooring for new bedroom. We will begin with today. Above is Grace very happy for her Surprise Birthday party. Below is the cake she made and decorated (I told her we were doing it

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-83042504178340224662011-04-07T20:59:00.010-06:002011-04-08T20:17:00.410-06:00

This year's Home School Day at the Capitol was a patriotic Extravaganza. The kids dressed in colonial costumes and learned about the founding of our country. We toured the capitol and almost got stuck in the house chambers when David discovered them debating a Bill: Our day began with a lesson in using public transportation. We climbed all 99 steps up to the gold dome of the capitol and

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-43919594644524269642011-04-07T20:43:00.002-06:002011-04-07T20:52:46.021-06:00

Theo's current hobby has been Rubix Cube. My Mom got him going working on it by watching some YouTube videos. After a few weeks of work he can solve it in less than 3 minutes! Nice work!

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-8457860233210840352011-04-04T20:48:00.004-06:002011-04-05T06:34:18.484-06:00

We'll miss you Tiger!Above, Grace and Louise holding Tiger. It's hard to find pictures of Tiger's face because she was always being smothered with hugs and cuddles. Below, Tiger watches over newborn Hannah. Tiger passed away after spending time cuddling in each of our arms Monday evening. Everyone is sad, but especially Grace.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01531039824993361103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-49557623638952920682011-03-17T19:52:00.009-06:002011-03-17T21:41:33.593-06:00

We had a really nice weekend with lots of fun activities. The kids wrote some nice essays in their journals recapping some of the highlights.Ashley invited us up for an Origami Festival at Boulder Library. This event was a big hit for Theo!Theo wrote: "This weekend we went to an Origami Festival. First we went to an Origami story time. Next we went to a workshop where people taught us how to

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-26582817328420231942011-02-28T19:50:00.006-07:002011-02-28T21:33:34.060-07:00

Grandma has always been a real go-getter when she comes to visit. She dives right in and joins the kids for tea parties, doll house play, and checkers. But this time she got herself in a little pickle. Grandma was playing in the yard with the kids on her December visit. Hannah said, "Here Grandma I made a bed for you to sleep in." This bed was at the top of the climber. I explained to Hannah that

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-26558031949241255252011-02-24T20:27:00.009-07:002011-02-25T06:28:12.134-07:00

Hannah has learned to read! Above she is proudly showing off the seven books she has read (There are only 10 books in the A Beka K4 series so I have supplemented with some Bob Books and others). Nice work Hannah!The other big accomplishment this week was doing book reports. Grace did Meet Kirsten (3rd to 4th reading level) and Theo did The Littles to the Rescue (this was his first chapter book, a

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-77719964527850165462011-02-22T13:43:00.002-07:002011-02-22T13:48:23.154-07:00

The Turtle in the Grapevineby Grace L. CrandallWe have a little turtleHe lives in grapevineHis name is NedHe nibbles at applesHe nibbles at tomatoesHe nibbles at grapesHe has orange spotson his head and tailAnd he is shyAnd he likes to Hide!

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-39928781080175523512011-02-04T13:52:00.001-07:002011-02-04T14:39:37.742-07:00

I haven't posted anything for awhile because I have just been busy doing life. Life is busy these days, but very good. Here is a brief summary of the last month. Above and below are the kids at the Denver Zoo. We took a trip with Chelsea on a free day and had a great time. It was a slightly cold day (40s) so it was not to crowded and the animals were really active. Theo celebrated turning 7 with

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-15303459947778304862011-01-29T09:25:00.004-07:002011-01-29T09:39:13.955-07:00

This is hilarious . . . and perhaps based on a true story? :)The Three Little Pigs in the PlayroomTo Alan and JanBy David A. CrandallThere once were three little pigs and a baby wolf that lived in a playroom. The pigs names were David (oldest), Andrew (youngest), and Ringo the Runt (in between). And the wolf's name was Jonathan. One day they decided to see who could make the best fort. Andrew

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01531039824993361103noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-73547733170105782082011-01-22T12:03:00.006-07:002011-01-22T12:21:40.037-07:00

My BabyOn the 7th of January I gota baby brother. His nameis Andrew. He got born atCommunity Hospital. He's really cute. Here's a picture of my baby.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01531039824993361103noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-64755834489413386322011-01-15T20:08:00.003-07:002011-01-16T11:01:59.805-07:00

Theo won a third place ribbon for his den for Pinewood Derby! He worked so hard on building his car and had a blast racing it.Theo had himself a good cheering section at the races!The track:

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-48164306892180148522011-01-02T20:46:00.006-07:002011-01-07T20:42:22.695-07:00

More fun. . . Gingerbread houses, Christmas Play and Magic Show. . . (thanks, Mom, for photos)

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-87498882264537796082011-01-02T19:44:00.006-07:002011-01-02T20:59:34.805-07:00

We had a delightful Christmas in Colorado with my family. We even had Grandma Hermanson join us. Above is Louise enjoying one of her favorite gifts: Jumbo Potato Head with four potato heads inside. Grace did a lovely job setting the table:A special gift from Chelsea and Jed: Christmas Eve Church was wonderful. David was in charge of worship and brought his own worship team. Grace and Theo played

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-50262690199644940442010-12-19T19:22:00.001-07:002010-12-19T19:28:41.476-07:00

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-16849464754658471082010-12-04T19:21:00.006-07:002010-12-04T19:58:49.277-07:00

Here we go with more fun memories from Iowa. Below, here are 7 of the 9 grandchildren at the Mines of Spain indoor area:What fun!"If only I could hike as fast as them!"Grace and Sadie enjoyed playing dolls together:Funny dress up:Helping Papa with his sermon in church:The kids had so much fun in the woods behind the house: hiking, exploring the cave, building a bonfire, and playing in the log

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-71594118125765443282010-11-30T19:25:00.008-07:002010-11-30T20:18:49.741-07:00

Thanks to Alan and Jan for hosting us all for a week. We had a lot of fun and made a lot of great family memories. I am blessed to be part of such a neat family. Above, Hannah and Papa share a special moment of music. Singing at the nursing home:Louise takes a turn with Felicity's new slate:Theo is proud of his new Lego:Hannah and Grace are enjoying their new cloaks and horses:Treasure hunt:

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-15793545488809782182010-11-25T09:53:00.005-07:002010-11-25T10:32:20.559-07:00

We traveled down I-80 last week on Friday and Saturday to see family in Iowa. Usually we do the trip in one day and make really quick stops. This time we took two days to do the drive and had a nice time stopping along the way to see some fun things. Above the kids are in an old covered wagon at the sod house museum. Below are more fun things at the Sod House Museum.A three-seater outhouse!Below

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-79026264106851210542010-11-18T12:40:00.002-07:002010-11-18T12:55:12.883-07:00

Louise is loves to help these days! When we head out to rake she is so happy to rake with us. She also has a mini broom she likes to use when Grace does the evening sweeping. She is also helping Grace dump trash cans in the morning and standing on the step to help me in the kitchen. This is such a fun age!

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-50355227653212172502010-11-15T19:18:00.011-07:002010-11-16T19:52:04.404-07:00

Here is our most recent home project: A large window for the basement bedroom. David dug the hole and built the window well. Then we hired a contractor to cut the hole in the house and put in the window. The kids enjoyed watching the hole being cut. When the large slab of concrete fell out of the house Hannah said, "How will we get it back in?" I was so proud of David for all his good building on

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-5849620947551588642010-11-15T13:35:00.002-07:002010-11-15T13:45:40.408-07:00

We finally got our first snow last week. The kids were so excited to go out and play. Louise was thrilled with the new experience. (We had some issues with keeping the gloves on as you can see in the picture. Later,I got a her a bigger pair that stay on better. )Even getting ready was exciting!"Hum, a snow person. I have never seen one of these before.""Theo, that's funny when you throw snow at

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-30027616945188260812010-11-12T19:23:00.000-07:002010-11-13T12:13:51.947-07:00

Snuggling with Grams and Papa!Our homeschool group enjoyed a tour of Hammond's Candy Factory (and the free samples!)Kite flying at Crown Hill: (a $3 from Wal Mart is a great investment!)Fall dress up. We don't do trick or treating but we did attend a really fun fall party at a church. All the kids had a ton of fun but Louise was the cutest. Shew would drop the bean bag right in the hole and go

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-65819932456495235122010-11-11T17:19:00.000-07:002010-11-11T17:19:18.756-07:00

I am part of an online community/focus group for Fedex. One of the recent projects I worked on was creating a diary of a "typical" day at work, focusing on interactions with Fedex and other transportation providers. I thought I'd share:October 28, 20107:05 am Arrive at the office.Checking email.7:30 am Reviewing Open Orders reports, Production Schedule report, and open Purchase Order reports. (

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01531039824993361103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-28003797390279486202010-11-09T19:49:00.004-07:002010-11-09T19:53:56.316-07:00

Somehow this picture didn't make it in my other school post. This is Louise's current favorite school tub. She has a tub with three friends and some play food. She pretends to feed them and says "yum, yum." (The necklace she is wearing and the toy cat she won at the fall festival we went to.)

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-79612975579289563072010-11-07T19:07:00.008-07:002010-11-09T19:22:44.393-07:00

Well, here we are 10 weeks into school and I haven't posted anything on the blog about school. I guess I have just been too busy doing school to write! Things are going well and the kids are learning lots and enjoying school.Here is our basic schedule: 6:30 wake and read in bed while nursing Louise (Bible stories, A Beka History, Science, and Poetry and other picture books). 7 get up get dressed

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-39985067552979544692010-11-07T18:31:00.004-07:002010-11-07T19:36:59.083-07:00

This week while David and Theo were at Scouts the girls and I had a sewing date. We were sewing napkins for a tea set for the American Girl Dolls. I had a lot of fun teaching Grace to use the sewing machine. She did really well.The deal was for Grace to sew two napkins and then Hannah to help me sew the other two. Grace had so much fun sewing her two she asked if she could do the last two. I said

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-73754087052295625952010-10-19T21:40:00.004-06:002010-10-23T19:41:41.740-06:00

Above is Grace helping me make our favorite fall dish: Pumpkin. Scoop out pumpkin and fill with mixture of rice, cream of mushroom soup, and chopped mushrooms. Cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours in a baking dish with water. Serve from the pumpkin (you can also scoop out the cooked pumpkin to eat) . So yummy!Here are the kids painting pumpkins with Philip and Bree Luken's kids:Two weeks ago we hosted

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-74356581468030136202010-10-17T20:02:00.007-06:002010-10-17T21:19:03.914-06:00

Well, I generally post pictures about cooking, homeschooling, and homemaking. But I recently realized something. The blogs that get the most responses are Legos and Scouts! So, by popular demand, here are some more pictures from recent Cub Scout Activities. Above David and his Den of Tigers are leading "If Your A Tiger and You Know It" at this weeks pack meeting.Theo has earned his bobcat badge.

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-64936106103752727372010-10-11T06:45:00.005-06:002010-10-11T07:13:33.850-06:00

Our family had a lot of fun at Apple Cider Days at the Lakewood Heritage Center. The highlight was pressing apple cider from our own apples.Other fun at the fair, a train ride:Donkey rides:The girls and I entered the apple bake off contest. I entered apple pie, Hannah entered apple sauce, and Grace entered Apple Crisp. We didn't win anything but it was still fun and the girls learned good cooking

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-77044945799555164642010-10-03T23:24:00.005-06:002010-10-03T23:43:55.552-06:00

We had a lot of fun with Grandma Hermanson when she visited. She was a real trouper jumping right in and playing with the kids.Grandma arrived in time to celebrate Louise's 1st birthday!Grandma beat Theo in a game of checkers (with coaching help from Grace):Making cookies with Grandma:

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-76529363653381566762010-09-30T19:39:00.007-06:002010-09-30T19:54:41.544-06:00

I have been frustrated with crust making for years and decided this was the month to learn it. Grandma gave some lessons while she was here which was helpful. Then, today on my own, I worked hard and finally managed to crank out three beautiful pies, crusts and all (which is not easy with a toddler underfoot!).Here is the recipe:Crust (4 crusts):3 cups flour1 T sugar1 tsp salt1 Cup shorteningmix

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-35855522757284410542010-09-25T19:27:00.005-06:002010-09-25T19:41:27.690-06:00

Well, Christmas is coming; so, I decided it was time to get my updated 8 x 10 family photo to give to Alan and Jan. I talked to my favorite photographer (Mom) and set a date for a photo shoot. We went to Clear Creek near out house and got some great shots. Thanks, Mom, for the photos and Thanks, Dad, for doing the cow puppet who said "oink!""I am one and I can walk!"

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-14967394308817078072010-09-19T23:33:00.006-06:002010-09-20T14:50:22.212-06:00

Grandma's Apple Muffins1. Mix1 cup brown sugar1 egg2/3 cup oil1 tsp vanilla2. mix2 1/2 cup flour1 tsp baking soda1 tsp salt3. Mix #1 and #2 together and add1 cup sour milk (1 cup milk plus 1 T vinegar1 cup apples choppedBake 350 degrees for 20 minApple Crisp1. Chop enough apples to fill a 8 by 8 baking dish2. Mix and put on top of crisp2/3 cup brown sugar1/2 cup flour1/2 cup oats1/3 cup butter

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-33062837018777948382010-09-11T19:49:00.004-06:002010-09-11T20:12:31.756-06:00

I haven't posted anything for awhile because I have been busy. Since we got back from Yellowstone we have started school and been busy with our apple harvest! Here are some pictures of picking apples, chopping, and making applesauce. We have made lots of applesauce, some pie and apple crisps, apple waffles, etc. Lots of fun.This is what David and Philip Lukens harvested tonight!We have also had

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-60205194375298078392010-08-25T19:12:00.000-06:002010-08-25T19:55:31.227-06:00

In Yellowstone we enjoyed some of God's wonderful and unique creations. We saw lots of buffalo. This one walked right next to our campsite. The kids were pretty amazed:More Buffalo:A deer:More waterfalls for our year of seeing beautiful waterfalls:Old Faithful was impressive. Theo had all sorts of why and how questions about it and was excited to see it go off.One of my favorite things we did on

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-33622192270802184962010-08-24T06:47:00.007-06:002010-08-24T07:25:09.271-06:00

We had a great 5-day camping trip to Yellowstone National Park last week. The views were wonderful and we had a great time as a family. This post shows some of the family fun and more pictures are to come with beautiful views.Below: Our trip started out with a ride in a tow truck (after we got a flat one hour from home)and four new tires being put on our car. Two hours later we were on our way:

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-89053281344726816152010-08-13T19:00:00.011-06:002010-08-15T20:07:02.800-06:00

We took two trips to Boulder, my hometown, this week to relive favortite childhood memories. First stop was Pearl Street Mall; an outdoor mall which is fun to walk in the evenings and climb the animal statues and enjoy street performers.The kids were really mezmorized by the various street performers. Below we are watching a man juggling sticks of fire while walking on a moving ball.Now it is

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-87602707417700627072010-08-08T20:00:00.006-06:002010-08-08T20:56:04.488-06:00

Mimi has come to town and sewed up a storm. In 11 days she has been here she has sewn 4 doll dresses and 2 pinafores for Grace and Hannah's American Girl Dolls. Thanks so much! Above is first dress with pinafore. Below is the same dress without the pinafore. How nice to have two looks.This blue dress Felicity is wearing below is my favorite. So very elegant. Mimi and Grace worked together to

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-74529341007764055062010-08-06T20:51:00.004-06:002010-08-08T11:58:15.095-06:00

We have had a great week with our Midwest Crandall family. Above we are visiting Red Rocks for sight seeing. All 10 of us put on our Rockies Hats and shirts and headed off for a Rockies vs. The SF Giants Game.We knew Uncle Glenn would be watching the game at home so Grace and Theo made us a sign that said, "HI UNCLE GLENN." Glenn, did we make it on TV? (This was my only shot of our sign where

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-90395600523618230582010-08-06T19:48:00.004-06:002010-08-07T20:27:53.874-06:00

Here is your quiz question for the day: Who do you call if you want to move a box turtle (above) and a LARGE piano in the same day?Answer: Call Piano Mover Specialists! With my parents move we have inherited the 100 year old family piano which stills plays beautifully. Mom has had a turtle, Ned, living in her yard for awhile providing nice companionship. She was concerned about finding the turtle

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-22251380999489457252010-07-23T19:49:00.007-06:002010-07-26T13:40:32.781-06:00

Happy 4th Birthday Hannah! To celebrate we hosted a beach party at our home.Here is Hannah very happy to cut off another link on the birthday countdown links (don't tell but this was really a school project to practice cutting and counting).Our beach party started off with slip and slide:Then we had a big water gun/water balloon fight:Watch out for the tree ambush!Then we got to dig for shells at

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-73979656581550247212010-07-22T20:25:00.004-06:002010-07-23T06:22:05.310-06:00

Check out this month's issue of Practical Homeschooling to see poetry contest winners Grace and Theo! Their prize was a how to build origami book which has gotten good use! Good job!Here are their poems:My Yo-YoBy Theo CrandallI love to yo-yo with all kinds of yo-yosI love to yo-yo down to my toesI love to yo-yo up to the skyI love to yo-yo here and therei love to yo-yo everywhere!I do round and

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-75488698891439929912010-07-12T19:23:00.008-06:002010-07-16T19:29:43.076-06:00

We had a great time camping this weekend with my family. We camped at Buffalo Creek campground.We stretched:Then we hiked:Target Practice:More Fun:

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-27045201737789613792010-07-08T19:55:00.009-06:002010-07-08T21:03:50.398-06:00

Well summer break has been in swing for about 4 or 6 weeks now. We are having a blast of a fun summer. There have been some educational moments like reading lots, Grace has been learning cursive, piano practice, and learning about lizards at the library and some just for fun times. Our neighborhood has yielded many free fun activities. Free Activity #1: Lakeside Amusement Park. Kids got free

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-55799046453696212010-07-07T19:14:00.005-06:002010-07-07T19:40:39.574-06:00

We had a great time camping this weekend with our pastor and his family. The Johnson's are responsible for a six-mile section of the Colorado Trail. This weekend we joined them in clearing the trail to get ready for spring. We hiked the trail and cleared away fallen trees, sticks, and rocks. It was tons of work (David, Nate and the big kids worked for 7 hours and Hannah, Louise, and I joined

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-87504466900347140092010-06-29T20:49:00.000-06:002010-06-29T20:51:51.106-06:00

Theo and I went on a backpacking adventure in the Lost Creek Wilderness this past weekend. We backpacked about 9 miles round-trip (plus a couple of miles hiking and exploring around our campsite). Our gear weighed in at 52 pounds. Theo carried 8 pounds in a daypack.At the trailhead 2 hours southwest of Denver: Views: Beyond the historic buildings we camped next a huge rock that was part of a

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01531039824993361103noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-36516208431005002042010-06-21T19:27:00.007-06:002010-06-23T19:42:21.139-06:00

We celebrated our 11th Anniversary this week. 11 years is big so we celebrated lots. Celebration #1: David took me for a fancy dinner at the Broker Restarant in Denver.And here we are 12 years ago at the Broker the night David asked me to marry him:After dinnner we went walking along the Platte River in Downtown Denver: Celebration #2: Grace and Hannah surprised us with Breakfast in bed. (No

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539374024555731998.post-63254289172975471472010-06-16T19:44:00.006-06:002010-06-16T20:15:28.249-06:00

Here is another happy Crandall girl to receive an American Girl doll for her birthday (yes, Hannah's birthday is not until July. But we had an early celebration with my family because our July family event is a camping trip and we don't want to take the doll camping! Hannah was very delighted to receive her doll and has taken very good care of her. The doll was from David and I, Papa and Mimi,

Hillaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328895626478076208noreply@blogger.com3