Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Ruby was a ruby fairy for her first Halloween. We found her wings, tutu and wand for a dollar each. Ruby trick or treated at both sets of grandparents' houses, went to see Grandma Grape and then went to the Hammans' for her first Halloween party.


She is the cutest fairy I've ever seen.

She really enjoyed her wand. She was eating is by the end of the night.

Taking a break in between visits.

Had to get a picture of the back.

Chili Cook Off

Aunt Sandra invited me to be part of the Wolf Lake Chili Cook Off to help raise money for the Wolf Lake Hospital. How fun! For weeks now we have been eating different variations of chili and I don't think we will be eating it again for a while.

There were six entries. I was number five (great number!). The whole family went, Parents, Mindy, Joey, Sam, Ruby and I. I must say that we had the largest following out of everyone there. :)

The judge's choice award went to Betsy, but she and I were tied for People's Choice, but one vote later and I was awarded the trophy. My name will be engraved later. I tell ya, it's the simple things, but I was so excited to go home from the chili cook off with a trophy. Vote for #5!!!

I saw these on youtube and just had to share them, I knew that Hilary Weeks was a wonderful and inspiring singer, but I didn't know she was so funny too. But, I guess having a sence of humor is required to be a mom, right?

Fall Family Pics

Here are some fall family pictures of the newest Zollman family. You can't tell, but it was raining a little and yet Ruby didn't fuss until the end.

Grandpa Dave took the pictures at Hidden Diamonds park for us.

Canning Fools

We have been a bunch of canning fools this summer. Here are some pictures of what we have canned.

This is the list:

-Tomato Juice

-Spaghetti Sauce

-Chili Sauce

-Pizza Sauce

-Dill Pickles

-Sweet Pickles

-Relish

-Bread and Butter Pickles

-Zesty Salsa

-Becca's Salsa

-Green Beans

-Stewed Tomatoes

-Dilled Green Beans

-Wax Beans

-Lima Beans

-Peach Salsa

-Beats

-Apple Pie Filling

-Chocolate Raspberry Sundae Topping

-Red Raspberry Sauce

-Jalapeno Jam

-Peaches

-Peach Jam

-Mulberry Jam

-Grape Jam

-Apple Butter

-Pear Butter

-Stewed Tomatoes

-Ketchup

Yet to Come:

-Applesauce

-Sweet Pickled Pumpkin

-Kohlrabi

-More Jam

Apples

We have a been a bunch of canning fools. Here is our latest project. My dad and I spent the morning canning pie filling. Aren't they beautiful?!


Here is the pie made from our homemade pie shells we froze the other day and the homemade apple pie filling we canned this morning.

Three Little Punkins...Kind Of

So I saw this idea in a scrapbooking magazine for a fall baby picture. You set your baby in the middle of two pumpkins and then the title of the scrapbook page is "Three Little Punkins". I was so excited to try it. I have been waiting for the perfect day. Well, here's how it went. Here is the first picture. If you are wondering why her eye is pink it's because I got dirt in it when I tried to move the flowers.

In this picture she is cold and the wind is blowing across her face


She was literally trying to roll away. And yet I didn't give up yet.


Finally a smile, but only two of the three "punkins".


I don't even know about this one. We will just try again next year.

Busy Birthday

I wanted to sleep in a little on my birthday but my daughter decided that I needed to wake up early instead. We cleaned up at home and did some laundry. Then we went to my parents' house and organized the scrapbook closet. Then my dad and I worked on making apple butter. While the apple butter cooked we decided that we wanted to make up some pie shells to freeze for the holidays so we went to work on that. My dad mixed them up and I rolled them out. We made good time and pumped out a total of nine and a half pie shells. This one is actually a kiddie-size pie, filled with our very own homemade apple butter. It turned out very well and we were super proud.

Sam told me to get dressed up and he took me out for my 25th. It was our first night out since Ruby was born. He took me to Casa Grille for supper, which was where we ate on our first date. I love it when he takes me out for dinner...it means I don't have to cook ;) Then he surprised me with Coldstone ice cream. Ahhhhh!!! I love this man...and I love Coldstone! It was a great birthday and a busy one. I wouldn't have had it any other way and as I thought about my 25 years of life I realized that I truly have everything I have ever wanted. I am married to the man of my dreams and I have the amazing gift of being a mother to Ruby. I love my family and I spent the day improving our food storage and bonding with my father. And of course the day had the perfect ending with ice cream and my hubby;) Happy 25th to me!

Emmatown Auction

We have discovered the Emmatown auctions. The first time we went we had so much fun bidding. It was kind of hard to stop. There are so many vegatables and flowers that you can get for amazingly low prices.


It's definately the place to go if you are looking for some produce to can. This time we met up with the Powells and the Stumps and split a set of 10 boxes of Apples. We went home with four of the ten and also a half bushel of pears.

I was dying to bie some pie pumpkins. I am just building up the courage to buy only a couple off of someone who bids on one the the big boxes.


Here are the boxes of apples. There were Idareds, McIntosh, Red Delicious and Empires.
Oh man it is so much fun!!

Thriller

Sam and I attended the Super Saturday in Huntington with our youth. They started out with completing a few service projects. We helped supervise the indoor one since we had the baby with us.

The youth took different Laura Numeroff books, like "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" or "If You Give a Pig a Party," and acted them out. They made their own costumes and sets. It was amazing. They video taped everything and sent it to the pediatrics unit of the local hospital.

Madeline was the cat in "If You Give a Cat a Cupcake" and Joey was the narrator.

There were craft items everywhere as they built their sets and their costumes.

After the service projects we all attended a Hoedown at the Knechts' barn. This is everyone learning to do the bump. They even had Brother Davis call the square dances. The youth had so much fun and Sam and I had fun watching. We were very impressed by Brother Davis's calling skills as well.

Corrie, Toni and Joey were taking a time out during the song "Thriller"...

but, obviously, President Shumard wasn't. He jumped right in during the song. Watch the video to see him in action! Sorry, it really dark.

Just a Few Pictures

Always the center of attention.

Someday I will roll over.


Our tired little gamer.



Enjoying some family time at Nana and Papa's.



Surprise!!! Everytime I take her picture she looks so startled. Her eyes aree ginormous.

Papa's little pal.

Corrie is always whispering in Ruby's ear that she is the favorite big cousin. She is teaching her young.

Georgy Porgy

Introducing Baby George Thomas Allen Haulk. We went to visit George and Amy yesterday in Indy. He is so cute and teeny, teeny tiny. He has a head full of reddish hair. Notice he does not fit in his clothes very well.

We called him a beach bum because he had the beachy look with the fun hair and tan skin.

Proud Mom and Baby Georgy Porgy.

Even prouder grandmas with their babes.

Awe...look out. Think of all the fun they are going to have...and all the messes they are going to make:)