Happy Birthday Trudy (40th) Nov 1st. What a wonderful day!!!!

Pretty Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

I took these Cinnamon Buns to the Ward Halloween Party. Once people tasted them they went very quickly. They are very good. Stevie helped me make them.

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water ( 110-115)

4 eggs

1 cup shortening

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup warm milk (110-115)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup instant vanilla pudding mix

1/3 cup instant butterscotch pudding mix

1 teaspoon salt

7 to 8 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

ICING

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups confectioners sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the eggs, shortening, pumpkin, milk, sugars, pudding mixes, salt and 6 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12-in. x 8-in rectangle; brush with butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough to within 1/2 in of edges.

Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal. Cut each into 12 slices. Place cut side down in two greased 13-in x 9-in baking pans. cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 22-28 minutes or until golden brown. In a small mixing bowl, combine the water, butter and cinnamon. add confections' sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over buns. Serve warm.

Yield: 2 dozen

Ward Halloween Party

Trudy was in charge of the ward Halloween Party this year. It was the better one we have been to here. She really knows how to put a party together.

Dad and I decided to go as pirates.

Here is Trudy, Ceci and Stevie.

Zane

Noah as Elvis

Ceci


Baxter

Steve

These are two friends in the ward. A mother and daughter.

Mistletoe

I have been reading the book Faith Precedes the Miracle by Spencer W. Kimball. I read this story this morning and decided it was worth passing on. Jim Smith told this to Brother Kimball.

Long years ago when I was a little boy and rode the range with the men, tending the cattle and helping with the round-up, I used to look forward to the "rest stop" under the wide spreading branches of a most beautiful tree on Ash Creek.

How we used to enjoy it and admire it with its uniform shape and its thick green foliage! How we came to look forward to it, depend on it, and almost love it as we came to think of it as our very own, having been planted there for our comfort and to satisfy our needs.

Its green coolness was a haven of protection for the birds that made their nests in its branches and perched on the outer twigs for their chorus rehearsals.

The cattle sought out its cool shade and the soft pulverized ground under it for their afternoon relaxation.

And we thirsty cowboys always made a stop to get a cool drink from the canteen and to stretch our tired, cramped limbs for a few moments as we rested from the hot summer Arizona sun.

As we lay on the soft cool earth on our backs and looked up into the tree, we saw high in one of the limbs a little sprig of mistletoe. It stood out in contrast from the grayer leafage of the tree and was not unattractive in its dark green dress with its little whitish berries.

I imagined I could hear the gigantic tree saying to the little mistletoe, "Ha, little friend, you are welcome to stay with me. In my strength, I can easily spare you a little of my sap, which I create from the sun and air and the water under the creek bed. There is plenty for all, and you in your smallness can do me no harm!"

Years later when I was a man, I again came up Ash Creek, again driving cattle. Imagine my consternation and sadness to find the beautiful tree dry and dead, its long jagged branches reaching high like the bony fingers of a skeleton. Not even an uninhabited bird nest graced its forks, no cattle lazed under its branches, no foliage covered its grim nakedness, and no welcome was extended to traveler or cowboy to take shelter under its nude wretchedness; already its limbs were being hacked away by woodcutters.

The infinitely beautiful tree of my youth was now the ugliest tree on Ash Creek.

In seeking for the cause of such devastation, I saw hanging from the limbs of the tree great clusters of mistletoe--the parasite of the tree. The translucent, glutinous berries perhaps had been carried by a bird or the wind. The stickiness of the berry served to attach it to the tree limb or host plant until germination was complete, the little sprout always turning toward the point of attachment.

As Brother Kimball pondered this story, this thought came to him: How like the little mistletoe is the first cigarette or first drink! How like this predatory plant is the first lie or dishonest act! How like parasitic growth is the first crime.

Who would ever dream that a sticky little white mistletoe berry would overpower and kill a huge beautiful tree, a thousand times its size?

I don't think I need to add anything to that but it really hit me for some reason this morning.

Tagged by Tina

Well here goes

8 favorite T.V shows
1. Amazing Race
2. any old movie
3. 7th heaven
4. Law and Order
5. Cooking shows
6. Jeopordy
7.Wheel of Fortune
8. msnbc

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Applebees
2. Joe's Crab Shack (Salt Lake)
3. Ruby Tuesday
4. mexican There is a good one in Leonardtown and one in Waldorf
5.Arbys
6.Panera Bread
7.Chinese A good one in LaPlata
8.Chick Fil a

8 Things that happened yesterday
1. Went to Walmart
2. Went to Shoppers
3. Went to Joann's fabric
4. Ate at Ceci's Pizza
5. Went to Bj's
6. Did some red emborery
7. Spent a wonderful day with Sid
8. Texted Ceci She is in New Hamshire

8 Things I look forward to
1.Having peace in my life
2. Seeing all my grandchildren either go on missions and be married in the temple
3. Having enough money to visit our sons in Oregon
4. Going on a Mission with Sid
5. Being a Great Grandma
6. Going into spring instead of winter
7. Old age, I'm young still
8. To voting on the 7th of November

8 Things on my Wish list
1. A different car
2. Seeing Alaska
3. Going on a Cruise
4. Having Sid's business take off in a big way
5. This is
6. harder than
7. I thought
8. To be healthy and happy

8 people that I tag : Shelly Meyers, Colleen Martines, Becky, Steve, Sydney

You are observant, diplomatic and often aim to please. You are unaware of your
attractiveness and despite being uncomfortable with any form of attention, people enjoy your company. You can be impatient, stubborn and headstrong, but you are true to your word and mature for your age, often taking care of your family and enjoying a good book over chatting with girlfriends on the phone.
Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

The last day of the garden

These are some of the peanuts we grew. Right now they taste like new peas

Here is a picture of our dismal crop of sweet potatoes. I think next year I will stay with the starts you buy here in Maryland. I bought these through the seed catalog and they are bush sweet potatoes that don't take over the garden.

Dad is digging the peanuts in our hard soil. I had watered them last week but the soil it still hard. I'm surprised that we grew as many peanuts as we did.

We decided to hang the peanuts in the shed to dry them so we can roast them and make them taste better.

A afternoon with the Stevens family making donuts

It was a lot of fun going up to Tina's with Halley here and making donuts. Tina wanted to do this ever since I blogged donuts with the Bainters.

Halley singing in Maryland for Grandma and Granpa

Remember to mute my background music.

Halley here in Maryland

New Sewing Machine

When I was in Salt Lake I went to the Cotton Shop and bought some material. While I was there I noticed that they did the hemstitching and they told me that Walmart had a machine that had a daisy stitch on it that could be used to go around the baby blankets and then you could crochet around them.







So when I got home I went to Walmart and bought the machine. It works sooooo well. Now no more taping. I think the stitch looks pretty nice and it makes it so it easy to put a crochet needle through the holes.