State Ensemble Festival

Our eldest and his duet partner went to the state ensemble festival and had a great experience. After having felt nervous for a week he reported that when he got up on the stage he "wasn't nervous at all." Every pianist went away with a certificate and a medal.

Our eldest daughter went too. She was inspired by all the great pianists there and took note of how many duets were played by siblings. Maybe she could get good enough to play with her brother next year!!

Oregon Civil War

Thursday was the Oregon civil war game between U of O and Oregon State. It was extremely tense not only because of the long standing rivalry but because it was the first time that both teams were candidates for the Rose Bowl. The winner gets to go to Pasadena.

We decided that to be true Oregonians we had to pick a team and root them on. It ended up split down the middle with the girls rooting for the ducks (yellow and green) and the boys rooting for the Beavers (orange and black.) We ended up watching the game in Richard's classroom because we don't have ESPN. It was a true football party and the girls are proud to say that our ducks are going to the Rose Bowl.

Thanksgiving Feast

This year for Thanksgiving we gathered in Eagle Point at my Grandpa Baughman's house. We had a great time hanging out with my family. In attendance were my Uncle Kevin and Aunt Janet from Santa Rosa, my Uncle Jay, Aunt Laurie and cousin Tori from Seattle and my Aunt Kim from Medford. We had a good time doing crafts like tying bracelets, painting, knitting hats (or shawls like the one our oldest did for his sister) playing at the playground and of course chatting with the family. The thanksgiving feast was really good. Kevin made a really tasty cornbread sausage stuffing, Laurie made some pumpkin pies and we even got Jay and Richard to cut up some thyme (of course Jay could not stop with the puns about the thyme taking a lot of time to cut up.) Richard also got to carve the roast beast.

The day after Thanksgiving we went down to Ashland to a parade and the kids got to see Santa. Jay made a killer soup with the turkey carcass. We also celebrated Uncle Kevin's birthday (no he did not turn four, I think those were token candles.) It was a great vacation and a much needed break for our family. I love my family.

Finishing With Honors

Last week all three kids played in an adjudicated ensemble recital. They all did really well with their parters. Our oldest was informed a few days after his recital that he and his partner had received honors and so this weekend they will be performing in Albany (Oregon) at the state level. Pretty exciting. Here is the piece.

Worming Sheep and Tetanus Shots

Two weeks ago out on the Oliphant's farm we had three major tasks. First, we had to fill up the feed containers. The bag in the back of the Oliphant's truck is the feed, a combination of rye, pea, and alfalfa pellets. With all the kids hauling it from the truck it only takes maybe 15 minutes. This is their second time doing that job and they are getting pretty good at it.

The other things we had to do were not so easy. We had to worm the sheep and give them their tetanus shots. For the worming Bro. Oliphant put a metal tube in their mouths and squirted a worming solution in. The kids would mark the sheep with a pink chalk when he had done them. Then, he let each of the kids take turns with the syringe giving the sheep their shots. They did really well. Vets in training.

Double Digits

Look who just turned 10!! He was very excited about the bakugans he got, some money from his Grandma Vance, a neat letter from his Grandma Baughman and a cool microscope from his Grandpa Vance and his wife Brenda. For his birthday breakfast he ordered sausage fingers covered in blood (ketsup), pumpkin shaped pancakes, bloodshot eyeball fried eggs and blood to drink (cranberry juice.) His cake has a 6 and a 4 because you know, 6+4=10.

Halloween

Halloween was very drawn out this year. On Thursday we went to the ward Trunk-or-Treat. On Friday a friend and I did a little party at her house complete with an amazing haunted house done by the kids and some very creative food (the toilet paper pict. is a mummy game we played where the object was to be the first to be totally wrapped up in TP!) Saturday, of course was the Trick-or-Treating which we had to hire a sitter to do with the kids because it was Stake Conference adult session that night. It was a whirlwind three days. The candy is gone now and I am glad we have a whole year until that holiday comes around again.