Popcorn Balls

I really wish I would have taken pictures but here's the story anyway...

Its a tradition in my family to make popcorn balls for all the trick-or-treaters every halloween. We all meet at my grandmas house a day or so before halloween and make popcorn balls. One person, usually my grandma, stirs some ingredients together and puts them in a saucepan and starts it boiling, when it reaches 300º F on a candy thermometer, it comes off the heat and a few more ingredients are added to the mix along with food coloring, the hot hot hot candy is then poured over a bowl full of popcorn, usually by my aunt Mallene. Its mixed all around and then after putting butter on your hands and biting your lip, 2 people, in this case, Mallene and myself, start forming the popcorn into snowball sized balls. This is the job no one likes to have, but someone's gotta do it :) . After the balls are cooled of they are put into bags, usually by the younger grandkids or the older great grand kids, and then some candy is added into the bag. Those bags are put into a larger paper sack and are now ready for the trick or treaters. My grandma popped 7 grocery store sized paper sacks worth of popcorn which made about 16 batches, which make about 20 balls each which makes about 350 popcorn balls. How's that for a halloween goodie!

While all of this is going on someone has to wash out the pots in between batches, someone has to refill the popcorn bowls for the next batch and someone has to spray all the stuff with Pam cooking spray. And then sometimes, the 2 batches that are cooking get finished at the same time and that really makes it interesting. All together we had 8 people working on these!

Danni - stir the ingredients and hand them to Sandy

Sandy - Cook the ingredients to 300º

Grandma - Add the rest of the ingredients after its cooked, wash the pots after its poured on the popcorn

Mallene - stir in color, pour over popcorn, stir it up, form the balls

Stephanie - help form balls, refill popcorn into bowls, spray bowls and spoons with Pam (check on Hayden)

Eric - Help form balls when it gets crazy!! (we actually had 3 pots cooking at one time part of the afternoon)

Jodi - put balls in bags

Paul - Put candy in bags and zip shut

Its such a fun tradition, and every year my grandma says it will be the last but so many people ask "when are we making popcorn balls" and so many people are willing to help that it just can't stop. Now all the cousins spouses or boyfriends are coming to help and asking when its time to do it. I love it!!!

What have you done?

I stole this from Katie's blog

Rules are: Anything you have done has to be in bold. How much have you done?

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Fast for Voters

Everyone needs to have a special fast on November 2nd. Fast for voters, that they will be able to know who they should vote for.

Back to work, House guests, and exercise in the future??

WORK

Well I'm finally back to work. I worked all the way up to delivery. After being a week late I was induced so I knew exactly the day I would start my maternity leave, unless I went into labor on my own. My boss and I never really set an exact length of time that I would be gone and I felt bad for being out of work for so long so I decided to return to work on the 20th. That would mean I had exactly a month off. Joan (my boss) basically told me anywhere from a month to 6 weeks depending on how I was feeling. I was feeling quite bored at home so I made it a month. When I called her to tell her I would be coming back on the 20th she told me to plan on coming for just a couple hours in the mornings for a week or so until I get used to being down there. Man am I grateful for that. I don't think I could do 9-5 right away. I am really happy that its Friday. Even though I've only been going for 1/2 days, its nice to know I don't have to get up and get ready in the morning. Joan makes a quilt for all her grandkids when they get married and one of them is getting married in 2 weeks so she's had a quilt down at the store that she works on all day. She's had me help her and I've gotten pretty good. It almost makes me want to do one myself. Maybe if I had the quilt stands and tacks.... Which I'm sure aren't too hard to find...


HOUSE GUESTS

Since Hayden is getting blessed on Sunday, Paul's older brother Billy is coming down, along with his wife and 4 kids. They will be staying at our house so Paul and I will be cleaning tomorrow. I like having people over and being a hostess. I hope that I have enough energy to cook breakfast for them Sunday morning. I make some dang good waffles (its my mom's recipe) and then Paul's mom's syrup recipe is amazing with it too! (let me know if you want either one) Paul's going to cook his mom's spaghetti for dinner Saturday night. YAY. I can't wait until Hayden gets a little older so he can actually play with his cousins. It'll be fun to see them, the last time I did, Danali was a newborn so I bet she's so big now.

GETTING MY BODY BACK

Everyone says how good I look after having a baby, but I really just can't wait until my doctor gives the ok to start excersizing. I want my flabby tummy gone!! I'm sure everyone is thinking, yeah what flab, but compared to what it used to be, wow I'm flabby. I'm thinking about taking a kickboxing class next semester. Maybe I can get a few friends to sign up with me and we can all get in shape together. Paul already said he can watch Hayden for the 2 hours a week if I pump so he's got a way to feed him. :) Happy is me.

Hayden's Blessing

Hayden is getting blessed this coming Sunday at 10:30 am (that's when Sacrament meeting starts) at the Thatcher Stake Center. I sure hope everyone can come. If you have questions you can call me... 928.651.5540

President

I watched a little of the presidential debate with Paul the other night. I really didn't like how when McCain was asked a question he would basically say everything that Obama does wrong pertaining to that question and doesn't answer it about himself. I was just really annoyed that he was bashing Obama so much instead of trying to win votes for himself. I liked how Obama only would say something about McCain if it had the words "and that's where senator McCain and I have different opinions" and that would be all about him. I really like Sarah Palin, which makes me want to vote for McCain but I really don't like McCain. Then again I really don't like Obama either. Why can't Sarah Palin run for President?? I bet she would win. Let us just hope that if McCain does win, he somehow dies or something, I know thats bad but really. Well all in all I still don't know who to vote for.

weekend fun

I'm really excited for this weekend. There's several things going on. Tomorrow night is Michele's baby shower and right after is a friend of mine's wedding reception. Also its the fair this weekend, and even though I won't be going on any rides, I'm still excited to go. But I think the thing I'm the most excited for is the fact that Brian and Marie are coming down. They get to meet Hayden!! All of my other friends have already seen him and it seems they are the last ones. Well besides Paul's family and most of my siblings. My mom has been here for the past week and is leaving this Saturday :( but it has been a lot of fun having her here. Paul used to not like her for a few good reasons but now he likes her for a few other good reasons. So it was nice to be able to spend time with my mom, grandparents, and paul all together. They would just take turns passing Hayden around (it sure was nice to have someone actually want to hold him). Paul rarely holds him and when he does its because I'm doing something like cooking dinner or taking a shower, then he gives him right back to me as soon as possible. Paul says that Hayden likes my "magic pillows" as Tiffany calls them. Newborns are a lot of work, that's for sure. Well I talked to my boss yesterday and she needs me for sure back to work on the 7th of November because they have a family wedding. I told her I was planning on being back on the 20th of October and she said oh ok and then she said that I should only work 1/2 a day for the first 2 weeks to ease back into things. Wow I am so lucky that I found that job, they are sooooo good to me!! Well I guess that's about all the update I have.

Hayden Update

Mostly I just wanted to post a picture... But anyway.... he had his week check up on Friday and we got him circumsized (sp?) I could hear him screaming from my check up room. He was ok though. He had gained 3 oz from his birth weight. He's eating really well and sleeping really well. He's only up at night to eat so that's good. He's just all around a good baby. :)