Pumpkin Patch

This year Ava and I went to the Pumpkin Patch without Rich. We missed him, but still had fun. We walked out to the pumpkin patch because Ava didn't want to go on the hay ride. She liked the tractor and enjoyed waving to all the people on it, but was adamant she didn't want to go on it.

After the long walk Ava wanted a snack. We found a nice bale of hay and Ava enjoyed some banana chips and water.

After refueling we decided to pick out a pumpkin. I wanted to bring something spectacular home to Rich since he couldn't come and fortunately we got a great deal. Our pumpkin patch had really cheap pumpkins to begin with, but we got a special deal. While talking to the farmer and asking him what pumpkins were $15 he told me to pick out any Prize Winner pumpkin and I could have it for $15. I was shocked and excited because most of the pumpkins looked like $30 or more.
After loading up the pumpkin we picked out we looked at the squash and gourds. The farmer told me the green pumpkin made a good pumpkin pie, so I got one to give it a try. We also got a collection of squash because they were cheap and Ava loves to eat them. Ava picked out 3 teeny-tiny pumpkins and a warty gourd. She kept trying to add more, but I had to stop her. She was having a lot of fun loading up the wheel barrel.

Once we were done I went to pay and found out they only accepted cash or checks...OH NO! Last year we paid with our Visa card, so I didn't have much cash and my checkbook was at home. I was going to run to an ATM, but realized my debit card was at home too. I decided the giant pumpkin was worth the drive home, so they put our wheel barrel aside while we made the quick trip home.

When we got back I decided to look at the pumpkins one more time. I saw a giant deformed pumpkin that I really liked and thought I would see how much it cost. It was bigger than the other one, so I hoped to get it for $20. When I asked the farmer, he said he would give it to me for $12. I couldn't believe it. I was so excited and couldn't wait for Rich to see our deals.

All of these pumpkins and squash cost $36.25.

When we left the trunk and backseat were full of pumpkins. Ava and I were excited and knew Rich (the lover of Halloween) would be too. The people at the pumpkin patch were so nice and generous. We talked to several of the farmers and workers and all of them made our experience wonderful. As I drove home I had a big smile on my face and that night I said a prayer of thanks for the people at the pumpkin patch and difference they made in my day.

President Monson Breaks Ground for Rome Italy Temple

The following article is from the Church of Jesus Christ's official Newsroom website.

Click the HERE to check out the Rome Italy Temple website.

Oct 23 2010 — ROME, Italy
News Release
Construction has begun in the “eternal” city for a new Latter-day Saint temple. Thomas S. Monson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with Church and local community leaders, participated in the traditional groundbreaking ceremony for the Rome Italy Temple 23 October 2010.

President Monson underlined the uniqueness and the historical moment whose importance goes beyond the borders of Rome and Italy. He thanked the members of the Church for their commitment to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

“My heart is filled with gratitude,” said President Monson as he addressed the 500 guests in attendance. “Members throughout Italy, and the entire Mediterranean area, will be able to come here.

In attendance at the morning ceremony was Mr. Giuseppe Ciardi, representing the Mayor of Rome, Giovanni Alemanno, and other local government representatives.

"A ceremony that profoundly touched me for the sincere and heartfelt appreciation of those attending," said Senator Lucio Malan. "A positive day for Italy because those who profess to obey the laws of the state and the laws of God make the country in which they live a better place."

Other Church leaders in attendance included Elder William R. Walker, Executive Director of the Temple Department, Elder Erich W. Kopischke, president of the European area and his counselors, Elder Gérald Caussé and Elder José A. Teixeira of the First Quorum of the Seventy.

President Monson surprised members of the Church when he announced that a temple would be built in Rome, Italy during the October 2008 general conference.

The Church will build the temple on a beautiful 15-acre site in the community of Settebagni, Rome. When completed, it will serve over 23,000 Church members living in Italy and those in neighboring countries.

Currently the Church operates 134 temples worldwide. The Rome Italy Temple will be the twelfth in Europe and the first in Italy.

The temple exterior will be constructed from granite and have decorative glazing. The interior finish will be of the finest material and workmanship: marble, woodwork, Venetian Plaster and decorative painting. The three-story temple will be approximately 40,000 square feet with two tall spires.

“This truly is a historic and memorable day,” said Elder Walker, of the First Quorum of the Seventy. “This great city is known for its history, for its beauty and for its Christian tradition and now it will be home to one of the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

The temple will be part of a new religious and cultural center which will include a multifunctional meeting house, a visitors’ center, Family History Center and patron housing. Much of the center will be open to the public and will include buildings and gardens that will be of interest and benefit members of the Church in the surrounding community.

Latter-day Saint temples differ from the Church’s meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where Christ's teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and strengthen their commitment to serve Jesus Christ and those around them.

*My comments: I'm very excited to see they broke ground on the Rome Temple. I served my mission in Italy but never got to see Rome. I was in Northern Italy. I can't wait until I can take my family to Italy to see Rome and a temple in Italy.

When I was on my mission I wondered if there would ever be a temple in Italy. At times it didn't seem possible, but the Lord has prepared a way. I love the Italian people and I'm very happy they will have their own temple.

WARNING: May Cause Crying & Screaming in Small Children

I wish that warning was attached to the "Bigfoot the Monster" robotic toy at Target. If it was we might have been able to spare Ava a very traumatic experience. A few months ago while at Target we came across this toy and thought Ava might enjoy to see it in action. Well that was a BIG mistake. At first she just looked a little nervous, but then Bigfoot hit his fists against the plastic and Ava lost it. She started screaming and crying like I'd never seen before. It was terrible and took us several minutes to calm her down. We realized at that time Ava doesn't like talking toys and definitely does not like "Bigfoot the Monster". We decided we would have to be careful to avoid this toy on our future trips to Target.

Unfortunately that is not the end of the traumatic story. A couple weeks ago Ava and I were alone at Target and cruising around. Ava was happy walking and not really paying attention to anything in particular. As we approached the Bigfoot toy I strategically and casually placed myself inbetween it and Ava. She wasn't even looking in that direction so I decided not to make a big deal about it and just figured we would walk right by. Well, I was wrong. Right as we passed the toy Ava glanced over and just lost it. She became paralyzed with fear and started hysterically crying. A few people in the area looked at me like I was crazy as I explained it was the dumb Bigfoot's fault. I picked Ava up and tried to comfort her as I quickly walked away. Again it took several minutes to calm her. I then decided I hate Bigfoot and we would have to be very careful on all our future trips to Target.

Ava was not harmed in the shooting of this video.
Rich shot it alone while Ava was safely with me.

Enjoying New Found Freedom

Ava is loving her new found freedom during naptime. I enjoy it most of the time too unless I have to pick up the aftermath(check out pictures below). Ava likes being in her room alone now and will play quietly by herself. This has allowed me to take a shower or get a few chores done around the house. I have also found that Ava will "sleep" longer. I think she thinks she is being sneaky and it is pretty cute. Ava will get out of her bed and play for a little bit. Then she gets back in bed and calls me to come get her like she just woke up. I think it is pretty funny and I don't mind the few extra minutes of free time.

Ava actually made this mound of a mess once. She emptied the 2 bottom drawers. One drawer contained blankets and the other was full of hand-me-down clothes she will eventually grow into. It was hard to be upset when I saw that cute and super happy smile. I just wanted until Rich was home to distract her and then put everything back.

Ava also likes to put toys on her bed. On this day she tried to fit all the toys, books, and shoes in her reach on the bed. She thought it was pretty funny and tried to even sleep this way.

Sneaky Chef

A few weeks ago I checked out the book, "The Sneaky Chef", by Missy Chase Lapine. It contains simple recipes and ideas for hiding healthy foods in kids' favorite foods. I thought this concept sounded interesting and something I wanted to explore. I was also pretty skeptical. I wasn't thinking about being sneaky for Ava because she is a good eater. Some of her favorites include edamame, peas, broccoli, sweet potato, yogurt, and bananas. I was thinking more about being sneaky to help me be healthier. After reading some of the recipes I became even more skeptical, but decided to give it a whirl.

I started by making two of the secret sneaky purees. One was orange with sweet potato and carrots. This one reminded me of baby food. The first way I used it was in box Mac-n-Cheese. I basically made it the same but added some of the secret orange puree and cheddar cheese. I also added peas which is something I always do(I love peas with any pasta). It was good. I didn't taste the puree at all and I've had it since.

I also used the orange puree on toasted cheese sandwiches with tomato soup. I basically made the toasted cheese sandwich the same but spreadthe puree on the inside of the bread. I also used olive oil on the outside instead of butter. This was another winner and I would do it again.

The other puree was purplish with spinach and blueberries. It came out pretty gross and smelled terrible like cut grass. I wasn't sure if I wanted to eat it, but I found a recipe that sounded good and gave it a try. I made Coco Chocolate Chip Pancakes. I was hoping the chocolate would mask the puree and make me forget the grass clippings smell. I was really surprised when I didn't taste grass or spinach. The pancakes ended up being pretty good. The only thing was the texture was a little off. I'm sure it was because it was made with equal parts flour, wheat flour, and wheat germ. The texture wasn't bad, it just wasn't a fluffy pancake.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with the ideas and some of the recipes. I didn't have time to try more recipes before the book was due, but I plan on checking it out again. I still want to try the sneaky brownie recipe.

This is Ava after eating Coco Chocolate Chip Pancakes.

As you can see you loved them.

New Hair Style

Ava's hair keeps getting longer, but it has been difficult to do anything with it. First of all it is hard to get her to sit still long enough for me to make it cute. Then if I put in pigtails or cute barrettes Ava usually pulls them out within a hour. I don't care so much that her hair has a cute style. I just want to be able to pull her hair out of her face, so we can see her beautiful blue eyes. After struggling with this since Ava has had hair I finally came up with a solution.

First I put in a short video. Just something long enough to distract her and allow me to work some magic. The other trick is how I do her hair. I found that the style below works because she can't pull it out easily. I also think it looks pretty cute. I'm now hoping as time goes on and hair grows I will be able to try some different styles.

Can you say "sucker"?

Unfortunately I can.

Ava loves Buzz Lightyear and with the last Toy Story movie there is so much merchandise. The good thing is Ava is still young and doesn't want everything Buzz. The other good thing is we are pretty cheap and have no problem passing things up. With that said the marketing companies do a good job preying on my weaknesses...a irresistibly cute daughter and cheap cheesy food. So when I saw the Toy Story Cheez-Its and Mac-n-Cheese I couldn't say no. I guess a few splurges here and there aren't too bad.

Conversion Complete

Last Sunday we finally converted Ava's crib into a toddler bed. It was really easy, but for some reason we had been resisting the idea. I don't know what we were thinking because it has been great. Ava loves being able to get in and out by herself and is still sleeping well. I actually think she is sleeping better and is less likely to wake us up unless she really needs to.

Sleeping Beauty or Hibernating Bear?

We recently discovered Ava snores. She doesn't snore like you think a cute little girl might, but instead sounds like a sleeping bear. At night while we are getting ready for bed and reading scriptures we can often hear Ava snoring through the wall. It is pretty funny and kind of cute at the same time. We just hope it doesn't get any worse.

Apple Hill

Last Saturday we went to Apple Hill with Rich's parents and his brother Dave's family. We stopped at a couple places. At Boa Vista Orchards we bought some apples, pears, apple cider, and apple pie.

We then headed over to Ridge Ranch where we ate lunch. Jessica and I waited in line for some BBQ pork sandwiches that were almost worth the wait and money. Everybody else ate sandwiches from home. After eating, the kids, dads, and grandparents ran around the pond. Bruce had a good laugh at the city folk "fishing" in the pond. Ava liked the ponies for the pony ride, but we decided the line was too long. We didn't want to wait in line to end up with another train incident (screaming and refusing to ride).

After lunch most of the kids (and parents too) were tired and done. We headed back to our house for some more fun. Ava slept for a long time. The rest of us had nachos, played Wii, and made necklaces. We also enjoyed 2 kinds of apple pie and some cider.

It was a great day. We love being with family and can't wait for the next Bowling family adventure.

Ava & Eli

Kobie and Lily checking out a stand with fossils and other cool rocks.
Rich, Ava, Grandpa, and Kobie across the pond. Rich had to hold Ava back because she wanted to get in the yucky water. Papa holding a very tired Ava. It was a long hard day for Ava. She slept on the way there and on the way back.

Got Insomnia? Then Hit the Bike Trail.

Yesterday was a weird day. Ava didn't really take a nap and had tons of energy. She didn't show any signs of wanting to sleep until we went for a bike ride. I guess being out on the trail is soothing to her because before we got home she fell asleep.

Sorry for the poor picture quality. It is not easy to ride a bike and take a picture without causing injury.

Chocolate Strawberry

On Friday Rich brought home a chocolate covered strawberry for Ava. She loved it of course and showed her appreciation by giving Rich hugs after each bite. I was happy Ava enjoyed her treat, but not happy about the strawberry and chocolate stains on Rich's shirt and jeans I have to try and remove.

First Bite

Italian sign language for good

"I Want More!"

"Thank you daddy. I love you!"

Bath time

Ava's 1st Friend Birthday Party

Last week Ava went to her first friend birthday party. Her friend Andrew turned 2 and had some friends and their parents over. We were happy to go and had fun. Ava played with her friends Jill and Andrew a little at first, but then became tired and wanted to be held for most of the evening.

Weekend in Gridley

Last weekend we headed to Gridley Saturday and stayed through Sunday. We went for General Conference and Lily's 3rd birthday. Ava had a great time playing with her cousins and visiting with Nona, Papa, and Great-Grandpa.

Lily, Ava, & Nona

Lily & Ava checking out Nona's pumpkin patch

Lily helping Ava find her way through the orchard to the pumpkin patch

Can you guess what this is a picture of? There is someone hiding...guess who?

This is the birthday girl doing one of her favorite things...swinging.

Ava and daddy on a butterfly hunt. At first she tried the pool net, but realized it was too big and heavy.

Ava and Great-Grandpa Bowling

Ava and Lily

By Sunday evening the kids were tired and a little wild. Dave was kind enough to carry Ava around with Baby Eli. I love this picture because Lily is leaping over the couch. Rich took a good action photo. And check out Bella in with her cool hat...too cute!

Dave with all the kids watching an animal documentary. I think they were learning about Komodo Dragons.

Got to Love the Pigtails!