Life With The Suttons

Ginger Bread House Construction Zone

2015-12-13T22:05:00.002-07:00

Yesterday we decided to make a ginger bread house. So I made the dough.

cut out the pieces

baked them

Then today we assembled and decorated it.

we made a nice think royal icing to hold it all together.

lots of icing.

Even papa helped with the construction of the house.

The kids enjoyed finding just the right spot for each piece of candy,

It took lots of concentration.

and strategic placement.

Ruthie even joined in the fun.

It was a great family activity.

Lots of candy was used in the decorations.

Nana and the kids made memories to last a life time.

Even Josh came over and placed a piece of candy on the little cute house. Look at that smile.

Wait Lucas don't take a bite!!!

Bowling Fun

2015-11-09T12:41:00.001-07:00

Daddy entering in our names.

Go dad go.

Dezzi is on a roll.

Look at that form.

Lucas had to make sure his fingers were in the right holes.

He talked his ball right down the lane.

Daddy helping Lucas

Wait, wait what did we find a dinosaur helper.

It works a like a charm.

We even had pizza for lunch.

In the end we were all greatfull for the bumpers.

Pumpkins and Costumes

2015-11-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like waiting till the 31st of Oct to carve your pumpkins.

Dezzi did a great job cleaning out her pumpkin and making sure that each dead was saved so we could bake them later.

Our dear friend Ruthie joined us for the fun.

Lucas worked and worked to get his guts out of his pumpkin.

I had each of the kids draw a picture of what they wanted their pumpkin to look like.

This is Dezzi's.

Lucas's

Ruthie's

This year Dezzi carved most of the pumpkin all by her self. She was very careful.

Lucas still cleaning out his pumpkin.

I was carving Ruthie's pumpkin because she was a little sore from being in a car accident just a few days prior.

I always find it fun to create something with my hands.

I helped Lucas carve his pumpkin.

He tried a few cuts on his own.

This is Dezzi's finished creation. Do you think it looks like her picture?

Ruthie's creation carved by yours truly.

Lucas's creation.

and finally the back of Ruthie's pumpkin.

They were so proud of their pumpkins.

and rightly so I believe.

The pumpkins all a glow.

Here we are ready to go trick or treating with our friends Abby and Loraine.

They were so excited.

Along the way we picked up Lucas's friend Toby. He was the cutest T-rex.

The weather was great for walking door to door. We visited 12 houses and the kids cad home with their pumpkins full.

We on the other hand only had 11 or so kids come to our home and two of them were our own, Now we have more than enough candy to last us for a long while.

Sing Praises to your King!

Halloween Celebration at Bethel

2015-10-30T21:01:00.000-06:00

Today the kids and I delivered cookies for the Halloween Celebration at Bethel Home and stayed for the fun.

The kids loved the decorations.

Dezzi and Lucas enjoyed delivering goodies to the residence and visiting with them.

We didn't know that they would also have treats for the kids. They went from table to table and received candy.

They had a costume contest for those residence who dressed up.

The lady with the yellow braids done first place. She also has a dog that wore a helmet.

The kids and I liked the sunflower costume the best.

The kids enjoyed tasting some of the baked goods, crackers and chips along with a greenish juice.

Next they had the costume contest for the workers. The therapists won. They dressed up as the Village People and danced to YMCA.

The most fun part was watching the kids bob for apples

They were so excited.

Lucas even forgot to remove his hat.

After lots of tries...

.......

........

Lucas was the first to secure his apple.

Dezzi kept trying...

with the help of the clown....

she finally grabbed one of her own.

Then we watched two of the workers race for their apples.

This gentleman was excited to give it a try. He had two little cheerleaders cheering him on.

We finished the afternoon by helping the staff clean up trash and wipe off tables.

What a fun afternoon.

Sing Praises to your King!

Studying Luthers Seal

2015-10-21T08:58:00.001-06:00

Reformation is quickly aproaching so we are taking some time to learn about Martin Luther. Today we looked at his seal. We read the explanation that Luther wrote in 1530.

Then we made our own Luthers Seal to hang up in our home.

First we traced all the parts on the coorosponding colors.

Then we cut them out.

It was a long and tedious process. But all in all they both did a great job.

Next we glued the pieces together.

We put cardboard between each layer to make it 3D.

Now we wait for them to dry. (Do you like Dezzi's hairstyle? She did it her self.)

Lucas is pretty proud of his finished seal.

Here is anot her explication. Of the seal.

A trip to Bottanau

2015-09-24T17:37:00.001-06:00

We started our afternoon with a picnic at the beginning of the bike trail. We had some little kitties watching us.

It was a beautiful autumn day for a ride.

We collected leaves along the way. We will be classifying later for our botany class.

This leaf was so huge. We just had to take a picture.

The gorgeous colorful leaves made for some pretty backgrounds for our pictures.

Dezzi biking along the picturesque bike rout.

Lucas enjoying the ride.

We even sawwan old truck hidden in the trees.

Here is lake Metigoshe. We rode around the entire thing about 13 miles.

We also found some awesome looking mushrooms.

We did not collect any as we did not know if they were poisonous.

After our ride we stopped at a point of interest. Have I ever mentioned I love stopping at points of interest? You never know what you might see and learn.

This time it was all about using the sun to determine the season of the year.

And to determine the time.

We even had a lesson on how to count with Roman numerals.

This was the view. It was breathtaking.

Another view.

Dezzi posing on this large rock.

Now my handsome little boy.

Then it was time for some selfies.

My precious gifts from my Heavenly Father.

Another selfie.

Finally we talked about different kinds of rocks. This one was sand stone.

And a conglomerate rock.

I thought these were simular to granit but Tim disagreed.

What are your thoughts?

Overall it was anot her great family day. We love having daddy home for 6 days in a row so we can take fun day trips like this.

My little chef.

2015-09-18T20:01:00.001-06:00

Tonight Dezzi treated us to home made spaghetti.

She chopped the onion and green pepper.

Diced the tomatoes.

Cooked it all up.

Learned how to use a can opener.

Mixed some more

Cooked the little round noodles she chose.

And even dished everyone's plates. She did a great job.

Apple picking and a Gerber tool.

2015-09-14T17:32:00.001-06:00

This afternoon we had our good friend Elizabeth come over to go apple picking with us.

They were high up in the tree.

So dad got his ladder out.

And Elizabeth put Dezzi on her shoulders.

Lucas climes the ladder to get closer to the apples.

Then they were both in the tree tops.

Elizabeth was supervising.

Relaxing while the kids worked.

During a break time Tim showed Lucas how to use his new gerber.

He did pretty good.

Time to clean the apples and to use the gerber to pull off the stems.

Let the juicing begin.

Field trip #2 Air Museum

2015-09-11T20:19:00.001-06:00

Our second stop was to the Air museum.

We got to see lots of things from WWII.

This was a biplane replica. Sorry it got blury.

Lucas liked this yellow model.

There were old fire engins.

And best of all a cockpit that the kids could play in.

It was a crazy ride. Our destination Rapid City to see the Dinosaurs.

We went upside down.

And of course things had to be fixed.

There were lots of cool plains.

Old cars.

This jeep was another favorite of Lucas's.

This was an ejection seat the kids coukd examin.

Watching planes land and take off. The whole building rumbled.

All of these planes were from WWII and they all run. We learned they painted swastikas on the plane each time they returned from a successful mission and shot down the enemy.

We also learned about where the phrase the whole 9 yards came from. That is how long the ammo would be if it were laid out in a strait row. When they returned from the mission they told the matinence crew they shot the whole nine yards so they knew they were out of ammo and needed to be restocked.

FIELD TRIP#1 Souris river wild life refuge

2015-09-11T20:15:00.001-06:00

Today we went for a drive and wound up on a science field trip. We are studying botany and this was a great place to study God's creation up close and personal. We will do some research next week to identify all the plants we found.

We found these pretty flowers.

And these

Oh and these.

Dezzi thought she found eggs which was a great guess but. Upon closer examination we discovered they were mushrooms. We had a lesson on not eating any mushrooms unless you know with out doubt they are safe.

This one reminded us if cotton.

We also found wild snap dragons.

Lucas enjoyed identifying monocots and dicots.

This week we learned about bees and how they play an important roll in polination.

And that they suck the nectar out to take back to the hive so they can make honey.

We also talked about bird migration.

Best of all we had a great time as a family hiking, singing, laughing and learning.

Oops I cut off Lucas beautiful smile.

And now he forgot to smile.

This area reminded me of walking in grandma's coolie.

My beautiful girl.

My handsome boy.

Shoulder rides.

Bird watching

We drove over a dam.

And finally picture Tim talking in hushed toned as he said" and now we observe the fisherman in his natural habitat. ...."

But stay tuned our day was not over. Be watching for field trip #2.

Making Bricks

2015-08-22T14:23:00.001-06:00

This week we were learning about how people in acient times (specifically the people who lived in India and also during Mosses day back in Egypt) made their own bricks to build their houses.

We collected dirt...

An empty container...

Straw....

And sand...

Then we mixed the dirt

Sand

And straw into the bucket with some water.

Next we stomped...

And mixed

And stomped some more.

We made a muddy mess in the kitchen of all places.

It was great fun. We giggled and squeezed ans almost fell over.

Finally it was mixed enough. Or at least we hope so.

So we filled our bread tins that were lined with tinfoil.

And we patted it and packed it as tight as we could.

Push it down Lucas.

Finally mom put some of them in the oven and a I cream pale full in the entry way. How will it turn out? Time will tell.

Angostura Lake

2015-07-24T16:18:00.001-06:00

Today we had a great day at th e beach.

Nana swam with the kids.

We got to see this beautiful sail boat.

We were even joind by the Reiners. We had a nice visit. Thanks for coming out.

Barb even waded in the water to play with the kids.

Nana with both Dezzi and Lucas.

Over all a great day in the sun.

not even 5 minutes from the lake Lucas passed out. Swimming is very hard work.

Story Book Island 2015

2015-07-23T17:43:00.001-06:00

Fun in the Sun.

2015-06-27T18:43:00.001-06:00

Today were invited to join some friends out at the lake.

We rode on their boat.

Here is my dear friend Kim Nelson.

Lucas was watching for the fish as th e other boys were dishing as we slowly moved aling the lake.

Lucas even got to drive.

On your marks,

get set

JUMP! Dezzi enjoyed swimming I. The deep water.

Lucas wasn't quite so sure.

But in the end he got in also.

but not for to long.

Overall a great day at the lake.

Fort Union Rendezvous

2015-06-21T19:00:00.001-06:00

We took a walk back in time when we went to kids day at the rendezvous.

we watched a black smith work his magic with a hammer and the hot iron rod.

He was making a hook nail.

Our good friend Elizabeth joined us for this fun adventure.

This nice lady was talking about what kind of toys native kids would have played with.

Lucas loved the tipi.

There was a camp fire that kept us warm on this chilly day as we listened to a man tell us about food.

Dezzi asked him why there was grass on the roof of the building and he said to keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer.

he showed us these bowls filled with peas, roasted corn, and bacon.

They could choose a craft of coloring or making a bead necklace

This gentleman shot this black powder gun for the kids and told them all about it

They also got to make corn husk dolls. All in all a great day.

Flower Dissection

2015-05-14T11:40:00.001-06:00

Today we took a close look at flowers.

A very close look.

We took the flower apart and glued it on a piece of paper.

We labeled all the parts and discussed their purpose.

Dezzi labeled all of hers all by here self.

Strawberry Icecream

2015-05-13T18:50:00.001-06:00

Today Dezzi carefully cut up a bunch of strawberries.

Then she boiled them with some salt, water and Vanilla.

Next we gathered the ingredients for our icecream base.

She watched over it to make sure it didn't boil over.

After supper we each took turns turning the crank. Lucas was slow and steady.

Dezzi was a little quicker.

Daddy was the best with his steady even motion.

Mommy Got Off easy. It was getting close to done so....

Daddy hooked up the power to get it done.

That was hard work.

Time for a quick taste.

It was so thick and creamy. It filled our 6 quart canister.

Dezzi thought it was delictable.

and Lucas's smile.says it all.

Ice Cream Maker

2015-05-04T21:05:00.001-06:00

The other day we found this fun little item at Tractor Supply. It was only $15. Great deal right? Well it was but it was also missing a few pieces. After some phone calls and some Internet searching we had located our missng pieces. The cost a little over 30. All in all still a pretty good deal.

The missing parts arrived today and Tim was sweet enough to pick up the necessary items so we could try It out.

Here is Ruth our designated teenager taking her turn at the crank.

The it was Dezzi's turn she lasted quite a long time. Sadly Lucas was in bed due to choices and an upset tummy so he missed out this time. But not to worry I have extra ingredients that will need to be used soon so we will give it another try. Hopefully he will be up for the challenge.

After we were tired we switched cranks to the electric one so it could finish the delicious treat.

The finished product was beautiful and creamy and down a the bottom of the canister it was quite frozen. No one else wanted to lick the beater bar so I had to do it. I was actually very glad as that is my favorite part.

I put some berries on it to top it off. Doesn't it look delicious. There was lots left over so we will be able to enjoy it again another day. Maybe next time I'll add a flavor to the mix.

Circus Fun

2015-04-16T08:15:00.001-06:00

We had a great time visiting the circus.

For a year Tim and I have overheard the kids discussing the fact that they didn't get to ride the Elephant last year but rather they got their face painted and a free pony ride. (shh we got there early and I don't think it was supposed to be free.)

Since we try to be a family who offers choices instead of letting our kids have everything that is what they got to do. This year we didn't offer a choice but rather surprised them with riding the elephant, I was not about to hear abut not riding it for another year. They took their ride very serious but loved it.

I loved watching the tigers. They always remind me of my mother who lovers the white ones.

They were very fun to watch as they tried to catch the mans stick as he waved it in front of them. They even hopped on two legs.

This man was super talented as he balanced on the boards.

Elsa even made It to the Circus. You could hear all the girls squeal and sing out the song. While the dads and brothers made a slight groaning sound. These ladies even hung from the rafters and spun around. After they were done Dezzi said "mom that wasn't their real hair. " I am glad we got that settled.

This is blurry but she was spinning from her hair. Enough said.

I loved the elephant. They are so strong and beautiful. From where we were sitting we could even see them getting their bath .

The show has ended and it was time to clean up. The staff asked for volunteers who would receive free cotton candy when they were done.

They were excited to receive their cotton candy. And it was a good learning lesson. Sometimes we need to work for things we want. We also learned why it is important to pick up after yourselves instead of tossing your trash or half eaten food on the floor, and why it is important to volunteer to help. They wanted the next kids that were coming to the 7pm show to have a clean place to sit like they did.

Over all a great time was had by all even dad who was able to sneak away for a little fun.

One last picture this was one of Lucas's favorite things at the circus.

Its a dirty job.

2015-04-12T18:20:00.001-06:00

When I was a little girl we used to travel to a little farm just east of Rapid City where my parents would load the old pickup full of manure. I enjoyed these trip because we could look at all the animals and it was time we spent together as a family.

Today we took our kids to a farm and filled our pickup with manure.

There was lots to choose from.

We found a place where it had turned into rich dirt.

Look at that poop fly! Good job honey. Actually Tim and I both worked hard to fill the truck. It took about 30 min. Dezzi tried and got a few shovels full in the back. Lucas on the other hand stood his distance. He doesn't like to get dirty. I told him not to worry he will get a chance tomorrow as we need to get it into the garden so that we can start planting. After all families work together and play together!

Sing Praises to your King!

It was a big day for Dezzi!

2015-04-10T19:36:00.000-06:00

Today the training wheels came off of Dezzi's bike I took one of them off last week and thought we would give it a try. She was one determined little girl.

It took some time. It took some falls.

The cat got ran over.

I got ran over.

And even Lucas got ran over.

Dezzie's goal was to be able to ride with her dad. I think she succeeded.

Here are some of her battle wounds from the days adventures.

She never cried but was brave and got right back on her bike.

I think she is pretty proud of her wounds.

Sing Praises to your King!

Shucking a Coconut

2015-04-06T20:37:00.000-06:00

My parents sent us a coconut from Hawaii. This is how it arrived.

Today we decided to open it up.

A big hammer and something pointy with a child to hold it steady seemed just the ticket to break it open.

Ok maybe the child was a bit too much. So Tim just smashed it till it cracked ten pried it open.

And pried

and pried.

Finally it came apart am was very hairy.

Tim is peeling of more of the hair. There was lots of dust.

Shake, shake, shake your coconut.

and sake it some more. The kids thought they heard the milk.

So Tim drilled a hole...

only to discover there was no milk.

So back out side we went to crack it open.

It had a grey film covering the white meat and it was very stinky so we decided no to eat it. But what a great experience.

Thanks Mom and Dad.

Sing Praises to your King!

Jesus Christ is Risen Today!

2015-04-05T13:07:00.004-06:00

From our house to yours we wish you a very Blessed Easter.

Here are the kids Easter goodies. They love it when we surprise them with sweet and fun things,

Dezzi and her Easter hat. We decided it was a little distracting so we saved it to wear while we are at home.

What are these? Mystery peeps?

They are super tasty.

Usually we get the chocolate crosses but I couldn't find them this yearly; instead they had tense lovely and tasty chocolate fish.

Sing Praises to your King!

Tilling and eggs!

2015-04-04T19:55:00.001-06:00

It was a beautiful day so we decided to tackle some yard work.

Tim got the tractor running and even got the garden tilled.

While the kids and I cleaned up the yard.

I think this is the earliest we have been able to get it done.

After all the work was done we died our eggs. We decided to shake them in a bag of rice with food coloring in it.

I had a few more eggs but they broke so they had to be eaten.

Lucas was excited to use his favorite color.

Dezzi enjoyed every minute of this process. She even mixed some of the colors to make marbled eggs.

Shake, Shake, Shake

and shake some more.

Look how pretty they turned out.

I just love all the beautiful colors that come along with spring!!!

The kids are eagerly awaiting tomorrow morning when they can hear pastor say "He is Risen" and they can respond with "He is Risen Indeed Hallelujah!"

Sing Praises to your King!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2015-04-04T10:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we made a cake for Tim's Birthday. The kids chose the color of the frosting.

They even decorated it.

Look at that concentration!

Time to taste.

It must have been good.

I helped them pipe the words on to the cake.

They were so excited.

I had to clean it up a little and the frosting was super thick but who doesn't like thick frosting right???

Here are the kids with the birthday boy.

Look how excited he is.

That's a lot of candles but not quiet as many as he is old.

Present time.

What is it you ask? Why it is a fly gun.

You put salt in it and shoot all those pesky flies!

Who doesn't need targets to soot at. I thought this was rather gross!

Blessings Timothy on another year of life.

Sing Praises to your King!