Declan's 5th Grade Fotball Team

Declan's football team consisted of 10-11 year old boys in the 5th and 6th grades.  Declan was one of the younger boys this year but he held his own against some pretty big guys. He had daily practice Monday thru Friday for two hours, full pads and helmet during the hottest time of the year here. Despite the heat and long practices, Dec really enjoyed football. Declan always tries to do his best and is quick to follow orders and rules. One of the rules his coach enforced was if you didn't have your mouthpiece with you at practice you then had to run the entire two hour practice.  Declan was terrified of losing/forgetting his mouthpiece and I can't say I blame him his coach was hard core. Although the men who coach pee-wee/mighty/flag football are volunteers they devote enough time and energy to it that they take it pretty seriously just ask Eddy (coaches McCoy and Archer's team).  In a way it is like a living fantasy football team as they have a draft to select teams, weeks of competitive play and then playoffs.  Eddy's team has made it through the first round of playoffs with a sound win and is headed for the second round of playoffs this Saturday.

Declan the Football Player

Declan's team was the Eagle Green team and he wore jersey #36. Unfortunately, his team was soundly defeated at all games but one.  Declan ever the optimist is quick to point out they usually scored at least one touchdown. Declan being a bigger 5th grader had to line up against the largest 6th grader who had a hundred pounds on him.  Let's just say Declan had a quite a few bruises most of the time which I didn't like to see him have.  Football is great exercise but can be a bit brutal hopefully these extra years of playing football will prepare him for playing in junior high and high school and teach him the right techniques to help keep him safe and uninjured.

Declan on the line in center of photo in 3 point position

Declan at game in Morenci, Az

Coaches last talk after final defeat and end of the season

Declan says:  Don't forget your mouthpiece or any of your equipment 

and you're going to get hurt a lot!  

He's looking forward to playing again next year, boys they just love football.  As I type this Quinton just wiped his sweaty head on Zaynzley arm grossing her out. To tattle on him she runs to me says with her limited vocabulary, "Quinty head pooh on me. Ewww!"  Translated: "Quinton wiped his head sweat on my arm. Totally gross!" 

 Yeah, boys do like football and getting sweaty!  

Hal Empie: Duncan Artist

Hal Empie is probably the most famous person I know of that lived in Duncan. He was a man of many talents, a cartoonist, pharmacist and artist. He owned a drug store/art gallery for about 50 years until he had one flood to many and left in 1986.  Going to High School in Duncan we had the privilege to eat under a giant mural of his everyday in the cafeteria, entitled Greenlee. It was first hung in 1954 and this summer it went under a restoration, by the town to bring back its former glory.  Nona and I decided to go to the re-dedication, as it had been years since I have seen it. It tells the story of the County from left to right. on the left it begins with Native Americans, then continues on.
In the center are the three main industries that led to the settling of the area: Ranching, Farming and Mining.

It is right over where the lunch workers serve the food.

The right Side

The left side

Here are the models of the childern petting the cat. The woman is his daughther, Ann.

What is a reception without cake>

In addition the Duncan Methodist Church opened their  doors so people could view the two Empies of Christ.

These are from 1950. He painted them after the previous Methodist church burnt down. 

Of course. Like my dear Sister, we love a gift shop. I got this print of one of his paintings for only $10. (here I am standing in front of yet another unfinished project I am working on. And you can see Pa's  working on the Victorola to my right)

Also at the library are three Great Empies, that I see while at work.

This one is my favorite, probably due to all of the Pop warner games I attend.

If you are in Duncan you can see all of these for free!

What They Wore & a Sick Mama

Quinton the Grump

Archer the Sweetie

 I was struck down by a strange illness that included fever, chills, night sweats, headache.  It was one of those illnesses where you feel so terrible that you lay on the couch unable to even muster the strength to embroider or get online and read blogs or pinterest.  I was so unwell I didn't even have the energy to nag. That is the only way the house is ever even kinda picked up-a constant nag. Pick up your clothes, put away your shoes, hang up your backpack.  You would think that while I was down for the count they might have all pitched in together and picked up the slack and kept the house tidy-nope. They all acted like they were sick too and enjoyed unlimited screen time and no chores all while feeling perfectly fine.

You could tell I was unwell because I didn't care that they watched shows and played video games all day and night.  I lay on the couch watching one college football after another too exhausted to even change the channel.  You really appreciate your normally good health when you don't have it.  Since I am still recovering I stayed home from church and the rest of those guys went.  I took a few pictures before church as each kid was dressed and ready to go.

At our local thrift store on Thursdays it is half price clothes for those 55 years old and up and we had Nona with us, on Thursdays we call her our living coupon. She is able to buy our stuff for Ashlee and I saving us half of what we would normally spend. I was looking at the suit coats when Ashlee joined me and spotted this awesome plum purple cowboy suit coat. There were no pants with it and so we both began hunting through the racks looking for the matching pants. Ashlee found the matching pants in the women's section and the suit was reunited.  It was brand new and so rockabilly awesome and only cost $3.50! When I buy things like suits at a thrift store it is much like cinderella's shoe whoever it fits best gets it. Declan hopefully tried it on but it didn't fit him so McCoy is the lucky duck and gets it.  Before our photo session I jokingly may have mentioned that McCoy need a guitar for his photo they kids took me literally and grabbed a guitar or two. 

McCoy in chair, Declan with broom, and Zany by door.

McCoy rocking his new suit

Declan with chain

Rocking Bros.

Zany not a happy gal did not want to take photos, who knows why. Church falls right during her nap time so she is not always her usual cheerful self. 

Not a happy, zany girl

Hopefully, I will be back to my full strength nagging abilities soon or my poor house will continue to look like a hurricane hit it, by the way that hurricane is named Edqudecoyarzany.  Hope it isn't landing in your neck of the woods any time soon.

Recipe: Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll with Salted Caramel Sauce

If a pumpkin pie and a cinnamon roll had a baby and you soaked that baby in a salted caramel sauce it would be these luscious tasties.    While I was on my mission in Michigan, one preparation day we went with a friend learning about our church to an outdoor antique fair  (Montague/Whitehall area where I spent half of my eighteen month mission).  I am just going to say there are way better prices and selection of antiques back east (to an Arizonian Michigan is way east  and not the midwest).  I was browsing a booth when I saw an old battered, stained notebook. As I flipped through it, I saw a lifetime of newspaper clipped recipes.  There were also some handwritten recipes in lovely fountain pen script shared by this previous owners friends and family.  It was a well used much loved recipe collection that ranged from the 1930's to the 1950's.  This lost family treasure was mine for four dollars-bargain.

Since seeing this fine specimen of recipe collecting, I have always been interested in clipping my own promising recipes (still old school but I do do pinterest too). So when I saw a recipe (see below) in the newspaper I knew I had to try it.  I made quite a few changes so it would work with my Zojirushi bread machine which by the way I love this bread machine and use it many times a week to make all our bread products.  Arizona is not like Utah, which has some really lovely bread in the supermarkets, being a Mormon born and raised I love whole wheat flour and bread and use whole wheat flour all the time.  I smuggle it in all kinds of breads and rolls with my family never knowing.  Not the prettiest shaped rolls but the next time I made them they were much prettier, of course, I don't have pictures of that.

Rolls with pumpkin filling

Pouring salted caramel sauce on it

Just waiting for a willing volunteer to taste test it

Eddy gives his sign of approval (Sundevil sign for ASU)

Archy has a little more trepidation 

He approves and ate two

Recipe for Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll with Salted Caramel Sauce

For the dough:

3 Tablespoons granulated suger

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups of milk

1/2 stick of butter

4 cups of all purpose flour ( I use half white whole wheat and half AP flour to be healthier but it is much lighter and fluffier with all AP flour)

1 Tablespoon instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Put all ingredients for the dough in the bread machine in the order listed and set it to dough setting.

For the filling:

4 ounces of cream cheese, room temp

2/3 cup canned pumpkin

1 egg

2 Tablespoons Molasses

1/2 dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground dry ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Once dough is finished mix all the fixing ingredients with a beater until smooth.  Roll dough out into a 12 by 24 inch rectangle, pour filling over it smoothing it out evenly. Here is the trickiest part roll it up from long side to long side and then pinch the dough where the two layers meet so it says rolled up. Take a eighteen inch length of dental floss and cut it every inch or so. It will be gloppy but transfer to a baking pan of your choice and plop any filling that falls out on top of rolls. Space rolls about an inch apart and let raise for twenty minutes (always raise things in my oven on warm unless it is the summer then I just leave the oven light on).  Turn on heat to oven to 350 and bake until you smell their heavenly scent or 20 minutes and lightly golden brown. Let it rest for 10 minutes and if you want to gild the lily make the salted caramel sauce while the rolls cool.  Pour sauce over top of rolls being careful to not overflow the pan,

For the glaze:

3 Tablespoons butter

1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy or light cream

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon flake salt or 1/4 teaspoon kosher

In a medium saucepan over med -high heat combine butter, sugar, cream, and cinnamon swirling the pan, not stirring until it is thickened or five minutes. Stir in vanilla and salt. Drizzle over rolls and if you have good will power wait ten minutes before digging in!  It's like a dose of fall in your mouth so lovely. Thank you blog for serving as my customized recipe repository and I don't have to worry about my favorite family recipes being lost!  I still will hang on the original and put it in my own stained, tattered notebook because you never know when your internet goes down but I am sure this notebook will be a much fought over family heirloom!

New Store Area: A work in Progress

Its the sad truth around here that if you have an area left to its own devices, it becomes a junk area, and a collection of storage. I am on a mission to reclaim store footage for things that I like personally.  So with Nona in tow,  we began to clean up the back left corner of the hanger side of the building.

This shot is auctually after we had taken care of some of it.

We moved this old organ and oil it up. Cleaned up enough to be able to get to the peg board, to hang dainties.

Hats are on display, rug rolled out, vacuum cleaner brought in, to fight the AZ dust

Moving around and organizing the doors and such

Nona working on our new display. We still have some finessing to do, more pictures to come soon, or you can stop by and see it in person!

Sisters Birding Hike to the Gila River

Ashlee has allied herself with a Duncan birding group and wanted me to take a birding hike with her to show me where they are going to put in a bird watching site.  Before we went on the hike I made Pa and his progeny take a few photos with some lovely wild flowers. Pa is always willing to take a photo or two and he can make the best expressions.  Ashlee often spray paints this metal chicken different colors.  

Pa and his progeny

Pa and his grandkids in front of the old Granny Hawkins Building

It was nearing dusk when Ashlee and I started our hike and we had to sometimes wade our way through waist high weeds. Being an Arizonian, whenever you step where you can't see out in nature you always worry about stepping on a rattlesnake but thankfully we didn't encounter any poisonous reptiles.  We made it to the Gila River  and to the future site of the bird watching bench.  We saw maybe a Sandhill Crane but as it was flying away into the trees it was hard to be sure.  We patiently waited all of five minutes before we decided to move on, Ashlee says we have to quietly wait a lot longer to properly bird watch that may be hard for us as we tend to laugh and cackle when we are together. Ashlee and I are rank but enthusiastic amateurs when it comes to bird watching and actually probably a handful of other things too. On the way back home we did see several Turkey Buzzards which are common around here especially in the summer with all the dead rabbits and snakes on the roads.

Ashlee hikes into the sunset

Turkey Buzzards on a fence

Ashlee by an abandoned building

The weather is perfect here now for hikes; during the day it is in the 80s but it cools down to the 50s at night.  We may have to go on some more birding hikes and take advantage of this lovely time of year.  Wish us happy bird sightings!

McCoy's Baptism

I feel like just had this blond little cherub of a baby how can McCoy possibly be old enough to be baptized? (It is a major milestone in the LDS church that happens when a child turns eight years old.) I know it is cliche to say it just flew by but it did. I am so happy he chose to be baptized.  McCoy, the logical stoic, was quietly excited to be getting baptized by his dad and if you looked closely you could see him often smiling to himself.

 We shared the baptism with another family who was in our ward and had one daughter who was getting baptized too. In a way it was nice because I was only responsible for half of the program but we were totally out numbered by the other family. It is strange because I come from really large extended families my mom's has six siblings and my dad has eight siblings but my parents just had two kids. Eddy is a convert to the LDS faith so he doesn't have anyone from his side of the family to attend these kind of things.  Anyhow,we had four family members who attended: Pa, Nona, Ashlee, and Grandma Parke. The other family had about forty in attendance.  I used to worry a bit that my kids will be disappointed to have so few supporters at things but they haven't really minded or said anything. One day when all my kids are grown, they will hopefully live close enough that they can attend each other's special days.  So while few in number we were strong in spirit.

McCoy, center, with his family before his baptism

For our part of the program Quinton Carlton gave the opening prayer, 

Quinton Germaine gave a nice testimony and Nona played the piano.

Nona the amazing primary pianist

 (altogether she has served as primary pianist for 28 years, wow, that is a lot piano playing)

 Grandma Parke gave McCoy a little black leather hymnbook with his name embossed on it which he happily took to church the next day and sang out of it.

Special present from Great-Grandma Parke

Some of our special attendees (left to right): Eddy, Grandma Parke, Ashlee with McCoy, 

Rhiannon holding Zany, Pa & Nona not pictured Quinton, Declan, and Archy (wandering the church I suppose)

Dressed all in white, McCoy and Eddy

McCoy's thoughts about his baptism in his own words:  

It was fun. I got to get baptized.  I got to see my family.  I felt happy when I was baptized.  The water was cold. CTR can stand for a lot things like choose the right, choose to remember, christ the redeemer.  When I received the Holy Ghost I felt good and happy.  I always want to remember that I got baptized and got the Gift of the Holy Ghost

 It was a really nice baptism and as a mother I always feel a bit tender when I see one of my children baptized and in my mind I think McCoy-Baptism-Check. Now to just get them safely shepherded through all the other spiritual milestones and see them into happy productive adulthood. Whoosh! It will be here before I know it and I have a feeling it will fly by.