Ted's Candy Shoppe

In the Second of our Stolpe Family Night Production comes Ted's Candy Shoppe. This is the combination a few family nights. Yes, the puppets are all hand made. Each one of us created our own puppet. How fun it is to be creative and silly with our family.

The Power Is In Your Hands

Spielburg is a genius.

I have always been a big fan of his movies but now I am a fan of his video game. Boom Blox

As a family we have never been huge video game people but last year we purchased our Wii. We have been loving it. It is a fun, active way to spend time together as family.

Over the holiday break we rented this little game at Madi's request. It totally ROCKS!! So, we bought it, of course. We have now spent endless hours improving our bomb throwing, jenga pulling, and baseball pitching. It is a great multi-player game, which is fun to play with friends. Creating more addiction in other households. Ask Ted (and our friends the Farquaads) just how many nights they have spent doing just "one more level" past 1 am.

If you are out and about, run into GameStop and grab your family a copy. You will love it.

Ordinary Days Are Full Of Extraordinary Moments

If you ever wonder where time goes, take pictures. I couldn't believe I was two weeks behind on making posts here....then I started going through the pics. My goodness.
We had a great visit with Grandma. Ellie and Madi love to curl up for movie night.

We got a little snow and had to run out as fast as we could before it melted away...

Madi's Basketball season is in full swing. We are having a great time watching her learn all of the fundamentals of the game. She still needs a little help with her competitiveness but that should come. In her first game she made a free throw, an assist and a rebound....

Ellie is already Madi's biggest fan. "Go, Sissy!"

Men in Tights

We love when Grandma Joanne comes to visit. Whenever she is here we do fun things we have never done before. This trip we decided to go to the ballet at the Tennessee Theatre. It was a beautiful place. I highly recommend seeing a show in this auditorium, it is gorious.

In all honesty, this is mine and Madi's first time at a ballet. It was the Nutcracker performed by the Moscow Ballet. Wow, it was truly beautiful. They didn't allow photography during the performance, so no pics. But trust me on this, there are men that look good in tights......

Madi had a really good time. I think it is something we will do again. Her favorite part was the snow flakes. We grabbed a couple of packages of M&M's to munch on during intermission. Learning to not crinckle the bag during the second act was a bit difficult.

After we finished the show we headed home and enjoyed the traditional Thanksgiving meal we had prepared in the morning. Yummy. Ted was kind enough to keep his eyes on the turkey while we were gone.

Ted and Madi Show: Episode 1

Food, Yummy, Food

About the time the kids bring in the large buckets full of Halloween Candy until the beginning of New Years Resolutions there is a ritual performed with much gladness. Eating. Besides being a little more cautious of our serving sizes I can't say that Ted and I have really been leaving anything out of our diet during our yearly ritual. This really is the only time of year that I find it necessary to do any form of baking.

My girls love licking out the bowl and eating warm chocolate chip cookies, I really shouldn't deprive them the other 10 months of the year from yummy milk dunking goodness.

Now, I took this picture while we were out doing some shopping with Grandma. In a disagreement over menu choice and me giving in to the fact that I may have to finish her meal along with mine. (Or take it home to go bad in a doggie bag). I let Madi order the 1/2 rack of Baby Backs that she so desperately had to have. She ate them all. I didn't even get a bite.

Yes, this is homemade pie. It was really yummy. No one in my family really likes pie. So, I made Cherry instead of pumpkin because that is what I wanted. And when you are the cook you have ultimate control and get to make what you want. So, I did.

Gridiron Gumbo

Tailgating Stolpe Style at the 2nd Annual Canvas Fall Fest. We entered our Gridiron Gumbo in the Chili Contest.

The Pastoral Staff at Canvas: Pastor Nick and Farah made a show of Republican pride for their American Chili. The Farquaads (I think Xac says this is his underwear model pose) won for most unique chili. It was good, full of pineappley goodness.

Much to my proud honor Robin and I entered the pie eating contest. Downing an entire apple pie.


Are they even making an effort? Curtis looks ill. Are they using utensils?

We Rock!!

In case you aren't sure: this is what defeat looks like.

We are such a great example that we even got the kids gorging themselves on pie. All the dads giving a helping hand with the hair. Nice. Looking good Rachael and Hannah.


It was a fall festival after all. So, after the kids finished spitting in this bucket trying to get apples, the adults joined in. Here is Ted and Curtis going for it. Ted won. Robin and Ted were the quickest draw. Ted claims a head butt in the competition between them but I think Robin had him on the hair flip....

Here we are in all our glory. Winning Best Overall Presentation. You know you all want to tailgate with us.....

Swinging in Freedom

I love playing on swings (well, I use to). I love the feeling of being free. Having it in my own power to fly as high as I wanted to go. Sometimes, high enough to make the perfect leap with the perfect stuck landing. Sometimes, just high enough to lean back and stare at the sky, feeling the air flow past with all of the freedom rushing through me. And, slow enough that with very little movement, a few twists and a quick lurch, a controlled spin ensues with all of its anticipated excitement.

Playing on a swing does not hold the same experiences for me as it use to. Now I am thrilled with the joyful laughter it brings to my children. The constant call of "do-it-again". With a 1-2-3, anticipation builds as I finally run underneath them with one huge push. Away they go. One; with all of the strength and determination to go as high as her swing will take her. The other; in perfect trust that I will guide each swing just high enough to keep her safe and thrilled by the ride.

My children; their laughter is a constant reflection of my faith. Watching them swing reminds me of the Freedom I have been given through grace. I have such an amazing gift, one that allows me to live in flight. I am given the opportunity to fly higher and higher, make perfect landings or even take that freedom and bind it up so that I am spinning in circles. Regardless of what I choose to do with it, I am Free. His gift of life and freedom is waiting for a response from me.

Today, I am in a place of flight. I know I have more than I deserve. I will lay back in the height of my swing and breathe in His life as it flows past me. It is in the place of surrender that I know my God is amazing, His creation beautiful, and my Freedom is in Him alone.

I hope the next time that I am spinning in my own circles I will be reminded; God's freedom doesn't change. It is usually my need to take control that makes the movements in my faith small, causing me to get sick to my stomach.

Jason Upton: Freedom

VOTE

I just want you to know how important you are. Your vote counts. Make a difference and take the time to VOTE!! Whatever you believe, make your voice heard.

Punkin Painters

Taking advantage of Ted being in Baltimore we spent a little time after dinner decorating our pumpkins. I know, I am a totally lame mom and won't let the kids carve them. Hey, I am a person of practicality. Painting is only half the mess and our pumpkins won't rot out until November. We had a good time and made some beautiful works of art.

My Waterloo

Sunday afternoon we were driving to the Smokies for a picnic and a short hike. Our girls do a pretty good job entertaining themselves during mini-van rides. In the midst of their conversation Madi was talking about how when she grows up she is going to move back to Oregon, where she was born. She proceeds to talk about how I will someday move back to Utah and how Ellie and Dad will move back to Iowa.

Ellie, in all of her amazing wisdom pipes up and says "Daddy"
"Did you go to Iowa just to pick me up"

We spent an amazing three years in Iowa. Meeting some of the greatest people we will ever know. Creating friendships we will keep for our lifetimes. Ted found answers and guidance that brought Him into relationship with Our Savior. But, if you asked us why we were in Iowa, Yes, Ms. Ellie, we went to Iowa just to pick you up.......

Weekend Update

We hope everyone had a great weekend. Ours was good as usual. Busy and worth every minute.

Friday we enjoyed burgers at the best place it town. Yes, we splurged and it was worth every scrumptious bite of the bacon cheeseburger. Then we headed home for a little family fun on the Wii and played our new game, Active Life Outdoor Challenge. Good times.

Saturday morning we had basketball sign ups then headed to the pumpkin patch/corn maze with Madi's Girl Scout troop. It was a beautiful day. I don't know that I have ever been pumpkin picking when it was 80 degrees before.....


We buried their heads in the corn. It was a good time for about two seconds.

I don't know who's idea it was but the corn maze was shaped like Pat Summits head. Go Lady Vols!! This too was fun for the first few minutes then we broke the rules, went off the path and snuck out the entrance.....

We hit the farmers market on the way home and picked up some beautiful mums and of coarse a few good veggies to add to dinners this week. A few gourds of varying shapes and sizes that at some point will make a nice fall decor for the front walk, hopefully before the week is over. Bill and Jill invited us over so we grilled out and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Ladder ball tournament in full swing. We played a few rounds and enjoyed the great company. It was beautiful to watch the moon rise up over the neighborhood. Too bad the mosquitoes are still buzzin' around.

Sunday after church we headed out to the Foothills Parkway. Another beautiful day. The view was amazing. Every time our feet hit a new trail I am in awe of God's amazing creativity. The colors of life and fall changing right before our eyes. Mountains on the left, valleys on our right. I wonder if it is all just a glimpse of His true majesty.