8.27.14 A little more summer

We had a season of weddings this August. In addition to that excitement we were able to visit or spend time around  all of our cousins, aunts, and uncles. Our super amazing Aunt Brenda was here for two weeks and we were treated to many delicious culinary experiences with her. Her last Sunday here was our turn to have her alone. She treated and taught the kids some new skills as she shower her mastery of cooking and whipping up amazing, yummy foods.

Making gravy and junket or the sauce for fresh peach pie

A closer look at Aunt Brenda's skill salting whisking the gravy and making the jel mixture for pie. WOW!

Serving the pie. Man was it good! It is always an exciting adventure to see what new taste Aunt Brenda has for us to try.

Of course Greg is not one to sit and talk with the ladies so while we visited and cooked with Aunt Brenda Greg was busy out side. We didn't really pay attention until things like this started appearing.

Harold pulled this himself. Proof of things planted in easy areas, right under the pivot and thus constantly watered well, don't have much of a root system. This monster was taller than him but probably wasn't that hard to get out. obviously there was more than one freeloader under the pivot and out of spray and hoe range. The cows had a tasty treat. And the crew worked up an appetite for the feast awaiting them.

8.26.14 First Day- Get your own pickles!

Yesterday was our first day of school. I cried. It's such a cruel sensation to leave your children and know they will face hard times and possibly feel sad and scared and lost and just walk away. I keep telling myself they will also feel happy, friendship, love, trust other adults and children and learn to make good choices and learn more about the world around them. I still miss them! And by about 9:30 I was REALLY missing them. My sister recounted a story from a friend who when the youngest child, a boy, went to kindergarten and the teacher asked him what his mom would do with everyone gone? He replied "She'll have to get her own jar of pickles..."

Getting ready to head to school I drive them all the first day.

All day up and down the stair chasing kiddos doing all the diapers and all the everything I thought man I didn't realize how much the kids were doing. I was constantly after a few to stop hiding and do more all summer, but I realized in total light my work load had been with so many helpers. I will report we all survived I was one tired momma by nap time and more so after all the excited reports and trying to keep kids awake till bed time but so thankful for each great kiddo that lives in my home.

The little girls were so excited to see Anna and know their support crew was coming home. Not to mention the yummy popcorn Anna always shares with her siblings was a welcome treat.

And yes today I will again be getting my own pickles and missing all the hands that made my work so much lighter throughout the summer.

Speaking of work it's much easier to go to school when you have been working all summer. Lately we have of course been canning. Man oh man I wouldn't dare do that without so many helpers. They truly are my amazing work crew.

Sometimes towards the end it gets soupy in the funnel Mark just got an eye full of tomato juice. Splat!

Making Spaghetti Sauce. My kind friend grows me great tomatoes each year what a sweet blessing he is to so many. He's a retired dairy farmer and WWII veteran and master gardener who's heart is bigger than his ginormous garden.

My two helpers. It's fun having these two close together. I love watching the friendship and sharing at each meal swapping plates and most desirable items from your cup of milk to your steak or cookies. These two keep me on my toes.

8.12.14 Art at home

It has been hot here this summer. To pass time and to survive the heat we take naps, hide in our basement and read and sometimes even drag out the paint and markers. It is fun to see the kids intently work on color and creation. It is interesting to see what they come up with and how the interpret instructions. It is also cute to see what the little girls come up with. 

Rules are everyone has to do one picture. It usually ends up being two or three. Ignore the mess it's just life.

She's her own favorite canvas. She is however happy and involved and we can see the mess she's making and it washes easily with water.

Mark and I were working on shading. Addy was coloring a dinosaur.

8.5.14 Who's Missing?

For months Greg has been asking almost every time we all sit down to dinner or kneel in family prayer who's missing? Usually no one. In fact it is rare we are all together, meaning he is with us. I would look at him and tell him to knock it off. But he was right. So can you spot who's missing?

Or better said can you guess who's missing? Yep that persistent next Saunders child who wants to come to earth to be part of our family. They will be showing up at the end of January. Not sure if I will avoid prison and get my taxes done in time to do birth and newborn adjustment... but it will be good.

So while my grand summer plans of hiking, adventure, field trips, organization, and becoming better prepared for life were laid aside for mom pulling it together to do one big thing a day and a few chores and way too many days laying in bed with exhaustion. It is excitedly that we announce the 10th child that is coming to our family. How blessed we are to be healthy-ish, happy, and able to have so many impatient, energetic, blessings in our home.

8.7.14 A Pot story

After going to the temple with Alena on Saturday we headed to do some shopping, attempting to refill our pantry for the coming school year. We went to our favorite restraunt supply store. We were standing in the checkout line when I remembered we committed to buy forks for the upcoming reception. I sent Greg to grab some forks. He spotted the large pots high up on a wall and was caught in male excitement for tools.

I am however caught up in the rush to get 6 kids outfitted and supplied for the fast approaching school year. Years ago, every time I turned around it was another 100 dollars for supplies or repairs, now it's 300 dollars. Lovely! So we are on totally different playing fields with totally different objectives.

Thus a fight ensued over the pot. Greg was thinking Tim-the-toolman style bigger is better. He chose the biggest pot he could find. We had just completed doing corn the following year. He was thinking of the hundreds of ears of corn we cook per year. I was thinking of the 1 time a year we cook that much corn and our total lack of space to store such a monster in our very limited space home.
See that smile. He was in heaven. Tools!! There's a reason he is a mechanic, he informed me he was so grateful I was unaware of all the tools he buys. I know I do the bills...I just have gotten past worrying about that.

It was a battle. I was tired. I was frustrated. I could not believe we were having such a heated discussion over something so trivial. It ended in not getting a pot. It was so ridiculous! The cashiers were discreet and on his side and I was so mad at being treated like the little woman. Oh well, all's well that ends. No pot, absolutely NOT!
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8.6.14 Family Reunion

The Family Reunion was fun and tiring and full of cousins and love. We traveled to Idaho Falls on Friday and enjoyed (Greg & I anyway) visiting the temple grounds with our children and showing them a bit of Rexburg and BYU-I. Aliza declared that she would not be heading there as it is "TOO windy!" We'll see in a couple of years. Not that I am pushing Rexburg. I never really cared for it as a college town. I am trying to be unbiased... although I smile a lot at the kids constantly wearing USU t-shirts thanks to Uncle Kevin.

I'll just post the pictures. I had the kids take pictures while I visited with ladies, I was surprised to see some of they captured. Note the amount of kiddos. For the most part there was little fighting, lots of creative play, and many memories.

Harold and his buddy Brandon. It's fun to get to know distant cousins and renew friendship.

The main lodge adults gathered and visited around the porch.

This tractor was fired up and provided rides for happy big and little boys.

One super cool and thoughtful dad brought a huge bubble blower the kids are waiting for bubbles. In reverse order

Greg was happily surprised by a special cousin John. They had a great time visiting and joking together. Here John is quizzing Anna on how many times she kisses boys a day. This is pre-meal lineup.

These boys had hours of fun rolling this spool up this small hill. Teamwork and creativity!

The water slide, whee!

The fabulous Saturday meal. Kim and Tom Potts smoked pork for two days to make enough to feed the crew. It was Delicious!! The Saturday meal is fast becoming a major effort of love and culinary wonder. Kids plate- which explains the lack of green.

The cap site and area for games.

Watching a remote control car a grown cousin had built. 

8.3.14 Mud & Library

 We have been flying and dying these past few weeks. We had strep again, 3x this summer, I'm very tired of being sick. This last round was seriously the real deal. The last two times was not so sick like, but this one laid us out one by one every few hours or so someone else would drop. We got our meds and slowly recovered, then jumped into sanitizing and cleaning our house. It was a long week.

But as always it's not all work and no play here. We did do a library visit. I love watching my kids at the library.

Even the little ones know what to do at the library. There is plenty of fighting and squealing not captured in pictures but also plenty of looking and learning.

Greg was also able to help his dad with a flat tire on a pivot. He came home looking like this. Reed swished and swished his dirty clothes the next day our new washer was able to make them clean again.

Those pivots run back and forth sprinkling water which gets in the track of the tires. When the tire goes flat it must be rolled out through that muddy track. It is a swamp nightmare. Dark, stinking, muddy mess. He is such a macho man in a really useful sense. He amazes me with his can do attitude.