9.3.14- Peaches

Well it's that time of year again. Canning. Late nights, long days, sore legs, cracked hands and a peaceful feeling of working hard, watching my kids gain skills, and filling my shelves!

This year I was shocked by the price of fruit and lacking in time and motivation to do a huge fruit run as I have in the past. So I spent a day searching for other options. One that popped up was u-pick peaches. I have never picked peaches. We go to the church orchard and serve there, and help our neighbor pick all her apples but never peaches for our use. I always just placed and order and went and picked it up thinking it would be better that way. Yet, as I watch my kiddos boundless energy and enthusiasm for eating, I knew it was probably time to make some changes.

 So we diddled around and did some housekeeping stuff Saturday morning while giving Greg time to wrap up or at least feel better about doing some work at the shop, we finally headed out around 10:30 to pick peaches. We had rounded up all the boxes we could find, and I had agreed, reluctantly, to take the trailer. Greg always wants MORE and MORE!

We are so blessed to live in such an abundant fertile valley. The trees were just right for parent and children picking not too high and full!

 We arrived at the orchard and went to work. It was fun!

 

Aliza was concerned she wouldn't be in any pictures as she was the photographer so here's some of her selfie's.

Livy had a ball being with the rest of us and enjoying the vibrant green that energizes and refreshes the soul.

 IT was not hard and it was sure delightful to taste those delicious juicy fresh peaches! We proceeded to pick 938 lbs of peaches in about 1.5 hours.

Note Millie with the peach the size of her head. She ate several.

The girls loved riding on the wagons although they often got bumped for more peaches to go to the trailer.

It was mostly a good experience. We ended the outing with pizza hut. So this week I am canning and canning and slowly canning. It's a good time to be alive, albeit with peach tummy aches, too much sampling during the day. The kids are eating windfall peaches, the ripe ones that fell to the ground.

9.2.14 Pinocchio

Last Summer we read the story Pinocchio- the children's classic not the Disney knock-off. I was happily suprised that it was a great read. Many great lessons about obedience, kindness, and staying focused on doing what you should. I highly recommend that book. The kids were also highly captivated and really enjoyed it. It had been a long time since we had watched the Disney version so they weren't too polluted with other ideas. I always thought the movie was very scary. The book, however was entertaining and very instructive.

So this summer when the children's theater announced they would be producing Pinocchio the kids were excited. We were again blessed by a kind neighbor who agreed to hire them to help her with her yard and housework to help them fund the experience. I was as excited about that opportunity as them having the play experience. They thoroughly enjoyed both.

The solider furthest to the right with orange shoe laces. He was so smiley every time he came on stage. I was really surprised he wanted to participate but he had a great time and did great.

John front and center in the green. He was getting sick so this was a rough day for him but he did great and really enjoyed the week. Working on his reluctance to be in front of people.

Aliza (in the purple) had a great time. She still sings all the songs from the play. They had minimal speaking parts and little responsibility for learning entire songs but she has a knack for music and has continued to serenade us with some of those tunes.

Harold a willing participant who loves to be one stage. And yes that is a girl standing next to him. Harold was shocked by the hair, it's that young man's parents who demand it stay long?!

A word about the play. It was delightful the director and main character were the managers... Wow talk about energy, patience, and organization. Very impressed that would be one hard gig but they pulled it off and the kids really enjoyed the experience. I was most impressed with the costuming. It was so versatile and yet very much applicable. So awesome how creative some people are.

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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