Friday, July 30 2010

Yesterday we had so much fun!! The day started off slow, but ended great!! I had plans to take the kids to Cecret Lake or to Silver Lake. We headed out the door with plans to stop by my Mother's house for lunch with my brother, Victor, and his family, and also my sister Kristine and her two youngest kiddos. My Mom grilled steak and we had that along with salad and baked potatoes. (Kids enjoyed Turkey Dogs) Thanks Mom, it was DeLiSh!!

Zane, Sage, Kyson Aspen

But, my favorite part was snuggling the two newest additions to the family. Gretchen Sophia and Zander Jonathon. They are only a few weeks apart, and both just adorable. After lunch we all hung out and just spent time together. Sage and Aspen LOVED playing with their cousin Zane again since we don't see him as often as we use to now that I am not his daycare. It was lots of fun!!

Aspen with Zander

Zane loving on Zander.

Sage and Zander

Aspen and Gretchen (I promise she isn't dropping Gretchen)

Sage and Gretchen

Zander and Gretchen

After everyone else left, my kids were still playing, and I had a headache, so we opted to stay and play at Grandma's House rather than head to the lake for a hike. The kids went out on the tandem bike, and when they came in they STUNK. Poor Sage, you put her outside in the summer and she smells like a wet dog. So, my Mom and I ran to Walmart and bought them all clean clothes so I could toss them in the tub at Grandmas. We ended up getting them new jammies.

I bathed the kids and decided to put the girls hair in rags. Looking back, Aspens was a bit too short still, because the back rags just wouldn't stay in (and I have no after pictures because I forgot that also)

For months my Mom has talked about how much she loves the movie Julie and Julia. I hadn't seen it (shocker I know for all of you guys who know how much I enjoy a movie) so we popped it in. I liked it. Mom says that Meryl Streep should have gotten best actress for her portrayal of Julia Child instead of Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side, stating that Meryl did Julia perfectly, but, I am not familiar with Julia Child in any way other than knowing her name, so I can't compare. Maybe tonight I will find some old footage online and watch.

What started out as a quick stop by Mom's house was an all day affair. We didn't get home til 1130 last night!! Thanks Mom for having us for so long!

This morning we did our "Saturday Chores" and then I got in the mood to bake. We made a Lemon Chiffon Cake for dessert. (I made Santa Fe Chicken and Spanish Rice for dinner. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Lion House Cookbook. It ROCKS) I found these old pictures from a few months ago that I realized I hadn't shared, so I figure I will add them here as I write about our adventures in baking. The girls love making rolls. It is one of their favorite activities!!

After dinner we went back to my Mom's house for a game night. First we played Clue with everyone, then had a slice of my Lemon Chiffon cake for dessert. After that, the adults played Ticket To Ride. LOTS of fun and if you don't have it, I suggest you get it. I have the North American version, but I have heard that people enjoy the European version better. LOTS of fun!!

A whole bunch of stuff.....

Because sometimes it can be a hassle to upload new pics from my CF to the computer, I don't do it very often!! So, I have quite a few things to tell about!

First, Sage started Kindergarten. She loves it, and we are in so much trouble with her. She always tells us what boys chased her that day, and there is one little boy in there who often tells her that if he walks past her just one more time he might have to hold her hand and that would make Sage his girlfriend. Oh boy she is 5. Here are some pictures of her that day with her best friend Jesi.

My sister Kristine planned a "family reunion" to plan future ones. She and her husband Joe brought up their rock climbing gear, and both girls climbed up the mountain in their harnesses. They did such a great job. Aspen wanted to go much higher, but we were worried since she doesn't weigh much that she wouldn't be able to repel back down. Kyson was too busy playing with Jaden so he didn't climb, but my cousin's kids climbed also. It was lots of fun, and I think we settled on Jackson Hole next August for a big family trip.

Kyson and Jaden

Aspen

Sage

Jasmine

Tri and Sage

Saturday night is usually "Family Movie Night" at our house (today is an exception) Sometimes we switch it to game night, but lately it has been movies. 2 weeks ago we decided to watch Pirates of the Caribbean. So I surprised the kids and for dinner I made pasta that was shaped like shells and homemade cheesey garlic bread. I cut the bread into slices and turned each slice into a sail boat. They were really cute. We drank Matey Milk, all on a bright blue tablecloth so we could be in the ocean. After dinner I gave Aspen a clue, and off they went on a treasure hunt. They were SO excited to figure out where the next clue would be hidden, that when they got to the treasure (snacks for the movie) they grabbed the paper out of the treasure and ran off to read it. No one even noticed the treats. It was hilarious, however, as Farren reminded me, now the kids want fun creative family nights each week, and watching bedtime Stories in jammies isnt going to cut it anymore. So, I will have to get creative and see what I can some up with!

The next morning I got up bright and early and started making applesauce again. We went to the Farmer's Market and bought 66 pounds of apples. This time I had an attachment for my Kitchenaid and it made it SO much easier!! Aspen was a trooper and stayed in there the whole time, feeding the apples into the machine, while I cut and cooked them, prepping them for Aspen to do. We have a LOT of applesauce. Even though it was easier, it was still a lot of work and very time consuming. However, with how fast we go through applesauce, it was well worth it. I also love the feeling of accomplishment that I get when I know I made something. Silly I know, but I still feel like I accomplished something.

Kyson cutting apples

Aspen feeding the machine

Sage feeding the machine

Cooking apples. See all that dark around my burner?

Well, that is all over now from the big pot you do the canning bath.

I have tried bleach, Mr Clean erasers, everything and I can't get it off.

HELP!!!!!!

All done! Red apples make for pink applesauce!

Today was the Walk To Remember, and I will post more about that later. Hope this catches us up a bit!

Catching Up

So I realize that I have been slacking on updating our family blog. Things have been SO busy, I guess it took a very small accident on my part to slow me down. I dont have any pictures because my camera is up in my closet and I just can't climb the stairs one more time today. However, we have been very busy and had lots to do.

Kyson is doing very well in school and LOVES catching all sorts of bugs to bring to his teacher. Tonight they found a snake, but when he came back from getting a jar to catch it, he was gone. Im sure Farren is VERY grateful that they didn't find the snake. He isn't too fond of them! Kyson had a sleepover with his cousin Jaden, and they had a blast.

Aspen is such a great helper and I just adore her. She excels at all she does, and always wants to try more things. At our Family reunion a few weeks ago, she rock climbed up the side of the mountain in a harness with her Aunt Kristine and her Uncle Joe. She has such a crush on Joe, it is adorable, and he is so sweet with her. I think it started at DisneyLand when she decided she wanted to hold his hand, ride things with him, and have him carry her when she was worn out. I just love this picture.

Sage is doing very well in Kindergarten and is beginning to read more words. She loves to help with the babies I have during the day and have tea parties. Her tea set is the best thing the Easter Bunny ever brought!!! On Thursday I took her and a lil guy I watch to the pool, and they had so much fun! She was so very proud of herself that she has grown enough to walk all around the pool (they have a separate lap pool) without her head going under. She loves the monkey bars, and her hands are torn to bits to prove it!

Farren is still looking for a job, and we hope the interview he has this coming week goes well. However, we are well aware that he is competing with over 6,000 other applicants.

I am doing well also. PTA and kids keep me busy. Thursday I had a small fall and badly sprained my ankle, but I can finally walk again. Kind of. It finally made me sit and do nothing for 3 1/2 days, though I read a good book and cleaned out my DVR. Thursday night my dear friend Tiffani kept the kids while we were at the doctor and also made us dinner. It was SO yummy, and as soon as I get a recipe from her I will share it. She says it is SUPER easy. All the kids were begging us for our portions. The kids also had peas, which I have never made because I don't like them. I need to be better about serving my children foods even if I don't like them. Sage apparently loves peas. She says Tiffani makes the BEST peas ever because she adds a little bit of salt. She also said she ate them with her hands because Britton (tif's adorable toddler) was. Tiff, I promise she has table manners!!!

I am starting to prepare for the Holidays, and they will be like no other we have ever had. Something tells me that will be a GOOD thing though!

I have also been more "domestic" lately. I made and canned strawberry jam (which is SO yummy a jar only lasts a couple days) and I also made and canned Applesauce with my Mom. She has all the pictures of that though. We had SO many apples, but they sure didn't make very much applesauce. We are going to pick more apples and make more sauce hopefully this week. It always seemed like so much work, and it is a lot of work, but the feeling of accomplishment when you hear your jars pop is so worth it!! I also am anxious to try a few other types of jams, and possibly canning my own spaghetti sauce. We shall see how adventurous I get!!

Ramblings

Last week Kyson and Aspen started school. Both are loving it, and their teachers. Kyson's teacher has two class pets. A snake and a tarantula. Yikes! So now the boys in class spend their afternoons catching things to feed it. Friday Kyson had two friends sleepover, and they were out catching all sorts of things for hours. Of course they would bring each catch in to show me. Yum! Good thing I have a full stash of baby food jars!

Aspen is loving second grade. She has all her friends back in her class, but this year she is separated from Kyson, which I am excited about. With them being in the same class last year (it was a split) they never got a break from one another, and the amount of fighting went from hardly ever to numerous times a day. She is so fun and quite the little lady. She loves to bake and made her first batch of brownies with no help (minus the oven) yesterday and they turned out great! I love that girl!

Sage enjoyed some Mom time this week, and also loved having Jesi back over to play. Those two are too cute together, the best of friends. We are so sad that Jesi and her family are moving away. Sage had her Kindergarten assessment on Tuesday, and did very well. She is SO excited to start school this Tuesday. I always sing silly songs with Sage, adding her name to the mix. Her favorite is the "sageycakes song" but I will make up silly songs and add her name in, or well known songs and slip her name in so it is about her. The other day I was singing with her and she smiles at me and says, "Mom, I don't really believe that every song you know has Sage in it" Busted!! She is such a joy and I can not believe she is in fulltime school now.

Last night I mashed strawberries, and this morning I tried my hand at making jam. Minus a burn on my finger (my pot wasn't deep enough) I think it turned out pretty well. I love hearing the POP that means you were successful! The kids were disappointed that all they got to help with was washing and cutting the stems off the berries, but it was just too hot for them to handle the jars or cook the jam. We will have to find another canning project they can help with. They all love being in the kitchen and helping with whatever they can. Hopefully in a few years they will still love it and they can each take a night cooking dinner!