The Canning Queen

This is the second summer where my sister and her husband took Thomas and Annie back to their house to spend four days with them.  The kids have looked forward to the trip all summer.  And why shouldn't they....when they get to do lots of fun activities, stay up late, and play with their cousin.  When TJ and I got there on Thursday afternoon, we walked in to the kitchen to a beautiful sight.

The three of them were canning peaches.  Aprons and all.  They looked extra darling since I hadn't seen them in four days.

My sister is a master caner, in my book.  She has learned, along with a friend of hers, how to can practically anything.  She has had the privilege of watching and learning first hand from Jarod's grandmother, who is still living, how to make homemade salsa and can it.  We have canned together, along with my mom's guidance, strawberry jam after strawberry picking at Roca and have also done my grandma Glady's Russian Dill Pickles, also thanks to our mom showing us how the first few times.  But Laura has taken it to a new level...she cans cherries, apples, applesauce, pickles, jam, peaches, tomato soup, salsa, green beans, apple butter, and more.  And whats even better is that almost everything she cans is home grown from a garden or picked off a tree. 

So, while we were there, she helped me can some of our grandma's pickles to take home.  Eating some of hers that she had already canned made me crave them even more.  And whats even better is that Laura has all the right canning gear to make the canning experience way more pleasant.... way better than spooning with an over sized ladle hot, sticky, strawberry jam into a steaming jar that you are holding with a towel because you don't have the correct tool to handle the burning jar, while dripping the sticky, hot, mess down the jar since you neglected to buy a funnel....I'm just sayin'.  Some people do it that way...

35 weeks pregnant...

20 weeks pregnant....

The smell of dill sends my nostrils into a frenzy.  I LOVE dill.





And then, as if we hadn't been in the kitchen long enough, Laura suggests that we make home made salsa for dinner.  Of course.



My sister's kitchen ALWAYS has some fresh, just picked produce lying on the counter.  Between her own garden, her mother-in-law's garden, and her friend's garden, she always has something fresh to prepare.

I love that my children had so much fun with their aunt and uncle and cousin.  And I delight in the fact that we can send our children to their house and know that they are being taken such good care of.  Thank you Laura and Jarod, our children will always remember the days spent at your house!



Lazlos, Red Robin, Scooters...oh my!

We decided to end the week off with a bang, I guess.  Thomas and Annie had been gone since Sunday night and we planned on eating out for dinners that week.  Fun. Fun. Fun.  Yes, I would get sick of the greasy food if we did this every night, all the time.  And yes, I would feel the pull to get back into my kitchen and hear all it's pots, pans, and utensils calling to me after a long absence.  But this was fun, not to think about preparing dinners for just a few days.

We ended up at Lazlos rather early, 5:30ish I think.  We had been sitting/playing outside and TJ looks at me about 4:30 and lets me know he's hungry, and that come to think of it, so am I.  We changed and picked up TJ's parents who had just gotten back in town from spending a week away for their anniversary.  Eating outside at Lazlos is one of our favorite spots.  It's a favorite for his parents too!  And let me just add that it was a bonus to have grammy with us...she gives them so much attention while waiting for food to come!



Working on "here's the church, here's the steeple, open the doors and see all the people."

Lavoish with lots of hot sauce....try it.  Made my baby wiggle and jiggle all around!

After a lovely dinner, we had to run by the Sprint store.  And wouldn't you know, there is a Red Robin right next to it.  If you've never had a chocolate shake from Red Robin, go get one.  Now.  Lindsay introduced me to these babies!



And then the next morning, we wandered over to the Scooters which is convienly located in our neighborhood.  Sat at the counter and sipped our coffee and watched them both.  Evelyn in her pink and orange jammies....



The biggest gift we were given this week was not, not having to cook and clean the kitchen (although that was definitely a bonus) but more than that, I was able to be more present with George and Evie.  I was able to sit and listen to TJ with fewer distractions.  I could give more one on one attention to them.  And yet, the absence of two of them made me realize just how much I love our children.  The fact that they have each other turns out to be the best gift of all.  The greatest gift we can give our children is siblings.  George and Evie kept asking where Thomas and Annie were for three days.  And while there is bickering, fighting, and yelling that happens daily at our house, there is love.  Much love between them all.  And that will only grow as they grow up.  I'm looking forward to watching them. 

I wouldn't trade having five children for anything, ever.  They make our life full and lively and fun. Oh, and messy.  I can't forget messy. 

Watching Them Play

A Priceless Moment

Oh, how I wish I had my camera in hand this morning to capture George.

Last night, my mom came over to watch George and Evie while we dinned out alone.  Evie was already in bed, and George was all ready to go down.  He didn't rest at all that day, and by 7:00 I told him it was time to head south.  My mom got here right at seven and so we told him he could stay up and play legos with her for about thirty more minutes.  On one condition....he was to go to bed right away when she said and that he had to stay in bed.  I even told him that I might get him the blue Thomas the Train that he picks up and wants every time we go into Walgreen's.  That did the trick.  Mom said he went to bed and only came down twice, but that he went right back up and fell right asleep.

So, when I heard his little feet making their way downstairs this morning, I knew what was coming.  The first words out of his mouth were, Is nama still here, I stayed in my bed all night long. Can we go to Walgreen's to get my train?  Before coming home last night, we ran into Walgreen's to get a few things and I went ahead and got the train for him.  I'm so glad that I did.  When I told him how proud of him I was and that I just might have a surprise for him right now, he started in with the over laughing.  When I pulled out the train, he laughed for a minute straight.  The joy, and excitement plastered all over his face was priceless.  And I was proud of him.  I had wanted to do a little something special for him this week anyways..... I think this took care of that.  He's been playing trains all morning.

Just the Two of Them

I sat and thoroughly enjoyed these this morning.  Carmel flavored coffee and my new breakfast friend, a french toast bagel with lots of cream cheese.  No one came downstairs this morning until 9:00am.  What may you ask is going on? 

Thomas and Annie are gone.  My early risers are rising somewhere else this week.

Today I got a taste of what next week will bring when Thomas and Annie return to school.  I remembered what it was like to have just the two at home by themselves.  Jarod and Laura graciously wanted Thomas and Annie to come spend a few days with them.  It just so happened the time that would work the best was this week, the week right before school starts.  So they are enjoying themselves and being pampered by their aunt and uncle, while I spend a few days at home with George and Evie.  It's interesting to me how the dynamics change when half of them are gone.  George and Evie are content to find things to play with.  This is what occupied them for an hour this morning while I....organized the kitchen!

Candles and napkin rings.



I love to organize.  It makes me feel like I have got it together if my house is in order.  And although I am completely aware of the fact that nothing stays where I put it, at least I feel ordered, even if only for a day.

The medicine cabinet.  We've acquired much medicine this summer sadly, and I finally got it all together so I know where to find it all. 

The hats and gloves area.  Gets destroyed every single day when in use.  Nothing ever gets put back in the right tub... oh well, at least it looks nice for now, until we need to use them.



I didn't buy groceries this week to make dinners.  We thought it would be more fun to go out every night to eat instead!!  Tonight we took the two to Mass at 6:30 pm to celebrate the Assumption, and then went downtown to eat at the Oven.  We opted for inside, since it was a bit, dare I say, chilly at the end of August??  We asked for a booth that was tucked away in the corner, thinking that we might cause less of a distraction there.  We still distracted.



It was fun to just walk slowly downtown with them.  And even though I miss the other two terribly, it was a nice chance to just focus on George and Evie.

Almost half way there.  Nineteen weeks.  I can't believe how this little one is growing!  And now out to dinner by ourselves tomorrow night....can't wait!