The long days of canning...

My friend Angie and I have been canning this Summer together, and although exhausted, we've been having a lot of fun! We've picked raspberries, canned green beans, caned peaches, been to the orchard & garden, picked tomatoes, canned more peaches, picked up 8 1/2 bushels of pears and now we're ready to make pizza/spegetti sauce today! We'll be busy with pears in awhile, but hopefully we'll get a few day break before 6 bushels ripen! We still have her Mom's peach tree to pick from and grapes to pick as well, plus salsa to make pretty soon! It's wonderful, exausting and fun all at the same time.

Here are a few pictures from yesterday's long day...

Sewing projects galore!

My friend Jen was going to help me with my car seat cover, but after I bought the cute fabric, I couldn't help myself- I had to see if I could do it on my own- and I did it!!! (Sorry I didn't wait for you to get back Jen!) It is far from perfect, but I can't believe I really pulled it off- especially if you saw how I did it. No pattern, just some-what traced the existing one that was still sewn together, but adding 1 inch all around. I prayed the entire time it was going to work, and then God even helped me with the cover umbrella thingy! I even covered the head rest too! I love it! Thanks again Maren for the car seat, you're a life saver!

I found this super cute fabric when we went to Washington on our last visit. I made my nursing cover, changing pad and bib- plus I have enough to make a blanket!

I've been picking up baby bibs at yard sales for .10 each for the past few months. Naturally they were all the goofy "I love my Mommy" bibs etc... so I had to cover them with amazing fabric instead. Super easy! (The last one on the bottom right is what most of them looked like before I sewed the fabric on)

I've also been working on a few baby blankets. Not that I need any, I've just been saving some of my favorite fabric for myself, and now I get to use it! Here's just a few...

Back in Janurary I bought this super cute table runner from Pottery Barn. I knew one day I would find a use for it! After finishing the cabnets in the kitchen, I needed to make new curtains, but I was completely out of money, so I took a little peek in my fabric stash, and guess what I found? That's right, a super cute table runner that was calling my name! I cut it in thirds, added some ribbon at the top, and in about 10 minutes, I had new curtains!Love them!

Spending time with G-pa...

The kids and I went to visit G-ma & G-pa last weekend after our yard sales. I thought they looked pretty cute sitting on his lap.

Abs of Steel...

One day last week I was laying down in bed resting for a bit, when i heard my famous Abs of steel video being played in the living room. I got up to see what was going on, and there were my silly kids all working out. Pretty cute. They have more energy than I do these days, that's for sure! What I wouldn't give for my 6 pack back right about now!

70 bags of Freezer corn + tired feet!

On Monday, for FHE, we went to the 2 church gardens that we have here in town and picked corn. We went at 5:00 PM which was a 95 degree mistake, but we came home with enough corn to eat for dinner for 5 nights, + I was able to get 40 bags of freezer corn from it too, which I did this morning. (the picture is of my 40 bags)
My friend Angie came over around lunch time and we took the herd of kids to the garden and picked corn for her family and was able to get 30 bags finished for her! It was a fun, long and productive day! Did I mention we canned 21 quarts of peaches yesterday too? Thanks Angie's Mom for the peaches! Let the long days of canning begin, and Lord, forgive me now for the amount of TV I'm going to allow my kids to watch over the next month, just so I can get it all done!

I'm going to keep all my canning #'s here for the Summer...
Here's what I've done so far!

Green Beans= 38 pints, 11 quarts + 6 freezer bags (24 are Angie's)
Peaches= 112 quarts (45 are Angie's/ 13 are Annikan's, 54 are mine)
Freezer corn= 70 bags (40 mine, 30 for Angie)
Homemade Spegetti Sauce= 24 1/2 freezer bags (9 for Angie)
Pears= 132 (49-Angie / 83 mine)
Apple pie filling= 20 freezer bags (10 Angie's / 10 mine)
Fruit mix= 20 freezer bags (10 Angie/ 10 mine
Apple sauce= 31 pints

The kitchen is done!!!

There is a reason why we waited 2 years to start on the kitchen cabinets, it's called:
8 trips to the store
$ 150 + dollars later
4 full days/nights to complete
30 doors & drawers to be sanded
30 handles to be removed and replaced with new ones
44 hinges to be removed and spray painted front & back
280 screws to remove, spray paint and replace
205 seperate coats of primer & paint + hours to finish all the trim work
98-100 degree weather to work in
lots and lots of paint fumes
and exhausted, blistered hands!


Although it was a lot of work, we LOVE THEM!! They turned out just how I wanted and I smile now every time I walk into the kitchen! Thanks honey for sanding for hours like a crazy man!