My beautiful phone...

I have wanted an old fashioned phone for years now, but when I researched E bay a few years ago, sadly I found out that they were way out of my price range. $ 100.00 is a lot for just a cute decoration- but I never gave up thinking of them. The funny thing is, is that about 2 weeks ago, I kept thinking about how badly I wanted one in the kitchen and how sweet it would look with the kitchen remodel, but I still couldn't bring myself to pay that price- so what did God lead me to on Friday morning while I took the girls out to a few yard sales??? You got it, a super duper awesome black phone, just like the ones I've been coveting for years. It had $ 5.00 on it, so I asked the guy if he'd take $ 3.00- AND HE DID!!! Thank you Lord for building my yard sale faith even more!!!

Daisy & Grace making applesauce...

I love that my girls enjoy canning, it makes me smile as we make wonderful memories in the kitchen together. And, yes, I pulled their hair back right after this video!

I wish I got the footage of her walking down the hallway, but this will have to do instead- at least there's a few steps in this shot! I can't believe it! (Please ignore my terrible Mommy voice!)

Canning update:

(Sorry I know everyone is sick of my canning stories, but this is for my own record. Just ignore all the boring stuff!)

Peaches= 104 quarts
Pears= 28 quarts
Green beans= 30 pints
Jam= 32 pints
Applesauce= 43 pint
Pizza sauce= 4 freezer bags

= 241 jars/freezer bags canned

Daddy & Grace helping with pears...

When Trav came home from work today, he helped me peal pears for about a half hour, I thought it was so sweet of him when deep down, I know he wanted to lay down and take a nap. (He's up at 4:45 every day!)He then spent the next few hours running kids to different activities while I stayed home and worked on pears w/o kids!

Grace LOVES to help me can. She's actually been a help too, if you can believe that! She's adorable, goofy, sweet & moody all wrapped up in a 3 year old body. I love her.

My very first tomato!

I'm not sure what is wrong with my tomatos, but this was my first one that turned red and I picked it today. I have one on the way, but really, only 2??? I made a BLT today and ate almost the entire thing, kinda fun knowing I grew it myself!

Willow is walking!!!

(I've tried to post a video 4 times now, and I am officially giving up for tonight- sorry Mom! I'll try again tomorrow.)

But, yes, Willow started walking today- by herself, for more than a step or two. She walked down most of the hallway eariler today, I'm guessing about 15-20 steps, and then I got a few steps on video, which I'll try to post later. It was so adorable to see her skinny legs holding her up! I couldn't believe it!
(She's been walking for a long time, holding onto someone or something, but today was the first real day of walking! More to come...

What makes me deliriously happy...

I am ashamed to admit how many hours of my life have been spent watching this show. I literally have watched seasons 1-5 AT LEAST 10 times through, need I remind you that there are 5 disks for every season, so 25 x 10 That's 250 eposodes! That's a lot, my friends- but it brings me more happiness than I can even begin to describe. Almost all of that has been done when the kids were asleep, so I'm not neglecting them, I promise!
So, you can imagine that I've been waiting for season 6 like an insain woman, who could blame me right? I've needed new material! I knew it was going to cost a few dollars, so I started saving a little bit here & there to make it a little less painful at the check out stand. Sure enough, there I was at Wal Mart, Tuesday morning at 8:10 AM price matching Target's ad and I got it for almost $ 10.00 cheaper! Yeah! So, I'm on my 2nd round now, (yes I finished it in just a few days)and loving it! Oh, how I love bed time...

I am going to be busy...

This is just the latest batch of fruit, so needless to say, you know what I'll be doing the next few weeks! I'm not sure what it is about canning that brings out the wild, compulsive lunitic in me, but it does! I'm a crazy lady and I know it! Who takes 7 trips out to the orchard & the pear factory in a week? I'm head over heals in love is all I can say, and it doesn't even make a lot of sense. Canning kicks your butt! Talk about the longest,hottest, most exausting days of your life- with blisters, fruit flies and orange stained hands to prove it. it amazes me really. The house falls apart and you have no idea what the kids are doing, but you don't even care because you are in a fruit induced coma. You start to lose it after about 8 hours straight and you make your husband pick up pizzas because you have no intention of making dinner for your famlily. Your floor is covered with a sugary mess, you have fruit all over your clothes and stuck in your hair, but at the end of the day when you see rows of jars filled with fresh peaches that you & your family picked- it's all worth it. It's simply beautiful.

At the orchard with the cousins...

I heard that Aunt Ellen & the cousins were coming down from Idaho City to go to the orchard, so we wanted to go and hang out for awhile! We met them there and helped get a few peaches loaded for them to take back. Trav was able to get another batch for us too, and they were BEAUTIFUL!

83 quarts of peaches so far...

This week I've been canning peaches, it's been a slow week, but i've done 83 quarts so far. My goal is 100, so I'll finish up in the next few days. Then it will be pears, which works out great because they still need awhile to ripen. It's been a long week with 7 trips out to the orchard, but it's been nice to help the church, get extra for friends & family and be able to can a few for us too!

Green Beans= 30 pints
Triple berry jam= 16 pints

At the orchard with Angie...

The other day, Angie & I took the little girls out to the orchard to get apples & pears. It was impossible to keep Angie off the ladder- did I mention she's 8 months pregnant? Silly girl. We had fun and I can't wait to make applesauce soon!

*** Annikan & Lisa, I'm SO sorry I forgot to take pictures when we were there the day before!!

Picture day...

Tristin & Daisy had picture day at school on Friday, so I got aa few shots before they left.

What is it with my girls and plastic bags???

I wish I knew how to explain this, but I can't.

Look at this beauty...

Last year before canning season, I bought a triple burner from Costco, but was sadly disappointed in it. It didn't distribute the heat evenly, thus making a triple burner a double burner. Sadly, I returned it to Costco, knowing the following year I would have to buy a new one. Several months ago I began my search for a new one. Being the thrify girl that I am, I wanted a deal, so I started searching craigslist off and on, but with no luck. I ddi end up finding the best deal at Cabela's, if you can believe that! I am LOVING her amazing ability to cook my peaches to perfection and it's wonderful to have the heat and mess outside!
(That's another batch of peaches from earlier in the week.)

Who wants a bladder infection, I do, I do!!!

***If you don't want to hear whinning or complaining, skip the next few posts***

Honestly, I have felt like garbage for the past month, and when I look back over the past few weeks, I see why. The stomach flu hit the night before the yard sale, and what girl doesn't like vomiting all night long while her family is fast asleep unaware of her pain? I had a terrible sore throat which I tought was strep throat, the devil sent Mastitus to make my life interesting, my ears and jaw have been KILLING me for weeks and then yesterday when I came home from church, I realized something wasn't right after exiting the "ladies room" It took all of 1 second to realize I had a urinary tract infection! Seriously??? Do I really win the most infected body on the planet award?? How gross am I? Honestly???
I just wanted to cry. The next 20 minutes were NOT FUN, and I told Trav, "I have to go in." And for me to say that, and then actually load the kids in the van, drive to the Dr and go in, tells you- it was getting bad.
I never go in, I hate the Dr bills, I feel guilty because we can't afford it,but God has taught me a few lessons so far- If I don't go in, I lay in bed for days while the infection takes over my body, I'm in the worst pain of my entire life and I actualy start thinking death would be a blessing! So, I've learned you don't let Mastitus, strep throat or bladder infections go unattended. YOU GET IN RIGHT AWAY! I've learned too many lessons- so if nothing else, take that message from all my complaining.
Sure enough, it was a bladder infection and he perscribed medicine for that too. Yesterday was a super fun day. Now it's just waiting for the drugs to kick in so I feel half way normal again!

My crazy ears...

I have to thank my Dad for my super crazy sensative ears. I think I inherited them from him! I've had a problem with them half my life, but nothing I couldn't manage with Advil. They always feel plugged, ringing in them, somewhat sore, and occasionally they would get ultra sensative and throb and pulsate with any high pithced sound- like my alram clock. It has always driven me crazy, but I just lived with it. A few years ago I had my Dr check them and he said I had a lot of fluid behind them, he told me to take some allergy pills to dry them up- so I did.
For the past 2 weeks they have been the worst they've ever been. Any loud sound has just KILLED my ears and the pain in my jaw has been unbarable. I'm a HUGE fan of Advil, so I've been taking that 24 hours to help with the pain, but knowing my poor body has consumed more Advil than a girl should consume in her entire life, scared me too.
The kids have been told to be quiet for weeks, the wistling had to stop, Willow's crying was more than I could take,putting silverware away has been impossible and my darn jaw has hurt SO MUCH! It spread into my neck, shoulders and then of course my headaches have been terrible as well. I've wanted to rip my head off, and I knew I had to get in to have them checked because the throbbing needed to stop. Yesterday was that day. I had to go in and luckily I found out they weren't infected, just filled with massive fluid and unable to drain. There was some long medical name for it, but he perscribed a type of allergy medicine to help dry it up. I pray for relief! At least I know I'm not crazy. Maybe that explains why I can't go to movie theatres too- they are SOOOO loud, so my poor husband has had to go alone for years!

Picking Peaches...

Having Trav home on Saturday's is so weird! It's been years since we've done family things on Saturday, so we decided to go help at the orchard a few days ago. I was secretely hoping we would be able to purchase some as well, so I brought my check book saying a hundred prayers on the way that I'd be able to get some to can. We showed up at 12:19, to find out they stopped letting people pick at nooon, but they let us go anyway because they still had to pick up the huge crates that other people had already filled. We talked to the guy for awhile and he told us we could glean, for FREE! I was so thrilled. Trav picked for a hour 1/2 for the church, and the kids and I walked up and down the rows collecting the peaches that had fallen or had a few bruises. Either way, I was like a silly school girl skipping home from school (not really, because those buckets get super heavy!Especially when you have2 of them and your shoulders are already super sore.) But you get my drift. I was delighted! We came home and sorted through the super ripe ones, ready to can ones, and the not so ripe ones. Canning here we come!

Willow is 11 months old...

Our little ball of sunshine turned 11 months on the 1st! I wont even go into the " how did she grow up so fast" talk- she just did, that's all I know.
Willow: has/or is working on 5 teeth now.
Is close to walking. She stands on her own and balances.
Loves to pull things out of drawers. Especially ziplock bags and my bathroom stuff.
She is still nursing (hence the beautiful breast infection 2 weeks ago aka: mastitus- or the devil.
She wiggles non stop during sacrament meeting at church.
Loves bath time.
Adores doggies & kitties. She squeals with delight when she sees one, pretty adorable!
Sleeps through the night, most of the time.
And is a happy, super cute little girl.
We LOVE her to pieces!

Singing toTaylor Swift...

I had a Mommy moment today as Daisy, Willow & I were driving to the fabric store. We were driving on the free way, just singing our hearts out to Taylor Swift, when all of a sudden I looked in the rear view mirror and watched Daisy in the back singing about Romeo & Juliet. This giant rush of emotion filled by body and I just started crying. It just hit me that she was growing up. That she was really mine. And there we were just singing away having a great time- and I had a daughter. My heart filled up with so much love that it over flowed from me and I just let the tears fall. I have this remarkable chance to be a Mother, and although I am so imperfect, I pray for a million more moments like todays, to prove I am worthy of being their Mama.

Grace's first day of Preschool...

Grace had her first day of preschool this morning and she was thrilled to take her back pack filled with treasures! She picked out her very own folder, and packed her box of crayons, glue sticks, scissors and pencils. She felt pretty grown up, finally getting to do the things Tristin & Daisy were doing (like school work & pick out school supplies! Who doesn't love that?) She had a great time and I love that we are doing it just once a week on Thursdays from 9:00- 11:00 AM. I know it sounds terrible, but I didn't want my schedule to get too crazy and with Daisy in school M,W & every other Friday, I didn't want too many things on my plate that I would probably end up forgetting at some point.
The other kids are doing great in school so far and come home tired, but eager to share their day. It's pretty crazy that I have 2 kids in school now. Wasn't I just 18, like yesterday???

Making Lemonade...

We've all heard the phrase a thousand times before: When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade! Well, the past week and 1/2 has reminded me:

# 1- to do just that.
# 2- I control about 1% and God has the other 99%
# 3- I go into panic mode when stress arrives.
# 4- There are usually a lot of phone calls to my Mom.
# 5- ...and a lot of tears.
# 6- She reminds me that this is life, it isn't the end of the world, it will all be alright, I am stronger than I think, there are lessons to be learned, she loves me and so does the Lord, so let go and give it to him.
# 7-I pray my guts out and plead for help.
# 8- I listen to what my Mom said, I repeate it over a million times in my head, and then I admit I am powerless and I need help.
# 9- I finally surrender and hand it over to God.
# 10- and then, when it settles down, and life is ok again, I see that God carried me through it and I survived!

It's usually a 10 step process with me, I've realized.
The past week and 1/2 I've felt like everything around me has been falling apart and I've been swrilling around in panic mode. I finally feel like I'm starting to unwind a little.

*Thinking Trav lost his job really turned life upside down for a few days. I was a wreck. My stomach was in knots and I felt sick. I just knew we would lose the house and who knew what else. We were overjoyed when everything turned out.

*I had Mastitus again and felt terrible for days, but thankfully got medicine right away this time,making this experience a million times better than all my previous infections.(still crappy though!)

*Our van stopped working. I went out Saturday to go to yard sales BY MYSELF (because Trav was home for the first time in years!) to find the van completely dead. I just cried. I was so mad that I couldn't control anything around me. I felt helpless. So I just cried. Trav took the battery in, found out it wouldn't hold a charge, bought a new one, and it started working. Yeah! And only $ 100.00 later!

*I thought I was getting strep throat again. I fought that for days,it came on so fast and my throat was TERRIBLE. I just knew I was going to have it. I took lots of stuff, stayed home from church, laid in bed, and wondered what other nasty infection my body was going to catch, but finally, it started to get better. So no Dr. visit, and no real drugs needed!

*And then the beloved bug ... Trav left for work Monday morning, barely got down the street when it died! He had to push it back by himself at 5:30 in the morning to the front of our house. I woke up to find Trav took the van with Willows car seat inside, so I was stuck at home and with a dead bug. Luckily, Angie picked me up with an extra baby seat, and we were able to run our errands.I called Max to help charge the battery (Trav said the dome light was left on, probably by Grace who loves to climb in the car, push all the buttons and then leave them all on, causing the battery to die ALL. THE. TIME!) After charging for a few hours, I started it, and sure enough- SHE WORKED! I was so relieved!

It was just a bunch of little things that all added up within a few days of each other and I realized that God is in control, I'm sure not. I am so grateful for prayer, and friends who help listen when everything is falling apart. Hopefully, I'll calm down now and get some laundry done!