Pears...

I finished up my pears yesterday was was happy to get 21 jars this year. When I told Trav I wasn't going crazy this year with canning, he said, "you could have fooled me."
Really I'm not. I've done enough to make myself feel good about it, but not enough to completely wear myself out.

Applesauce...

Yesterday Kara & I had another fun day of making applesauce! We were able to can 39 pints and quarts! After she left, Trav helped me get 7 quarts of pears done too. We are happy with what we were able to get done considering we started late in the day, had kids running around, had to run to the store for a propane refill and a few other interruptions!

I am really tired today after a morning of errands, a trip into Boise for my 3rd chirpractor app of the week, a library stop and a few other things. I need to finish my pears- but I'm taking a hour break while Willow is napping and Grace is happily watching a movie. Oh, sweet rest, how I need you...

Little Miss Willow...

I cannot believe she is turning 2 next week! How in the world did my baby grow up? I just found this picture and thought I'd post it! I need to plan a party one of these days too!

Canning...

The other night we went and picked raspberries at Tammy's house (thank you!)it was kind of neat because some of her bushes/starts had come from Trav's parents years ago. I was excited to make some more jam!
We to the orchard again yesterday to get some more apples and we were thrilled to find more peaches as well!
Yesterday Kara & I canned 43 jars of applesauce. We will can the rest later today.
After she left, I made 14 pints of raspberry peach jam, 5 raspberry-peach freezer jam & 5 peach frezzer jam's! There's nothing like making jam at almost midnight (I was interuppted a 100 times because Trav was working on his 2nd security clearance for work and needed massive info that I had to search old journals for!)
Finally at 1:00 AM we fell asleep. My feet ached. Naturally Grace woke up twice and sure enough the alarm went off shortly after at 4:45 AM. Oh, the long days of canning! Gotta love it.

Grace's silly faces...

Grace is always taking crazy pictures of herself- here's her latest...

Canning Update...

Yesterday sweet Kara came over and we canned peaches together for a few hours. I had done 14 quarts before she arrived and then we did 29 while she was here. Can I just say how much "funner" canning is with a friend! It's wonderful.
Today sweet Angie came over and we did 14 quarts for Annikan who's still in the hospital after having baby # 4. She had a c- section and there was no way she was going to get to them after that and I couldn't bare the thought of her not having any or the peaches rotting- so we spent a few hours this afternoon doing hers. After Angie left I made a bunch of strawberry-pineaple- peach jam! I made 16 pints and I am thrilled to have yummy jam this year! ( and for gifts too!)


***Offical 2011 count***

Peaches= 78 quarts
Jam= 61 pints
Freezer Jam= 19 containers
Applesauce= 82 pints & quarts
Pears= 21 quarts

Grand Total= 261 pints, quarts or frozen.
My total= 172

The Peacock park...

A few weekends ago, we took the kids to the "peacock park' and had a picnic by the river. The kids had peacocks eating out of their hands! Crazy. it was a beautiful hot day and the kids had a blast riding their bikes everywhere. It was a lovely day.

The orchard...

Who has the greatest husband in the world? I do! I do!

Honestly, does anyone have a husband that helps during canning season? Trav is amazing. He helped me get a few quarts done today which i am SO thankful for!
We went to the orchard a few nights ago to help pick peaches. I almost didn't go because I wasn't feeling well, but I drugged up and went, which I'm thankful for. We were able to pick peaches for free! We grabbed a bunch that night and then the next day Shelly, Angie & I went out and picked A TON of fruit! I came home with 4 recycling bins full of peaches, a huge bag of apples and 2 1/2 buckets full of pears. We had fun!!
The kids and I have made a TON of peach deliveries to friends and family the past few days!
It's been fun making jam too. I made 20 pints yesterday. 16 cooked and 4 freezer jam.

Sore, but feeling better...

I am really thankful to report my jaw is a lot better. Although still sore and really achy- it feels a million times better than it did before. Almost a month later, a 100 ct bottle of Advil and a ton of ice packs seemed to help, I think! I'll be glad when it is completely gone because it is still really uncomfortable- but I'm relieved the stabbing, painful pressure has subsided.

I've been to the chiroprator 4 times this week and they worked on it a little (Who knows if it did anything) but I am grateful to FINALLY be going because my head, neck & back have been messed up- FOREVER! One chirpractor I saw years ago asked when I had been in a accident, and I replied, "Never."
I did discover this week that my spine is seriously messed up, my neck is a joke and my back is super sad as well. My head is literraly not on right, my neck has no natural curve to it- it's completely straight, 1 rib is out of place, my vertebre are crazy, 1 leg is longer than the other and in some places my neck and back and are out so much that the other side is straining 6 times more than it should. Well,NO WONDER everything hurts! No wonder I've had horrible headaches for 21 years! It helps when your head is on right for goodness sakes!

The Dr. thinks after a zillion adjustments, I should feel 50% better. I was shocked. I was just praying for 1% improvement! It's crazy what we live with most of our lives and what we allow to become "our normal." I'm trying to take care of myself these days instead of stressing about every cent it will cost. The truth is I want to be around a long time, so I better start taking care of things, right?
Thanks for caring, and thanks christy for the referral! They are truely the greatest!