Canning

Holy Moses!  I have been canning my life away!  I started with a batch of salsa.  I had tons of tomatoes from my garden, and they made a splendid salsa.  We are eating it like candy!  I just up a few recipes online and picked one--it was a winner!  I added a few of my own personal touches, but it really was a good pick if I do so say myself.  In total I think I made about 25 jars of salsa in 2 batches.  I do, however, have more tomatoes from the garden.  Should I make another batch?  Oh sheesh!

Next we picked the apples from our apple trees.  Makayla had a lot of fun helping me.  I picked the apples, dropped them to the ground, and she ran around collecting them.  We got four boxes of apples! We have never had that many before.  Let's just say I had a few adventures in apple saucing.  It was a lot of work, but we ended up with 45 jars (and I STILL have more apples).  I also did a few jars of apple pie filling.  Yum!

 Such a good helper!

 These kids were such fruit monsters!  They couldn't stop eating (at least it was just fruit, right?)

 I had some friends and neighbors give me some peaches.  I just love some canned peaches.  This process is much easier and quicker than applesauce.  I did about 30 jars of peaches.

I had another friend offer me some pears from her tree.  I canned those bad boys into 15 jars.  So grateful for friends and neighbors and their willingness to share with me.  It is so appreciated!  I look forward to a huge stockpile of fruit in our food storage.  

Needless to say, my children are quite fond of fruit.

 I am thrilled to be done canning for the season (at least I thiiiink I am).  It was hard work, but I really enjoyed it.  I am glad to see our food storage grow by over 100 jars of good, healthy food.  Who would have thought that I would turn out to be so domestic?

First Day of Preschool

On September 3, 2013 this little lady had her first day of preschool!  She was so excited, and didn't seem nervous at all.  She HAD to have a Tinkerbell backpack (which I was grateful to find at Walmart for 4 bucks).  Some of the other mothers in the neighborhood and I are doing our own rotating preschool.  It is perfect.  Makayla already knows the kids from church, so the transition was easy.  When I dropped her off the first day she walked right in and did her thing.  She didn't even give me a hug.  Good thing I made her give me lots of hugs that morning.  She has loved every second of school so far, and we hope that continues FOREVER!

Daxton's Birthday

 This big boy turned one on August 18.  For his birthday breakfast he go some french toast sticks in the shape of the number one, and some watermelon.  This kid looooves watermelon.

 I can't believe I delivered him a year ago.  I tell you what, my pregnancy with him lasted forever, but his first year of life zoomed by.  Strange how that works.

 He isn't walked yet, but he gets around just fine.  I am sure he won't be walking anytime soon.  He just isn't that interested.  Sigh.

 This was Daxton's cake.  While I was helping Makayla pick out a birthday cake, I came across a Sesame Street cake similar to this one, and I fell in love with it.  You can't see the Big Bird beak very well in this picture, but it was there in real life.  Promise.

Since I went with the Sesame Street cake, I just made that the theme of the whole party.  Good times.

 He needed some help opening presents.  He would pull out the tissue paper, but wouldn't reach in the bag to collect his goodies.  He got some fun presents.

 It was great to get some boyish toys.  We have plenty of girly things that Dax would play with, but it is nice to have a variety now.

 He was mad that I wouldn't let him touch the cake while the candle was lit.  He cried while we sang to him.  He wanted that Elmo!

 Goodbye, Elmo.

 Yummy!

 Can you believe that face?  I can't believe this sweet boy is all mine.  I love him so much.

 He kept looking at me as if he was asking, "Uh, Mom.  Is this okay?"  Cute.

And what birthday would be complete without a Super Grandma?  We had a great day.

Makayla's Birthday

 This little thing is THREE!  Where does the time go?  This is Makayla on her birthday.  This morning I told her I would make whatever she wanted for her birthday breakfast.  I was expecting waffles or something similar, but what did she request?  A hotdog.  Easiest breakfast request ever.

One of Makayla's favorite things to do is to get on my Pinterest app and look at cakes.  This year, after looking at hundreds of cakes, she decided that she wanted to have a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme.

Most of the ideas came from Pinterest.

I know, I know.  This seems like I went really over the top.  What can you do when you have all of this stuff just sitting in your house?  You use it, naturally :)

She was so thrilled to be three years old.  A few weeks before her birthday I told her she couldn't even turn three, and that she needed to stop growing.  She replied, "NO!  I want to get big and turn three so I can reach the sink!"  I guess I can't argue with that reasoning.

This is the cake she picked out.  Happily, she picked out one of the easiest cakes we saw.

We had a Mickey piñata and the kids each got a turn smacking it around.

 Get the candy!

 We had lots of guests.  We have great family support on both sides.  Very blessed.  Very.

 Daxton got the boot from Mommy.  He got passed around, but landed happily with Grandma Sylvia.

 I made Makayla go give thanks and hugs to everyone for spoiling her with gifts.

 This kid made it through the night!  Now onto his birthday.....in a few days.