I'm Baa-ack!

Hopefully that doesn't strike terror into anyone's heart. I have missed journaling my life and love to use this blog to do just that. It has been very hectic in my life and I have found little time to think about myself. I am just coming off of a great holiday season. We had a fun Thanksgiving and Christmas. The family is the best. Pictures always tell a great story so I will share the very best right now.

My first grandchild to be baptized. That was a great day! Nov. 1 2014

The annual skin peeling ceremony of Thanksgiving

The table

Carter was ordained an Elder at our home on Thanksgiving night. No, KC didn't help.

The stockings were hung with care...only three this year!

Cookie decorating night. This should have been it's own post!

We sent 'hugs' to Hayden

Games at the Townsend Christmas party. What fun!

I think these were reindeer games. 

This must be Olive- the other reindeer. 

Loved the talent show and sing-a-long!

Lacey even got Carter to sing for us!

I handmade everyone's gift. More pictures later!

Satifaction

Nothing feels better than seeing your storage shelves lined with good food that you grew yourself or acquired locally and very fresh. It feels good to think about using your efforts in the coming months. I have had a riot this year. I have tried new things that are so good. I am looking forward to a few more new things. This year I tried making Peach Curd. It is wonderful. Now I wish I had a few more peaches. I am also going to bottle lemon and lime curd. I have a new recipe to try called Caramel Spiced Pear Butter. The pears are ripening as I type. I also tried making my own ketchup. I have bottled 36 quarts of tomatoes and plan to do a few more. We made salsa which we love! I have frozen chilies for casseroles. Frozen corn, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and peaches. I made freezer tomato sauce and it seems amazing.
  I feel so bad when I see a yard with beautiful fruit trees and gardens that no one is harvesting.I am trying to share my extra produce. Thank heavens for social media where I can share and ask for all this wonderful harvest!

Teh tomatoes performed their very best this year.

I also dried a bunch of herbs. This batch of basil was used in the tomato sauce.

The tomato sauce starts in the oven. You cut an 'X' in the bottom of each tomato and put them on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 -30 minutes until the skin will peel easily and they will 'smash' well. 

Peach Raspberry jam. Yum Yum.

Thanks to my friend for letting me raid her tree. Can't wait to preserve these. 

More of those wonderful tomatoes.

Posts I Should Have Done Installment Two

Installment Two _ The Many Adventures of Blossom the Rabbit

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   I bought a rabbit this spring. I had visions of our beautiful fenced yard and garden with this tender loving pet hopping around. We would let her out to run at first. She loved it. She would explore and hide in her favorite Day lilies. She would then come and want to be cuddled etc. It started out great. Steve felt sorry for her in a pen all day so he decided to let her run around in the chicken run. At first, I thought it was cute also. She loved chasing the chickens. If you came in to hold her and pet her she would run up on some bricks and you could easily pick her up. Then one day, I noticed a rather large hole expanding inside the chicken coop. I warned Steve, he said not to worry. Then she escaped. We would see her out in the yard. Steve caught her and filled in the hole. She got out again! Steve thought she was getting out from on top of the bricks. So he fixed her wagon on that account only to find her out yet once more. He fixed every hole by the fence he could and walked away. A few minutes later, there she was on the middle of the lawn again. This time, she eluded him. We knew she was hanging around our yard because we would catch glimpses of her. It seemed like she would come and stand close by when she knew your hands were full and you couldn't catch her. The whole family began plotting. Finally on the 24th of July, some of the family was visiting. The grandchildren, under the direction of E, began to construct booby traps for Blossom. Then L spotted her! Everyone jumped into action, with 9 people chasing you, you run out of options. They trapped her under Steve's tipi poles. Then after lifting up the tarps, Steve reached in and grabbed the feral Blossom. She cried like a baby. We cheered and took photos. The grandchildren celebrated with a chicken chase. It was a victory long awaited. But Blossom wasn't easily persuaded to forgive Steve...she stills tries to bite him. She now has luxury digs, but no freedom!

E works on a booby trap

He gets help from his cousins

Trapped!

Everyone had a job to do

Big D held his mother to the ground

I mean everyone had a job

Caught

One Mad Rabbit

Celebrate

End with a chicken chase

Caught them!
What a great 24th of July

Posts I Should Have Done Installment One

I have been loving my yard all summer. Although it is a time consuming and occasionally back breaking hobby, I keep at it. It is now time to let the containers finish their tired swan song and let the weeds grow and turn to seed for the birds. This frees up my time to start blogging again! I hope my mind will arrive any day and I can attempt to be clever also. I am going to post some of the fun events I should have already bogged. I will do this quickly.

CG shows his prowess in the water obstacle course

    Installment One- The Cousin Carnival. Marinda hosted a wonderful cousin carnival on the 4th of July ( I am behind!) She had gone to so much work. There were contests and great food. It lasted all day long. We had most of the family attending. I hope the photos will show it best! These kids were having so much fun and moving so fast, I had a hard time catching them!

Big D running his best race

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Little C- next time he will be running around in the meantime he was styling in his summer shirt

Even Popie ran part of the course

Here is what to do with your catcher after the game.

Ultimate jumping- One sprinkler under and a bunch of ball on top. Add as many people as you can!

It was a sleepy Superman that was dressed in the angry hat!

A game of Knock The Cans

Can you see what is on the table. Do you know what is coming next?

The Pie Eating Contest!

Chasing Balloons

Some Fireworks

Everyone had a great time

Thank you T family. We loved it!

Superhero Visit

We were visiting our sweet daughter and grandsons. We have been cuddling the tiny one, who is experiencing his first cold, to give his mom a break. When who should suddenly appear? The Hulk. He flexed those muscles. Punched me a bit and then disappeared!

And then came Captain Underpants