Garden

So, we're trying out Square Foot Gardening!!! We've heard great things about it and we've read his book (the new edition) throughout the summer, and we've been SO excited to start! So, yesterday was the day. We used leftover paint from the house to protect the wood and then put the boxes together. We had to put a special metal stuff on the bottom to keep the gophers out ( they even eat through chicken wire!). Then, we mixed up Mel's special Mix and planted the plants! I sure hope it grows. It looks really pretty right now.

Erin is helping with the garden for one of her 10 hour projects for Personal Progress in Young Women's. She helped us plan out what to plant and helped with everything - wonderful!!! We planted Peas, Broccoli, Leaf Lettuce, Butter Leaf Lettuce, radishes, green onions, beets, carrots, swiss chard, and Marigolds. Wish us luck!!!

Erin's 14!!!!!! (no, really)

Can you believe I actually have a kid that's 14?????? I'm sure something's not calculated correctly!!! Oh, well. Happy Birthday, Erin!!!!! It's so fun watching her grow up and become such a beautiful young woman. She's loving, kind, a great friend, a wonderful student, works hard at everything she does, and is a great help! I hope you had a great day, Erin!

Welcome Fall!!!

If only we really saw more of this around here. We are dipping below 100F this week in celebration of Fall - only for a couple days, though. That's o.k. - at least we know it's coming! Happy Fall everyone!

Erin's Party

Erin had her birthday party on Friday night! We had quite the group of 12-14 yr. old girls over here! She invited several girls from school, church, and her best friend from Mesa. She did the whole thing - they played the "fruit game" - where everybody is a fruit and if you don't call someone else's fruit before the girl with the newspaper gets to you then you get hit with the newspaper - REALLY FUN! Then, they played white elephant but with candy bars -yum!

I made a bunch of different snacks thinking we had WAY to much food - HA! It was ALL GONE by the time they left - even the carrots!

Erin opening her presents just before they watched National Treasure 2. Fun night - exhausting, but fun for Erin.

Students of the Month

Erin

Laura

Kelcie

I forgot to post about 3 of my kids getting Student of the Month for August!!! I knew that Laura and Kelcie were getting it because their teachers called me, but then Erin came home with one, too! She said her teacher leaned over to her at Flag Ceremony right before and told her - "by the way....." And, I knew about Laura and Kelcie's for about 2 1/2 weeks - too long, I decided, because.........I forgot. I felt so bad. Last year I went every time someone got something, and for these two, I missed. I even jumped in the car knowing that by the time I reached the school, they would be done and in their classrooms. I apologized and, of course, it didn't really bother them - phew! But, just wanted to have a shout out for my girls that I'm so happy with how hard they work at school and how they treat other people.( The Value for August was Respect - they choose the Students of the Month based on the value.)

Olathe Corn

Next up, CORN!!! I had a roommate at BYU that would bring this amazing frozen corn back from home and we all LOVED it! So, I got her recipe and made it when we were first married, but haven't made it since. Well, I came across bulk corn this week and wanted to freeze some - but, of course, I've lost my recipe box in the move. Luckily for facebook - and blogs - I got the recipe again and that's what I've been doing all day (thanks, Sandy!) It's sooooooooooo yummy! I got 15 bags of corn that are almost 4 cups in each bag (big family).

Back on peaches - 14 quarts, 3 gallon freezer bags, and 24 cups of jam!!! Cobbler and Pie tomorrow - yippee!!!

Utah Peaches!!!

Utah peaches are the best in the WHOLE WORLD!!! So, that's what I'm doing for a few days. Yesterday, I found all the ripe ones if my boxes and cut them and froze them for smoothies - or just to eat like candy when it's hot! I got 2 gallon bags full so far. Hopefully today they'll be more ripe enough to make jam and then I'll bottle some.

9-11

I know it's long, but it's so worth it.

Gilbert Temple

WE ARE SOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!

Kids Rooms

I took these pictures a couple weeks ago hoping I would get the whole house clean and show you the different rooms - well, the kids rooms got done. I think it actually was the first day of school and I was "done" with their mess :)

The Boys Room

The little girls room

The Big girls room - Jamie's half

Big girls - Erin's half

The big girls have a little feaux dormer between their closets because they wanted one like the other kids. They were excited that to make that happen they each had to have their own closet - oh darn! Sorry, you can't see everything and I didn't want to post every angle, but you get the idea.

Just Ramblin'

1. I love being a Homemaker!!! I've noticed this week how much I really love doing the domestic stuff around the house - making bread, laundry, feeding chickens, collecting eggs, feeding bunny, making freezer jam, canning chicken, finding great deals on groceries, etc. Even cleaning up isn't so bad because I love how it looks when I'm done. Of course, my house isn't perfect - because I don't enjoy cleaning bathrooms, mopping floors, and dishes - and I don't enjoy this stuff all the time, but this week I really enjoyed it. ( Ask Lafe how many time I asked him if he saw my jam and chicken!)

2. I LOVE how having it rain in Arizona is the best entertainment!!! Whenever it rains it gets announced throughout the house and we love to sit outside and watch it. Even Talin earlier this week said , "It's raining! I gotta go outside!" We LOVE rain here and thunderstorms are SO fun! And, because we don't have an attic above the kids' rooms, they can really hear the rain and they love it - as much as I would have!

3. I love that my daughter will get up at 5:45 in the morning to exercise with me!

4. Why do restaraunts bring you an odd number of appetizers (breadsticks, etc.) when there are an even number of eaters? This drives Lafe and I crazy - it makes no sense. There are 2 of us - why bring 3? Bring either 2 or 4 - duh! We're only going to ask for more anyway!

5. I LOVE the mountains, latch-hooks, and cross-stitching - and I'm off to do that all weekend - woo-hoo! O.k., only Saturday, but it's still a welcome relief - and a chance to see Grandma and Grandpa who haven't been home for more than 2 weeks in a year and a half!

6. And...... I still love chocolate -which is probably why #3 hasn't helped me lose any weight yet :)