Happy Birthday Uncle Mike!

We didn't get to party with Mike, but I think he's having a good time anyway. He's the big 20 this year and half way across the world in Thailand.

Katie and I got to be there with Mom and Dad at the hospital when this guy was born. I remember eating gummy bears in the waiting room at the hospital while we were doing some waiting for the big moment. I can't believe that was 20 years ago.

Happy Birthday to Grace!

Gracie is four now! Time sure flies. She helped me make this beautiful butterfly cake. Fun stuff!

Robyn had a birthday!

We had us another birthday at our house last week. Robyn Sue turned 6 on us. Darn kids, just keep growing.
As much fun as that birthday was, now we're fixin' to have another one this weekend. My Gracie May is turning 4. We pretty muchly just party all summer long around here.

Camping at the Bingham Reunion

Here is Caden thinking he is a big boy. He climbed up on this chair all by himself.



Robyn, Colin, and Grace posing for a crazy picture.



Serious discussion and planning session - This is the gang pouring over the map to decide on the best route for a hike.


Caden likes this camping stuff.


Canoeing on the pond.

We went to the Bingham Reunion last weekend. We had a lot of fun and I am pleased to report that I did fine as the mother of all these people.
I do have to admit that it is A LOT easier to go camping as a kid than to go camping as the mother. Happily, Grandma and Grandpa Reeder were there and they helped keep an eye on everyone.

Garden Pics

This is Robyn's corn. Grace is standing by it for reference purposes - see the stalks in the middle are as tall as she is now.



This is the whole veggie garden. You can see that we have a few things on the way out these days. The peas are just about done so I planted a cantaloupe under them to take their place in a few days. The broccoli and the cabbage are also about done. I am not sure what I will replace them with. Probably more carrots, beets, lettuce and such. The pumpkin is taking over Gracie's garden (the one by the slide) well as we use the salad veggies she planted. Her beets are delicious!


This is our blackberry bush - It should keep us pretty busy next month with all those berries!


This is Caden and Robyn in our "canning kitchen." After we got the sweet cherries done, we went back to the orchard for some pie cherries. We got 5 jars of pie cherries canned and then decided that the freezer was a better place for the rest. I put 13 quarts of pie cherries in the freezer. That's A LOT of cherries!
We also picked a half bushel of apricots at the orchard. We have been eating them fresh, but I might dehydrate a few of them tomorrow. I don't like to eat canned apricots - too mushy! Dehydrated ones are pretty good though.

PS



My sour dough corn bread was a success. I cooked it in the dutch oven just to see if I could. I could. This corn bread was more cake like than my usual, not sure which I like better.

I also cooked some regular bread in the dutch oven and it worked fabulously as well. Hooray!

Abundance

Summer is definitely here! The yard is producing food very well this year. Enough to keep us plenty busy and fairly fed.



This picture is some of the food we worked with today and will work with some more tomorrow. (I will work on my food arranging skills to make it prettier for pictures in the future. One skill at a time, one skill at a time. )

The sweet cherries came from the church orchard. (We only got about 15 cherries from our little trees this year.) The kids and I canned 15 quarts, froze 1 gallon, ate about a million and still have two bowls full in the fridge. I turned the back patio into an outdoor canning kitchen with my camp chef and my two folding tables. It turned out great! Much better than I had imagined it would.
The peas are very fat and plentiful. I don't like to preserve peas - way too much work - so we try to only plant what the kids will eat as snacks while they are playing in the yard. We must have over planted a bit this year.
The broccoli is on it's way out of season, this is the last of it. I am going to make that very yummy broccoli sunshine salad tomorrow - you know the one with bacon and raisins. My favorite!
The purple cabbage is my very best cabbage yet! I have been trying for six years now to grow cabbage. Now I just have to figure out how I like to eat cabbage.
Every year for the past seven years I have tried wacky ideas to grow potatoes. We call it "The Great Potato Experiment." I've never had much luck. This year I gave up and vowed not to grow any potatoes. Then last year's potatoes started growing in Randy's and Robyn's gardens so I decided to dig them up and stick them in where my cauliflower plants had died. I transplanted them and ignored them. I guess potatoes like to be ignored. I thought one plant was dead so I pulled it out and found all these potatoes. I am thinking of turning them into potato salad tomorrow. I will also steam a few with some of those peas and a little sprig of rosemary. So yummy!
The other bowl is my sour dough. I made sour dough pancakes for breakfast and sour dough pizza for lunch. This sour dough was supposed to be bread for dinner, but I was busy with the cherries so I fed it again and we will see what it becomes tomorrow. I am thinking of trying sour dough corn bread. Fun stuff!

I really like food.

For the Record

I am a happy mommy.



Even when I find surprises such as this. Keeps life exciting.
Caden is a very busy boy. A very busy boy who apparently wants to be Don Aslett when he grows up. That, or else he inherited Aunt Kylie's randomness.

They are Happy

In June's visiting teaching message, Julie B. Beck's conference talk from October 2007 was quoted. She said, "...We have faith that with the Lord's help we can be successful in rearing and teaching children. These are vital responsibilities in the plan of happiness, and when women embrace those roles with all their hearts, they are happy!"

The dear sisters that visit me wondered about that "they are happy" part and we had a good discussion on it.

I believe Sister Beck's statement with all my heart! I think that the part that many women are missing is the "when women embrace those roles with all their hearts" part. We must believe that the work we are doing is the most important work we can do in this life. We must also remember that motherhood is WORK. It's not for slackers. "Why should we think to earn a great reward, if we now shun the fight?" No one can mother my children better than I can. No one can mother your children as well as you can. The secret here is God's will, not my will or anyone else's will, God's will. ( Alma 5 is making a lot more sense to me as time goes on.)


I know that God's plan is the plan of happiness. I know that His blessings are always here for all of us - He never takes those blessings away. However, we must do His will to receive those blessings. I hope and pray that mothers everywhere will embrace that role with all their hearts. Please fill your role well and encourage and bless others as they fulfill their roles well. I have a vested interest in mothers embracing their roles, my children will need spouses someday.

It takes a Family

I am not sure why, but someone needs to listen to/ read this lecture. Maybe it's you. I can't go to sleep until I post this.

The lecture is titled "It takes a Family to Raise a Village: The Significance of the Family for the Free Society" by Jennifer Roback Morse.

It is very interesting and I say, "Amen." If you watch the video, it lasts about 37 minutes. You can also download the audio to you IPOD and listen while you work or print out the 23 pages and read them as you have time. In my opinion, it is well worth the effort.

Anyway, make the effort. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I am grateful for the Gospel and the emphasis we place on the family. I have a strong testimony of the work that I am doing in my home. I know that I can impact the world more by mothering my own children than I possibly could in the work force. This phase of life is so very short, there will be time for other things later. I claim my right to enjoy, raise, and nurture my children, be the helpmeet my husband needs, gain a liber education, and be who God sent me here to be.

Good night. :)

Quick update

1 weekend + 700 miles = visiting with lots of family.
Grandma's bounce house is always a hit with the kids.
The bows Aunt Katie made are AWESOME. I have incredibly talented sisters! (Not to mention incredibly beautiful daughters - they definitely take after their aunts.)


Caden turned 1 = Happy Birthday, baby boy!


Van's fixed. 1 rock chuck = $1700 worth of damage!


Sour dough experiments = complete success! Go me!


Jeremy + Shannon = a new aunt for us in August! Go Jeremy!


Last year's jam = 1 jar left + 26 new from this year's crop. Talk about good planning!

3rd week of June = National Old Time Fiddler's Contest. Colin, Robyn, and Grace played with the Jr. Jammers as entertainment during the evening contest last Tuesday. Fun Stuff!