When strawberries were on sale

I picked up enough to do a batch of freezer jam. This is the first time I have ever bought fruit for jam and it really made me miss (and in hindsight, appreciate) my strawberry and raspberry gardens at the other house.



Nathan is a great sous-chef!



He measured, mixed, twisted all the lids on, and licked his fingers with yummy enthusiasm.

If anyone close to me knows of free raspberry or strawberry plants or berries, please let me know. I would be happy to transplant and/or pick.

I needed a break

from all the running around that has been going on during the last week. Once Kara and Max headed home to Utah and I had the little boys down for a nap I found myself wandering around the house not knowing what to do in my free 2 hour block before the teenager rush would hit at 3:45. I should have showered, or done some laundry, or blogged about all the activities I have been to with the kids during the past week, but I decided to play around on Photoshop.

I started with this picture of Erika (she's sending out a kiss to . . . )



I added a grunge background, erased the grunge from Erika, gave her a glow, added soft focus and here is my first experiment with Photoshop. The key (for me) to ending up with a great photo is to start with a great subject. Isn't she gorgeous!

Dates, Dates and More Dates

Date with Derek ~ April 3rd

Derek planned a fabulous date with a lunch at IHOP and a tour of the Titanic exhibit at the Idaho Falls Museum. Lunch was sweet! I haven't had a waffle with butter pecan syrup in about 6 years! I paid for it later with a terrible sugar headache but I sure enjoyed it while it lasted (the waffle, not the headache). Derek finished off a grand slam breakfast with all the trimmings and then finished everything that I had left. No wonder he grew 3 inches in a year!

The Titanic exhibit was fun to go to with Derek. I had gone with LeRoy the week before and did it the way LeRoy does a museum: no reading, no stopping, just look as you walk through. Derek on the other hand stopped at nearly everything and read all about it, which also gave me the opportunity to really take it in as well. He commented, he was amazed, he criticised some decisions, he almost cried when he read about some of the people, especially the kids and he was nervous at the end when he was looking to see if the person that he was representing had lived or died. Luckily, to end our time there on a happy note, we both lived. However, he was in awe looking at all of the names (and totals) of those who had not. We spent almost 2 1/2 hours there.

I then added my twist to the date. We went shopping for food storage. I had planned everything that I wanted to pick up and where to pick it up so that it would be fast. Derek had no clue that I was using him as free muscle labor. He didn't hear at all that we were shopping for boring food storage, he only heard that I needed a buff, strong, handsome young man to lift all those boxes for me . . a job description which he filled perfectly. We laughed and joked so much that it will forever stand as my favorite food shopping spree!

Date with Justin - April 18th

With the freedom to choose anywhere he wanted to go for lunch, Justin went with Taco Bell.

The meal came with entertainment as Justin tried to eat a taco that he overfilled with fire sauce. Fire sauce Dragon breath and Root Beer burping belly . . . cheap date but unforgettable memories.

Justin wanted a more active date than museum wandering so we went bowling. We have always been bowling in a large family group so when we were asked if we wanted to bowl just one game or bowl for an hour Justin said an hour. An hour goes by so fast when you have 7 people bowling and you don't get a turn very often. Our hour still went by pretty fast but WOW! did our wrists and hands hurt as we rolled our way through five games. That's 50 turns per person! When our hands started to hurt we had to get creative with our bowling which only made our scores dropped considerably as our concentration go to full silliness and laughter. We started out terrible with the left handed game but by the end we weren't doing to bad. It takes a lot more brain power to bowl lefty if you are right handed, especially if you want to stay out of the gutter.

Levi and Caytlyn - May

Levi asked Caytlyn to prom using Shawn's (brother-in-law) toilet seat idea. Levi has been planning to use the idea for as long as I can remember and now he has found a girl that can handle that kind of silliness. Just like a wishful teenager, he is hoping it will work as well as it did for Shawn (he asked my sister Kellie to prom their senior year with the toilet seat, survived the separation of a 2 year mission, and have now been married 10 years).

Levi's creation:

Caytlyn's response:

What potty-mouth kids!

(Nathan thinks the plunger is his special sword from Caytlyn)


Future Dates:

Friday - 8th: Lunch with Bunco girls, Ballroom dance recital for Justin, Erika and Caytlyn

Saturday - 9th: Breakfast with friends, make dinner for Prom kids

Sunday - 10th: Neighborhood Mother's Day lunch

Monday - 11th: Fuller family over for dinner and FHE

Tuesday - 12th: Levi's orchestra concert, Biggest Loser Finale party at my house - girls late night :)

Wedneday - 13th: Derek's orchestra concert, Erika and Justin's choir concert

Saturday - 16th: Dress shopping with Erika

Sunday - 17th: Dinner with Dabell family

Wednesday - 20th: BUNCO!

Thursday - 21th: Caytlyn's graduation

Friday - 29th: Last Day of School!!

Saturday - 30th: Justin's gymnastic recital

There, now I shouldn't forget anything in the month of May. (I hope!)

Renaissance Man

The 7th grade classes had a big Renaissance Fair a few weeks ago. Derek really wanted to be a knight in full armour since he has practiced for years the part of a warrior and because he really didn't want to wear a "dress and tights". As we were picking through costumes he became a little more excited for the time period and once he started trying them on he remembered how much he likes to dress up and become a character from another time, even if it isn't the part of the warrior.


He is dressed somewhere between the merchant and peasant classes, with a denim dose of the 21st Century.

During the activities he had fun learning:

* drop spindling (making wool into yarn)
* how to joust (his favorite for the day)
* about the black plague and wacky methods used to try to get rid of it
* foods and medicines from that time

Food for Thought

I found out the hard way that it is better to put my contacts in before cutting up fresh cilantro. I did wash my hands really well after cutting it but that stuff just sticks in the fingerprint and transfers to contacts. My eyes watered for a good 15 minutes.

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Hyrum loves black beans! In one night he ate almost half of a can (15 oz can!) of black beans. I tried to stop giving them to him but he would throw his head back, stick out his lip and squeal at me. His excitement over more beans being put on his tray and the adorable way he picked them up with his chubby little fingers were just to irresistible. Only 2 hours later he drank almost a full cup of blended peaches from his sippy cup and then headed off to bed. I will not even attempt to describe the aftershock that his little bowels went through during the next day. From now on I will put a limit on black beans and peaches!

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I had my back to Nathan while he was eating lunch and I was cooking at the stove. When I turned around he was literally hanging from the chandelier above the table. His feet were even tucked up under him. That darn Curious George!

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I have wanted to make Massaman Curry for my family since, oh, December. I finally found the courage to stick yet another new meal in front of my family, preparing myself for the awkward silence while everyone avoids the topic of taste. To protect my over emotional feelings I once again put the comment bag on the counter. I at least wanted to enjoy the meal whether anyone else did or not. After quite a few sniffs as it was cooking and a careful eyeing of the new dish on the table, the eating began. And it is a winner! I was shocked when Derek, who is my pickiest eater, remarked with emphasis, "this is sooo good! I love it". Majority rules (sorry LeRoy and Justin), I'll be making it again.


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Daily conversation with Nathan:

Me: What should we make for dinner?

Nathan: Soup

Me: What kind of soup?

Nathan: Green soup!

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I tried a new chicken stir fry recipe which turned out great. Everyone else at the table was doting praise on the cook, which I happen to really love, except for Levi. When I asked him what he thought of the new meal he simply grunted, twice. After he had his third serving I figured out that a 2 grunt reply must mean it is really good. Since I get it in response to such a variety of questions, I'm still trying to decipher the 1 grunt reply.

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While eating lunch during our Easter Saturday family get-a-way, Erika shook some pepper into Levi's Dr. Pepper when he wasn't looking. Because he also has a tendency to pull pranks on her, we kept our mouths shut. Just as he was ready to drink it, her guilty conscience got the better of her (as well as her giggles) and she confessed. Then it turned from prank to dare and yes, Levi drank some Dr. Pepper that was doctored up with pepper. At first he just shrugged and began to say "that's not so . . . aghhhh!", then gagging with tears forming in his eyes. Then we became the spectacle of entertainment for the lunch crew as each of my children, as well as my husband, each tried to drink it without giving the same puckered expression. Since I was smart enough not to try it I can only tell you that at first it has a spicy hint to it that is almost good and then after the drink goes down your tongue is left with a nasty coating of, to their description, burning puke. It was hard for me not to be embarrassed at the gagging nonsense going on while others in the restaurant were trying to eat, but I also enjoyed watching the laughter and bonding going on in our family as we make this memory that will last forever.

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I love having children that can cook. It is great when they answer my evening question, "what should I make for dinner" with a proposal of their own volunteered baking skills taking over for the evening. They do a terrific job presenting enchiladas, grilled sandwiches, spaghetti, taco salad and of course raman noodles. I do find sweet joy in my children, literally. It comes in the form of brownies, carmel popcorn, no-bake cookies and peanut butter chex mix. . . all of which I love. All of which I should not eat.

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Ever since Nathan's birthday fruit pizza, Hyrum has been downing the kiwi. He makes the most adorable pucker face while eating it which is followed the next day with a bit of a painful puckered face as I pick off the little kiwi seeds that stick to his little behind.

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Bonus
(which has nothing to do with food but I happened to think of while typing)

Hyrum is learning to stand by himself. He occasionally stands with his back to the couch and without realizing it he is standing. The part that we all laugh at so hard (and probably shouldn't) is when he lunges forward doing a face plant on the carpet. You can almost see him thinking that his feet are going to move and he will walk but he hasn't quite made the connection from his brain to his feet. He tried it once in his bed and ended up with a red mark on his head after smacking into the bar across from him. I was kind enough not to laugh that time.

Worker Buddies

LeRoy's bibs were getting really ratty (pockets that wouldn't hold anything and holes letting in a lot more cold air than the bibs were keeping out) so he went to pick up some new ones. He came home with size 4 bibs. Evidently, they were all out of his size but he couldn't walk out of the store without some for Nathan. They turned out to be a great investment for Nathan's winterwear in Rexburg (with room to grow in for next year).

During this past winter there have been several occasions where the "worker buddies" go out to work in the shed. This last Friday they spent an afternoon building some garden boxes. I should take video of it: they strut the same, they hold their hands in their pockets the same, they tote their hammers in the same bib pocket, they have the same cute bib behinds. Nathan is an adorable mirror image of his hard working dad.



We were really blessed this last winter to be able to build the shed to keep all of our work tools and materials in. Things worked out with the loan that we ended up paying only $5 more for the new shed on our own land than for the storage unit that we were renting in town. One of our apprentices volunteered to build shelving for us and spent 3 days putting it all together before we moved everything in. He did an awesome job!

My favorite part of the shed is the little loft area. It is a great place to escape from the noise of the house to read with birds as a calm background symphony! I've even asked (and received) permission to put a bean bag up there.

A Bunch of (Coco)Nuts

Justin was "helping" me do the grocery shopping last Saturday. Without looking at what it was, I was just saying "no" to everything he wanted to put in the cart knowing that it would all end up in my mouth and eventually on my hips. Then I heard, "but mom, isn't it healthy?". I honestly don't even know if coconut is healthy but I'm not a big fan of it. So to satisfy Justin's shopping desire to buy something, and still managing to not punish my waistline, we bought a coconut.

We had to watch a video online to figure out how to get the nut open:

Justin poking the holes to drain the coconut water

Derek draining the coconut

The crying coconut

Trying the internet directions to "tap" the nut in half

The Edwards' version of "tapping"

Let's Eat!

The kids were hoping more for the flavor of the bagged, flaked, sugared coconut from the store, which they did not get. Still, it was a fun Sunday activity and we had a good laugh over the amount of boy power it took to get the wimpy (because it was crying) coconut opened.

Coming Soon To A Home Near You!

My boys were so excited watching what they thought was a preview to a new movie. After a good laugh they left the office to begin their own movie, swashbuckling in our living room. And yes, I did have to remind them that our Littlest Prince was sleeping.

It was working this morning when I posted but evidently not now. If you can't see the video here you can watch it here: Swashbuckling It's worth the 1 minute!

Tabby on Duty

On the way home from Peru I picked up Kara's cat. Her near 5 years with him was enough and she was ready to be pet free. I was actually loving the fact that we were pet free and we had no intentions on getting a pet until the mice and voles started to infest the yard and window wells due to the rain and spring melt off. In one day my boys killed 26 mice so we knew we needed to do something or they were going to eventually get in the house. I'd rather have a cat than mice. Harrison (the cat) was a great choice. Kara had already taken care of his shots and declawing him as well as training and growing him out of the kitten stage (which I really can't stand). Though he was mostly an inside cat at Kara's, he's mostly an outside cat with us. However, he is in no way lacking in lovin' just because he spends most of his time outside. I think he gets more love than any of our previous cats because he is so easy going and good to let the kids maul him.

Harrison is great at the catching and killing part of his job. However, he doesn't eat the mice. He likes to show that he is earning his keep and leaves them for us on the porch or patio. Now we are finding them dead in the yard, probably because it is too much trouble for him to haul them all to the porch. In one afternoon LeRoy and Nathan hunted down and disposed of 14 mice and then did it again the next day. Our neighbor three houses down commented that she has started to have mice left on her porch and in her yard so evidently he is taking care of the whole neighborhood, not just us.



From these pictures you can see that the 3 youngest boys absolutely love him. He gets plenty of attention around here and is good enough to take all the yanking, spanking and slobbering that Hyrum gives him. You can also see that he isn't the most modest of creatures and we all have a really hard time looking at him without laughing when we find him napping in the hallway. The picture of Harrison and Nathan laying on the floor gives you an idea of his size. He is a big cat!



Harrison's size doesn't stop Nathan from dragging him around (which he is very patient to go along with). Nathan picks him up like this and will walk him upstairs, around the house, where ever he feels like taking him. It is so funny to see the cat walking with Nathan, his little paws just trying to keep up. With all the man handling that Nathan does he also does a great job taking care of the cat by making sure that he has food and water every day. Of course, the cat prefers to drink from the sink in the bathroom so Nathan will push the stopper down, put some water in and let him get a drink. The next time you come to my house you may find paw prints in the bathroom sink.

Quilting Class (and a blubbering blond)

In January I decided to set aside all my sewing and social anxieties and I joined a quilting class. I don't mind sewing (it's usually the machine that runs me out of patience), I love seeing a project go from bolts of fabric to something patchwork beautiful. I love to quilt, I'm just very average and self taught at all of it (which actually means I make it up as I go along).

I also hate to sew in front of people (or do any craft in front of people), or to even let someone know that I am doing a project, let alone let them watch. What if I tell someone my hopes of a dazzling outcome and it turns out awful? Or I just don't finish it? Then I'm a failure in someone else's eyes and not just my own. Ok, I realize most people wouldn't even care, but that's one of the very many quirks that make up my anti-social, insecure, perfectionist personality.

It has been hard for me over the last 4 months to sit with 11 other women and actually cut fabric and sew in the same room with them. But it has all been very worth it. I've learned designing, measuring, cutting, and sewing to create a work of fabric art and I am excited to use it for more projects in the future. I've learned short cuts, tricks to piecing, hand applique techniques and more about fabric than I ever thought would be necessary. We are making table runners. I can't imagine my table ever being cleaned off long enough to use it as a table runner so I'm going to hang it on a quilt hanger on the wall next to the table.



I took this the night before the sew-it-all-together class. The 4 red circles, 4 black circles and 4 stars are all done with hand applique. I loved that part of it!



The points of the stars were very tricky but it helped me learn a technique that will be helpful for future projects.




And this is the top all sewn together. This is the most geometrically sound project I have ever put together. All of my measurements came out just right and all the points matched up perfectly. I did take out and re-sew about 4 places because I wanted it to be straight and now I don't have even one spot that I hope no-one notices. You can notice it all. And if you see something that isn't quite right, don't tell me. I don't need any more bursting bubbles this week.

Next comes the hand quilting. Most of the other women are taking it to a shop in Teton to have it machine quilted but I enjoy doing it by hand (and saving myself the $30 to go towards the next project). Thanks for the quilting stands and frames Kellie! It's wonderful to be able to set it up and take as long as I want without feeling the pressure to finish up fast so that I can return them to their owner. I am the owner now :)