pictures of the birthday & other stuff

Elizabeth's birthday was a success. she was opening cards & enjoying the gifts of money & such. she received a set of sparring gear for karate. a pair of new vans (sneakers) and an outing of horseback riding from Mommy & Daddy. she received quite a bit of money from friends & family. my parents (Memeer & Papa) gave her money & a beautiful little silver bracelet & a new outfit. seeing that Elizabeth is our one of my fashionistas...that gift was right up her alley.

Abigial was very excited for Elizabeth.

Esther was thrilled to be part of the whole deal! She was wearing an outfit from Hawaii that our friends JD & Jenny gave Abigail years ago and she received quite a bit of attention because of it. I'm sure it helps that she looks a bit like cindy loo from whoville! pretty darn cute in my opinion.

Asher had just woken up before we came into Outback & he was getting wound up about this time. He barely ate a thing but enjoyed his coke very much.

This was me getting out of the van & making sure children didnt get run over. Clay thought it was the appropriate time to snap a picture. We had yet to discuss the fact that he was LATE & had kept us waiting do to work. but the main reason i look so unhappy is, quite frankly i despise having my picture made. now if i die this will be the last picture they have of me to remember me by.....ok, i know...it kind of fits my personality.

this was at home blowing out the candles & having the ever anticipated cake!

NOW FOR RANDOMNESS:

one morning about 3 weeks ago Abigail, Asher & I got up around 6:45 AM and picked peas. unknowingly to me....clay was snapping pictures....obviously not of my good side (seriously is my butt really that big?? ok dont answer...and i was wearing black too! whoever said it was slimming has no clue what they were talking about.).

anyway the kids absolutely love getting into the garden & helping....these 2 kids....not my 2 big girls...no way!!! It was probably one of my best memories of this summer. Abigail calls the produce that we get names like "big boy", "little baby", "big red" (when it comes to tomatoes anyway)...she is so funny. but they are really helpful.

and to finish off my week...Asher asked for a "warrior" cut. it killed me to allow it. i love his long locks. (they are a bit sweaty as our a/c had been out all day). but he knows his own mind & really wanted his hair cut short like a "warrior". he even told the girl who cut it..."no spikes, just short". he would have been fine with high & tight but he at least compromised as thankfully he really doesnt know what "high & tight" means. he was just happy with the short hair. so now my sweet baby boy is officially a big boy...or still my little man!

for the record...from this day forward his hair is growing back out!

happy birthday Elizabeth!!

today is elizabeth's birthday. once clay gives me the pictures from this evening off of his camera i will post "her" story with the pictures.

also our a/c was out when we got home from celebrating. needless to say, it's hot & i'm tired.

SALSA!!!

i made 13 1/2 quarts of salsa...oh man...it SMELLS SO GOOD!!!!! 12 are in quart jars & i have 3 in pint jars. it has been a lot of work but so worth it. and i made my SPICY!! SUPER SPICY!!! i like it that way. but that's me. plus i know that the kids wont eat it anyway. oh well.....now i only have 13 quarts of tomatoes to process by the weekend & i am done for the summer (i think). it makes me feel so good to have all these pretty jars of tomatoes, pickles & salsa put up for the winter. it's not much...but it's better than the nothing i have done in years past...oh & i have peas & lima beans in the freezer with some okra & tomato mix. it's going to be a chili & vegetable soup kind of winter!

this picture is a random picture of abigail grace sleeping last month. i want to "pass out" like that at this point! i'm tired!

the goings on around here!

so this is what i found today when i went to get esther up from her nap.... a naked bum sticking up. she is so beautiful! she is very unapologetic concerning her nakedness. i like that about her!

then i canned 12 1/2 quarts of tomatoes. i now have like 27 1/2 quarts left to go. it's so exciting. i know i'm so geeky considering this excites me but it does.....think about the soup & spaghetti & lasagna & chili i can make....yummy!!!! & the tomatoes were free....raised in my own garden!!! and it's gotten so much easier. i did learn the trick to put the tomatoes in boiling hot water for about 30-45 seconds then to move them over to ice cold water...the skins just slide right off. i have been using a knife and peeling them all by hand...i know it doesnt look like much but those 12 1/2 quarts took about 200 tomatoes....seriously...

and this is the result of standing on my feet all day......ugly, ogre looking feet. and sadly this will only get much worse by the time the baby gets here. but i will survive. it means good weight loss within the first 2 weeks of delivery also!

pickles! check!

this is what i did ALL DAY LONG!!! my feet are HUGE!! oh well. it is so rewarding. tomorrow & the next week or two i will be putting away a ton of tomatoes. i'm also going to try corn - well to freeze it. i'm so excited but again it's so much work. hope you are having a productive summer.

oh what a day!

ok this is my feet & legs after a long busy day. and i am only 5 months pregnant. rachel said "ewww, elephant ankles".  my kids are very real with me. abigail just told me that a lady singing (jewel) on tv must not have any kids. clay & i asked her why & she said "because she is skinny". i tried to explain to her that just because a lady was skinny it didnt mean she didnt have children.  so of course i had to push it - and i asked for it. i said "is mommy always fat when there isnt a baby in my belly?" she said "yep!" but then she followed it up with this.....and of course this made it all worth it.....she said "but mama you are still my bestest." and she just giggled. she is such a sweet, completely honest, child!

the kids (well abigail, elizabeth & rachel - who assisted) attended a bible camp this week. so tonight was family night. we took side dishes & dessert & went to listen to the songs & such that they learned this week. it had just started and people were milling about. they were getting ready to serve the food. we were sitting at the tables where everyone would be eating & we were talking amongst ourselves - clay, rachel, elizabeth, esther & me. abigail & asher were suppose to be swinging on the little swing set a few feet away. anyway david asher had decided to take a mere 3 feet away from the table we were sitting at, and in front of God & everybody, decided to drop his pants & pee right there in the dirt....WHERE PEOPLE WERE GOING TO BE EATING.  i thought i was going to die of embarrassment. he seriously didnt think anything of it. i asked rachel if she was ready to leave & she said yes. i said "what you arent comfortable?" she said "no i'm comfortable, it's them (pointing to abigail & asher) who are a bit too comfortable."

so i've been a bit busy!!!

i have been busy picking lima beans (well clay did pick most of these)......the family shelled them...i didnt have too. but this bowl is all that came out of these empty shells. isnt that a lot of work for so little pay off? they are cooking  - well being blanched now on the stove & they smell SOOOOOOOOOO good!!!! I think will end up with at least 5 quart bags in my freezer of them.

now all we have to do is shell these bad boys....well field peas!! this are just as delicious as the lima beans & well worth the effort. i've already put up 2 quarts of these. i'm hoping for at least 2 more & then we should get one more good picking off the plants. plus i was able to give my friend Jenny a mess of them.

i also need to peel & cut up tomatoes to can them. yep that's a whole lot of tomatoes. that is just 2 days worth & that doesnt include the bucket of cherry tomatoes sitting in the refrigerator. i'm hoping to get at least 8 quart jars of canned tomatoes this year. we will see. but this is what i am doing over the next few days. oh did you notice all the cucumbers??? yes well that's about 10lbs of cucumbers. i am planning on pickling about 4 quarts of them. i'm hoping it will be worth my effort. i have never done that before.

                  

and yes you counted correctly...that is 5 watermelons. that doesnt include the one i already cut up & we engorged on at supper tonight. it probably was the best watermelon we have ever gotten out of the garden. it was the stripped kind like the one on top in the wheelbarrow. it has been in the refrigerator for 3 days & was so worth it. cant wait for breakfast tomorrow morning. i know what i'm having. so i guess in certain terms...we are enjoying our summer...even if it's work...but it's good work. tasty work & will totally pay off in the winter. i wish there was a way to save the watermelon & cantaloupe.

                                                                                                                                                                    

Independence Day

the boy wants tattoes.....he's so funny. he let abigail draw on him....the left arm is spiderman....the right arm is a bunch of "tribal" writing. they are a team & work together....but i love that..
so what did i do today? i got out the sharpies & drew tattoes on both of them. so funny. and they loved it. but i was smart...the sharpies are put up way high so they cant go about decorating themselves.

and today is independence day. we are a blessed nation. the kids at the table today were funny with why they thought america was so great....Abigail said she was glad we could have animals - which if you think about it, here we have the income to care for animals...so she was thankful for that. rachel was thankful that she could worship God. elizabeth was thankful that in america you can have as many children as you want ...pretty cool....and david asher....oh my little man said....i can have a gun!!!! that is great. he's 3 1/2 & already knows he wants guns. LOVE HIM!!! i love all of them.
it's been a good, leisurely long day. Thank God for America!