Fun at the State Fair

While Dave is busy harvesting, the kids and I packed up and went to Yakima on a weekend that they had an extra day.  I spent the day on Friday, (or I should say we because the boys were the best helpers), making applesauce and juice with Emily.  We did 55 quarts of sauce and 20 quarts of juice, plus we did 2 batches of freezer jam and 4 dehydrator loads of leather and slices.  Very productive day!!

Then on Saturday we went to the fair.  It was much bigger than our fair in Kennewick, and we had a great time.  Russ and Emily are so kind and helpful with my crazy kids, and Mirian plays so well with Brady.  We had a wonderful time!

Happy garden!!!!

I was so sad at the beginning of the summer.  I might even have shed a tear about how pathetic my garden is.  I planted my beans twice, and after the wind destroyed them both times I dug them under.  One Saturday while being in the depths of despair I went to Home Depot to browse the garden section.  I came home with pumpkin, cantaloupe, and watermelon plants.  I knew they would take over the world if they really grew, but I didn't care.  Now I have pumpkins growing all over including one hanging between 2 tomato cages, I have little watermelons that are ripe but not necessarily my fave, and the yummiest little cantaloupes.  My cucumbers have done great and I was giddy with excitement the other day as I picked a grocery sack of tomatoes and peppers.  Dave said to take lots of pictures so I will always remember my happy little garden of overgrowth!  My celery is awesome too.  (Too bad I don't love to eat celery)

A weekend retreat

My friend Ashley was heading to Seattle to see a friend and get away for a few nights and invited me to go.  Harvest started the following week so I knew this was my last chance to breathe deeply for the next 6 weekday.  Dave was kind enough to add being mom to his stresses and we headed of on Friday afternoon.  That night we hit ikea and had a great time looking at fun things.  Ash was looking for a bed and sadly they were out off all the ones she loved.  We stayed in north Seattle with our friend Anika and her family.  It was a nice little apartment with her quiet little family and really big dog.  On Saturday we walked across the street to a crepe cafe and had breakfast and then came back and headed to the beach.  Although the weather was very Seattley (overcast and chilly) we had a fun time.  That afternoon we sat around and napped and read, then that night just us girls went to a deli for dinner and then to an improv show.  It was so funny our cheeks were aching from all the laughing!  It was clean family fun and we had a delightful time.  Sunday morning we laid around and had breakfast made for us by Anika's husband the drove home early afternoon.  It was so fun to get away and Dave had a great time with the kids.  He keeps telling me I should leave more often.  He better be careful what he wishes for...

First Day of Preschool

Braden was disappointed when he realized that all his friends were now kindergarteners, and why didn't he get to go to school.  We talked about how you have to be 5 to go to kindergarten and that he gets to go to a new preschool and meet new friends.  He will be at preschool on MWF from 9:30-12:30 and EVERYONE is excited, except maybe Sabree because she wanted to go to preschool too.

Our favorite Carlson cousins

Ok, the Carlson's aren't really cousins, but they might as well be!  We have so much fun when we are with them.  They came to visit us Labor Day weekend.  Russ is constantly entertaining the boys, with silly videos or games or magic tricks.  Mirian and Braden play great together, and all the kids, big and little, have plenty of silly to go around.  Sunday we went for a walk to pick blackberries, but unfortunately were were 2 weeks late.  But Mirian had "so much fun" at the little park.  Then on Monday we went to pick corn and had a corny time, and then went boating.  Although it wasn't the warmest day, we all had enough fun to last until we get together again.....soon!