T is for Taylor

Our last birthday this month. I can't believe Taylor is 12. He is getting so tall and his voice is deeper all the time. Taylor loves the dunes and as you can see in the birthday pic of him, he is always such a big help whenever we go to the dunes. He is really good with the younger children and will dig to make them jumps so they can get better on their quads. I remember the first time we took him to the dunes with us, he came over to my chair after dinner and said, “Granny, I think this is paradise.” That was 2 years ago. He has gotten to be a pretty good rider and has given up his quad for a dirt bike. There are so many things we love about Taylor and I know I usually make a list, but I think I will just say how special he is to us. He is a great young man and I hope he will continue to make choices that will give him wings in life. When he was born he was our first grandchild and of course was properly spoiled rotten by all of us. He has survived us and has grown into a really wonderful young man. Keep up your homework, be nice to your sisters and mind your Mom because:

Dune season is coming Taylor…

Another Week Gone…

Or should I say, a new week is beginning? I just finished 60 quarts of tomatoes (with Tawna's help) and it feels really good to be done with my tomatoes. We'll be doing pears tomorrow for Tawna and her friend Holly. A pear party. Whoooo Hooooo! Grumpy and Papa will be home tomorrow - I am so happy about that. Wouldn't you know the one week Grumpy is gone is the week I am staying at Stacie and R.B.'s with the kids. We had fun in spite of his absence - they are really good kids. They survived me and all the other “parents” they had this week so it's all good. I picked up the cruisers tonight at the airport and they are looking like they had fun. They look like the kind of tired that traveling always is, but glad for the much needed break. Had dinner at Summer and Jamie's and it tasted so good. I think I forgot to eat today with all the tomatoes to do. They had a good roast with potatoes, carrots, broccoli and brownies with ice cream for dessert. Yummmm. Good cooking guys. Thanks for the invitation.

Had a great night out with Tawna and Taya friday. Tawna and I had dinner and then we met Taya at the theater to see “The Women”. I'm not sorry I saw the show because it was good, but I don't think I will buy it when it comes out. The best was being with some of my girls having fun. Thanks for the fun date girls. We've decided I desperately need a pedicure though, I'm starting to look like Howard Hughes toes. The pink polish from the last pedicure (long ago) is now looking like the top 1/8" of a french manicure. 

Going on a little road trip to see Jade and the boys this week and then she is coming here to - oh no, not that - can some peaches and tomatoes! I'll get to see Jaxon's cast. Conference will be airing this weekend and I am looking forward to hearing the different sessions. I love to turn all the TV's in the house on to conference so no matter where I am I can hear it. The girls and I have decided to re-pack all the food for our 72 hour kits over conference weekend. So we will be having a food packing party and all will be fresh again. 

It's time to say goodnight. I just hope I can sleep. So much to do, people to see, places to go. Or at least I think I do. 

Jordyn, Jordyn!

How did you get to be 11 already? You are making me old girl! I love you so much, and am glad that you:

• Love to read - reading is the best!
  
• Look so good in your glasses - they are cute on you.
  
• Are such a great help to me, especially at dinnertime. 
  
• Love to cook and make good stuff.
  
• Are a great student and love to learn.
  
• Have a wonderful imagination.
  
• Are so good at expressing yourself - in other words, a drama queen!
  
• Your sense of style, all your own. And of course your natural beauty.
  
• That you are interested in many things.
  
• That you are my favorite grandgirl named Jordyn. I love you.
  

I hope you have a great birthday. Love and kisses from Grumpy and I.

I know, I know…

I'm as bad as the stores. I just can't wait for the next holiday to happen. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love the decorations, spiderwebbing the house, making the pictures hang crazy. I am holding off to do anything to the house, so I started with the blog. New backgrounds that help our blogs/journals look the part for the holidays. Just gearing up…

Another Double Birthday

It's yet another double birthday for us. Bob and Tanner on the same day. Happy, Happy birthday guys! It was fun having dinner the other night on Pop's birthday. I hope you both have a great day and your birthday is as memorable as you both are. Love you both so much.

What a crazy weekend!

Not necessarily good crazy either. I get a call at 7:30 on this Sunday morning and am thinking as I answer the phone, this better be good to wake me up for. I hear a very stressed out R.B. on the phone asking if we have a state issued birth certificate for him. I say yes, I thought we did, but we gave all those files to you when you got married. Apparently the cruise line would only accept the official version, not the hospital version he had taken with him. Stacie's sister was at their house looking in their files hoping to find the official version. I went through all my files, went online to try to find a site that might possibly be able to email them a copy, but to no avail. Kamala did indeed find one that would work after a couple of hours and they did accept the faxed copy. I guess his only other option would be to go to Puerto Rico at the ships first port of call and get on the ship there. I don't know why that would have made a difference, but I'm glad he didn't have to do that. So that little saga had a happy ending. Unless of course the tropical storm I'm hearing about today decides to get all crazy and go hurricane. I hope not.

Oh, and did I mention that Robert and Grumpy went jeeping Saturday morning and broke the tie rod on the jeep. Good luck getting that out of the canyon they were in. They hiked out and were picked up by a family friend that just happened to be out with his boys too. They didn't go down that canyon. Good thing. 

Robert had been up very late on Saturday night at the emergency room in Deer Valley. His friend Adam had been racing on his quad and one of the other guys didn't see him stop. He ran over Adam knocking out his front teeth and doing some damage to his face. Even with a helmet on. Wow. I hope he can settle for just having fun on the quad without the racing part. It's just not worth all that. That too is a happy ending in that he is mostly okay when it could have been so much worse. 

Jade calls me this evening and tells me Jaxon needs to talk to me. He tells me he was climbing a tall tree, about 8' or more and he fell out. He said he put his arms out in front of him to catch him as he went down and broke his wrist. He was sounding pretty tough and said he had been very brave about it. I'm sure it was very painful for him. He had to talk to Grumpy too of course and Jade sent me a pic on the phone, but I am not bright enough to know how to download it. (I hate it when the phone is smarter than me). My, My. What a day. I'm glad my big disappointment was not really getting a nap in. I'm counting my blessings and thanking heaven for those who needed help and protection today and every day. Don't we all?

Sentimental Sunday…

The house is quiet. Dinner is done and mostly cleaned up. I am thinking of a thousand sunday nights where this has been the norm. As things have quieted down tonight my sweet husband asks me if I'm okay. I say sure and immediately burst into tears. I can't really express why. I am so grateful for my family and the happy times we spend together. I am thankful that even when we're not together we share our joys and burdens just the same. I know that even with the many ups and downs of life everyone is just doing their best every day. Heavenly Father was so smart to give us Sundays. What would we do without a day to try to put into perspective the events of the week? How could we keep going if we didn't stop and yes, even with meetings and choir and home teaching and all of that somehow regroup and reassess so we can go again for another week? 

Sunday dinner at moms. I know it is a temporal tradition, but somehow there is something more that in the gathering. We are not only sharing a meal together, we are strengthening the bonds of our friendship. You know, I've always said that your high school friends are really your best friends because they have all seen you at your dorkiest, most embarrassing, vulnerable stages in your life and they like you anyway. It's like that in our families too. With all our faults, funny habits, not so funny habits, differences of opinion and perception we still love each other so much. We enjoy each other's company and are happy to spend the time together. Today was especially sweet for me. Summer and Jamie came over early and spent some time just hanging out. Summer played the piano for awhile and it was nice. Robert was here early in the afternoon too. We had a good talk and I hope he knows how much we love him. 

Sunday dinner at moms. I have so many great memories of dinners at Nana and Papa's and Gramma and Papa's too. I need to remember to thank my Father in Heaven tonight for not only the lives we enjoy here, his gospel plan and all that goes with it, but the haven of our homes that provide the quiet, fun, family bonding that I'm grateful for at Sunday dinner. 

The Harvest Season

Let's see… I've canned 3 or 4 days for the last two weeks or so with no end in sight. The pantry is looking better, I love doing this, so the kid's are right - I'm crazy. Robert is good about calling when he has time - usually in the morning and he always asks what I'm doing. My reply lately has been; “peaches”, or “pears”, and today it was “tomatoes”. I can tell he is getting worried about my sanity. Tracy and I have joked about being the Little Red Hen, trying to get everything gathered in (and in the story was getting help from no one). We, however have had lots of help. Each other a lot, husbands some, Papa a little and my girls have been great. It has been so good to feel like we are accomplishing something meaningful. There's nothing like a pretty pantry to make you feel good about things. 

Along with the harvest season comes the hint of coolness in the morning and at night. The sun is coming up later and setting a tad earlier. Pretty exciting stuff!

Papa had his birthday dinner at Logan's Roadhouse with Bob, Syd, Tanner, Devlyn, and me. It was fun to see everyone and sit and talk for a while. Tracy made him ice cream and I will be making him a chocolate cake (with germans on it) this Sunday. I would say this week has been pretty uneventful, except that I have canned everything in sight. Seems eventful to me!

The Birthday Boy…

Happy Birthday to Papa. He is truly amazing and I only hope I am able to be in such good shape if I ever get to be his age. Richard and I are very glad to be here and spending so much time with him. Instead of making a list of his many attributes I would like to list a few of his many accomplishments.

He joined the military at seventeen years old during WWII. He managed to get through the difficult pilot training to become a fighter pilot. Although that war ended before he flew any missions, he served in the Korean War. After his decorated service there he came back to the States and became an instructor pilot. During this time he became part of the original air demonstration team known as the Air Force Thunderbirds. He flew the slot position on that team with Major Dick Catledge as team leader, Buck and Bill Patillo flying the wing positions.

He met, courted and married his life long love, married for time and all eternity so our family can be together forever. He he was a wonderful son to his parents, brought honor to their name and happiness to their lives. He has held many church callings and served with great commitment and integrity. 

After leaving the Air Force honorably and serving in the Arizona Air National Guard, he was called up in the ’60's to protect the Berlin Corridor. 

He farmed and raised cotton, potatoes, lettuce, and other crops. 

He has flown for the Forest Service piloting B-17's in many states during fire seasons. He used his GI bill to further his education and was typed in helicopters. He has flown corporate planes for many companies and has traveled all over the United States and the world. 

He is a loving father and grandfather to us all. For a boy from a very small town in Kansas he has done incredible things in his life. He would rather be doing something than sitting doing nothing. He is an inspiration to us all and we love him so very much. Have a happy day Papa - and many more to come.

Fruit of the Vine

The tomato mix of onions, garlic, italian parsley, green peppers and celery in Tracy's jars. I omitted the the green peppers and celery from mine because I wanted to use them for soup and chile and I don't put green peppers or celery in either. I can't wait to try it out on something. Thanks Leslie for your recipe and Tracy for sharing.

You live…you learn!

It's Saturday. I have been canning food all week. I get a phone call this morning and Tracy says to me that we may have to process our tomato/veggie mix jars that we put up on Wednesday. In our current state of learn as you go we have learned that when you mix other vegetables with tomatoes you have to process them differently. Tomatoes usually just require a steam canner or a water bath method. Since we don't know how to do the water bath we used the steam canners. Apparently the other veggies we added are not the same, so into the pressure canners all the jars will go today, and then we can feel good about them…again. I am still loving all this canning so I'm thinking there is something seriously wrong with me. Or maybe some of the attraction is spending so much time with my daughters and my sister and that is an excellent benefit. Whatever it is, I am having a lot of fun bottling food this year and actually looking forward to the weeks ahead of more peaches, tomatoes, pears and maybe even apples. My husband may want to buy stock in a jar company. 

Now I have to get the pantry cleaned out and that doesn't sound like nearly as much fun. Tsk, Tsk. Thanks Tracy for continuing to read and going online to find out about the safeguards. Now we will get down to the task of fixing the tomato mix and it will still be awesome.

Sentimental Sunday…

Here it is Sunday again. Another week has flown by. Emersyn was blessed this morning by her father and a whole host of uncles, grandpas and two great grandpas. It was such a testimony to me to watch the contingent of men rise to go up and assist Kevin in blessing sweet Emersyn. I love that our men take the blessing of the priesthood seriously and strive to remain worthy to wield it's power to benefit all of us. 

I don't think we stop and consider just how powerful the blessing of the priesthood is sometimes. It is literally the power of God through their hands here on earth. It just doesn't get any better than that. I am thankful for that calming knowledge. I know we need our own faith to add to the mix, but just knowing how much we mean to our Father in Heaven allows us to know he will bless us. All we have to do is ask. And believe he will do what is best for us. Baby blessings in sacrament meeting on fast sunday aren't full of drama like a blessing in the hospital or a blessing out on the dunes after a quad wreck. Baby blessings are a sweet message of the things that we ask our Father to bless our little ones with as they begin their journey here. 

I remember Richard blessing the kids as they began a new school year. In their times of sickness and so many other things as they grew up. I remember him blessing and dedicating our home to the raising of a strong family in a household of faith. He has given me a blessing for every child born, every hospital stay, when I was sick or trying to find answers to life's dilemmas. I remember my father doing the same for me when I was a child. Now we watch as our children reap the benefits of the power of the lord in their homes and in their lives. I am grateful for this church. I am thankful for a father in heaven who loves us, and wants us to return to him. It makes sense that he would endow us with the means to help ourselves through his power while we are in this second estate. I am thankful for my family and glad we could spend time together today at church and then at Taya and Kevin's. Emersyn was adorable in her beautiful dress that Carol (Oma) made for her. The pancakes were good too.

Remembering

Today I created a site for us to post Nana's recipes, and our own recipes, complete with pics as we make them. I hope it will be fun to share all the things we do everyday in our kitchens. All of us have our favorites, things that challenge us and the special things we do for holidays etc. I hope you will all feel welcome to contribute and reap the benefits of all of us cooks. I hope it will be a way of sharing our stuff and keep Nana's kitchen legacy going. Just go to my side panel under sites I like and click on the link The Cooks in Nana's Nook. Add it to your link list if you wish and under the comments on the first post there is an email address you can send your email address to if you would like to be a contributor on the site. I hope we will all have a good time with this. I love you all and look forward to sharing this as a family.

Grandparents Day at School

Lunch at school with grandkids. Fun to see Megan and Austin today at the cafeteria. I made a lunch for Megan and I, but Austin had opted to order lunch from the school. Megan and I had tuna sandwiches (her fav), potato chips, oreos, snack size snickers, sliced pears and little teeny Dr. Peppers. What a feast - Austin had mashed potatoes and gravy with a slice of turkey, corn and a cupcake. We shared some oreos and snickers with him and of course the potato chips. He had chocolate milk. I would have traded him the choc milk for the small Dr. Pepper, but his lunch was later than Megans, so I had already opened the Dr. Pepper. Darn. 

Megan told me she would be playing the recorder and we talked about how much fun music is. We had fun talking. Some acquaintances from my old neighborhood were sitting next to us, Russ and Mary Nielson. One of their children was involved in a plane crash and were still in the hospital undergoing extensive skin grafts and a painful recovery. I had heard about it and told them how sorry I was for them and their family. I hope they recover and can get back to their lives. I have thought about that accident so much. Mary took some pics for me and I did the same for her. After Megan had gone on to play at the recess part of lunch, Austin told me he had 3 reasons why he was glad I came for grandparents day. 1) He pointed to his lunch with the cupcake. He loved the cupcake. 2) That I came to eat with him, 3) that because I was there he got to eat lunch in the cafeteria instead of outside under the sunshades. 

Good enough! My three reasons for being glad I went to grandparents day: 1) getting to see the kids at school where they are in their world. 2) having so much fun talking to them about everyday stuff in that environment. 3) making the wonderful memory of having lunch with them on grandparents day. 

I love any holiday, but I especially love the memories we make of them. 

We got a nice e-card from them today. It was really cute and we loved it. The little bear guy sort of reminded me of Rylan. Next year I can have lunch with Rylan too. Thanks guys. We love you.

Everything is just peachy

Peaches are everywhere. Got jars, got peaches, got ’em canned for the pantry. I love seeing the “fruits of my labor” on the pantry shelf. Of course the farmers that grew them get a little credit. After smooshing through the first two boxes with Grumpy, I was kind of dreading the last two boxes. I've always done the following process:

• Wash the peaches
  
• Fill a stockpot with water to blanch the peaches (this loosens the skin so it comes off easily.)
  
• Dump into cold water
  
• Cut the peaches in half so we can pull out the pit and scrape out where the pit was.
  
• Put them into the solution of whitening so they don't go brown
  
• Rinse them and put them in a container with a lid
  
• Prepare the jars and a light sugar syrup
  
• Fill the jars
  
• Wipe the rims, put on the lids
  
• Process the jars in the canner
  

The problem was getting the pits out this year. Even though we have the freestone variety, the pits were just not coming out without smooshing the peaches all up. My brother Bob suggested we cut them in half before we blanched them so we could twist them off the pit (like you do on avocados). Duh. Why didn't I think of that? Wow. I can't even tell you how much easier that was. When you cut them first, pit them and then blanch them you don't have to do any scraping, there's no smooshing and you get beautiful halves. After blanching the skins just about fall off. So wonderful. I actually enjoyed the last two boxes and am looking forward to tomatoes next week. Out of four 32 lb. boxes I have 55 quarts. Enough for a quart a week for a year with a few more to add to a cobbler now and then. Makes for a beautiful pantry. Out to Taya's next week to do a few for her and Tawna's pantries. Stacie is really good with all this too - she and Tawna helped me so much last year. We'll have to get hers done next week too so she can really enjoy her cruise. We even muddled through a lot of apples last year. Not my favorite. I'll have to see if Bobby has any ideas to make apples easier. I love working on this stuff. Good times.