Preserving

Well (it's a deep subject), we are mostly back into our school routine and schedule.  *sigh*  I am still not a morning person and much prefer summer when an alarm clock is rarely necessary.  

 

Emmy got it in her head that she wanted to sew a western style vest... which is great, but I think she thought I would be doing all of the sewing.  Ha.  I found a pattern in my stash that would work and she got to learn to use a pattern!  

One of the girls remarked the other day that 'we're kind of old fashioned' because we can and freeze produce.... ha.  She's not wrong, I guess.

It was hot and I didn't want to be outside, so I peeled onions in the cool basement.  My helpers weren't very helpful.

Actually, the 'Hobbit Fighter' was tearing up from the onions- "My eyes are leaking!"

Such a little stinker...

Elsie posted that she had a few mini photo session openings for the next day... and I dithered for a few minutes and signed us up.  So then I had to scramble for outfits for everyone that sort of coordinated and they didn't hate and convince everyone that this was really a fun thing to do on the hottest evening of the year...

 

Perrin mostly was interested in pointing at the trucks going by on the road... "Car!"

 

But we got a few good ones, and that takes trying to get a decent Christmas card picture off of the never ending to-do list. 😊

 

We went out to Iowa for Liezel's birthday the next day.  We ate lunch at a park with the '4-squad.'

Taking turns on the swings.

We went for a wander around part of the historic district and found a 'tree tunnel'. 😀

Some of us walked down, and then back up, Snake Alley.  It curves more than Lombard street in SF!

Up was not as much fun as down. :P 

 

Our next stop was the museum- Jake and Rach took wedding pictures there.  I rather enjoy a good museum.  haha.  There was a button collection...

  And there is an amazing kids play room.  (We spent a few hours trying to contain antsy children during wedding pictures 5 years ago and didn't discover this until they were almost done... why didn't the employees clue us in?? )  Log cabins, animals.

 

A paddle boat. 

 It's so cool.  I would have been in heaven as a kid.  :)

 

Then we went back to Liezel's house for a birthday party. 

 Matt had videos of an antique tractor show, of course. 

 

The '4-squad' got their own table for supper. 

And then we headed home.  It was thankfully a fun and uneventful trip.  😁

Matt gave us all a copy of his latest project- a mashup of genealogy and historic farm aerial photos.  The girls thought it was cool, though they didn't quite understand what a genealogy was.  I have failed.

Let there be light!  I've been researching how to restore antique light fixtures and I finally felt knowledgeable enough to give it a go... eeekk.  So exciting when it works!

Oh you know, just hanging out here under the lilac bushes getting eaten alive by mosquitos. 

Most of the time my inner dialog reminds me that I'm turning into my mother, but sometimes I buy myself a nice straw hat to mow in on humid, hot days and I think I might also be turning into my father... (#hatsfordays)

A friendly game of croquet. 

So long ago (2008 according to the archives) Dad and I built a cold frame.  We used an old window that was originally in the farmhouse and I vaguely remember having to fix some of the panes.  I'm sure my memory is bad because Dad did most, if not all, of the building and fixing and I mostly observed.  :)  Anyways, the panes were loose and what little putty/caulk was left was brittle and falling off and the paint was flaking off in sheets.  And since I don't have an old house with original windows to restore, might as well just fix this one.  Pane removal was successful.... next comes paint removal.  

Sometimes it's better not to ask what's going on over here.  😂

Miri drew the pale green pants with nobody inside them. 

The bathtub and sink drains had been slow and making burbling noises for a while.  When the tub started backing up while we brushed teeth, Bob got a snake and spent half a day trying to clear the drain.  He eventually got it clear, and there was great rejoicing! 

The state of the house most days... *sigh*  But,  "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean:"

Cecily tried so hard to build this tower and Perrin tried so hard to knock it down while she was working on it...

Lots of helpers on rug washing day.  😆  Indoor/outdoor rugs are the best things ever.

Also mud puddles.  Poor boy, this is the best we've got.  He didn't mind. 😄

To quote a sage, "If you drink water from a hose, you get water up your nose!"

Eeeeeeeee.  Don't mind me. 

Matt and the boys invited us over for supper one evening.  Emmy organized their craft supplies. 

Perrin loved all of the tractors and trucks.  :D 

Cecily forgot her flute one morning and called home to ask if I could bring it to school. So I did, with some embellishment.  She was not as amused as I was, for some reason. 😂

She dresses herself. 

Mr. Buster tried to help himself to my can of DP and instead poured it down the front of his clothes.

I did not get a picture of the store they had set up- "Necacary Exceserarys." It was very cute, though.

Bob told them to make him some apple scrumptious. Guess which one didn't mind at all. 

We grew two whole watermelons this year and neither of them are very sweet.  And the girls do not like that there are *gasp* SEEDS.  Oh well. 

Really, I can quit whenever I want.  Haha.  Bob came with me to pick this one up, he tries very hard not to roll his eyes. 

Paint's off, time for primer.  I was waxing nostalgic and the girls wouldn't let me.  Me: Just think, Grandpa Carl probably looked out this window when he was a boy.  Cadence: He's dead, right? 

Emmy finished TWO projects in one day and she was pretty excited about it!  First up was the cowl scarf she knitted.

And then we finished up her vest with buttonholes and buttons!  So fun.

The library hosted a Mario Kart tournament and of course my 8-12 year olds were interested.  Bob took them (he kind of likes Mario Kart too) and Cecily ended up winning. Ha.  There were 12 kids there and Emmy did pretty good in her bracket too.  :)  I'm not sure if I should be proud or what.  😂

See, see oh playmate...

We went to the farm to pick apples after school one afternoon.

And we sampled all of the varieties.  😁

Then Grandpa let them play in an empty grain bin.

...and one with corn still in it.  We NEVER got to play in bins with corn in them, he's getting soft in his old age. 

And we explored the combine.

Then we had to go home... we dropped off the apron I made for Lori (from Grandpa's shirt). I liked how it turned out, I hope it holds up to washing and wearing.  😊

Window is primed, and three panes are back in!  I am terrible at glazing, and parts of the putty work look terrible, but they are in and it's just going back on a cold frame so I'm ignoring how it looks.  :)

There was a concert at the HS in honor/memory of Grandpa B. so of course we had to go.  Bob and Emmy went to Grandma's house to help her watch the live stream, so I had the other 4 at the school.  Perrin and Miri did pretty good during the first half as long as the pop corn and fruit snacks held out.

Barbershop was not exciting enough for the younger two and they got restive so we ended up in the hall. Then there was a lot of running up and down the hallway while I hoped and prayed they weren't being too loud.  But we made it, and I think we all enjoyed the music.

I really like this one.... it's so cool.  😁

The weather was perfect for the church chili supper.  Perrin loved the sandbox and all the digging toys.  Miri bopped around all evening.  We got rained on briefly, and of course everyone had a jacket except Perrin... ugh... poor boy.  Cadence let him wear hers so he spent the rest of the evening running around in a too big floral sweatshirt.  😂

Pro tip (I don't know if having 5 kids makes me a pro, but you get my opinion anyway):  Tape measures are as good of toys as cardboard boxes and infinitely more portable.  :P  We had to wait for quite a while at the Doctor and it kept him entertained for longer than anything else. 

This week we've been working our way through the apples.  Everybody likes to help make applesauce.

I'm ready to put away the canner and get my kitchen back... soon.  😜
Blessings.