Friday, May 31, 2013

Brown Bear, Brown Bear...

what do you see?  I see the cutest stinkin one year old looking at me!!!!


Well Grammy - this bear towel you made is a big hit to say the least.  It has been so popular it has a pretty good sized hole on top of the head part.  I had to blog about this because it is pretty comical how much Abe loves wearing this towel.  After we get out of the bath I get his diaper on him and the towel can not be removed from his head.  He runs around spinning, holding the towel out like he's Batman with his cape.  I honestly have to give him about 20 minutes in that thing before we can take it off.  Some nights when I am in a hurry and trying to get pj's on quick before bed I have to take it off quick to put his shirt on and quickly put the towel back on with his pj's underneath.  I'm not sure if it is that he has always been a cuddle bug, but the towel is definitely a favorite of his.  :)

Splish splash...

We made our first trip to the splash pad this summer with Kim and Shelby.  Adi has never been crazy about going to the splash pad but she seemed to like it a bit more this year then last.  Abram and Shelby loved it.  They had a great time splish splashing around until it got super busy.  We had a nice little picnic lunch and then it was time for some good naps! :)

The first of many more splash pad dates this summer!  Thanks for the cute pics Kim!







Sunday, May 26, 2013

Strawberry picking - Freezer Jam

We went strawberry picking on Friday and it was a lot of fun.  We went right at the beginning of the season this year which was much more enjoyable.  The strawberries were overflowing and there wasn't tons of foliage.  All four of the kids did a great job picking and had a lot of fun doing so.  I just love doing stuff like this.  There is something about being out in nature and picking the food you're going to eat.  I guess because I'm such a garden lover stuff like this is just right up my ally (I LOVE that the kids love it too).


   Adi was so proud when she found a big one or one that was shaped like a heart!
Three GREAT friends!
 My little crew
 It was fun finding some of the ones that had grown funny!
 And the taste testing begins (does this remind you of anyone Grandpa Randy?)
 Check out those hands.  Yeah - it wasn't obvious what he did the second half of our time in the field.  I can only imagine what the workers inside thought.  He was so in love with picking and eating at the end he threw a horrible fit and Lindsey had to carry him off the field (thanks friend)!

Look at those sweet little pickers
Getting ready to wash them
So... Lindsey and started making the jam and like all good recipes that you've never made before we figured out how to do it by the last batch.  It was MESSY, but man oh man this stuff is good!  Lindsey had the great idea to dump all the jars into a big pot and mix it up because the first two batches appeared to be pretty runny (good thinking girl)!  So as a side note for next year, in between batches the stove was still hot and I mixed the pectin and water and set it on the hot stove, it started to thicken a bit before we did the boil and this is when we got the right consistency.  So next year set water/pectin mix on a hot, but OFF stove top to start to thicken a bit and then turn stove on and boil for the 1 minute the recipe calls for. 
Another side note, 16 pounds of strawberries was probably a bit too much.  I say that but I froze 1 large cookie sheets worth and the rest of the strawberries that were in the fridge were eaten within 24 hours.  So this picture will at least give us something to compare to for next year!

 Sure Jell Strawberry Jam Recipe:


2 cups  crushed strawberries (buy 1 qt. fully ripe strawberries)


4 cups  sugar, measured into separate bowl

3/4 cup  water

1 pkg.  SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin


RINSE 5 (1-cup) plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly. Discard stems. Crush strawberries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.  

MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 min. or until most the sugar is dissolved. (A few sugar crystals may remain.) 
FILL containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 1 year. (If frozen, thaw in refrigerator before using.)

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Abram's first haircut!

This little man was starting to get a little shaggy!  I took him to where I get mine cut because I want him to have a cute little boy style.  The texture of his hair is a lot like mine, but the color definitely comes from the Haight's!  He did so well (feeding him a couple smarties didn't hurt).  I really should have taken a video when she buzzed around his ears and neck; he thought it was HILARIOUS!  I know you're probably thinking eight pictures for a haircut post, but this little guys is just too cute to pick just a couple.  Man oh man he melts my heart!!!  Turning into such a big boy!  :(









Monday, May 20, 2013

Adison's first year of preschool finished

Today was Adison's last day of preschool for this year.  I am very happy to say she has another year of it before entering Kindergarten.  She has come a long way this year and has done very well here at the end of the year considering she started mid year due to our stay in Japan in the fall.  It has been pretty hard for her to enter in mid-year, as the kids here are obviously part of a tight knit community and had been in school together the first half of the year.   She is making friends, isn't so attached to me at drop off, and has grown a lot socially and emotionally in the last month of school. 

We have her signed up for dance and gymnastics this summer with some of the other girls in her class and she is really excited to go three days a week in the fall.  This sweet, sensitive, and independent little thing is growing up so quickly and I am really trying to cherish each day I have left with her at home.  I think the next school year will be even easier for her and will really prepare her to enter Kindergarten.  We love you Adi and are so proud of all you accomplished this year!!!

Excited for family picnic day!
It was so sweet listening to her explain her "There's only 1 ME" book to Brandon and myself.
Adi with some of her little friends.
Receiving her award and her special T-shirt she made.
They got bubbles at the end of the picnic.

Kinder Haus 2013 2-day preschool class.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Down on the farm...

We went with our friends to a little family owned farm today to check out the animals.  We were only there about ten minutes when our sweet little friend Madeleine got bit pretty badly by a horse on accident.  Her little finger needed four stitches - prayers for her and mommy and daddy tonight!  After they left we found a sweet little piglet that Adi LOVED feeding.  It was sweet seeing her and Abe work together as a little team.  The rain started coming down soon there after so we headed out.  I did get a couple cute pictures!








Monday, May 13, 2013

chalk

My kids LOVE sidewalk chalk and so do I.  It just screams beautiful weather and fun, messy, moments this these sweet kiddos of ours!




Sunday, May 12, 2013

Mother's Day Weekend 2013

This mother's day weekend was wonderful.  I love it when all four of us are able to spend good quality time as a family.  We hung out with friends Friday evening while the kids ran around outside.  The weather was beautiful and the company was even better.  Saturday was another gorgeous day so we decided to go to the BBQ Festival in Owensboro with Tom and CC!  I would spend each and every day out and about enjoying perfectly sunny days if I could.  We ate good food, let the kids play on their awesome new playground by the river, and let the kids enjoy all the other festivities.  Here are some pictures from Saturday!











Brandon is such an amazing man who always makes days for me so very special.  He got me more beads form my Pandora bracelet, a beautiful picture charm bracelet.  He also came come with flowers, and a "cellar stocker" collection of wine.  I love a good glass a wine and don't buy a bottle for us to enjoy as often as I'd like, so Brandon stocked us up for a very long time.  I love it that he has taken a liking to wine now as well.  It is so relaxing to enjoy a good glass of wine with my honey!


Most importantly, I absolutely LOVE being a mama.  These two kids are such a blessing to me and have helped me to grow into a better person.  Like anything, being a mom comes with it's ups and downs, but embracing motherhood is so liberating in a way. Breathing in the sweet moments and exhaling the difficult ones is so very fulfilling.  There are many dear family members and friends and support me in this role as mother.  I'd be truly lost without you moms who I am so close to (you know who you are)!  I feel nothing but love for my sweet little family, so I'll leave you with this!

Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrong doing. It does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres." (Corinthians 13)