November hardly has any pictures!!!

If there aren't very many pictures to post it makes it a lot easier to get it done!  I feel like I post a million pictures of Abby but she kind of is my life right now.  We do just about every thing together.  She is into bracelets and jewelry now.  She loves to dress up.... be a princess.  She likes to brush hair and teeth.  

She also likes to get into everything.  Naps sometimes dont happen very well.  She reached over and got all her books out and read them in her crib for one nap.  She knows good food is stored up high in the pantry and tries to climb up the shelves.  She likes to talk about her friends.  Her cousin Liesel and her got to share some popcorn.

 Most of our weekends in November were spent doing yard projects.  Building garden boxes.  But I did run away to Pocatello one weekend to see my sister in the Idaho Symphony.  We had a great relaxing weekend.

Another day Candace took my two oldest to the aquarium.  Its kind of nice to have older kids who are  a little more independent.  

Abby and I went and got a haircut.  Her first.  If I had just taken Ella there with me I think it would have gone better.  But there were lots of tears and distractions.  But the outcome is adorable, even if the picture is her right when she woke up from bedtime.  

Tyler had his second ever Pinewood Derby.  He enjoyed it.  ... and Abby did too.  she wanted to sit right by the track.  Tyers is a Bear now.  So he doesn't do scouts with me every week. But I still love having that in common with him.  

 We are getting ready for ski season.  We got out all the gear and sorted it for the new year.  Abby though it was all too fun.

 We did finally get one day of snow.  The kids just bundled up and had a cozy day.  Listening to Tyler play is so nice.  He is amazing.  He sets his alarm for 6:00 or 6:30 every week day and gets up and practices.  Some days he has to get me out of bed... he's amazing!

House Projects- Yard

I was almost caught up a few months ago and then September, October came and went and then November started.... so my goal is to just keep plugging away!

This is our summer.  Its been rewarding and busy.  

We moved in to a beautiful home and the yard was a fresh sheet of canvas ready for us to do what we want to it.  We planted fruit trees, 6 to be exact.  Then we planted grass seed.  Now we are just finishing the garden boxes.  

The rest of the yard had all of 3 trees in it.  No plants or anything.  Abby helped me pick some out.  And we transplanted lots from people we know.  (really there isn't much reason to buy plants when you can get starts from friends and my in-laws!) We started first in the walk out basement because it has some major erosion going on.    A friend called and said they were getting rid of 9 perfectly good bushes next to her house.  UMMM.... yes we will take them! and slowly over the summer we added more and more things.  I just bought and planted 225 bulbs from Holland.  Spring will be amazing here!  and... we didn't have to rake this year!  Next year will be different.  We bought 8 trees- big trees- and planted them.  So in 30 years I can sit in a hammock in the shade.  Im sure glad I had Darren around to help me plant them all!

This was one of our first projects.  We are more computer people and not so much TV people.  So we had a desk built in to the home.  We love it.  I love having the two computers together so kids can do homework and the lighting is nice.  

Darren also built the kids two lego tables.  He did such a good job.  One is for standing and the other you can sit at with our chairs.  

So now that I am done bottling and canning. We can start organizing and cleaning this house.  Things were moved in but now it is time to get organized!

Spotlight on Amy- CANNING!

well.. I have done a spotlight on everyone else and now that I can finally start to catch up on life I can document what I have been doing.  Darren and I have gone on a few dates in the last year.... kind of pathetic but its the way life is.  We went to the Melting Pot... super fun.  The food was delicious but sitting and talking for two hours was better.  We came home and enjoyed the lights in our back yard.  Thunderstorm rolling in.  Aunt Nellie and the kids played a little joke on me. Finding our pet lizard in the fridge was not awesome!  I made it out on a ride or two this summer.  And have been running quiet a bit.  I signed up for my first marathon too... oh boy!

But in general, my life has been made crazy by none other than myself since June.  Thats June, July, August, September and October.  5 months.  Fun times but Truly I over did it this year.  I had no bottled produce and now I have over 300 jars of stuff.  I was blessed this year to be given so much stuff.  Fruit, veggies, and more fruit and veggies.  So we have a winter supply of stuff.  

I learned to pressure cook things. and reuse old lids.  How to reseal bottles quickly that didn't seal.  I tried so many different new recipes.  Some of my favorites are chili sauce, spicy plum sauce (for pork roasts or to dip ritz crackers in while hiding in your pantry), the grape juice is delicious, the grape jam and plum jellies are delightful.  I love the varieties of tomato soups I have tried.  oh an the spaghetti sauces.  I tried pickle relish and pinto beans.  I have apple pie filling and 115 jars of applesauce.  Abby was my side kick in crime.  And Darren was my mopper for clean up.  

(grape juice and chocolate zucchini bread, with tomatoes in the background)            

more grape juice, and plum fruit leather cooking

The devine spicy plum sauce with some peaches and tomatoes

plums and apple pie filling

Abby saying more more applesauce

Tomato soup thats relish and lots of green apples from Pat and Seths house.  THE END!!!  Now lets hope I can put this much effort into my house.