PEACHY Keen!!

Finished product!

Before....

My mom, anxious to help. Last year I ordered a bushel of peaches and was in the middle of school when they arrived and too ripe to wait, so mom and grandma canned them for me. This year when my bushel arrived my mom and I had everything ready to begin canning that very night. However, once they made it to my house(thanks Kent for picking them up) they were still a bit green, mom said we had time to wait until the weekend. I was actually glad to hear this, I have been wanting to learn how to can peaches for years. Saturday morning mom wanted to go to painting glass in Twin, Brooke was moving into her new house and I had a kitchen ready for canning. I went and helped my sister unpack and decorate until mom called saying she was on her way home from Twin. I then raced home from Rupert and began learning the process. I am also excited to say I have inherited my grandmothers pressure cooker-HOOOOORRRRAAAAYYY!!! It really wasn't as hard as I had once thought and in a couple of hours I had 21 jars of peaches!!! They looked beautiful and I have to say I am very proud of myself!!! I have since purchased half of a bushel and prepared them for cobblers and pies. Yes, it worked because I have already used one bag and made a terrific cobbler that disappeared in a matter of hours. Thanks for the lesson and help mom, we are enjoying the fresh packed fruit!!

I can ride my bicycle!!!

Sayger is my little character. He does nothing new unless he decides. When he was being potty trained he decided one day HE was going to potty in the toilet and all the preparing I did before made no difference, once he decided, it was a go! The same with reading, I tried to prep him, worked on sight words and bought fun games to play. However, it was not until HE decided he was going to read that he did. He has had a bicycle for years, ever since he was three. He started with training wheels and everything, but again, until HE decided he was going to ride it has sat in the garage collecting dust. This summer he learned to wake board on the river and it helped with his confidence to do other things. One day he looked at that bike in the garage and told his dad he was going to ride it. With a little help to get going, HE rode that bike!! I know Sayger will be able to do anything he wants in life, when HE makes up his mind.

Hiking adventure continued

Lake Independence hiking adventure continued

Lake Independence

The entire crew! Lori, Jason, Hailey and Zack Lugo. Kelcie Carpenter and Hallie Hitt.

Stormie and Kelcie

Hallie and Shandler

Lunch break- we were halfway there.

18 years ago I was with the young women's group and we hiked to Lake Independence. I was 75 pounds heavier and completely out of shape and it darn near killed me. I vowed that someday I would hike to Lake Independence again and I put it on my "Bucket List." 75 pounds lighter, three kids later and working out regularly, we planned our hike. Kent chose a weekend we could fit it in before soccer started and before it got cold. We spent a week planning and making a list of items. We mentioned it to the Lugo family and Jason saw photo opps., so they joined us. We each had back packs with frozen and thawed water along with bug spray, wet wipes, sweatshirts, chap stick, first aide kits, lunch, protein snacks and of course chocolate! We distributed the wealth and each of us carried a backpack, including Sayger! Kent and Jason carried all of their camera gear along with a few photo props and soon decided it was going to be a long hike. We started at noon and the weather was perfect. It was a little over casty which helped with the heat and a slight breeze would occasionally blow. Several times my children voiced their concern for my sanity and stated this was the stupidest idea I had ever had. We stopped in the shade and had lunch in which my telephone beeped with a face book message so Jason, Kent and I tried to post our status. Jason had a GPS and kept track of the mileage for us, which turned out to be 7 miles round trip. We ran into some people hiking back out and asked them how much further, they said once you get to the red gate you're there. Yes, we made it to the red gate and since we had hike in we decided to go all the way to the top lake. The kids found tiny frogs which amused them for some time, we ate chocolate and soaked our feet in the cool lake water. The hike down was brutal on the glutes and shins and we each took a turn sliding down the hills on our bums, including the men! We passed a mule train in which the people on the mules commented on their amazement that Zach and Sayger had hiked the entire way. When we arrived back at the car it was 6 p.m. We headed to Almo Outpost for dinner and then soaked in the hot pots until after ten. It is an experience I will remember and recall for a number of years and even though it was not an easy task, my children will be able to say they did it too. Kent and Jason got some great pictures and someday you may see some in a magazine, advertisement or sales add. It was great and it is one more thing to cross off of my "Bucket List." Thanks to my family for participating in my quest, you all amaze me and I am proud of you. Thanks to the Lugo's for sharing memories with us. Kelcie and Hallie it was great to have you along for the ride, you were both great sports!

Oscar Mayer the Weiner Dog

This is the newest member of our family, Oscar! He was going to be placed in a shelter or put to sleep and we saved him. He does have a few issues, like trying to bite any visitors we have, but we are working with him. He is making progress and is getting better at his grouchy outbursts. He fits right in with our family and is a great little snuggler. He is what they call a Dapple Daschund and we love him. Matilda has adjusted well. I was afraid that a young boy dog would completely cramp her style but she actually plays with him. It is cute to watch her chase him around the table and steal his toys. She is still the alpha dog and quickly lets him know when she is done and when he is invading her space. Welcome home Oscar.

Budding photographer....

Sayger helped his dad during the fair, by taking pictures of his sisters. The camera is heavy and almost bigger than him. He love it and actually did a pretty good job.

Be patient....please?

I am so behind that the next few posts will be part of my marathon catch up, so be patient with me please and view the length of my next several posts. I checked my calendar and have come to the conclusion that it has been over nine weeks since I have spent an entire Saturday home. Yesterday, Oct.3rd was the first in that nine week period. So I deep cleaned, caught up on all laundry, took a short cat nap, hugged my children and watched conference! It was great.

Stormie in the show ring....

Cutie....

Go pig Go!

Love the cheesy smile.

Showing off her showmanship skills.

The week before fair Stormie becomes a nervous wreck. She worries about her clothes, her pig the judge and just about anything associated with the fair. This year she was little more relaxed and she had a great fair experience. I can't believe how much she has changed since the first time she was in the show ring. She is growing up. She does a great job and she says her cheeks hurt this year from the perma-grin:)

Shandler at the pig show....

Totally in her element!

Cheesy....

Ready for the judge to see her.

Great angle....

Shandler loves to show her pig! She is a natural showman. We were laughing at her a number of times as she bounced across the ring. So cute!!