We have eggs!

The kids are loving collecting eggs everyday.  Doug thinks I'm crazy, but I love having chickens, and they are LaurieAnn's favorite.  She will sit them on her lap and pet them like a cat.  Here she is collecting our first eggs.

 

canning

So I have been obsessed with canning this summer and trying new recipes.  I used some of my grandmother's old canning jars and it was so fun to remove the old lid and see "peaches 1976" or "applesauce" in her handwriting.  I made a peach preserve that was my great grandmother's recipe.  Both loved making jams and canning and I have loved following in their footsteps. 

So I made this delicious apple pear freezer butter that I thought I would share.  I love that it just tastes like fall and the sugar content is minimal compared to other jams.  I've been eating it on everything, but I think my favorite is on a bagel with cream cheese and apple butter on the top. YUM!

4 cups peeled diced apples
4 cups peeled diced pears
¼ cup water
1 cup sugar
1 pkg pectin
¾ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground allspice
½ cup brown sugar

In a medium saucepan, bring fruit and water to boil. Turn heat down and simmer until apples are soft (about 20 minutes). Meanwhile, mix sugar, pectin and spices into a bowl. Add hot fruit and brown sugar. Mix for three minutes and pour into freezer safe jars or tubs. Stores up to a year in the freezer or 1 month in the fridge.

3 Alarm Party!

 We celebrated Hyrum's birthday at the local fire station this year.  The kids had a blast touring the station and using all the special fireman equipment.  They loved sitting in the fire engine and shooting the water hose.  He even got his picture in the paper after the event!

 



First Day of School!

School started again! 

Hyrum has been so excited to go to Miss Carolyn's preschool this year.  He loves her animals and can't wait until it is his turn to feed the fish.  He also impresses his dad each week with a new Spanish word!

Gabby was so excited for 1st Grade!  She is an avid reader and loves to create picture books of her own everyday.  I love the special time we get to have together walking to school.

Labor Day Weekend

Where it all began...

All I can say is thank you for making so many memories over the years.

Look how we've grown

(and this is only about half)

They're all smiling thanks to Doug's "ooga-booga" chants.

Happy Birthday Hyrum!  He couldn't ask for anything better-camping on his birthday was the best for our outdoorsman.  He LOVED his binoculars and didn't take them off for about a month.

My kids are so lucky to get to live near their grandparents.  They look forward to seeing them each week because they make an extra effort to show their love like coming on  campouts with their grandkids!

Campfires are the best!