Now that summer is officially over (for the kids) I can do sort of a re-cap, So here goes.


Garden is doing fantastic!!! Cucumbers are endless. They're the "skinless" kind. But taste just as good.


Beans are doing the best! Every week I'm getting a bigger bowl full than this one. So I have blanched and frozen till they are all done, and then I'm going to go crazy with making dilly beans. I'm still looking for a good recipie if any of you out there have one.





We've had some unusual rain storms this summer and the gutters have flooded PLENTY. On this particular day, Dylan ventured out to play in the water. The other two quickly followed suit.

You can't tell, but for some reason they only wanted to wear jackets and underwear. Whatever works, I suppose.

Mykael started Junior High! And for Gym class she needed clothes. SO I took her to D.I. (equivalent to a second hand store) to find something that would work. Requirements were white t-shirt with name on it and shorts. We found two white shirts for $2.00, the running skirt for $3.00 and the pants for $2.00. I wanted to do something cute with her name but didn't want to go overboard, but didn't want to go with the traditional magic marker. Walmart had these iron-on letters for $1.00. She didn't know if it had to be first and last name so I put both. First name on the front. Last name on the back butt area. I thought it was cute. And she even went along with the sparkles on the gray set.

Jade and Ash had thier first day yesterday and looked mighty fine I must say.

Pictures that Mykael took. I like what she sees through the lens.

This is my favorite. I like the focus on the yellow flowers in the background. But I doubt thats what she was going for, it just happened.

This is Aspen. And this is how she sleeps at night.

I found this chrysalis a little over two weeks ago. I've researched to find out what it's going to be but I'm still unsure. I thought it was a moth but moths have "cacoons" that look like white wrapped sacs, and this looks a like butterfly "chrysalis". BUT...moths take up to 8 weeks to change where as butterflys only 2. This little guy is still wrapped all up nice and cozy. Or maybe it's dead. I don't know.

An elderly lady in my ward had a birthday recently and it was suggested that a cake be made for her. I of course jumped on that and this is what I came up with. I REALLY wanted to play with the flowers, so I borrowed a friends fondant tools and had a blast. Cute stuff.

I'm my own biggest fan....

I logged onto this lovely blog of mine and noticed that I'm visitor number 8000. So to remember that, I'm immortalizing this knowledge in the web of worlds. AND, the computer is down so I can't blog about my OWN forming chrysalis, or Ashton's football. So for now....until I figure out what the heck is up with the computer, this is my post from my phone.

Hope you are all having a lovely (mosquito-less) day.

A Day at the Lake....

In my mind lies a world of perfection. The memories and the ideas. I know there are some not so perfect thoughts, feelings, or rememberings but they're in the very back, collecting dust and being forgotten, if not forgotten already.

Today, we're going to talk about the perfect ideas caged up in my head. On this particular day, I envisioned a perfect sunny day at the beach. With a perfectly happy family. And perfect activities for the kids.

Seeing that we don't have any ocean's beaches anywhere near us, we decided to go to a perfect lake in the mountains. It was sunny and warm. We found a perfect boat for a perfect price. (It was on sale!) And my perfect idea was forming out nicely. We loaded everything up and found a portion of "beach" that was vacant. Everywhere else was packed! Couldn't get more perfect than that!

We got all set up and headed out to the water. But then my prefect day was put in jepordy, but without a second thought knew it would just blow over without blocking a single sun ray. We were going to be ok.

On second thought, maybe a slight slipup in the perfection of the day. But I was going to be a little lenient. Enough to let the clouds blow over then resume the sunny day in which still shown bright in my perfect little mind.

I was sitting in my chair when I felt something. One small something with no source to come from other than, UP! I waited (and held my breath) for another small something and sure enough, I felt it. I immediately voiced my disgust to my dear husband, but remained optimistic that it would pass quickly.

And quickly it did NOT pass by. My refusal to let go of a perfect day at the beach was not going to budge because DANG IT, we just got here and I just set everything up, and we have our own stinking BEACH!!!

We just did a little rearranging. That's all.

A few more layers to cover my perfect offspring's minds, that were developing on their own.

The rain eventually stopped. And the wind, not so much.

but that's ok. It was perfect! For this picture!

It helped with the momemtum to get that perfect little mouth around the perfectly LARGE bite!

(yes, Mykael. I totally just took that picture. You're welcome!) :o)

Our perfect boat being used for the prefect reason.

There's really nothing perfect about this picture. Other than the perfectly humungus....mountains in the background. What? You looking at something else that's perfectly large??? The water?! Yes, it was.

After awhile, the envisioned day resumed to where it needed to be. The kids had a great time with all the sand castle equipment I brought along. The tupperware drawer had loads of fun bowls and cups to use.

The water even became warm. (I think perhaps because of the perfect 70 degree temperatures we were having.)

The only not-so-perfect incident that occured that day. After this picture I was instantly up to my waist in water pulling this little eager fish out of the water. He found a rather deep hole. Real quick!

Perfect frollicking.

A perfect day. Wouldn't you agree?

Girl's Camp

I think I was more excited for Mykael to go to Girl's Camp than she was. I couldn't wait to take her shopping for all her camping gear, but she has been so busy this summer I had to wait till two days before she was to leave. I kept having memories of going to camp myself and wishing she would have the same amazing memories as I!

Ok, she WAS excited to go. Just not as much as me. We got her all she needed and then a little more just incase. ;o) Turned out she didn't really need too much because this girl's camp was pretty nice. Immaculate Cabins, bathrooms, showers, FRIDGE!!!!, electricity and power outlets in the cabins and enough nature and wildlife to throw you into that Naturistic (word?) world with the convienances of home.

The girls could've gotten all dolled up with curly hair and make-up if t they wanted to. BUT apparently, tradition is, no one takes a shower. The. Whole. Week.! Mykael did NOT like that tradition but to avoid any possible (playful) harrassment, she complied. Although she did put her foot down when the "tradition" of ratting ones hair to the point of Motherhood Cringement was achieved. THANK GOODNESS! When I got up there, a bunch of girls ran up and my first question was, "Oh my! Are we going for dreadlocks now?" SERIOUSLY! It was crazy. My sympathies to the mommas upon discovery of what laid ahead when they saw their daughters after a week.

Back to the cabins...Very nicely built. Plenty of room for a lot of girls! Next year, Mykael's going to get a bottom bunk. She didn't like going up and down so much.

This gives you an idea of what they are like. In the back it closes off for leaders, but our ward had two cabins so leaders were in one. Girls in the other. Worked well I think. Each bed area had its own window.

Mykael woke up one morning and looking out her window saw a momma deer and her baby. She loved it!

At another time she was having daily scripture study and being off to her self somewhere quiet she was greeted by a cute little forest critter. One that explored her feet AND THEN ventured up her leg and onto her lap!!! It sniffed her scriptures and journal then once satisfied, scurried away. For those who may not know, she's obsessed with animals! Like really! Obsessed. So for her to have this experience only cemented her likeness for them and the outdoors. The girl wants to be a Vet when she's older. I think she's got the Dr. Doolittle touch already.

The morning we were to leave, we were cleaning up camp and loading things into the trailer. Not 30 ft away, a momma moose and her two babies came sauntering into camp. Feasting on the sweet lush vegetation that surrounded the camp. Girls were so excited and standing on tables and shouting to others to come see. Momma would look at us while we stared at her. Leaders continuously warned the girls to stay in camp and not to aggrivate the momma. But she didn't seem to care. Two different worlds that never collided but instead only observed. Pretty cool experience as well.

Sorry, it's the best I could do with standing on a table and zooming in without breaking the barrier that separated her and I. I know what it's like to be a protecting mother. Not Pretty!

The canyon where we were. Gorgeous!

I wasn't a leader, but I was asked (with much interest voiced, by me) to go up. So on Bishop's night I was "needed" to help in a spiritual program that was based on Christ's life. I can't tell you just how excited I was to be there with Mykael for that. Exactly the kind of bonding that I've been looking for with her. I decided to stay the night as well and help break camp the next morning. Again...SO glad I did. Mykael and I had a good time driving home together talking about her week.

Next year, she has said that she would "absolutely" go back.

SUCCESS!!!

p.s. Thank you to the youth/leaders that helped make it such a great time.

I made another cake

...but I'm not impressed with it. I had a different picture in my mind and I'm only sharing it to for journaling purposes. The colors weren't as bright as I had hoped but I'm still learning with this fondant stuff. Since Angela's fondant flower turned out so well, I thought I'd make more decorations with it. I didn't have a proper star cutter so I was having to use a knife. Left the edges jagged. Hindsight, I should've used a piping bag for the frosting to stick the balls on and not just a butter knife.

It was made for a friend in St. George. A veteran. Hence the red white and blue. I do like the silver tinsel spray in the middle. Found it at a party store for less than a dollar.

Garden 2010

At the beginning of the year, I was stressing big time how I needed to plant a garden this year. To the point that it would wake me up in the night and I would just think about all that would entail in puttin one it. We didn't plant one last year so the crab grass just grew in and it was like there was never a garden. I know I've expressed my hatred with crabgrass and how hard it is to get rid of. I've accepted the fact that it's just going to be the grass I have around here and it's actually not that bad with it's green and lush. Till not as soft as Tom's grass but I can't walk on it with barefeet.

Anyways, we rototilled it so we could actually pull out the grass and spent day after day after day after day......etc weeding all the grass out. Actually Jared did a majority of it, but there quite a few family weeding nights that took place.

FINALLY we got to the point of planting and started planning out the layout. Jared wanted to attempt growing a Giant Pumpkin so he planted that in the rocks out front. Three plants and one watermelon. They are doing well so far, but by the time harvest comes, I don't know if he'll have the giant pumpkin he's planning on having. Definitely keep you updated for that.

We planted regular peas and snow peas. These are my snow peas. The regular ones are pretty much done.

Jared found purple beans and planted those. SO glad he did cause the flowers are beautiful and the beans themselves look pretty cool. The bummer part is that when cooked, they turn green. So you have to eat them fresh to enjoy the color. They taste just like a regular bean.

I think I had 12 tomatoe plants varying in roma's, cherry, and big beefers. Should've given them more space. I only had 3 cages and was going to buy more, but never got around to it. It wasn't until I went out and they were growing into this giant mound of tomatoes that I decided to separate them. We bout these 1x2's and designed these "cages". Next year, I'm going to do something taller and more supportive. But it's the trial and error that cause growth and learning.

I've been praying for a good sized pear crop because last year was pretty sad. Only got about 2 boxes worth. And this year is proving to be bigger. Not as big as I hoped, but still big. Blessed for whatever I get! Unfortunately the tree has become diseased (not affecting the fruit) but to get rid of the blight it has, will result in a major tree trimming. Like stumpy trimming. (at least that's what Jared was told to do.)

Ash and Eli looking for bush beans. I'm canning these suckers into Grandma L's Dill Beans. YUM! I thought the purple beans would look super cool in the jars but not going to happen with them turning green in boiling water.

Banana peppers. They are doing so well! We didn't know what to expect from them taste wise, but think of a sweet yellow bell pepper.

I'm hoping for a fatter grape this year because I've been more deligent and watering them lots. If not, I'm not worried about quantity. They never let me down.

A little watermelon. So cute. We have about 4 watermelon plants planted around my property a cantalope, and some other melon. At least Jared didn't go crazy like he did that one year!

Tomatoes all caged up. Don't use chicken wire. (I was experimenting) I'm going to have to cut these ones loose when they turn! So I staked them with the wood for when I do have to pull them. They'll still be supported.

Cucumbers. These are going CRAZY!! I've got more bloosoms than what I know I can use. So this will be interesting. Perhaps the kids will have a cucumber stand this fall.

Of course my sunflowers are growing, but this time in places they planted themselves. I've kind of just gone with it and mowed around them in turn making these cool little "cul-de-sacs" where I can put a chair and chill in private. FUN. Next year...It's going to be a maze!

Not pictured in my corn. I don't really need corn, but I planted for decorational (is that a word) purposes.

Stay tuned for harvest! SOOO excited!