Creative Canning

This year was the first time that I really canned. Last summer I did some peaches with my at my in-laws and that was a learning experience, since I had never canned before in my life. Crazy, since my mom canned like crazy when I was little, but I was too little to remember.

So I went crazy, I ordered a 26 pound box of apples from Bountiful Baskets and then I ordered 96 pounds of pears, yes, crazy! Over conference weekend I canned like crazy. I made: apples, applesauce, pears and then fruit cocktail, because I added a half a box of peaches to make it more fun!

The fruit cocktail is frozen so no canning there, not that it didn't take a lot of time to do. I am happy with the results and glad that canning really is only once a year! Maybe next year I will do it again, if I am that crazy again!

I was amazed at how Leilani and Carter were. They were so awesome to make up games and keep themselves entertained, without tv. I had to put up a table, since I had no where to put all of the unfinished cans and they made a cute game using old lids and tops from other cans.

Here are all of the cans and the kids' air-hockey table:

Rollin' and eatin'

A month or so ago I made some whole wheat buns using our favorite bread recipe found here . I have tried making buns by just balling them up and then cutting them in the middle, I found that they are crumbly and very messy. My sister-in-law gave me this idea and it worked great!


I rolled out the dough and took a big cup to cut them into circles. Place on a cookie sheet and bake, I believe it was for about 12-15 minutes. Match up similar circles for your sandwiches or burgers and yum! They weren't crumbly and were very soft, even Bryce said, "Not nearly as bad as I thought they were going to be." Thanks babe!

Here are some cute pictures of the kidlets helping me roll them out.

I think Carter liked eating the dough raw, more then cooked!

June Pics

Most of you know that I am probably one of the worst bloggers out there, but I also have to tell you that I think about posts all of the time and never get to them. So, I decided to back-post some pictures that I really wanted to share but either forgot or couldn't because my computer was down or I hadn't uploaded the pictures to my computer, both are true!
June was a fun month with lots of activities, mostly Aspen Grove. There are lot of pictures, but I did cut back on a lot of them!


Brady stretching with his best friend at Track Camp in the beginning of June. It was hot, but they sure had a blast!

Working on his running technique.

Carter's first hair cut! I need to cut his again, he has the most hair of any of my other kids had at his age.

Sporting his new do. Poor little nose, he had a crash on our tile floor earlier that week.

Brady in his rock climbing gear. Have I said how much I loved Aspen Grove?

Leilani's group, the Trompers doing their cheer on stage.

Leilani, so happy to be a corn! Each group did a skit from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream coat, I believe her song was the Elvis song and something abour corn, obviously!

Brady's group the Bobcats doing their cheer on stage.

Brady's group doing their skit from Joseph

Brady dancing with his first "love" Auri, he still talks about her and his sister loves to tease him about it!

Carter loving his Moma (Bryce's mom)

Carter dancing and having fun!

Carter and Leilani ready to go after a long week at camp. Carter is holding Leilani's hand, I think this is so sweet :)

My 3 little Cougars

Family Picture on the bridge

Free Mockingjay

I am trying to win this book, Mockingjay, the last of the Hunger Games. I still have not picked it up, but will soon!

http://myrnafoster.blogspot.com/2010/09/late-mockingjay-giveaway.html

Check it out!

Ballet class

Today Leilani went to her first dance class. She was so excited. When we tried on shoes in the store she instantly started twirling and pretending to do ballet, it was so cute!

I was a little nervous, because I dropped her off and didn't stay, other than to take a few pictures. She has a few friends in the class and a mom is the teacher, so that was a relief. She went straight to her friends and that was it! She didn't want to take off her leotard once we were home, fun for her.
All of the little girls were so cute, it was so much fun to see them all!

I am glad that she had fun, she has been dancing around the house since she could walk, so it is nice to be able to have her in a class. It is also so much fun for her to make friends, her friends have been Brady's for so long so this is the year of friends for her!

After I typed this all up, I realized the use of FUN, every other word almost, sorry! It was so much fun though :)

Aye, where's yar tooth?

I apologize for the blood.

I just can't even believe that my kindergartner on his second day of school loses his first tooth! This is crazy!
He has had a loose tooth for awhile so I knew this was coming.
As we were eating tacos, crunchy (which we never have!) he stops . . .
"Mom, something feels funny in my mouth." Oh, is it your tooth? Then I feel it and it is almost falling out of his mouth, yup time to pull this out. I was afraid of swallowing or him losing it at school tomorrow.

So, now we have Toothless Brady Lee, the pirate! I should have put his Pirate shirt on from his first day, oh well. I can already hear a lisp (sp?), really cute!

First Day of School

Nice string! Oh dear, I tried!

Well I have to say I did very well keeping my emotions under control when I dropped Brady off to his first day of school. I have been busy being a mom, so it hasn't hit me how much I miss him, until I got the 2 down for a nap and realize how much I miss my little guy!

He has been my right by my side his whole life and yes it is nice to have some breathing room now, but I will still miss all that he brings, even his ongoing "sound effects", which are ongoing!

I know he is having a blast with his best friend in the world and for that I am grateful that he knew someone in his class.

A few weeks ago, we decided to get a district variance and send him to a different school. This school is all-day kindergarten and I felt that he needed more then just a few hours in the day. The teacher is awesome, she is in our ward so I know he will learn a lot from her. There were so many pros to send him there and I am happy that my friend decided to send her son too, did I say best friend, this is an understatement! They have known each other pretty much their whole lives, I believe they officially met in the mother's lounge!

I know that they are having a blast, I just hope that they listen to their teacher!

It has been a fun day with the 2 and I got a lot done today, hopefully with the start of the new school year we can get back into the swing of things at home too.

I will be starting a preschool with a group of mom's, hopefully next week if we can meet up and get it organized. That will be on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and then I am really wanting to sign Leilani up for ballet and that would be Wednesday morning, so it isn't like I will be sitting around with nothing to do while Brady is at school! Crazy life, but it is my life! (I think that is from Jon & Kate Plus 8!)
After School pics, he loved it! Can't wait to go back tomorrow!