Back in the Saddle

So, my blogging life has been thrown to the wayside recently, but I'm determined to keep it up.  Even if no one ever looks at this stuff, it's good for me to get it out there.

Highlights since the last post:

We went fishing twice. The kids had more fun climbing trees and throwing rocks, and we didn't catch a thing, and forgot our camera, but that's to be expected. Here's some phone pictures.

You can actually see me in the middle of the light patch of grass on the left,
--dealing with a snag on that branch in the middle of the stream. I got my only bite right before that happened.

My 4 year old started Preschool.  I was torn about sending him off on his own, and then paying someone else to teach him things that I actually feel quite qualified to teach him myself (not to mention things he already knows --like his colors), but I decided that what I couldn't teach him would be the social aspect of things-- how to make friends, to get along with peers in a school setting, to stand up and talk in front of a group... etc.  I think it will be good for him since he'll be one of the younger ones going into kindergarten next year (Eeeek, next year!)  He's actually loving it, and I think he and his brother appreciate some time away from each other... I mean, they appreciate each other more when they're together. :)

I actually didn't get any pictures on his official first day of school, he had scabs all over his nose from falling down the stairs, although the true reason is that we were running late --as usual.

My baby was blessed.  The blessing his father gave him was beautiful, I wish I had written some of it down.  We had both sets of grandparents there, two sisters and a brother-in-law, and I didn't manage to get any pictures somehow.   I'm seeing a pattern of a lack of record keeping for this baby that I hope doesn't continue.  Poor thing.  This is the most recent still picture I have of him. It's actually the only one I have from the past 4 weeks and I didn't even take it. :(

I'm glad I didn't go get one of those fancy little suits to bless him in though since right after the thing he had a major blow-out.  I know, TMI.  Isn't he getting so chubby? 13 lbs 3.5 oz at his 2 month check up!

We bottled fruit!  We actually found the energy to can some fruit that my mother brought from Utah.  Bless her and my dad.  They checked both boxes on the plane to get it to us so we could have free fruit to preserve.  You might think that that would defeat the purpose of it being free, but no, they get free airfare since my sister works at an airport and you can check a package (or luggage) up to 45lbs. so they did!  And no, writing "Handle Carefully" all over the box doesn't do a thing.

Yay for home canning!

Of course, I prefer it this way...

Fresh peaches and cream!  YUM!

My kids do too, and I admit I had a hard time sharing.

Look at those puppy eyes.  How could anyone say no to that?

My husband turned 28!  So for a month or so, it'll look like we're only one year apart (on paper anyway),  but actually we're two.  Yeah, I know, I robbed the cradle.  (I'm turning the big 3-0 this year, and I'm sure you'll hear about it in a later post.)  Isn't he so accomplished for a 28 year old?  Has three kids, a master's degree, teaches college courses, and still looks like he's 19!

Homemade Hostess, Yum!  Complete with marshmallow creme filling (thanks for the idea Jen and Melissa) and chocolate ganache on top (which for some reason didn't really set, but it tasted good anyway).

So that was our last month and a half in a nutshell.

Sadly, I wanted to to a whole post about how much I love September and how Labor Day is my favorite holiday, but I guess I'll have another chance next year.  I will however post one thing (besides fresh peaches) that I love about September:

BLTs with fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes!  I ask you, were fresh, juicy, garden tomatoes made for anything else?  I can hardly bring myself to buy those waxy things you find at the store, and I refuse to have BLTs any other time of the year.

Oh yeah, I also LOVE corn on the cob, but I didn't get any pictures of that.  My husband prefer's corn off the cob, so this is what I bought him for his birthday:

Nothing says "I love you" like a corn cob cutter. ;)