Lest I lead you astray

I was looking back at some of my canning pictures I have posted on the blog.

Like this one from this year.

And this one and this one from last year.

It looks beautiful. The kitchen, that is. All sparkly and clean and like it was just a wondrous, beautiful, clean and bonding experience.

Well...lest I lead you astray, though the afore-mentioned words are oft-times accurate, there are a few other words I would like to throw into my personal description of my canning experiences.

MESSY

NOT ALL THAT ATTRACTIVE

COLORFUL

AROMATIC

VERY VERY MESSY!

NOT ALWAYS A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE.

(ahhh, my poor neglected baby. She puts up with a lot.)

And that's how it rolls at the Brown house on canning day.

Precious Moments

The other night, I walked into the kids' bedroom and saw this.

I left and quietly returned with my camera.

I love moments like these.

"Family life should be a time of happiness and joy that children can look back on with fond memories and associations. Thank God for the joys of family life."

Ezra Taft Benson, Nov. 1992

Families are Forever, and for that, I am grateful.

Is the canning season over yet?

I really shouldn't complain. In fact, I actually want to brag. 49 quarts of peaches. 7 quarts and 14 pints of tomatoes. 5 pints of salsa.

And quite frankly, that's enough for me. I enjoy it. Canning, that is. But, those are really the only things my family will eat and the only things I grow enough of to can. Besides, I'm out of jars and I don't want to buy or find more.

Perhaps the best part of canning was the companionship with whomever I was canning. Some with Camille, some with my neighbors (thanks girls) and of course, with my mom. My favorite moment was probably talking about great-grandma, Mary Lusk. As my mom told stories about her, I was filled with a longing to know her. The linking of generations of goodly women was almost tangible as I looked back at where I came from and then ahead, to the young girls I am raising. As my heart turned to my ancestral mothers, it completely cleared my mind and helped me make decisions I've been struggling with. I truly believe it is so important to know where you come from and who you come from. I need to do a better job teaching my own children their heritage.

Of course I have grand ambitions of one day canning applesauce and pears and cherries. ('cuz that's what I remember being canned at my house) And I'm still looking for the perfect recipe for marinara sauce. Mine is always too runny. Any great recipes out there???

But for now, I'm satisfied!

How to catch CrawDads - and then some

The first weekend of September (the 4th for journaling purposes), Ster took the kids camping, more specifically, craw-dad-ing. (Is that a word?) They found a good use for a lot of the extra pieces of 2x4s we've been using to finish our basement. They built a tall tower. I'm sure knocking it down was awesome.

Anyway, here is our family guide for "Catching CrawDads."

So, apparently, to catch a craw-dad, you attach a raw chicken thigh to a long piece of yarn. I was specifically asked to cut 4 20-yard pieces.

Throw the yarn into the water, pull it back slowly and voila - Craw-dads.

When you pull in the craw-dad, it is wise to let your dad take it off the raw piece of chicken and place it in a bucket full of ice. This brings it to the frozen brink of near-death.
THEN, you pick them up, make faces at them and act all tough. Then, if you're lucky, your dad might teach you how to twist their heads off and "pull out their guts and poo." (actual quote from Sydney)

And that's how you catch, almost kill, and play with craw-dads.

On a side note: they put two frozen craws in a ziplock baggie and put it in the cooler. One of them was alive when they got home. They put water in the cooler, added grass and kept the craw-dad as a pet. They added pepperoni and a dead praying mantis. After two days, Sterling took it out of the cooler and transplanted to a nice little plot in the backyard.

THE END

Rockstar

This afternoon, Syd and a couple of girlfriends wanted to make up a dance. Not surprisingly, the song was "Rockstar" by Hannah Montana. This is one of the parts of being a mother of girls that I love. I sat at the computer and pushed play on itunes. Then the girls, on the porch, would dance as the music blared (and I do mean blared) through the open windows. I couldn't resist catching a video.

While they danced, I heard things like:

"That's what I did when I choreographied my other dance."


"Let's shimmy, shimmy and then boogie, boogie."

Boys and rocks

A little while ago, we hiked up Ensign Peak. This is where Brigham Young hiked on July 26, 1847. It is a place he saw in vision. And from here, he looked over the valley that so many faithful would call a refuge and a home. Round trip is less than a mile. Its a relatively easy hike.

It was really windy.

It was really high. (don't look down) (I'm kidding, It wasn't scary at all)

It was really peaceful. I wonder what is going through her mind.

And Parker found a lot of rocks. Apparently they are different rocks than the kind we already have at our house.

So they must be collected and then Parker wants to sell them and come back and collect some more. These are funny video clips but they are kind of long and I am too lazy to edit them.

Interesting tid-bits:

1. The hymn "High On A Mountain Top" was inspired by Ensign Peak. I want to re-read all the verses now.

2. Have you ever heard of the "flag of the kingdom"? It used to fly up there with the U.S. flag. I'd like to read more about that.

Laundry List

Last Night:

I praised my children for cleaning up their room so quickly and so thoroughly.

This Morning:

I found in their laundry

19 blocks
a choo-choo train
a book
several shirts - still on their hangers
a hat

I'm afraid to check under the bed.

Bees anthem

The Lehi Children's Choir, of which Sydney was a part, sang the national anthem at a Bee's baseball game the last part of August. It was a lot of fun. Here are some pics from the night.

First, we got to go into the bowels of the stadium, through many secret passages, (I led us in the wrong direction twice), into a practice room, where we met with the rest of the choir.
Then we waited, 45 minutes, in the heat, for the game to start. We had eaten early, so we could get there on time. All of our tummies were starting to grumble. The heat didn't help, but at least we were in the shade.

Finally the choir lined up behind home base, ready to sing. Mr. Bee, Buzz, whatever his name is...the mascot, did a dance for the kids. They enjoyed it.

Finally time to sing. Here they are, getting their note.
And here is part of the grand performance. When I practiced this song with Sydney, every once in a while I would hear, "oh say, does that star strangled banner yet wave." Cute.

Once the game started, it was all fun and ..... games.

Parker says, " What? These aren't "sister tormenters?" I'm not supposed to clobber my sisters with these? What's the use of them then? What a let down!"


Good job Sydney. What a fun evening. All 4 1/2 innings were really great. I think we won. Well, we came home with a winner anyway.

da da da DAAAH da da da DAAAAH

Guess where I'm going Friday night?


To the symphony.


Guess who I'll be listening to?


Ludwig van Beethoven.


Guess what he'll be saying?


Click here and then click on "Audio Clip"

POST-EDIT:
So plans changed, I'm not going to the concert. I'm going golfing. For the first time ever. I've always looked up my nose at people who golf. I feel too "blue collar" to ever become a golfer. (But oddly not too blue-collar to go to the symphony). Anywho, should be exciting!?!?

But to reward you for still reading my blog...here's a tidbit from this morning's scripture study.

Parker: "Alma the younger and Annikan were great missionaries!"
(Annikan Skywalker, instead of Amulek. Get it? Yeah, I bet Jedis make GREAT missionaries.)

Bike Bowling

This is what was going on at my house this afternoon.

A two dollar garden

Did anyone else take advantage of the "Two dollar Tuesdays" at Thanksgiving Point this summer? We did.

And we had soooo much fun!!!! Cantcha tell?

This particular day, we went to the Children's garden. The camera came out late but I did get some nice shots. It was drizzling when we arrived, so we briefly explored Noah's Ark, but it was a little chilly. We did the labrynth maze and fed the fish. We braved our way through the tunnels and petted the animal statues. Then we spent time in the discovery area, where the children climbed and played instruments and played with wood blocks and dirt.


Having made our way to the end of the Children's Garden, we entered the Big Garden (I don't know the real name). I have been several times and have still not seen everything. We walked and admired and dropped pennies in fountains.

Then, we came upon the . . . shhhh . . .

Secret Garden.

The children enjoyed it, but I'm pretty sure I enjoyed it more. My pictures don't do any of the gardens justice. You just have to go see them for yourself. And I had to throw the next picture in because I think my mom is beautiful. (she's so embarrassed right now)
Here are the troops we dragged all over the gardens. My two and Tiff's two. On two dollar Tuesday. ha.

I love this picture because Mill and Paige are doing the same thing and Rach and Ryan are doing the same thing. They have to be the cutest kids on the planet. They just have to be.

And then we left,

because the mommies were tired.

THE END

Interval Training

I've decided to try to go on an exercise walk in the mornings after the older kids leave for school. I thought I would get a real good, steady workout, trying to keep up with Camille on her bike.


Turns out that instead of a steady workout, its more like interval training. We have several streets to cross, which involve looking left, then right, then left again. Notice how she's already in the street and NOW she decides to look.


As soon as the heart-rate picks up again, someone's legs are tired and need a rest. So we rest for a split second (wink wink) and then we're back in the race.

Soon enough its time for a water break.

Eventually, after several more "recovery" intervals, resting legs and thirsty mouths, we make it to the end of the sidewalk. The day before these pictures were taken, we were rewarded with 8 ducks swimming in the canal. (after that I started to carry my camera). Seven ducks were in the water and one was at the grate where the canal goes under the road. He would quack and the ducks would swim forward against the current. He would quack again and they'd swim back a few feet and then face the current again. They did this several times while we watched. Rachel seemed to be carrying on her own conversation with the lead duck. Bilingual. That's how I like to raise my kids. Looks like we already have one language down.

Then we turn around and its the same story all the way home. walk, drink, walk, rest, walk, repeat.

Then we have to climb the hill back up to our subdivision. This is where I feel the burn! We put the bike in the stroller because the hill is too steep for tired legs.

Doesn't that sound like fun?

Lately we've been using the double stroller. It works out just fine, only with fewer recovery intervals. But no more ducks. Bummer.