Hello Sisters!

The last 3 weeks we have spent gardening, swimming, playing, gardening, definitely NOT cooking, and more gardening. Thank goodness for Del Taco bean burritos because that is what we've been eating almost 4 times a week. Besides being only a quarter mile from our home, after working in the yard all day I'm tired and cooking is just not my plan for the evening!

My husband wants the yard to look nice most all the time. With chickens, grass, ivy, potted plants, a garden and fruit trees, it's not like we can just mow and edge and he's happy. We have begun picking, and preparing our peaches for peach jam. We have to make them in small batches so, it really is a lot of work, but my hubby doesn't know that as he happily doles out jars of jam to friends and neighbors (and strangers). He is just so excited to tell everyone that he grew these peaches and that his wife and children made the jam. [Eric's rendition of how it got in the jar], [my rendition of how it got in the jar...

...try and get some willing children to help pick the peaches, after I have found a ladder, forgot the bucket, go back in house to get it, get back out to the tree, pick and pick and throw yucky ones to the chickens, laugh, eat while you pick, go in house, "oh no, dad made lunch", clean counters for 10 hours, wash peaches, boil peaches, pull out and dip in freezing cold water, skin, slice, remove seed, back in pot with sugar and pectin ("oh no, forgot pectin," run to store), 4 hours later, "moms home let's cook!" ...where is everyone??? , does anyone want to help mom? Cook jam, where were we??? oh yea, add pectin, cook, stir, it's ready! THE JARS!?!?!?! Mikayla, you forgot to press the start button on the dishwasher, the jars aren't ready! :)

So as you can see, Eric's version and my version differ GREATLY on how the "jam got in the jar." But despite our differences, I am proud to say that it makes me feel real good when I see my man bragging about something WE ALL accomplished as a family. I LOVE YOU HUNNY.:)

Blessings,
Shannon