Chipmunk Cheeks

 

See you over the border!

Plans change. Matt decided that he would drive me ENTIRELY to NY and stay at his parents house and head home tomorrow. Which means-I have one LESS day to accomplish all that must be accomplished and one MORE set of clothes to pack. Fun fun.

One of my pre-NY tasks was to rid our camera of its hefty photo baggage-in order to prepare if for a whole new NY load which is why I am on here now sharing pictures. Or atleast the rationale.

Yesterday I fizzled out of my apple making stuff at 16 quarts of applesauce, 25 various sized jars of apple butter and 7 jars of salsa. I also had to make chicken pot pie for supper, wash and hang two loads of laundry (one of which is STILL hanging because it was wet-except NOW it is SOAKED because as I type it is downpouring!) I know. I am weak. BUT-I ALSO ran out of jar lids, so I HAD to stop anyway. I still have two more bushels of apples to work on-but they are "cream of the crop apples" and can wait. Perhaps I will be able to use them for GOOD stuff too-apples pies, crisps, eating, peanut butter apples. YOU know what I mean the stuff that makes you LOVE apples!

It actually worked out really well because I made the apple butter in the roaster oven-which took ALL day long so I was able to finish my other canning during the day and I canned the apple butter after the children were in bed.

I LOVE that machine thing. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! I am NOT exaggerating here when I say that Corynn MADE the applesauce herself. I just chopped the apples and cooked them. It was so nice working side by side with her-and her actually HELPING.

Any parent knows that when children are in the kitchen, they can often be MORE work when they 'help'. We do it, though, to teach our children, to encourage our children to want to help, to be near our children and to give them some of our time.

I was flabberghasted when I realized that she was being a GREAT help to me-at three years old. And she enjoyed every minute of it! We sang while we worked, we talked while we worked, and we were happy being together. If I find such joy having my three year old in the kitchen with me, I wonder what I will feel when my children are teenagers...

Anyway. That is the news and I have GOT to go! Far too much to do to dawdle and I have banana bread that needs checking on...

See you on the other side! 

Saucy

 

dual excitement

Corynn and I were equally amazed at this apple-do-hickey. I MUST have one! I would give my right arm for one of these things if I didn't have to crank. Wait-scratch that. Corynn can crank FOR me! 

Nibblers

I was busy cutting away at the counter when Corynn said in her teasing, sing-song voice "Mama! I'm SNI-TCHINNNNNNNNNNGGG!" accompanied by a round of giggles. I know-taking a picture doesn't really reinforce the no germ swapping policy... 

Purple Cherokee

The last batch of salsa I made was quite colorful because I used tomatoes in every stage. Though I will say-I did not stoop to rotting. The purplish/blackish tomatoes are not rotten but are of the variety Purple Cherokee. 

succomb

All through naptime, Corynn played in her room. Finally, she got up enough bravery and came out and was quickly shooed back into her room. I don't want to establish a precedence that when SHE is ready SHE can be done with rest, because rest time would be minutes! So, about ten minutes later I go and tell her that rest time can be over-and this is what I found. 

Puree

We interrupt this programing to share some late breaking news:

Two days ago, Andrew had his first bite of baby cereal!

Ah yes. THOSE days are here again. Baby spoons, dirtied bibs, the baby food grinder forever needing washing. Messy faces-and hands-and hair. Sweet expressions. And soon enough-cheerios that quiet the ornery child!

With Corynn I cried. With Andrew I laughed. Funny what food will do.

And now to make about 50 quarts of baby food....

First Bites

Andrew started waking in the middle of the night and so I figured now is a good time to start with cereal. He certainly seemed interested enough in it! So-I did. And he liked it. And now-I have ONE more thing to pack on our trip! ;-)

You thought he was chubby now? Just wait-you ain't seen NOTHIN' yet! 

Oh Joy!

I have the kookiest look on my face but I was right in the middle of saying "Did you SEE that?" Of course he snapped the picture in the middle of SEE! What was there to see? He dived, open mouthed into the spoon. 

First Squares

Here are the first two completed squares of my afghan. The pink one needs to be 'finished' with a border in ecru and then I will be done that one as well. I am well on my way! The fourth square I am working on now is the half puff stitch pattern. 

Beacon

This is for you smilnsigh! :-) I tried taking a picture from the outside but the window was so high up that I couldn't capture it. 

Fall decor

I put this up (one on each pillar outlining the door) the last week in September. Basically, they are just tall sticks put into a tall tin vase filled with stones. Then I interwove lights. I suppose this will be all the fall decorating I do outdoors this year. I will keep this up until it is time for CHRISTMAS! Who knows? I may even play off the theme and spray paint the sticks white and replace the lights with multi-colored ones. Who knows!?! 

Fitting it all in...

I am happy to report that I am now finished packing the clothes for our trip. I had to do it early since the fact that we are unable to use our dryer means there are no last minute washes, so what I want us to wear on our trip must be set aside. (How is THAT for a run-on sentence?!?!) Sometimes I think I packed more than enough-other times I wonder how prepared I am going to be. I know one thing though-a family of four needs to have more than a carry on suitcase! Sheesh! That is just pathetic. WE are just pathetic!

Today was Women's Bible Study and how wonderful a time I had. *Sigh* Being around women who have the answers to everything and are able to express those things in a way that is both caring and clear, well, it just makes me sad some times. I truly appreciate it. So much. I just wonder if I will EVER be able to do so. Will I EVER be wise enough to mentor or to lead women closer to God? I mean, I struggle with teaching my THREE year old at times! Of course, aspirations lead to motivation. And motivation to be a more godly woman is a good thing. I just pray I don't let the Lord down.

With Women's group this morning and crochet night tonight, I have only a few hours in between-which will be spent (cough cough...blogging!) cleaning up the house, and preparing some snackies for Nancy when she comes.

TOMORROW I declare Newman National Apple Day. I hope to get those apples done tomorrow. A lady I know let me borrow this funky apple contraption that magically makes applesauce with the ease of a three year old and the speed of an Arabian steed. Hopefully that is true because I have nearly 4 bushels of apples and quite a few tomatoes that are revolting against me for taking so much time turning them into salsa. I am afraid that those Newman Family Scarecrows are going to be put on hold this year-until NEXT year. With being away for a week and all these added chores, I don't think it is worth the time. Oh well-maybe we will add another scarecrow to the mix next year...

Mi Familia

Last night, the family and I got our picture duds on and headed to Walmart to get some professional pictures done. After all, we have a son now and might as well admit it. I go to Walmart because $6.88 for a slew of pictures is about all I am willing OR able to spend. I always get a disk to print all other poses myself except they now have a NASTY trick of changing the resolution-so if you want a bigger size, it gets all distorted. That is just low down...

Anyway-not really happy at all with how they turned out. It seems, every time I break down and get professional photos done (MAYBE once yearly) I am sorely disappointed. Am I a picture snob???? But REALLY. Come on! I KNOW I could do better than some of these! The only problem is getting Andrew to smile at a camera on timer. I mean-THAT is tough...so, I put up with it.

I think I AM a picture snob.... 

The Newman Four: Take 2

Don't ask me what is with that cheesy fake grin of Corynn's. I don't think I have ever seen it before these pictures... 

childer

This is about the time Andrew had said, "Mama! I'm hungry! I can't work under these conditions!" 

Childer loving Papa

...so while I nursed, Matt and Corynn got a picture. 

We have a son!

 

Flower girl

I always think that professional photos are better qaulity. BUT, I think I might have done better this once, or twice, or maybe a few more times....

rose red

 

Here and There

It is BLACK as night here and it is mid-morning. The rain is just a pouring down. More springy than fallish but who's complaining? That just makes me focus on inside tasks...
.......................................like blogging. hehehe

At dusk, my daily ritual is to turn on my stained glass lamp in the big window. Sort of like a lighthouse beacon. I want it to be a beacon to our home. I guess today it can be on ALL day! :-)


Hoooo-wee. This is going to be an interesting week-and next week even more so. This weekend we are meeting my sister in Williamsport (our half-way point) and then the children and I will be riding up with her to spend the week visiting my family in New York. An extended visit.
The following weekend, Matt will drive up and join us to celebrate at Oma and Opa’s anniversary dinner and then we will all come home. This will be the LONGEST time away from Matt that we have ever endured-the longest thus far being two nights on a business trip. And the thing is-it is VOLUNTARY! No business trip is requiring us to be apart, it is just an opportunity for me to have a good sit down visit with my family.
Our past visits are always hurried and cramped-and often with the Newman side, so it is needed. But nights will be ever so long and I will miss him so terribly. I will sob like a lunatic when we part, I just know it.

Of course, I might be loony by then ANYWAY, because preparations for such an extended time away are not few! Among the chores…
~Make and can applesauce, apple butter, and (possibly) pumpkin butter
~Pack clothes and everything else needed for a week.
~Do laundry
~Stock freezer with meals for Matt (so far I have…pizza, meatloaf, browned ground beef for tacos or spaghetti, and beef stew. Although-he assures me if I stock up on Lucky Charms he would be happy…)
~Write A ‘Remember’ list for Matt.
~Make some sheets for Corynn to do while away and a practice Memory Verse card.
~Pack up some crafty stuff and a book to wittle away my lonesome nights.

…And I am not sure what all else. As it gets closer HOPEFULLY I will figure it all out. This is a HUGE deal as I have NEVER packed up children for so long a time. I have no idea how many diapers to pack…

So I wrote about applesauce on my to-do list. I made it to Way Fruit Farm this weekend for some apples and asked about prices.

The ‘good’ apples were $15.00 a bushel (those are prime…)
‘Seconds’ are apples that were picked from the ground. Most LOOK prime and taste prime but you get a better deal on them. These are apples that you have to request because they don’t advertise. These apples in a specific variety were $12.00 a bushel
And then there were what they called ‘Deer apples’ which were ‘seconds’ but were all the different apple varieties mixed up. They were $4.00 a bushel.

Can you guess which one I got?!?!?

I was so pleased to get three bushels of apples for the price I expected to pay for ONE. The Amish roadside stand offered me a bushel of apples for $19.00!!! Sheesh! Thank goodness I looked around. Now it is just a matter of getting motivated to get to making applesauce and butter. I think I will make ALL of these into applesauce and butters because of our trip this weekend and next week. Perhaps I will go back to get a bushel more for pies and such when I have time to devote to more finicky recipes. And who knows? If Matt gets that cider press made, we may go back for quite a few more bushels to make cider. We will see about that though. It seems to me a more problematic process than to Matt.

And for those who wouldn't know right off...

Three ways you know your house is CO-OLD…

*Baby goes to bed with a onesie, long johns, and a blanket sleeper, socks and MITTENS. (I am saving the hat for REAL winter.)

*You start baking bread in the oven instead of the bread machine. (Actually, it was SO cold, I made cheese and beer bread, cinnamon rolls and a batch of soft pretzels. Those pretzels were GOOD-especially with the honey mustard dip I made or dipped in cinnamon sugar. I was trying to think of the other dips that Auntie Anne Pretzels offers with THEIRS but couldn’t think of any to reproduce except cheese. Anyone know? ) My favorite were the scrumptious cinnamon rolls though!

*You haven’t turned the heat on but it turns on anyway because it must heat the house to the start of the thermostat, which is 35.

That about sums up news on this home front.

BTW~ The children and I will be staying at my parents house who have wireless internet. So, I will be living with internet luxury for a week-so don’t think you will be rid of me!!! :-) In fact, no doubt, I will be blogging MORE to get my mind off of…well, things. Els~I will get to feel 1/6th of what you just recently felt. I wonder if I am as strong as you….

Cinnamon Rolls

 

I used the icing recipe that you posted with your cinnamon rolls, Abby, and it REALLY topped it off. These were EXCELLENT and I am SURE the icing had much to do with it. Besides, I had enough icing left over that I was able to freeze two other portions to top other breads with. I am thinking maybe pumpkin?!? 

Cheese and Beer Bread Topped with Habanero

  

Apple Dumpling