Berries Today Jam Tomorrow

We went to a berry farm today. It was a spur of the moment trip and the whole way there it poured rain. I was getting a bit worried but the kids assured me that they would still enjoy it in the rain. Once we got there (it was only about 5 miles away) the sun came out and it was gorgeous. The man who owns the farm is not taking care of the u pick section anymore. Not sure why (but he has to be at least 70 so maybe thats it) so he said it was full of weeds but we were free to pick there anyway. Well weeds turned out to be tons and tons of daisies (and a few thistles). Madeline was in heaven. Next time we go he said we can dig a bunch up for Madeline's garden. So we picked and picked and picked. Marah hung out on my back in the Kozy and ate and ate and ate. I should have brought a camera but he said it was a hike to get in there.

26 pounds and an hour later we left.

The most beautiful strawberries ever.

Tomorrow we make JAM!

Double Rainbow

If you look close you can see both rainbows. The kids thought they were really cool.


Close on the bottom rainbow.

Pipes

No not those kind. Michael is obsessed with water tables. Mainly the ones that have pipes you can attach to each other. When we go to OMSI Michael can play at that one table for hours and he creates these huge creations that get destroyed while he is building by the other kids who also want to build wonderful water things. So we bought our own. PVC pipe, a hack saw, and some connectors. I am sure there is an actual name for these magical connectors that hook one pipe to the other.

So pictures of his creations:






Look what happens when I blow in it.


The side with water coming out.

Don't know why, had to post this face. MDC moms it reminds me of the irked smily.

Sun Dried

Today was not very interesting. We went to church and bought a clothesline. It has been so hot that doing the twelve thousand loads of laundry we have makes the house even hotter. So we decided to try line drying. It was great. A load dried in about 15 minutes and smelled so great. We are hoping we see a drop in the electricity bill too.

Here are some photos of recent outing to Lewisville State Park:


A cutie.

She wanted in the water so bad.

Stuck in a tree.

Pain Part One

Today Joe had the first of two appointments for his tattoo. Apparently because I have tattoos he thought it would not hurt as much as it did. HA! I only wish I could have been there to see it happen. He goes back in one month to finish it, adding color and shading. The heart on the inside will eventually have a skull in it (you can kind of see the outlines of it).

So here are the pictures.


Front

Inside

Back

Outside

Decluttering

Taking an idea from someone else and posting my list of things to declutter here so I don't lose it.

We simply have too much stuff and we (mostly the kids) get more and more stuff all the time. We are trying to declutter and simplify what we do have. Most of the toys and kid gadgets literally never get used other than the initial opening. How many toys do kids really need? Joe and I are guilty of things as well and have our fare share of sorting to do. We are all for books though so all the books will stay for now.

So the list:

Garage and all boxes in the garage
Kids room and closet: clothes, toys, stuffed animals
Craft room
Kitchen: appliances, utensils, dishes, serving bowls, tupperware and lids
Movies
All cupboards, closets, etc.
Our room: dressers, clothes in closet, stuff in closet, Marah's dresser
Outside toys

So the plan is to have a yard sale in August sometime. That gives us about 3 months. What ever is left from the yard sale will either be Freecycled or donated. The yard sale will fund our future vacations so there is an incentive to get rid of lots.

Visit with the Two Grandmas

We visited with Grandma Karen and Great Grandma Evelyn. Or as the Michael says "the two Grandmas."


The flowers were in bloom.

The eyes behind the glasses say "Don't take my picture."

The geese had babies.

The pond had fish.

On the bridge.

Swinging.

Climbing trees.