September 6-12: A broken pumpkin, salsa and Halloween bottles

September 6:  Saturday started out with a bit of a tragedy.  Bryce went out to mow the lawn and while moving the pumpkin pot there was a casualty.  He lost his footing and stepped on the pumpkin. We were all sad, but are recovering.  Boy, has that pumpkin provided lots of learning experiences!

Kimball was able to attend Miles' seventh birthday party.  It was such a blast.

After the party we headed up to Grandma and Grandpa's to can some peaches and salsa, and this year some peach salsa.  Between the two of us were able to can 13 quarts of peaches, 17 pints of spicy salsa and 12 pints of peach salsa with mint.  It was a productive day but I was so tired that Bryce brought up p.j.s and we all slept over.

September 7.  On Sunday we were able to admire the work Bryce did in the yard on Saturday while we were in Kaysville.  With a little weeding, mowing and trimming the grass and yard were looking pretty nice.

Abby thought she would help by sweeping dirt.

Stan brought Daddy a pillow so he could nap in the nice yard.

We also picked some pears at Susan Holt's.  She is Kimball's piano teacher and she was kind enough to let us have some pears from her tree.  

September 8.  On Monday I had some work to do so Bryce got to take the kids to their dentist appointment.  He took them to the library afterward.

My phone was on the fritz so for FHE we went to the Verizon store so I could get a new phone.  The kids were less than quiet and respectful and so Bryce took them to Jamba Juice with a gift card he got from the dentist for giving a shout out online.

September 9.  On Tuesday morning we had quite the rain and hail storm.  It started just after the school bell ring so at least the kids didn't get soaked waiting for school to start.  When I got home we had a bit of a flood.  Fortunately it drained quickly after the rain stopped.  We really want to get some new sod on top of our wall to prevent some of the runoff.

While I went to a meeting at the courthouse the kids were at the neighbors'.  I came back to Stan and Abby asleep.  I felt so bad for Abby.  She didn't get very normal naps with kindergarten, preschool and my work.  She seems to adjust pretty well.

For dinner we had crab legs.  Kimball had been telling me he wanted to try them.  I picked some up on a sale and we had them for dinner Tuesday.  I think he had more fun playing with them than eating them and I am not sure Stan even tried them.

September 10.  I received a great kindness this week.  On Tuesday I had been feeling stressed.  With school and work and housework, add to that some tomatoes that Cyndy and Ed had given to me for more canning I was feeling pretty overwhelmed.  I had wanted to use the tomatoes to can a sweet and sour sauce from a recipe I received from a friend.  I prayed to know how to find a better balance and felt the answer was to give the tomatoes away.  I was sad because I love projects like canning, but I knew I would never have time.  

I gave the tomatoes to some friends, one of which was the owner of the sweet and sour recipe.  After I handed them over, I received a phone call.  My friends wanted to can a batch of the sweet and sour sauce for me!  It was such a kind gesture because I know how much work it is.  They insisted and I accepted knowing the Lord found a way for me to have some of the benefits of canning when I didn't have the time.  Such a tender mercy.

September 11.  Thursday Stan had preschool and his teacher told me he is really good a writing his name.  Having an older brother has some benefits.  Stan learns by watching Kimball do things and trying them himself.  Both Stan and Kimball are such good students.  Kimball also had piano lessons this week and passed off his first song that required he play two hands together: Hot Crossed Buns.  

September 12.  On Friday Bryce took Stan on a Daddy/son date to the Museum of Natural Curiosity.  I just love the faces Stanny makes in pictures.  What a ham!

Friday night was a Fabulous Friday activity at the ward.  I invited my friend Maria and we made Halloween bottles for decoration.  It was a really fun night.  I realized that in nearly two and a half years of friendship it was the first time we did something without kids!  I am thinking we should do it again.

August 30 - September 5: The Great Wall of Chadbourne

August 30.  On Saturday we got started on the wall.  We weren't sure how to blend it with the steps, but Bryce and I bounced ideas around and it all came together.  

Then I went to a baby shower for Danielle (first cousin once removed) while Bryce took the boys to the Elder's Quorum party.

The slip and slide they built was a rousing success despite the fact the it was not a hot day.

Kimball wanted to play catch with the sister missionaries.

Then the kids waited in line to throw eggs at a target.  These are the kinds of games planned by grown men.

Bryce demonstrating the slide.

August 31.  After church on Sunday the kids wanted to test out the kites they had bought at the dollar store.  There seemed to be a breeze so we headed to the park.  We got them in the air and then realized that we weren't supposed to be on the grass.  Oops.

So we played.

September 1.  Since Monday was Labor day I wanted to go hike Doughnut Falls.  Unfortunately there were a number of other people who had the same idea and there was nowhere to park.  So we threw rocks in the creek instead.

Building on our success from Saturday, we bought more bricks and worked on the wall.

Kimball found a millipede and decided to keep him for a pet.

September 2.  Tuesday was Stan's first day of preschool.  He told me he didn't want to go because he wanted to go to Kimball's new school.  Poor kid.  He just wants to do everything Kimball does.

His padawan braid is getting long!  Kimball had me cut his off before he started kindergarten.

Our cute pumpkin is coming right along.

Abby and Stan held hands while walking to preschool.

Abby thought having Mommy to herself was pretty fun!

In the evening Kimball found a slug and decided to keep him for a pet.

September 3.  On Wednesday Stan played at a friend's while Kimball went to school so Abby and I went to the store.  She got a blue cookie.

In the afternoon we took our neighbor to pick peaches in Kaysville.  Ed and Cyndy have a neighbor with a peach tree.  We stayed at Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner.  The kids came home in PJs.  Here is Stan wearing his hat from preschool and demonstrating how his eye brows work.

September 4.  On Thursday Stan had to stay home from preschool because he had gotten a thorn in his foot from picking peaches.  That's what happens when you wear winter boots and take them off because your feet are hot.  After school I locked us out of the house, borrowed a car to pick up a key from Bryce at work and took Kimball to piano.  What a day!

September 5.  On Friday Bryce and I played tag team.  I worked while he watched the kids and then we switched.  We also finished the wall.  Bryce did a nice job on the last couple of bricks.  He had to hack at some roots to make it smooth.  We love how it turned out.  (I hope our landlords feel the same!)