I really can’t believe that its been 3 years since the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. I was pregnant with Eden at the time and I remember being so terrified that the terrorists would come and attack Grand Junction and I’d never be able to meet my baby.

I am so thankful that I got to meet Eden. She is the funniest, cutest, sometimes grumpiest, kid.

Not a moment passes that she isn’t singing a song or talking to Bunny (aka George). She is so smart and imaginative; so much so that I can mostly ignore the fact that she can throw a fit like no other kid I have seen in my entire life. It’s times like now (when she’s sleeping and not throwing a fit) that I am so thankful for her.

And if I never met Eden, I would never have met Honor either.

Honor has the prettiest eyes in the whole world. He can make me forget why I’m telling him “NO” for the 50th time with those eyes. And if it doesn’t make me forget, the way he laughs at me while I scold him will. He is turning into such a great little boy. I can tell by the way he studies things that he’s going to be scary-smart like his dad. He is going to give me a run for my money, but I’d have it no other way.

All this is made possible by the best man in the world. I am so thankful that I was lucky enough to make such a good choice in a husband. I love the life we have together. I love that even after 5 years of marriage, that he’s still my first choice of anyone to be with. He’s my favorite.

I just wanted to take today to remember all the good things in my life, to be thankful for what God has given me. Please feel free to comment about what you are thankful for.

I thought I’d take a picute of my yarn purchase on Saturday. Jim thought I went overboard, but I think I could have done much worse.

The cotton yarn was on sale for 88¢ so I couldn’t pass that up, I can get 2 1/2 dish cloths out of one ball. The boucle was on sale for $1.99 and I can get 2 scarves out of one ball. The rest I just needed.

I finished up another hat

It’s knitted out of Brown Sheep Company’s, Lambs Pride, Bulky wool in Pine Tree. I had originally intended this yarn for my green bias scarf, but it just wasn’t looking that nice to me, so I turned it into a hat.

Speaking of the bias scarf, after many, many tries here is my progress.

It’s knitting up pretty quickly, so I should have it done soon.

AND, I’m going to be gone for the rest of the week. I’m going with my mom to Casper, Wyoming to visit my grandma. She hasn’t been feeling well and I wanted to make sure that we went to see her before the weather got bad.

The really good thing about Casper, Wyoming is that they have a Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic clearance store. In January when I was there, I scored leather pants for $1.99. Yes that was not a typo, $1.99. I hope that I can find some spankin deals this time too.

I hope that everyone has a good week and I’ll be back this weekend.

It’s that time of year again. Peach Season. There’s nothing better than the smell of peaches drying on a summer-turning-to-fall day. With it being peach season, then pear season, then apple season, the dehydrator doesn’t stop running. I even had some frozen apricots left that I just finished drying.

My family LOVES fruit leather, which is just fine with me, it’s so easy to make. All you do is wash the peach and then just break it up with your hands into a big pot (remove the seed of course). Cook it down for a few minutes with a dash of lemon juice, and then blend. Pour onto fruit leather trays and dry. The most time consuming part is rolling it. I cut my “sheets” into 8ths and then roll in wax paper. Here’s a picture of the apricot leather all ready to be rolled.

I’ve been a little slow in posting, but I wanted to say Happy 21st Birthday to my little sister, Ashley. We had a fabulous steak dinner at our moms house on Monday and a REALLY good whipped cream cake. How can you go wrong with whipped cream?

Ashley is the hardest person EVER to shop for. I had planned on getting her some pants at Old Navy, but they ended up being flare legged and Ash hates flares (who could blame her?). So, everything I suggested to her that she would want, she didn’t want. I was at a complete loss. I bought her a belt. Whoo Hoo! She didn’t seem too thrilled. But she was happy with the adult beverage that we also bought her. She did turn 21 afterall.

It’s astounding how out of shape I am. This week I began riding my bike. I’ve hooked it up to a windtrainer that makes it stationary. It’s really nice since I’m not able to leave the house to ride until we can shell out the big bucks for one of those little trailors for the kiddos to ride in (and helmets for the whole family, gotta wear the helmets!). It’s rather sad, but I can only ride for 10 minutes. Seriously, I can barely make it through the 10 minutes. I just keep telling myself, I need to kick my a$$. I have to get in shape. I have to.

Today I decided that the last minute (really it seemed like 15 minutes not just one minute, I wonder if my watch really works…) I would just give it my all. I barely lived. Really. It just about killed me. All day today, I’ve been sick. I pushed myself too hard. WHAT A WUSS!! 10 minutes is not that long and I’m barely making it today.

Maybe someday I will make it up to 13 minutes. THAT will be an accomplishment.

I’m eating peaches and cream. I just thought I would take this opportunity to gloat. There are such great benefits to living right next to Colorado’s peach country. So let me tell you again. I’m eating peaches and cream.

Another thing I’d like to talk about is Walmart. I was there last night. I have to say that I’m quite offended. When ever someone insults my ability as a mother, I get pretty offended.

The wonderful greeter lady gave us a cart and as Jen was strapping Honor in and I was lifting Eden into the back, she asked if we’d like another cart for Eden to sit in. I politely told her no thank you. She proceded to tell me that according to the little flap in the front of the cart that kids shouldn’t sit in the back of the cart. I told her no thank you. She asked me TWICE more if I wanted another cart, each time I told her no thank you. Really Jim would be proud, I was nice the whole time.

But seriously, it’s not like I travel through Walmart with my children hanging upside down out of the basket like monkeys. Eden always has to sit down on her bottom and if she doesn’t I stop the cart and make her do it. Honor is always strapped in.

I hate being made to feel like I suck as a mother. Really. But at least I have peaches.

I have been lacking SO much energy lately. I’m not sure why, I got 9 hours of sleep last night and I am still so sleepy. Before all of you mean people out there think it, I’M NOT PREGNANT. When ever I feel even a little bit off, I’m always accused of being pregnant. It’s not like I get pregnant by Jim looking at me or anything…

I’m thinking that I need to start exercising, well, I know I need to start exercising, but I’m just so tired! I can hardly get off my butt to do anything let alone really exert myself!

I’ve got so much to do today, I have no clue how I am going to accomplish it all. I have to get all the games ready for youth group, including extras because the are having a leadership meeting in the youth room and the youth get kicked outside until they are finished. I have to plan extra games depending on how long it is before we can go back into the youth room.

I need to go grocery shopping, which is no easy feat with my two wonderful children. By the time the basket get full, Eden has to get out and she refuses to stay close to the cart, no matter how much I threaten to discipline her. Trust me I threaten.

I also have mountians of laundry to wash. We’re going camping this weekend and I still have laundry from our last camping trip to wash.

Sigh.

I’ve got several changes to make on different websites. AND to top it all off I need to pay bills.

Sigh.

All I really want to do is go back to bed.

Happy 50th birthday to my stepdad, Mike.

Our trip to Denver was fun. We had a great time. The Rockies game was a good experience, although rather boring. (They won, by the way.) Waterworld is really cool, I just wished that the lines were not SO STINKIN LONG! We ended our day in the wave pool which was really fun and a little bit scary. OK, more than a little scary. There is something kinda freaky about a huge wave coming at you throwing bodies toward you. Really.

I missed my babies. I guess that Saturday night, before I got home, Eden kept looking out the window asking, “Is that mommy? Is that mommy?” It makes me feel sad. Honor was so mad at me when I first got home. He would not let me hold him and wouldn’t let me nurse him until I left the room and he realized that he might want me. But today when he woke up, he was fine. I’m glad. For a minute there I thought that he would never nurse again and I would be in boob suffering hell like dooce.

Yawn, I’m going to bed. The girls only let me get 4 hours of sleep because they stayed up late giggling and then decided to order a wake up call for 6am. I’m the only one who woke up. They will be punished later.

For the past several months, Jim and I have been helping out with our church youth group. The youth group is going to Denver on Friday, where they will attend a Rockies game. Saturday they will go to Waterworld and then travel on to home. Somehow, I’m not really sure how (but Jim and some fish and chips were involved), I have been roped into “sponsoring” this trip. This all means that I will be leaving my baby with Jim for about 30 hours. This is my baby who is addicted to my boobs!
I’ve been pumping as much as I can, but the problem with that is that Honor always wants to nurse therefore, I can’t pump.
Anyway, it should be interesting. I think I will have a lot of fun and a break will be nice. I’m also glad that Jim will be doing my job for a whole 30 hours. He may have a deeper appreciation of me when this is all said and done.
The only sad part about traveling to Denver is that I won’t have a chance to shop at the Childrens Place. I have gotten the greatest clothes there for Eden. I guess that we’ll have to plan another trip soon.

Today is Brooke’s birthday and I will give her the top secret poncho. I’ve neglected to keep updated pictures of my progress but here is a pic of the finished product.

It only took me a week to make, I was surprised when I was finished, but I did spend a large amount of my time knitting during that week!

Ok! on to camping.

Friday night we camped with my mom and stepdad and their friends up on the Uncompahgre.

Eden had a great time playing in the dirt, except for when she tripped and fell face first.

There were cows grazing around where we camped, therefore many many cow pies. Eden learned all about cow pies. She also enjoyed going pee pee on the “floor” especially when she learned that cows go pee pee on the “floor.” One time she exclaimed (while peeing) “Wook, I’m a cow!”

Honor has a hard time camping. It will be much easier when he can walk. I just hate to let him crawl all through the dirt and weeds and bugs, although, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind it! So, most of the time he was passed from person to person.

At least he slept at night unlike my other child!