Is It Naptime Yet

I was at Sunflower Market today and I was buying a couple bag full of peaches.  An older gentleman, as in old enough to be my father and then some, commented on how good the peaches were that we were buying.  I mentioned I was going to try my hand at canning and he said he’s thought about it, but why can when you can easily go buy canned peaches? I mentioned our avoidance of high fructose corn syrup and he seem pleased. He then said I should go to Southern Utah to buy from the fruit stands there, the peaches we were buying were suppose to be from Utah, but I replied I never go to Utah. He then went on to say he had a house in St. George and goes up regularly. He joked that I should give him my number and he could buy the fruit for me. I laughed and said that was a thought.

I don’t think he was hitting on me per say, I think he was joking and in a way it came out wrong. There was no awkwardness, but it was still strange.

If only I really did have a connection to the Utah fruit, though the food storage specialist in our ward has given us opportunities to buy fruit. That’s where I got my 25 lb, box of apples for Sam and me.

I bought not too many peaches because I found a video on youtube and it looks like I can make as much or little syrup for the peaches and I only have four jars to put the peaches in. The peaches were on sale at Sunflower, and all very green, so I’m letting them ripen and experimenting canning the peaches myself later this week. Hopefully next year I can be better prepared and possibly can a box of peaches.

Canning is time consuming and not necessarily price effective but I’ve found two reasons why I think it’s good.

One: It helps the environment since you’re reusing bottles. Rather than buying a new jar of applesauce, jam, or a can of fruit , you reuse and reduce waste, something I’m trying to become more aware of.
Two: you have complete control over what goes in the food. You can make reduced sugar jams, and can fruit in a better syrup, though it’s still a lot of sugar or honey. (We’re trying to avoid high fructose corn syrup and I dare you to find a canned fruit that does not contain it. I’ve looked, maybe not hard enough, but enough to see it’s in a lot of brands.)

So I’m thinking of making this a new hobby. I just don’t have the space for a steamer of my own, thank goodness for friends who are willing to let you borrow, or space for tons of bottles of fruit. I hope we can find space if I do make it a hobby.

It’s such hard work, but fun at the same time.

On Saturday we went to the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. My sister Kristi was taking her family to celebrate my nephew’s birthday and they invited us along. I haven’t been since I was a kid, and Jon wanted to check it out, so we all went.

I didn’t take my camera, so no pictures, but the girls seemed to enjoy themselves. They weren’t freaked out by any of the stuff animals, though I slightly wanted to be, and they loved the fish tanks and shark exhibit. They have fake dinosaurs and the T- Rex makes a loud growl/noise and that freaked ’em out a little, but they just kept their ears covered and still enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit.

It was fun and I may buy a family pass there, since it relatively close and all indoors. I do like the Springs Preserve more, but you have a lot of walking outside, with the animal exhibit also outdoors, and as winter comes this might be a nice getaway, and it can be good for the summer too.  I debate between getting a pass to the Natural History Museum or the Children’s Museum. Both are a little ghetto, but all indoors, and it mostly depends on where they would have the most fun, for the least amount of money.

We came home and I tried to watch General Conference. They girls were either pretty loud with their coloring, or I was falling asleep once I got the laundry folded.

I went grocery shopping later that afternoon and used my three reusable bags and didn’t need any plastic bags. Since Eden is potty trained now we don’t need plastic bags to put diapers in, and now I’m trying to go green. It felt good to not waste any plastic bags. Now I just need to remember to bring my reusable bags in on regular shopping trips to Target or other stores.

1. I hate drinking cold, like really cold, water. I like room temperature to cool.
2. I have to take off my wedding ring and dry it after I wash my hands. I can’t stand the feel of a wet wedding ring on my finger.
3. I still bite my nails, but that’s a little more gross than weird.
4. I wash dishes in a specific order and I prep them. I’m really annal about it and never just go and dive into washing dishes for the dishwasher.
5.  I hate taking baths. Bathtubs are gross, unless they are brand new and have never been used. Even right after they’ve been clean I find them gross ’cause there’s usually some residue of the cleaner left in it.
6. I have a vivid imagination about really crazy things. If Jon is ever late I get really worried and think of all the horrible things that might have happened to him.
7. I’m very fair skinned and proud of it. I hope to keep younger less wrinkled skin because I don’t try to tan.

I tag Anna, Elizabeth, Fallon, and Bethany.

I think I’m suppose to tag seven people, but many of my readers have already done this, or were tagged.

On Friday our home school meet up group made plans for the group to attend Bonnie Springs. We were able to attend on school prices. It was $2 per adult and $1 per child, compared to the normal rate of $20 a car.

I’ve never been to Bonnie Springs so the thought of wearing shoes, over sandals which I wear as much as possible, never crossed my mind. So here’s a warning if you go to the petting zoo at Bonnie Springs wear shoes. We were able to avoid any messes, but man are you aware of the free roaming animals which leave their poop around when you’re in sandals.

The girls loved the animals. At first I thought all the animals were in cages but as we ventured farther we saw a free roaming rooster, and then the donkey, a couple deer and then we saw a llama and some goats. I think the friendlier animals were free roaming, but their was a very feisty goat that was head butting and chasing the other goats. That was a little scary when you have a front row seat.

I forgot to call my friend Beth about canceling the dress fitting for her daughter. So she called me and while I was talking to her I looked over to see one of the deer eating Lilah’s shirt! I was unable to get a picture but she was so happy and just giggling away at this deer eating her shirt. I did get a picture of the deer while another little girl was feeding him.

While we were just beginning our exploration we walked into a small area but a llama apparently wanted out, so he kinda forced us to move out of the small walkway. Lilah thought it was hilarious, as you’ll see in the video, but Eden was freaked out by it and could not get away from the large llama fast enough. I think that made her very weary of all the animals and she only touched a ferret that a worker held for the girls to pet.

We saw lots of interesting animals and the girls loved seeing each of them.

After the petting zoo we wandered around the old town Bonnie Springs and then watched a melodrama that two ‘actors’, I use the term loosely, put on. They then had a very cheesy shooting and hanging skit.

We wandered around some more and then ate our lunch in the car off of Charleston, or a pull-off to some hike. It was a beautiful day and perfect for being outside. We watched two monarch butterflies go by our car. I think it’s migration time for them.

Here are the pictures of our adventure. The song is by Jim Gill and is called The Sound Effects Song. I only used the first half, since I’m only showing 20 pictures and the first half goes with where we were, kinda.

Last week my eldest brother Glenn got remarried to a wonderful woman, AnnMarie.

They had the wedding in the chapel, so no picture taking was allowed. My battery started to die during the reception so I have some pictures, but we probably would have taken more had it not died.

The reception was held immediately after the wedding. Things went pretty quick so I wasn’t able to get a picture of them cutting the cake, since I was returning from taking Eden to the bathroom when I realized they were cutting the cake, and the camera was in my purse.

Here’s my view, with a few pictures that Jon took, of Glenn and AnnMarie’s wedding.

Bride and groom with parents. AnnMarie, Maggie Harvey, Larry Harvey, Glenn, and Norman Homer.

Shawn, the best man, with baby Zarina.

Dad and Glenn.

Part of our table: Katy, Eden, Lilah, and Jon.

Beautiful Carolyn.

Amusing story: I was eating right handed with Eden on my lap. It was quite awkward and we kept getting in each others way. Carolyn suggest I eat left handed, and I mentioned that I would probably drop my food since I was right handed. She said “Look it’s not that hard.” and attempted to eat with her left hand only to drop the grape on the floor. Point proven and very funny at the time.

Cute Zarina.

The cut cake.

Derek is so GQ. It makes me want to have his soda.

How much food can Lilah fit in her mouth?

Wait, Carolyn’s back. Let’s take a picture of the happy couple…Well, at least one of them is happy.

Having fun with Daddy.

Cute Eden.

The couple dancing.

Look over there so I can steal your food.

(Dad and Mom with neighbors Nancy and husband…I can’t remember his name.)

The crazy Parks, Andrea, Zarina, and Brien. One is definitely a little crazier than the others.

Glenn dancing with Mom.

Getting the car ready. This was just the beginning.

Eden was never in the confetti filled car helping to put toilet paper on the seat belts, I swear.

Having fun.

One sad thing. We decorated the car, only to have the couple slip away without anyone knowing.

Here are my new glasses. They have a green lining on the inside of the frame, which you can’t see very well.

Lilah took this picture for me.

Here are the five jars of applesauce  and the three jars of pie filling, or my half of what Sam and I canned on Thursday.

Jon and I both donated blood recently. I donated on Saturday, the 20th, and Jon donated yesterday, the 30th. I haven’t donated blood in a long time. I use to be on the calling list, but once you were eligible to donate again they would call like twice a day until you made an appointment. Life is busy and I have just a small window where I have feel strong enough to give blood so making and keeping an appointment can be hard and we’ve both asked to be on the ‘do not call to remind and make an appointment list’ to keep our own sanity from the ringing telephone.

Whenever I give blood I become keenly aware of how weak I am and I often get lightheaded and queasy on my way there. I think it’s more mental than physical but, I have passed out twice and nearly passed out one or two times, so I am always nervous. I’ve also been unable to donate due to low iron and low blood pressure at different times. I donate whole blood rather than plasma because I seem to always have a problem once they try to return fluids half way through the process and have only finished the process once out of four tries.  Jon had to do the plasma donation yesterday because of his weight. You have to weigh 130 pounds to donate whole blood and he only weighs 125.

I donated on Saturday because it’s been somewhere around a year and they were giving away two free movie tickets. I don’t get paid to donate blood, and I have done it when their have been no incentives, but incentives do make it a little more appealing and since we’re trying to save money where we can a free date is always welcomed.

Jon donated because they sent a postcard with the incentive of two free tickets to a local comedy magic show. I’m pretty sure my friend Alana’s husband works for that show so it was definitely something I thought would be fun. Then he got the voucher  and it shows it’s for two free tickets but we must spend a minimum of $9.99 per person on drinks. I feel it’s kinda a bust, but not all things come without small print. I have a feeling we’ll be drinking a lot of lemonade that afternoon, or very little overpriced lemonade.

I guess we’ll do anything for free/ bargain priced dates nowadays. I’m just happy I only had to give blood and not an organ. 😉

Saturday I went and did my duty to clean the chapel. Bro. Moe had called Wednesday night while I was at a dinner. He called at 9:09 pm so, he was at least closer to the 9 o’clock hour and it was three days before I needed to be there. Jon asked him to call earlier next time.  I’m hoping I’m not called to clean the chapel for another year or so. I figure we only have the responsibility every other month and we have at least 200 active families. Anyways, I learned who Bro. Moe is, an older gentleman who I would think by now knows not to call late and I don’t know if I could consciously be rude, or firm to him. Somehow it’s easier when you don’t know who they are.

After I returned home I got the girls ready to go to the Springs Preserve with Jon. It was Eden’s date with Daddy and she asked if Lilah could come. They went hiking and had lots of fun. I guess, since I wasn’t there. I stayed home and worked on my lesson and did various tasks around the house and watched part of a movie and enjoyed brownies ala-mode in the afternoon. It was a nice time, but I did miss them towards the end.

Our stake Relief Society Presidency had a dinner before the General Relief Society Broadcast, so I prepared and went to that at 4:00. It was very good evening.

After the broadcast I did some grocery shopping and came home. Once home I noticed Lilah asleep on the couch, which she had been for most of my time gone, Jon informed me.  I felt her head to find she had I fever. Jon suspected, so we took her temperature and she had a fever of 101.3.

Lilah continued to have a fever this morning so only Eden and I went to church. She still appears to have a fever tonight. I’m not sure what’s caused it, because a high temperature is the only symptom she has, besides being tired.  Eden has been doing excellent this week on going to the potty so I really want to take her to dance tomorrow. I think I will go and just not have Lilah participate in her class. I figure she has no other symptoms and if she just stays with me on my lap she won’t spread her odd fever only germs and Eden can still enjoy her reward for being consistent this week. It’s tough when you have two kids and they affect what the other can do.

I’m hoping Lilah gets over the fever soon.

Today would have been Lilah’s class with Beth but we had a change of plans.

While I was at a family dinner Wednesday night Sam called. I got home late, at 9:15, but I called her anyways. I know her, she’s my friend and my curiosity was too strong to wait till morning.  She was up when I called her at 9:20 pm. She called because the children’s singer Jim Gill was going to be at the Clark County Library today. Jim is Sam’s favorite children’s artist and we have a CD that we got through Sam with a few of his songs. The girls love his songs.  He only comes to Vegas about once a year, and it was going to be a free performance so I decided to cancel with Beth and have fun with the girls.

We got there early so we could get good seats, but they let the school kids in before us anyways. We still had nice seats and the girls had fun. Lilah had a total ball dancing to every song. Britta thought it was a little loud and had her ears covered at first and then got into it more later. Eden was a bit of a hermit and only danced when I wasn’t trying to get her to dance or when she really felt the music.

It was very entertaining and fun for us all.

I bought a CD he signed for us and took a picture of the girls with Jim.

Since the Clark County Library is right by UNLV we stopped by Jon’s work. I barely got a parking spot because the man pulling out pulled out in a advantageous way and I slipped in before the other car. We got there at the same time so it wasn’t obvious who should have gotten the spot.  I forgot to get change before we left so I only had 70 cents, which afforded us 41 minutes of parking, 47 with the added 6 minutes that was still on the meter. Lilah really wanted to go to the small museum there but we only had enough time to see Jon’s work cubicle and eat lunch. It was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect in the shade and we had a slight breeze. I think I’ll try to visit him a little more often during the fall and we can have picnic lunches till it turns cold, because I am a baby about cold weather and even though I live in Vegas and it’s not that cold here, it’s cold enough for my liking.

After lunch we came home and hung out. I took a short nap, well I took about two short naps before making dinner.

After dinner we went to Cold Stone for free ice cream, which wasn’t completely free since it was for Make a Wish, so we donated what cash we had. After that we tried looking for a new store, Fresh and Easy, but we couldn’t find it. We didn’t see it on the way there, though on the map we checked once home we should have spotted it on the way. Oh well, I’ll just wait till the one right across from my local Smith’s opens up.

Now it’s bedtime and tomorrow I will have a new sister-in-law and all of my parents children will be married. It’s a miracle.

Tuesday turned out to be a very eventful day. I went to see my eye doctor to have my contacts checked out. (I’ve mentioned the problem in a post about not being able to pick up contacts.)

I had dropped the girls off at my mom’s house so she could watch them for me. I then came back to borrow a sewing machine, and I guess pick up my children. My free $100 sewing machine is starting to act up. I would love to get a new one, but that will wait until we save for it. In which I’d rather go to SLC for a friend’s wedding that’s in November, compared to saving for a new sewing machine, though neither is happening soon. I’ll just have to keep borrowing my moms. 😉

I’m mostly borrowing it because I’m making a period dress for Beth’s daughter and I want to have the best possible machine in hopes that it will instantly improve my sewing skills 100% and help me sew perfectly straight seams. Really I just need more seam options than straight or zig–zag. There’s like fourteen button holes, my machine does not do button holes, and they want me to hand sew the skirt that is like 5 yards of fabric long. Ha! Like that’ll happen. So instead I’ll just use the invisible seam setting on my mom’s machine and save lots of time.

My machine also has problems when facing thicker seams and hers does not. Mine has a mind of it’s own because it’s so low tech and I get too lazy to take out the stitches because I know it will just do the exact same thing. I’m hoping hers will actually obey me, but I’m also afraid that it might be smarter than me and take over as I sew.  I can just see the fabric flying through the air as the sewing machine sews everything in sight. I’ll have to keep the girls far, far away.

My dinky sewing machine

My mothers nice sewing machine, probably worth more than Jon’s car. ( It also embroiders.)

Hopefully it doesn’t spoil me too much because we can’t afford her sewing machine.