Day 20 & 21

Saturday blew by so fast, I didn't realize I hadn't posted until this morning. It was Mom & Dad's last day here, and we had a packed schedule.
We went to visit Aunt Karen in the morning, and then came home for naps. After dinner we went to the train park.

I wish I could share some photos, but the batteries in my camera are dead. I would LOVE to get a picture of the kiddos right now--Owen is wearing one of Matt's shoes, and Eden has the other--chewing on the shoestring. It's very cute.

Today was simply a day of rest. I made more jam, and that's the extent of what I've accomplished today. Sooner or later I'm going to have to face the berry stains on the counters, but for now I'm just enjoying a quiet day.

Day 18 & 19: Biscuits and Jam

I made jam! I made jam!

Okay, so I didn't post anything yesterday, but I was tired!

After getting the kids up & ready for their day, Mom & Dad came over so I could go shopping for jam supplies. I wanted to make a sugar-free jam, and apparently you have to use a special pectin that is only sold at two stores in town.

I found the pectin, and bought jars. Then I came home to get ready for my afternoon date with my husband. We received a "complimentary entree" from P.F. Chang's, which was good for a FREE New York strip steak lunch! Cool. (Side note: When we've gone to P.F. Chang's for dinner-dates, we've had miserable experiences--loud, rushed, etc. This afternoon date was MUCH MUCH better. Great service, quiet, and really enjoyable.)

We walked around a bit, but we both wanted to get home & make jam. (Yes, I know, we're weird--a "fun" date is making jam together.) We had to get a couple more ingredients (limes and white grape juice concentrate), and then we headed home.

We spent the rest of the afternoon making jam. It was lots of fun, SO much easier than I had thought.

I told my folks to come over early on Friday morning, and I would make a big breakfast of buttermilk biscuits (yes, from scratch), bacon, and eggs. The best way to try out jam is on fresh biscuits.

So, this morning I made biscuits, bacon and eggs, and we ate jam. Wowzer! It's SO good. It's not super-sweet. Just rich-raspberry good! Matt came home on break & inhaled 4 biscuits on his own. I thought I might give these away for Christmas, but I'm not sure how I'll part with them!

Day 17:

I'm not doing a great job of taking pictures while my folks are here (they've been taking plenty--maybe I should just download some of their shots).

Today Mom & Dad watched Eden while Owen and I went to the pool. It was so cold today & overcast, so we didn't stay long. Owen really wanted to go down the big slide, but I'm not quite ready for that! We did go into deeper water (3 whole feet) to practice going under. He did a great job.

Eden says "Dada" pretty much all day, but I realized today that she does say "Mama"--but only when she's really upset (mad or sad). It would be nice if she said it when she's happy, but I'll take what I can get!

Tomorrow Matt & I have an afternoon date planned. I can't wait! We got a coupon in the mail for P.F. Chang's, so guess that will be where we go. Just getting away for a few hours alone with my husband will be fantastic no matter where we go.

Day 16: The Library

Today was the kids' first trip to the public library. I had planned on taking a picture of the stack of books and videos Owen checked out, but well, Owen liked his books so much that he's sleeping with them.
Yep, I'm grinning ear to ear that my boy likes books so much. I love that he stays up late reading, and insists on several being read before bedtime and nap time.
Tomorrow we're headed to the public pool to practice Owen's mad swimming skills he's learned in class. Lessons are going very well. Owen really enjoys being in the water.

Eden said her first word today. I attempted to get it on video, but of course she clammed up every time I turned on the camera. Much to my dismay she is clearly saying "Dada." :( Matt, of course, is quite pleased with his little girl.

Day 15: Pictures

Hooray! The pictures from our family photo session are finally ready. Kammi & Ross from Elegant Images did an AWESOME job. Check out their blog http://www.xanga.com/Elegantimages to view a few of our pictures.

Day 14:

Just a quick note, because it's late and I'm tired.

Mom & Dad arrived safely tonight. They watched the kids while we met with financial counselors. The meeting went well, but as expected, it wasn't good news. We're about 2k short each month, and somehow we have to stop spending that much and/or start making that much more. *Sigh* We're feeling quite low tonight--not to mention exhausted.

My friend Wendy (the one leading the awesome bible study I've been attending) just started a blog. http://adivinecalling.blogspot.com It's great!! (Way to go, Wendy!) I can't wait to read more.

That's all I've got tonight.

Day 13: A Bunch of Berries

We've got quite a collection of berries, and tomorrow I plan to attempt making jam.

We had a quiet day--Matt worked, came home for a couple hours & then was off to All Shook Up for the second show.

My kids LOVE salmon. Tonight we made smoked salmon, wild rice, and ate fresh green beans from the garden. Owen gobbled down two helpings of salmon and rice. Eden got her first bite salmon, and really enjoyed it too. I'm so glad they like fish!