Lula Belle

Happy Father's Day!

Yeah, I know it's a wee bit late, but I've been having some internet issues.  So I just wanted to shout out to the best dad I know.  Matt, our kiddos are so lucky to have you.  I hope you enjoyed your day!

Summer is Here!

It feels like summer is finally here!  We had our first sweet peas off the vine.  Sadly only a few plants came up so we are getting something like two per day!  One for each kid!  Our squash and pumpkins are getting so big they look like they are going to eat the whole garden and maybe move on the house if we're not careful!  These are the kids favorite!  Every day they go out and tell me how HUGE they are and how much they have grown.  Hopefully it will spark some interest in eating them this year.  It worked a little with the lettuce!  Here are a few scenes from the garden.

Last month.....

Now.......

A Whole Gaggle!

All of the McEnery cousins are in town!  We met at the park for a picnic dinner last night.  We had such a good time!  The number of people in this family is amazing.  I could hardly believe it when we walked over the hill and saw all of those people there and then realized that they were all there because of Matt's folks.  

There are something like 14 or 15 grandkids now and I'm sure that that's not gonna be the final count!  It's really fun though.  There are enough kids to have an impromptu sporting event at any given time and there's a birthday just about every week.   

Soapin'

Making soap has been one of my favorite hobbies for almost three years now.  It is so fun to turn my kitchen into a temporary chemistry lab!  All of the melting, mixing and smelling.  I started out doing it thinking that it would be really cool to be able to make my own and maybe save a few bucks.  WRONG on the saving money idea!  It is expensive to buy the oils!  I use natural and organic ingredients when possible.  It really is worth it though.  If you have never used handmade soap you are really missing out.  It is so soft and smooth and the lather is just dreamy!  My skin rarely dries out enough to need lotion and THE SMELL!  The best part next to cutting is picking out the scents.  I have two favorites that I mostly make these days.  The one above is oatmeal honey.  It smells good enough to eat.  Really.  I so wish I could post a link to the smell!  My other favorite is.... well I haven't named it.  Maybe refreshing?  It is lovely in the morning shower, when I get around to taking one!  It has a base note of Patchouli and top notes of Tea tree, Peppermint, and something else.  Either sage or thyme or both.  I can't remember right now.

I don't have a proper mold so I just use a cardboard box lined with wax paper.  It makes the sizes unconventional, but really, who cares what shape the soap they wash their butt with is?  The only problem with making soap is 1. Cleaning up the mess and 2. Getting rid of all of it.  One batch makes about 30 bars of soap!  I would love to make soap every day, but seriously!  There would be no room in the house for the kids!

Meet Lucy

She is the first doll that I have ever made.  I got the pattern from Knitted Babes.  They are really easy to knit up and really don't take any time at all.  The difficult, well more time consuming part is making all of the clothes requested.  We have lots of ideas!  I tried to make the tutu for her, but I didn't have any tule.  Katie was feeling quite anxious so we agreed to make it a leotard.  Now Lucy can join us for gymnastics!  Next she needed a purse and a dress and now a bag to put it all in.  She has quite a few more things picked out, but all in due time.  Right now I am working on a tiny sweater for her.  Miss K picked out the yarn all by herself thank you very much!

It really is quite satisfying to make something for your child that they actually love and want to help with.  Lucy is our project that we have made together.  That is what makes her so special.

Blah

I have been feeling less than motivated this week.  Katie has been sick complete with her first ear infection in 3 years and a rash.  Needless to say, the girl has NOT been sleeping well.  It is overcast right now and is supposed to rain for the next couple of days.

  This would be a golden opportunity to sew of course, but my machine is whacked.  The stitches are all messed up.  I have been shopping around, but it's gonna take some cash to get the one that I want.  It really stinks when you have projects waiting and big ideas and new fabric and no way to make it happen.  So instead, I have been cleaning(the house REALLY needed it), gardening(the weeds have taken over!!!) and this morning I have been cooking.  Egg salad for lunch, beans for burgers, cutting melons etc.  Really this is a good opportunity to refocus on the home and maybe learn some new skills or recipes.  Who knows?  

 I am excited about Friday though.  Matt and I are going to see Will Oldham.  I love him!  And this month is going to be full of wonderful, exciting, fun things.  Concerts, the pool, farm camp, a trip to the beach, cousins in for the summer, birthday parties, picnics, bike rides, tennis(their latest discovery).  Oh my, I really do love June!

Success!

Tommy says it tastes like Granny jelly!!!  YAY!  That is all I needed to hear!

Strawberries for Jam

Picking....

Eating...

Making Jam...

Freezing...

We went strawberry picking on Saturday morning at a nearby you pick farm.  It was a beautiful morning and the kids did a great job picking.   We got about 8 quarts of berries so we could  try to make jam for the first time.  I never really considered it before, but then it occurred to me that if granny can do it, why can't I?  So, I did!  It turned out a little bit sweeter than I had hoped(of course the 7 cups of sugar should have tipped me off), but still a success.  I just used the recipe off of the pectin box.  Next time I will definitely get the low sugar pectin.  Now I just have to make biscuit to put it on!

Tommy's Plans

Last night when he was supposed to be going to bed, Tommy was making a list.  He knows that I work better from lists and I have been forgetting to do some things that HE wants to do lately!  So he drew it up, scotch tapped a pen to the back(so I can check things off) and set it on my night stand so I wouldn't forget about it.

Here is the translation

List

Tennis

Park

Robbies Hobbies (a model train store that he loves.  Sometimes Robbie leys him run the trains)

Lunch

Toy Store

TV

Computer

Dinner

Get ready for bed

He has quite a busy day planned.  Hopefully we can check off at least a few!  For now Katela and I are off to play.

Ballers

Tommy played his first t-ball game today.  There are a few kids from his Kindergarten class on the team, The Pirates.  They all seemed to be way more into playing tag and throwing dirt than actually playing the game, but everyone had a good time.  I must say, it was pretty darn cute.

He takes running VERY SERIUOSLY!!!