Tomatoes

Probably more than anything else in the garden, I looked forward to home grown tomatoes.  I love tomatoes.  I eat them just like I would an apple, but only if they are fresh from the garden.  I planted 16 tomato plants...and got three tomatoes total.  I was devastated.
Sister Lewis knew how disappointed I was.  She also had problems with her garden this year, but not nearly as sad as ours.  But Saturday, while I was at work, she went out into her garden, picked all the remaining tomatoes she had on her 25 plants, and brought them over to my house in two large 25 gallon buckets.  One of the sweetest gestures EVER.
So tonight, I canned them.  And I am thrilled to have canned tomatoes from a garden.  Not MY garden, mind you, but better.  From a garden that was filled with much love.
I will cherish each quart I use.
Thank you Sister Lewis.

A Rare Friday Night Date

Since getting my new job, our Friday Night Dates have become non-existent.  Friday is the busiest day at the bank and we work until 6:30 p.m which usually doesn't get me home until right after 7:00 at night...and then I am exhausted!!!  So our Friday night dates have piddled away to nothing.
But last Friday, I had to take the 'early shift' of the day....meaning, I needed to OPEN the bank instead of 'closing' the bank, so I was at work at 6:30 a.m.  That, in it's self, made for a very tiring day.  I was supposed to be off by 4:00, but that's right when a whole slew of people came to the bank to cash their pay checks and for the next hour and a half, I was cashing pay checks. Finally, I was able to leave at 5:30.  I came home early, which was a surprise to Del, and we spent the next two hours making the above, YUMMY dinner...cheese stuffed chicken and jumbo shrimp, asparagus and salad...and then we just relaxed the whole rest of the evening.  It was nice...and much needed after I had come home several nights last week really irritable and grouchy from working such long days under difficult circumstances.  I tend to give my all at work and bring home the 'left over' good mood to my husband.  He gets 'what's left', which isn't much at all.  So I am trying to work on that.

Twenty to Lose - AGAIN!!!

It's taken longer than a moment - it's taken a year, but I have gained back about 10 pounds from my great weight loss a few years ago.  But this time, it's 10 pounds in actual weight, but twenty pounds in inches.  And it's got to come back off.
No time like the present.  I keep fluctuating by about 3-4 pounds...but I just love food - and too much of it.  And I've completely quit exercising....not like I ever really did, except for walk.  But I don't even do that anymore.  So, if I go to the doctor the end of this year like I am right now, my doctor is going to pronounce a death sentence on me.  And I don't want that.
So, back to walking...cutting back on my portions and eliminating junk food.
AFTER I go make a batch of cookies.

Mr. Anderson (Agent)

Supposedly, there has been an actor on t.v. that the kids have thought Del looked like.  The actor has starred in several rolls, but is most famously known in a role where he plays a 'Mr. Anderson', a man that wears a suit, tie and always has on dark sunglasses.  I had never been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this character until a few weeks ago, when I happened to be watching t.v. and a commercial came on with Mr. Anderson.  OMG!!!!!  I gave a little squeal and called for Del to come in the room.  He came in and I asked him, 'Is this you???'  Sure enough, Del looked VERY much like the Mr. Anderson on tv.  The kids were right.   I see the resemblance.

Celebrating the 4th of July

The holiday fell on a Thursday this year which made for a really awkward weekend.
But we started the fun on Wednesday night, when everyone came over to the house to have a sleep over.  Kylie had Mike set up a tent outside where she planned on camping out with Preston.  Jordan and Lexi were set up in the guest bedroom and then the rest of us had our already designated beds.  We had a big dinner and barbeque and had Preston play outside in the tent, but he decided late at night that sleeping outside was not what he really wanted to do, so Kylie brought everything inside and set it up on the floor of the front room.  That's where they were to be found early the next morning. Mike and Madi had gone home to sleep in the comfort of their own beds but came over early the next morning.
The morning of the 4th was spent making a big pancake breakfast and salad for the activity we were going to.  We have some great friends in the ward that had invited us to go boating with them at the lake - so off we were in our bathing suits and ready for some fun.  The pictures tell it all.
A great and exhausting day was had by us all.

The Bishop Has Had ENOUGH

The garden is....gone.  No more.
It had been failing for days; even weeks.
Del tried to revive it...save it and even resurrect it.  But it was not to be.
So one day this past week, I came home from work to find this.....Del had mowed down the corn, and was roto-tilling up the rest of the garden, except the strawberries, grapes and raspberries.  Those, he still cannot part with and sees hope.
But the rest of the garden is gone.  Del didn't want to spend the time, money, water or energy on it anymore when he knew it wouldn't work.
So, he now claims it as an expensive learning experience.  I claim it as my 'lost furniture'.
And from that experience, Del received HUNDREDS of chigger bites and the scars to prove it.
But we'll know better what to do for this next year, maybe even this Fall.

Pinterest: Keep Out of the Reach of Children

Kathryn is ADHD - I know she is.
She gets bored soooo easily - has to always be finding something new to do, experiment with; try.
Her latest thing?
Pinterest.
One night, I'm on the computer looking at facebook, and she comes in to the kitchen asking me...'do we have peroxide?'  'do we have tissue paper?' 'how do you separate egg whites?'  ETC ETC.
I knew SOMETHING was up...but what??
A few minutes later, she emerges from her bathroom looking like the picture below.
This supposedly removes blackheads...along with about three layers of skin.  I heard it all from the other room.  I couldn't help but laugh my head off as she peeled the tissue from her face screaming in discomfort.  But she swears it worked!!!



A few days later, I see a new can of Maxwell House coffee on the counter in the kitchen.
Well, considering we don't drink coffee, I'm wondering what possible adventure Kathryn is up to THIS time.
Apparently, coffee grinds remove unwanted facial hair.
Kathryn claims her face is as 'soft as a baby's bottom'.
Nice.