Harvest Bounty

Peaches: 20 Quarts
Whole Tomatoes: 32 Quarts
Salsa: 20 Pints
Applesauce: 42 Pints
Apple Pie Filling: 7 Quarts

These are the stats from our flurry of canning this fall. It's by far more than we've ever attempted in the past, and our kitchen is a bit worse for wear as a result. We also used almost every jar we owned, as well as some we were given from my mom.  But I must say there is something infinitely satisfying in seeing all that food lined up, overflowing the shelves of our newly-installed downstairs pantry.

And it looks quite perty, if I do say so myself.

Wedding Day Pics

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Matey got married a few days ago. Because I have three girls, it's necessary to doll them up as best I can for such a special occasion. Here is a pic of Dany that I absolutely love:

And here's the two cute sisters together:


And of course little Rory had to get all gussied up too:

Here she is with her dad, who is also looking mighty fine:

All of the older cousins were waiting in great anticipation for the newlyweds to come out from inside the temple. It's not often you get to see them all dressed up like this:

And I had to get a picture of me and Matey, of course:

A great one with Rory and Grandma:

All three girls together:

And lastly, one of our whole little family, even if only two of us are looking at the camera:

Congratulations, Nate and Elle!

Blindo the Magnificent

You know how when you're going to have a baby you always wonder what sorts of traits your kids will inherit from you? Hair-color, eye-color, height, that sort of thing? During that "wondering" stage, you tend to gloss over all the potentially negative things your kids could wind up with in the mixed bag of genes they're endowed with. Well, unfortunately for Maisie, she has inherited my less-than-stellar vision.

We were surprised when she went in for her Kindergarten checkup and didn't pass the simple vision test they administer there. She wasn't a squinter, and she hadn't complained of not being able to see things, but we had noticed a tendency of hers to stand close to the TV, especially if there were words to be read.

Shortly after school started, I made an appointment for her at the eye doctor, and Teag took her in to see just how bad things were. Turns out we surprised even the opthamologist. He told Teag he was shocked at how bad her vision was for how young she is, and he thinks it will most likely decline every year. Awesome.

So... anyway, Teag immediately took her to Costco, prescription in hand, where they debated over various frames until Maisie found a set of purple wire rims that she liked. Teag ordered them, and about ten days later, here is the result:

I think she looks pretty cute.

So far she's adjusted to them well, and has told us about all sorts of things she can see now with them. I must admit I was very concerned about turning over something so delicate and expensive to a five year old, but she's been very cautious and careful in the past five days she's had them. Teag had cautioned her not to hold them by the glass in order to avoid getting fingerprints on it, as well as some other tips for care. On the day we picked them up, she told me that her hair had been on her glasses, and asked if I could see any "hair prints".

Hopefully I've also passed her a few other, more useful genes as well. Poor kid didn't have a chance.

Uncle Matey Got Married

Two days ago Uncle Matey tied the knot, and our family acquired an Aunt Elle. Other than being a tad chilly at the temple, the day was absolutely beautiful, and the bride and groom looked very happy.

I must admit, it's going to be a bit weird for me to adjust to the idea; Matey's sort of frozen in my head at around age 16-18. I knew he had to grow up some time, but I think it snuck up on me. We've been buds for years, hung out, talked, watched movies with Slurpees on a regular basis. And now... looks like it's Slurpees for four.

Welcome to the family, Elle.

The Amazing Flying Cousins

Last Friday, Maisie and I picked up cousin Henry for a little flying adventure. I'm still racking hours in a multi-engine plane, and the weather was just begging for a flight. The only mission specs were to check out fall leaves, land at an airport that I've never been to before, and have fun! With full fuel tanks and everyone strapped in, we roared down the runway and headed up Parley's Canyon. Destination: exciting Duchesne and Roosevelt Utah.

The cousins loved pointing out the water they saw (Jordanelle, Deer Creek, Strawberry, Current Creek, Starvation). I was trying to point out the vibrant colors of the leaves, but with the dusting of the snow and our altitude, they were unimpressed. I snapped a few pics anyway. Our camera doesn't do it any justice.







Around Heber, however, Henry's excitement overcame him...



Maisie is usually a great little passenger, but she struggled with clearing her ears in the descents, and said, "the bumps are making my tummy feel funny". We made a quick landing in Duchesne, and I turned around on the runway to take off again. Henry stayed passed out in the back through it all. I asked Maisie if we could go to another airport before we went home, but she didn't think that was a good idea. We launched again for home instead of checking out Roosevelt.

Descending back into the valley for home, Henry popped awake again and seemed quite refreshed. It felt like a bit of a bust, as they appeared generally unimpressed, but when they were back on the ground they were excited and said they would love to go again. Kids!



Anyone else wanna go for a ride?

A Tree for Lucy

A little over five years ago, some friends of ours lost their baby girl, Lucy. She was born with a severe birth defect, and after only a few short months of life, passed from this world.

Teag and I went to see her at Primary's, and were struck by how sweet and amazingly wise those eyes were that looked back at us from the tiny hospital crib. I remember she had so much dark hair, and very long feet. We had brought Maisie with us, and she was only about five months at the time. We took turns staying in the waiting room with our healthy little girl, while the other went in to visit Lucy, struggling to breathe on her own, and covered with myriad tubes and wires. It was a very poignant moment for me.

I've thought about Lucy often in the past five years; would she and Maisie have been friends? Would we have arranged play-dates together, and watched them play dress up? I'd like to think so.

I've heard Sarah, her mother, speak often about how excellent the care was Lucy received at Primary's. In part to help with their grief, Sarah and her family started a tradition of designing fabulous trees for the Festival of Trees charity auction, in order to earn money for other families who couldn't afford that same level of care. In the past, they've received sponsorship to help offset the costs of decorating the tree, but this year the economy has made that sponsorship unavailable. Sarah has set up a blog dedicated to Lucy, telling her story, and requesting donations, and I urge you all to take the time to read it, even if you can't afford to contribute. Their story is amazing; touching, and heartfelt.

Posts are updated regularly, so check back often, and donate if you are able.

For Lucy.

A Tree For Lucy