Summertime Splash!

Last weekend we got together with some family friends. Bill & Tamarah have a little girl the same age as Adam and they love to play together. We went to Splash Pad (a local park) and the kids had a blast! It took Adam a little bit to warm up to getting wet, but Alyssa jumped right in! Afterwards we had dinner at our house and the kids (and adults) had tons of fun together. Here are some pictures of our fun.

Puddle Jumping

The "spraying animals"

"Let me help you get wet, Alyssa"

Running through the water

And we can't forget little Michael. He's such a happy boy! Such a cutie...

A Lesson on Salt

I've learned a lesson about salt. Now that I've had to actually think about it, most food has salt in it--almost every recipe calls for salt. Hopefully, I will always remember that...and if the recipe doesn't call for salt, double check. I'd like to share that lesson with you.

This weekend I made bread, a normal occurrence here in our house. We have a new wheat grinder and so I've tried a few recipes. I found one that we like and so that is the one I used on Saturday. It wasn't until I pulled the loaves out of the oven that I realized, "I forgot the salt!" One Tablespoon of salt...in a recipe for three loaves of bread. It couldn't be that bad, right?

WRONG! The bread is edible...with lots of jam, honey, sandwich toppings, or as French toast, but it doesn't taste good on it's own. And it's lumpy. Now we have two and half loaves of "good-for-nothing" (except French toast) wheat bread. Thus, we will be having French toast with the missionaries tomorrow night. And I can't give it away either, that wouldn't be nice. Since this experience the following scripture has taken on a more meaningful lesson:

Matthew 5:13 (from Jesus's Sermon on the Mount)

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under the foot of men.

I thought about just throwing out the bread...to be "trodden under the foot of men," but it is two whole loaves! Thinking about this scripture, and relating it to food, salt adds so much to food! Just as the Gospel of Christ adds so much to our lives. Thinking about my life, if you took away the Gospel of Christ, my life would be "good for nothing." Life wouldn't have meaning.

The Gospel gives us a knowledge of our purpose here on this earth. I know who I am, why I am here, and from where I came. Do you?

I am a woman. As such I am blessed with qualities that bless my family. Men and women are supposed to be different--we compliment each other. Women are to be mothers, that is why all women have an innate "nature to nurture." We take care of people. I am happy to be a woman and to know my divine role in this mortal life and for eternity. I know Christ lives and that His true Gospel has been restored to the earth.

So, the next time you eat bread, savour the flavor. It just doesn't taste the same without salt.

Do you have the salt in your recipe of life?

My Little Kermit

A few weeks ago I went into Adam's room to get him up for the day. He had been playing in his room for a little bit and the silly little boy found some of my gloves (that he had previously taken into his room) and put them on his feet. He looked like a little frog! I had to capture a piece of my son's cuteness.

Maybe Adam should be Kermit for Halloween this year...

Camping at Bays Mountain

Since we weren't able to go camping on Memorial Day weekend...we went this last weekend. Brian had a work get-together Friday night, so we figured we'd just camp at Bays Mountain (where the dinner was being held). So we enjoyed some free food, met some new people (with kids, I might add...) and then went to the campground and set up camp.

It took Brian a long time to get the fire going since the wood was still green and fairly damp (but hey, it was free...from our backyard).

Adam wore his "camping shirt" and he really had a great time collecting rocks,

sleeping in the tent, watching fireflies, catching fireflies, and accidentally squishing a firefly.

Even though Adam didn't go to bed until about 11:30pm and I

was awakened by a gigantor great-grand-daddy long legs crawling on my face...we really enjoyed ourselves and are planning on going again soon. Even Michael did pretty well.

The next morning we bought some produce at the Farmer's Market and then we went to look for a lawn mower and run some errands in Johnson City. Every time we go to Lowe's or Home

Depot, Adam wants to ride the "tractors" out front. He's always so cute and I told Brian we had to take a picture some time. We finally captured it. Too bad we'll never own one of these...Sorry Adam, you'll have to push the mower just like Mom and Dad.

Just Call Me "Domestic"

Well yes...I have been domestic this week. Yesterday, the boys and Brian and I went to the orchard and picked sour cherries since they were ripe. We stemmed and pitted them and then...dum dum dum...we made cherry freezer jam!! Oh YUM! It is delicious! I even have enough cherries left to do some canned jam...but I was going to save that for later this week. We even made homemade ice cream last week...with fresh strawberries, oh yum!

Today, I hemmed an Elder's pants; that was after my presidency meeting this morning and during the time when Adam refused to nap. Then I made wheat bread. And, get ready for this: I experimented with the recipe!! I know it's Brian's job to do that, I'm too chicken normally, but I did it this time. And it turned out pretty well. I know it's not saying much, but the Elders ate it...and they enjoyed it too. Missionaries will pretty much eat anything, it's great. I even cooked dinner and had it all ready and on the table before the missionaries got here. Baked potatoes, corn on the cob, bbq chicken, bread, and cherry jam (yummers).

After dinner I made strawberry-kiwi freezer jam. I discovered it is very sweet. Glad I only made one batch. Now I need to do the laundry and vacuum tomorrow. And maybe clean my kitchen. You may think, "gosh, where does she find the time?" I don't. I don't have time. I make time. I do things like making jam and baking bread as "me" time because it is something I enjoy. And I try and let Adam help. Now I need to make time for journaling. I kind of consider blogging "journaling," but there's just something about written words on a page...something for my children and grandchildren to see and touch one day...