RECAP

So this is Our friend Chris's new little baby girl, Elayna. She's super cute and I had to put a pic up of her. we're excited to see her again at the birthday Luau that we are going to have this coming weekend to celebrate Jeremy, Tristan, and Asher's birthdays.
I swore that I would not combine their birthdays since they are so close together (Asher is the 17th, Jeremy is the 20th, and Tristan is the 21st). But this year I'm very pregnant and just not up to the multiple parties idea. On the 16th we are going to have a big party starting at 5:00pm--come of you are able. I'm getting some authentic hawaiian luau recipes, and hopefully we will have a blast. We're going to play cornhole, eat, some game for the kids I haven't figured out yet, and just hang out. I've got tons of luau decorations and leis for everyone. Hopefully I'm feeling good that day and in a decent mood:)
Here is the unbelievable swimming pool. So we really really liked many things about this pool. It's just big enough that I can let the older boys swim with almost now worries, it's a good ice breaker for Liam to get used to swimming, and it just barely doesn't drown Asher. Also, late a night after the kids are in bed, it is just wonderful to slip outside in the dark and just flow so the weight of this dreaded stomach goes away! It's like having a jacuzzi...without the jets...or the heat....hmmm....not like a jacuzzi at all I guess. Who knew that a tiny little pool could fulfill so many dreams...and dash them all to pieces too!!!!
So we've been putting the chlorine solution crap in every other day and keeping the cover on and all that good stuff. So you also have to change the filter every two weeks. So we go to about 12 different stores to find the stupid filter. None. anywhere. So, Jeremy gets online to see if he can order it....nope!!! Know why???? They only sell the darn things in the UK!!?!?!!?!? WTF???
There were all kinds of angry people online ranting about what a hassle this stupid pool is. The only solution is to buy a brand new pump for a different brand of pool and use that instead. But, it costs just as much as the whole stinkin pool did! Good Grief!! So, now we have a green, algae covered pool that we don't know what to do with. Crap a Dog!


Yes, Cedric is okay for those of you that are wondering. He had me worried at first because he ran and hid and I didn't know if he was stuck under the car or what! He felt really bad. I don't think he was actually trying to "drive" per sey, I think he was getting something out of the front and knocked it out of gear. I talked to my mom and a couple of siblings about it and they all laughed at me!! I was feeling rather inadequate as a parent after he wrecked through the door because just last fall Liam had wrecked into a car at the Nauvoo Family Inn and Suites "accidentally". Anyway, they all laughed at me because they said those are the kinds of storeis you get when you have a large family. And then proceeded to tell me of all the crazy things my brothers and sisters did while growing up. My brother Russ, tied my dad's car to the front porch thinking that when my dad left for work, he wouldn't be able to go. But, instead my dad ripped the entire front porch of the front of the house when he tried to leave for work!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh there are so many good stories to tell but, I will spare you all.

For all my old pageant friends, the verdict is in.... the new Nauvoo Pageant is not as good as City of Joseph despite the rumors that abound! Oh, it's good. But, it's a completely different feeling and style to the whole thing. Volunteering at the concession stand is great and such a great blessing for the whole community. Before pageant time each year the church offers to all the local organizations (i.e. other churches, PTO, youth groups, etc.) that any volunteers will be "paid" and the money goes to whichever organizations they are volunteering for! Sweet, huh?

Miracle of Miracles, I have things growing in my garden finally!!!! I am going to have cherry tomatoes running out my ears!! And from the looks of things I will have a full bounty of watermelon and zuchinni too! I have one tiny green pepper and the devil deer from the east have trampled and eaten my tiny little corn!!! Oh well. Better luck with that next year.

My mother had a huge garden and a small little orchard too. Me, my mom, my sister Vicki, and my neice inlaw, Joanne, have been canning like mad-women!! We've made peach jelly, peach jam, peach honey, peach salsa, peach juice, peaches, peach pie filling, relish, oscar relish, pickles, corn, apricot jam, apricot baby food, apricot butter, peach butter, cherry pie filling, and more!!
We've still got a butt load to do. The plums are just about ripe and then we will have to do tomatoes and salsas and such. This is my first year of canning. Well, I canned like one day last summer and thought it a crazy endeavor. which I still believe, but what blessing to not have to pay for all this food when food costs are so stinkin high!!!

Okay that's all for now. I will have a lot to blog about these next couple of weeks because like I said we have three birthdays approaching, school starting, Tristan's baptism, Todd and Susan getting sealed in the temple, and grape festival all before the end of the month!!! I think a couple of my brothers are going to make it back for the temple and the baptism so I'm REALLY looking forward to that!