Mason is 2 months old!

Wow, they do grow up fast! It's always amazing to me how much faster time passes when I'm NOT pregnant!

A couple of things I LOVE about this age.

* Those first smiles, I love those gummy grins. They just make my heart melt, especially when I'm so tired and just want more sleep! Of course, Mason smiled at Ryan first (life is so unfair sometimes!)

*I love the weight of my baby of my chest while he is sleeping and I'm sitting down. It feels so perfect to just sit and hold my baby. Of course, since he is the youngest of 5, I don't get to just sit and hold him very much...it seems as though someone always needs me for something!

My first canning day!

I canned my peaches yesterday. Thankfully, I had some help getting started. My friend came over and helped me get all my peaches in the jars, it only took us about 2 hours to do 2 boxes. Of course, it took the rest of the day to process all the jars. Thankfully, I used my friends canner as well as my own...but it still took me until 7:00 that night to finish. I got 38 quarts out of my day's work. They are beautiful! I had 1 bottle that didn't seal, I think I make some peach crisp (yum!)

Kessiah was very helpful in slicing the peaches and putting them in the jars. Jenessa had fun putting sugar in the bottles (since sugar is her favorite food group!)

I also made a small batch of plum sauce. I canned one 1/2 pint jar and kept another in the fridge to use now. We got about 8 plums in the fruit basket from the co-op and we don't eat raw plums very well (too tart). So I looked around for something to make with them and found a plum sauce. Kessiah and I ate some pot stickers for lunch using the plum sauce as a dip...yummy! Last evening Ryan told me he remembered eating (and enjoying) plum crisp as a kid. Next time we get plums I'll have to try that.

My latest hobby?

I know, I don't have time for a new hobby but...

I bought a pressure canner this week at Walmart. I have recently become intrigued about the idea of canning foods. I remember helping my mom and grandparents when I was young, but I haven't had an interest in doing it myself until now.

And I ordered 2 cases of peaches that I will pick up on Saturday. So, I will start off by canning peaches (yes, I know I don't need a pressure canner for those). I'm so excited to see my pretty jars of peaches!

YES, We have a 2 year old in the house!

I think aliens have invaded my son's body! Seriously, since his birthday he has decided that he can do certain things all by himself! He has also started throwing some serious temper tantrums!

He insists on putting on and taking off his pants/shorts/pajama bottoms. He tries to take his diaper off...and sometimes succeeds. He takes his shoes and socks off constantly. He tries to take his shirts off but that one is a bit tougher and he rarely succeeds.

Yesterday at church he kept taking off his shoes and socks. After 15 minutes of putting them back on each time he got them off, I gave up and just let them stay off. Then, before I knew it he was handing me his pants! Yes, the boy took his pants off in the middle of sacrament meeting! Thankfully, he still had his diaper on! I quickly put his pants back on and hoped nobody saw him! I'm sure the incident went unnoticed except for maybe the people sitting right behind us.

Just when I get Sienna to the point where she wants to wear clothes...the next one comes along!

Ahhh...the joys of motherhood!

I can feed my kids!

Yes, I know that meal preparation is one of the many things that mothers do...but I did not do so well at it while I was pregnant!

I realized last night as my kids were eating dinner BEFORE soccer practice how nice it was to feed my kids before we left. (Even if it was just a frozen pizza!) The reason this was significant to me is because all during basketball season in the winter and Little League season last spring I would just tell my kids to grab some bread or string cheese or whatever before we walked out the door to their games/practices. I just did not have the energy to make them anything...or at least make them anything in time to eat before we left.

Sienna and Logan spent the entire first part of 2009 scrounging for whatever they could find. I know we are supposed to teach our children to be independent...but that was a bit much!

It is just nice to feel like myself again!

15 YEARS!

I smile when I think that 15 years ago I married my best friend, my love, the one that I share my wonderful life with. I laugh when I think that 2 years ago I was thinking that for our 15th wedding anniversary that maybe we could leave the kids with my parents and get away for a night...maybe another year!

I do feel very blessed to have a wonderful husband and 5 great kids. Yes, my life is crazy busy but I wouldn't trade it for anything!

The Grasshoppers

Well, what do you expect when you let 3 and 4 year olds name their own soccer team! It looks like Sienna's soccer team will be the Grasshoppers! One little girl was not very happy, she thought they should be the Ants. She thought that grasshoppers were lazy and ants did all the work. She has either been watching "A Bug's Life" or her mom is reading Aesop's Fables to her!

I guess if you think of the grasshoppers in "A Bug's Life" they are pretty fierce looking!