Peach Freezer Jam

Well, week 38 came and is just about gone. 

Tomorrow I'll be into my last week 

- give or take - 

since my 2 big boys both showed up late.

On Sunday we crashed some friends' date and met up with them for a 

matinee of the new Bourne movie. 

I think it's been years since we went to a movie together. 

Haha!

Then yesterday, our sweet neighbours brought over a big box of peaches from their tree.

There's nothing quite like being 39 weeks pregnant to motivate you to get 

some of those can't wait projects done - just in case.

So this morning I watched Olympic Gymnastics while 

peeling, slicing, and cooking up a big batch of freezer jam. 

Here's the recipe:

No-Pectin Peach Jam

We ended up with well over 10 lbs of jam!

All for a just few hours work. 

And now I'm just waiting ever so impatiently for it to cool off so 

I can slice and butter up a thick piece of fresh bread to douse in jam. 

Happy Saturday!

Week 37 and a Freezer Meal Party

This week was #37!

It won't be long now. 

These two cutie pies were on their best big-brotherly behaviour at my check-up this week.

Of course they were well rewarded afterwards.

Their drink of choice is a sample cup of whipped cream.

And for me?

Just a Grande Starbucks Double Shot on Ice.

Ahhhh....

Being pregnant in this weather is no joke. 

We get out to water the garden and play in the mornings 

and then after dinner we're usually out the door for a family walk or bike ride.

But during the day, we're usually tucked away inside with the AC running.

 I tried a new banana bread recipe this week.

The boys were only too happy to partake.

We attended our 6th baby shower celebration of the summer!

And speaking of baby showers...

In lie of a shower, a few dear ladies from our Bible Study group at church came over this morning and spent hours working in the kitchen, stocking my freezer with all kinds of meals and goodies to enjoy after Baby #3 makes his debut.

A am so blessed to have had these sweet ladies spoiling me!

And if any of you are looking for some freezer meal inspiration that is more than just a cream of chicken soup casserole, here's what my freezer now holds:

Sausage Balls 

(for dear husband)

We omit the onion.

The Pioneer Woman's Breakfast Burritos

Blueberry Muffins

Sausage, Spinach, and White Bean Soup

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Quinoa and Black Bean Enchilada Bake

Three Bean and Beef Chili

White Chicken Chili

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Quiche

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

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My Latest Project

Sometimes it takes having my hubby out of town for a 

few weeks to motivate me to get started on a new project. 

Especially something as time consuming as a new quilt.

So, with quiet evenings, minimal meal prep, and clean up, 

I got to work on Lynden's new big boy bed quilt.

From cutting and piecing to assembling - it went pretty quickly.

Especially thanks to my beautiful new Bernina sewing machine.

Happy birthday to me from my sweet in-laws!

Now all that's left is the actual quilting.

But first I need to decide on a fabric for the back. 

I'll be sure to show off the finished product once it's complete.

But with my honey back home and family coming into town this weekend, 

I think it'll take a back seat.

How else do we entertain ourselves on these sunny summer days?

Daily walks.

See?

There's my baby bump!

We're always keeping an eye out for lizards, rabbits, and 

any other fun desert creatures we might encounter.

Here's a little lizard friend. 

You could see exactly where his tail had come off and was regrowing.

How's that for a natural science lesson?

 And these two cuties just can't get enough playtime with each other.

So thankful for brothers who are best buds. 

It always helps to cool off with popsicles too!

Wrapping Up Piano

In the last almost 2 years that we've lived in Fallon, 

I've had the pleasure of teaching 6 different piano students of varying levels.

This last week we wrapped up lessons for the year -

and for me, for the foreseeable future.

From Finding Neverland to Taylor Swift to Sleeping Beauty, to Yankee Doodle

I've heard it all and loved watching sweet students develop a love for music.

Scheduling two kiddos for quiet time and nap time around lessons was manageable, 

but I have no desire to try to juggle three little ones around lessons.

 We celebrated our first piano-less day with a picnic lunch in the backyard.

These boys are always up for an adventure.

Don't look too closely at our 'grass.'

We live in the desert, after all!

After lunch Ryder 'made' a big pot of 'Mac & Roni' to share with all of his friends.

And eventually I'll have to tackle this big mountain of clean laundry and get it folded if we're going to have anything to wear on vacation next week!

Pie Time

On Saturday I was at Costco and in a hurry.

Never a good combination!

Anyway, when I got home and put all of my groceries away, I found that the 2lbs of strawberries I picked up were a little more ripe than overripe.

Enter - 

My most recent Food Network Magazine and it's strawberry recipes.

Strawberry Crumble Pie

First the crust.

I substituted cold butter for the vegetable shortening.

 The crust recipe was nice and generous, so I didn't have the usual struggle of trying to stretch just a little bit more out of the pastry dough.

Then the crumble topping.

All together.

And baked!

The biggest struggle was waiting the prescribed 4 hours for it to cool completely.

But it paid off, because the strawberry juice didn't run all over the place.

I had an eager first taste tester.

And then after he was in bed, we warmed it up again with vanilla ice cream.

It's a good thing too, 

because I needed a little pick me up after my littlest monkey decided to pull my 

KitchenAid mixer down and break my beautiful glass mixing bowl.

But that's everyday life. 

It's not all tasty pies. :)

Finishing Up Home Projects

It's 81degrees outside and I'm sitting in the backyard soaking up this beautiful Nevada sunshine. 

The boys are both napping after an active morning at the gym and I'm taking advantage of the peacefulness to catch up on a few things. 

On my to do list:

Keeping up with you, friends and family - through this post

Writing a love note to my man - he works so hard!

Researching a new vacuum 

(Yes! The budget says we're ready to go ahead and pull the trigger)

And, if I get to them, 

A Better Homes and Gardens & Martha Stewart Living magazines. 

Catching up on magazines is truly a sign that I have too much time on my hands. 

Well, except for my Food Network Magazine. That's my current favourite and I classify browsing it's pages of scrumptious recipes as 'work' since I'm always looking for dishes to feed my family. :)

But first, 

let me catch you up on a few small projects around the house that we've finally finished. 

1. The Stool

Braden picked up the wood for it about a few months ago and then during some time off recently, designed and made it. 

Not only is it beautiful, it has changed our lives.

Now Ryder can reach all of his drawers and dress himself in the morning. 

He can take care of going potty and washing his hands on his own. 

And, I don't have to lift him all the way up onto the counter when he helps me in the kitchen daily. 

I'm sure I'll appreciate this even more as Baby #3 continues to grow!

Ryder affectionately calls it his 'stood'.

Here he is playing in the oatmeal (making toad in the hole) while I prepare dinner.

2. The Measuring Ruler

The vision for this project dates back a little further. 

We used Christmas money from grandparents to get this wood and it truly was a labour of love. 

Braden made the ruler to replicate a real ruler as accurately as possible and even burned in the numbers in the right font by hand. 

Next we just need to decide how to record the boys' height.

3. The Book Wagon

Being married to a woodworker is awesome. 

Being married to an unemployed woodworker would be awesome too.

Too many projects and not enough time is always the quandary.  

The problem is that we all love books. 

As our family grows and our children develop, we just collect more and more awesome books.

But, you can't buy bookshelves when you're married to a woodworker. 

So, in an effort to organize the books our boys have in their room, I turned to Pinterest.

And, thanks to some birthday money for the boys 

and a local antique store, we were able to solve the problem. 

They love their book wagon!

And that's what's new here.

These Are The Days

These are the days we love.

Sunshine, watermelon, and playtime in the backyard.

Do you see that shiner?

Ryder took a tumble from the van to the gravel parking lot at church last weekend.

He is one tough cookie!

These are the days with the boys we love.

Birthday balloons

 and birthday money to put in the piggy bank.

All from Oma. 

We can't wait to see Oma again soon!

These are the days we cherish.

Ryder running with Dixie:

Keens on the wrong feet

A tumble and scraped knees didn't phase him.

Helping Daddy with yard work.

And these days won't last long.

Lynden is pulling himself up to his feet finally.

He will be walking before long...

These are the boys we love so much. 

We are so thankful for the privilege of parenting!